Breaking the Word

When Jesus had crossed again (in the boat) to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, "My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live." He went off with him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him. There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured." Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?" …She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."…

He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!" The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. (At that) they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.  (Mk 5:21-43)

There are two miracles in today’s reading. As one miracle is on progress there is another taking place within it. But when we look at them both, they reveal two different messages. In the first miracle, which is about the healing of the daughter of Jairus, Jesus is called and asked to do the miracle. Jesus goes to his house willingly. He knows what he is about. He is in control of the situation. That is why he commands the people and he takes with him those whom he wants. He orders the child and it happens.

In the second miracle, which is about the woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years, Jesus does not know about the woman following her. He does not know about her sickness. He does not know that she is healed (he only knows that power has gone out of him) and he is not in control of the situation.

Both the miracles take place because of the faith of the persons involved. Jesus is either directly or indirectly involved in these miracles. Jesus only realized that power goes out of him. Faith of the person can draw the power of healing from God. Jesus also affirms that only faith saves. Faith of the people only move them to Jesus.   

They came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. When he got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him. The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, crying out in a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!" (He had been saying to him, "Unclean spirit, come out of the man!")  He asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "Legion is my name. There are many of us." And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory.  Now a large herd of swine  was feeding there on the hillside. And they pleaded with him, "Send us into the swine. Let us enter them." And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned. The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear. Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine. Then they began to beg him to leave their district.  As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. But he would not permit him but told him instead, "Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you." Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed. (Mk 5:1-20)

This is an interesting story and an important one at that. Here the man who is possessed lives among the tombs (he is like a dead man); and he has no clothes (he does not live like a human person rather like animals); he lives away from the society; he cuts himself with stones (psychologically sick).

This person meets Jesus and after meeting him he becomes normal, he puts on clothes; he does not shout and does not cut himself rather sits quietly and when Jesus asked him to go back to the society he goes into the society and proclaims. He behaves like a person.

Meeting Jesus or encountering Jesus changes an individual. The changes are that he becomes a living person; he moves into the society and he puts on clothes like human beings. Encountering Jesus makes individuals in to persons; whole person; a complete person.