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Immersive Bible Reading Week 5, Mark 5

  1. Here are some questions to consider on now that you've had some time to reflect on the text:

    1) What is one thing that stuck out to you from this week's reading?

    2) How does Mark describe the man before and after his encounter with Jesus? Take note of things like his location, his attire, and his actions. What do these descriptions tell us about the work Jesus is trying to do in us?

    3) vv. 21-43 are an interpolated story (one story within another). This feature happens regularly in Mark and has become known as a "Markan Sandwich." On these occasions the the middle story usually highlights the primary significance of both stories. What is the middle story about and how does this related to the interrupted story?

    4) What does Jesus mean by "sleeping" in v. 39? Is she merely asleep? In a coma? Or is Jesus making a different point by His use of this word?

  2. Here some thoughts from Leah, Sam, and Roan:

    1) This is the first time Jesus told someone He healed to go home and tell your friends what He had done for Him. Why?

    2) The man before: lived among the tombs and the mountains (away from people), he was uncontrollable, he seemed physically strong, and he cut himself with stones.

    The man after: sitting (not running around crazily),clothed (was he unclothed before?) in his right mind, and He wanted to follow Jesus.

    Maybe this means Jesus wants us to go from living uncontrollably in sin, harming ourselves, and being scared of Jesus to being under Jesus' control and wanting to follow Him.

    3) the interrupted story is Jairus's daughter. The middle story is Jesus healing the bleeding woman.

    ****interesting observation***the woman was healed after 12 years of illness, and the girl was 12 years old when she was resurrected.

    ***question***Did Jesus let the child die on purpose? By delaying?

    The middle story shows the great faith of the woman. She had exhausted all her time, money, resources, etc. searching for healing. But she realized that if she could just touch the edge of Jesus's clothes, she would be made well. We are not sure if Jairus had "less faith" since he thought Jesus could no longer help his daughter once she had died. ???

    4) her death is not forever (He knew He was going to raise her....sleeping is a temporary state)


    We are looking forward to reading other's words of wisdom regarding these passages.



  3. 1)Jesus had a mission for the demon-possessed man. Who better to show the power of God than this man, who was once probably the stuff of legends? I feel sure most of the local people knew of his strange and scary behavior. Jesus knew the witness of this man would better be to those who had known him before and could contrast his behavior with the after.


    2)Before, he was in the tombs and mountains, cutting himself with stones and crying out. He was strong and could not be bound by shackles or chains. After, he was among people, clothed, in his right mind, and desirous of being with Jesus. This man serves as a symbol of a life before Jesus: full of sin and the things that sin introduced: chaos, death, nakedness, fear, illness, pain. And as a symbol of life after Jesus: after sin has been taken away: purity, freedom, community with the saints, and love.


    3)The middle story is about a woman with a discharge of blood, who believes that if she can only touch Jesus's clothes, she will be healed. Both stories highlight the compassion of Jesus, His taking time to speak directly to the woman in the midst of the throngs of people, then him taking time to be "troubled" to raise Jairus's daughter from the dead. And also the faith of both the woman and Jairus. Both believed that Jesus could help them, even when the crowd made it seem doubtful.


    4)The child was actually dead, but to Jesus, death is a temporary state, one over which He has power.


  4. this Is take two, my original response got deleted. I apologize that I’m just now responding. Great thoughts Roan Johnson and Leanna Johnsey!


    1) “my name is legion for we are many.” Chilling words! This unfortunate man had an army of demons possessing him. This is spiritual warfare at its peak, with the exception of the crucifixion, yet it is manifested in the physical realm. The war we wage is spiritual but more often than not it is fought in physical arenas. Roan Johnson neat observation about the age of the girl/length of the woman’s ailment. I don’t think I had noticed that before


    2) before the man is isolated, lonely, as good as dead, uncontrollable, chaotic, naked, restless, a hazard to himself and a hazard to others.

    after he is calm, controlled, and connected with other people.


    I think this demonstrates what Jesus is trying to in liberating us from Satan’s control. He wants to restore us to life and relationships, to give us control and grant us peace.


    3) Leanna Johnsey great observation here. Both of these stories demonstrate a measure of faith that stands apart from the majority. Roan Johnson it is possible that Jesus delayed here knowing that the girl would die, similar to Lazarus in John 11, in order to demonstrate His ability to raise her up.


    4) “sleep”, while sometimes used in the ancient world as euphemistic way dress death up and take away it’s sting, in the mouth of those who worshipped Yahweh it is a declaration of its transient nature. It is passing


    Roan Johnson to offer a response, though not an ironclad answer, to your question consider where this miracle is taking place. Jesus is again in Gentile territory. If part of Jesus reason for not wanting to reveal himself was to curb incomplete and misguided ideas and expectations of his Messiahship it makes since why he would hush the rumors in a Jewish context. He doesn’t have that same hurdle in a gentile context. This MAY be the difference here.