Mark 4-5

[wolfpurplemoon]

Mark repeats some parables from Matthew, as well as the story of Jesus controlling the weather after sleeping through a storm, and some more healings (including the woman who hadn't been cured by doctors for 12 years but then her faith in Jesus cured her instantly)

A slight difference to the demon possessed pig story, just one possessed man but two thousand pigs get drowned (the people still ask Jesus to leave). Jesus tells this guy to tell people what was done for him, apparently outside the Jewish regions he wouldn't be accused of having a political goal so it doesn't matter who knows what he's done.

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[zteccc.livejournal.com]

chapter 4
Many of Mark and Matthew's stories are the same (I won't bother re-commenting on all of them unless some discussion arises).

Verses 21-22 - Things that are hidden will come to light. When we do things in secret, when we hide things, we need to realize that they will eventually be discovered. Typically the things we do in secret are sinful. It is better to be open and honest.

Verses 26-29 - God's kingdom (the church; faith) will grow on its own. We cannot make it grow, neither should we neglect it. Each person will grow at his/her own rate (or not at all), and we cannot change that in the same way that we cannot force a bad seed to sprout or completely control the growth of a good one. Instead, we (believers) are to plant the seed and let the seed germinate in God's time.

Chapter 5
The story of the man possessed by a legion of demons has some distinct elements in Mark. The inability to chain the man suggests that the demons had incredible strength to break the chains. The gospel says that he couldn't be bound any longer which suggests that at one time he could be bound. I suspect that more and more demons possessed the man over time until they were powerful. The demons feared the authority of Jesus and begged him to let them enter the swine. It should be noted that Jesus was more concerned with the life and soul of the one man than that of a a great herd of pigs. Even though those pigs belonged to someone, Jesus thought it better to have them destroyed than to leave this man in bondage.

The man who was possessed spread word of Jesus' accomplishments to the Decapolis (literally 10 cities, these were Gentile cities on the east of the Jordan River). The people of the Decapolis were receptive to Jesus' message.

Compare this to Jesus asking the synagogue official's family not to tell anyone about Jesus resurrecting the little girl. On the face, it is silly because people knew that she had died. There were professional mourners there and people knew she was dead. Jesus didn't want the Jews to try to make him a political king (as they expected the Messiah to be; very good Amy).

Personal fav

[(Anonymous)]

The story of the possessed guy is a personal fav of mine. It says that shackles can't hold him. In other words, people have tried locking him up. He has found refuge amongst the dead and he's gone crazy. Jesus meets him and asks him a friendly question. "what is your name?" it also says that the MAN replied that is name was legion because he was many. Perhaps he was skitzophrenic, but also names were literal words. Perhaps he was suggesting that many people had called him many different things. After a conversation with Jesus he is there clothed and in his right mind. Jesus instructed the disciples to travel light and not to carry spare clothes. Where did he get clothes from? It's possible one of the disciples shed his own dignity to restore this man's dignity. I also think the pigs thing is funny, because it's like a "stick it to the romans" kind of act. Jews didn't eat pork. It was probably pork to feed the roman legions.