Exploring the Meaning of Mark 5

Chapter Five

We Are Legion

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1. And they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.

2. And when He had come out of the ship, straightway there met Him out of the sepulchers a man with an unclean spirit,

3. Who had [his] dwelling in the sepulchers; and no one could bind him with chains,

4. Since he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been pulled apart by him and the fetters had broken apart; and no one had [the] strength to tame him.

5. And continually, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.

6. But having seen Jesus from far off, he ran and worshiped Him.

7. And having cried with a great voice, he said, “What [is there] to me and to Thee, Jesus, Son of God Most High? I adjure Thee by God, torment me not.”

8. For He said to him, “Come out, unclean spirit, out of the man.”

9. And He asked him, “What [is] thy name?” And he answered, saying, “My name [is] Legion; for we are many.”

10. And he implored Him much that He would not send them outside the country.

11. And there was there towards the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.

12. And all the demons implored Him, saying, “Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.”

13. And straightway Jesus permitted them; and having gone out, the unclean spirits entered into the swine. And the herd rushed down a cliff into the sea; and they were about two thousand; and they were choked in the sea.

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After calming the storm, Jesus and His disciples cross over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee to the land of the Gadarenes. As soon as Jesus steps out of the boat, a wild, demon-possessed man comes from the tombs to meet Him. As it written, “He lived among the tombs and no one could restrain him, even with shackles and chains” (Mark 5:4). Tormented by unclean spirits, the Gadarene demoniac spent his nights and days wandering among the hills and tombs screaming out loud and cutting himself with stones (Mark 5:5) ¹

Up to this point, this is the most graphic description of the intensity of pain suffered by those who were possessed by unclean spirits. “Possessed” seems to be the right word, because no one on earth could control him, nor could he control himself. As it is written, “No one had the strength to subdue him” (Mark 5:5). This provides a picture of the nature of possession at the time of Jesus’ coming to earth. The hells had increased to the point where they were completely overwhelming people, dominating individuals to such a point that the person hardly had any life that might be called one’s own. In the eyes of hell, people were as nothing. It was a time for evil spirits to take complete possession of a person’s thoughts and bodily actions. ²

While the type of insanity exhibited by the Gadarene man appears to be less prevalent today, there are times when it feels as though a force greater than ourselves is striving to take possession of our thoughts and even our actions. People speak about being in an “uncontrollable rage,” or “overpowered by lust,” or “paralyzed by fear.” It can feel that these forces have a life of their own that cannot be resisted. These feelings are sometimes reflected by the statement, “the devil made me do it.”

There is some truth to this, at least in the case of the Gadarene man. When he saw Jesus a long way off, he ran to Him, bowed down before Him and screamed, “Jesus, Son of the Most High God, I beg you by God that you do not torture me” (Mark 5:6-7). He said this to Jesus because Jesus had already said, “Come out of this man, you unclean spirit” (Mark 5:8). It seems clear that the Gadarene man is not speaking for himself but rather the unclean spirit is speaking through him. That’s why the unclean spirit fears that Jesus might torture him. It’s not that Jesus would torture anyone, but from the standpoint of an evil spirit, it’s torture to be anywhere near the goodness and truth that Jesus embodied. ³

At this point, Jesus attempts to restore the man’s identity. “What is your name?” asks Jesus. But the man is so completely identified with the evil spirts that are possessing his mind and body that all he can say is, “My name is Legion, for we are many” (Mark 5:9-10). It should be noted that he refers to himself as “we,” not “I.” He is so overtaken by the evils spirits that it is the spirits speaking through him who say, “We are Legion,” which was the name of a Roman regiment consisting of six thousand men. It means, quite simply, that the Gadarene man was possessed by many, many unclean spirits — a whole legion of them, and in dire need of help. Still speaking through the Gadarene man, the unclean spirits beg Jesus not to send them out of the country. Instead, they say, “Send us unto the swine” (Mark 5:11-12).

Jesus agrees to their request and sends the unclean spirits into the swine just as they had insisted, but there is a surprising result. Up to that moment about two thousand swine were comfortably grazing near the mountains. However, when the unclean spirits entered them, the swine rushed down a steep bank and plunged into the sea where they drowned (Mark 5:11-13). When those who were tending the swine saw this, they ran off to tell about what happened in the town, and when they returned with the townspeople, they saw the Gadarene man “who had been possessed by a legion of demons, sitting there in his right mind” (Mark 5:14-15).

All of this is a symbolic way of describing the nature of evil spirits, especially their love of dominating people, their fear of Jesus, and their feeling of being “at home” amongst swine who enjoy rolling themselves in dung, the filthiest thing that animals do. At a more interior level, however, the removal of the swine from the Gadarene man represents the removal of unclean desires and filthy thoughts from human beings; in this case, it was not just one unclean desire, or a few filthy thoughts, but a whole legion of them. As a result, the Gadarene man was restored to his “right mind.” ⁴

Because the sending out of the swine takes place in an instant, it could be concluded that people are similarly delivered from unclean desires and filthy thoughts instantaneously. But it must be remembered that this story is given as a parable containing a more interior truth. The story represents the power of divine truth. In the previous episode Jesus exerted His calming power over the wind and waves by uttering the words, “Peace, be still.” This was a display of power over the forces of nature. In this next episode, Jesus says, “Come out of this man, you unclean spirit,” and He is able to cast a legion of spirits into two thousand swine. This time, Jesus not only shows that His words command the raging sea but also have power control against the raging forces of evil.

That is why, if we are serious about doing inner spiritual work, it is absolutely necessary to regard the Word of God as so holy that it can drive out evil, not all at once, but steadily. It can drive it so far from us that it is as though it not only went into a herd of swine, but it was also carried over the cliff and into the sea where it was drowned. This is an image of what can happen within us whenever we tap into the power of divine truth. ⁵

Go Tell Your Friends

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14. And they that fed the swine fled, and announced [it] in the city and in the fields; and they went out to see what came to pass.

15. And they come to Jesus, and they behold him who was demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting, and in a garment, and sane; and they were afraid.

16. And they that saw told them how it came to pass to him that was demon-possessed, and about the swine.

17. And they began to implore Him to go away out of their borders.

18. And when He stepped into the ship, he that was demon-possessed implored Him that he might be with Him.

19. But Jesus did not let him, but says to him, “Go to thy house, to thine own, and announce to them how much the Lord has done for thee, and has had mercy on thee.”

20. And he came away, and began to preach in Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and all did marvel.

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As mentioned in the previous episode, when the townspeople heard about the casting out of the unclean spirits, they rushed to the scene to see for themselves. Sure enough, the Gadarene man was quietly sitting in his right mind, restored to sanity, but the swine had gone crazy. In a suicidal frenzy, they stampeded over the cliff and into the sea, where they drowned. This was not good news for the owners of the swine who experienced a large financial loss, so they begged Jesus to leave the region. On a more interior level, we are sometimes more interested in the financial ups and downs of daily life than the miracles of spiritual growth. When Jesus draws near to display His power to cast out unclean spirits, it sometimes entails the loss of lower pleasures, represented by the swine. Because we are not ready for this kind of repentance, we ask Him to depart, as the swine-owners did.

The Gadarene man, however, who has been restored to sanity, has an entirely different response. As Jesus is stepping back into the boat, the Gadarene man begs Jesus to let him get into the boat. He wants to travel with Jesus. But Jesus replies, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you” (Mark 5:19).

Up until this point in the Gospel According to Mark, Jesus has often been secretive about many of his healings. For example, He told the unclean spirits to “be quiet” (Mark 1:25), He “did not allow the demons to speak” (Mark 1:34), He told the leper “to say nothing to anyone” (Mark 1:44), and He strictly commanded unclean spirits that “they should not make Him known” (Mark 3:12). Sometimes, as in the healing of the paralytic (Mark 2:9) and the man with the withered hand (Mark 3:15), Jesus said nothing about whether people should remain quiet or spread the news. But in this case, when thousands of unclean spirits have been cast out of the demon-ridden Gadarene man, Jesus is quite clear about what should be done: “Go home to your friends,” says Jesus, “and “tell them.”

In other words, this cleansed man, from whom Jesus has cast out thousands of demons, is commissioned to proclaim the gospel. His specific commission will take some form of these words: “Go home to your friends and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.”

In the light of these words, let’s consider how the cleansed man is being prepared to proclaim the good news. First, Jesus says, “Go home to your friends.” The Greek word translated as “home” in this passage is οἶκόν (oikon) which means “a dwelling place.” And the Greek word that is translated as “friends” in this passage is σούς (sous), a personal possessive pronoun which means, “your own.” Literally, Jesus is telling him, “Go to your own dwelling-place” or, to put it another way, “Take this experience to your own dwelling place. Keep it in mind. Dwell on it. Remember what has happened to you. Let it sink in, deeply.” This, of course, is always the first and foremost thing to do when we experience a miraculous change in our way of life. Just let it sink in.

Next comes the reality that this is the Lord’s doing. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “This is the Lord’s doing. It is wondrous in our eyes.” (Psalms 118:23). “Tell them what great things the Lord has done for you,” says Jesus, “and how He has had compassion on you.” Jesus does not say, “Tell them what great things I have done for you,” but rather, “Tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” In other words, Jesus is attributing the miraculous cure to the One from whom all power comes. It’s enough to believe that this power works through Jesus rather than comes directly from Him.

Jesus had definitely done great things for the Gadarene man. When Jesus first encountered him, the Gadarene man was possessed by a multitude of demons who drove him to live among the tombs, cut himself with rocks, and wander about screaming. Because he was so totally controlled by demonic forces, no one could control him, nor could he control himself. It took a great miracle of deliverance to restore him to sanity. Indeed, the Lord had done great things for him.

As this episode comes to an end, it should be noted that Jesus does not allow the Gadarene man to get into the boat with Him. In the language of sacred scripture, boats and ships correspond to the part of the mind that contains or carries doctrinal understanding. Just as Noah’s ark carried Noah and his family safely through the flood, a well-built belief system carries us through the storms of life. If there are holes in our boat, however, we are sure to sink. Therefore, it is vital that the Lord and the truths of the Word be part of our belief system, that is, our doctrinal foundation. It should be a strong, sea-faring vessel that will be leakproof and withstand storms as it carries us through the currents of life. ⁶

Consequently, when Jesus does not allow the Gadarene man to get “into the boat” with Him, it means that this is not the time for doctrine; it’s the time for testimony. This is also true for each us. When we experience a great deliverance from the evil and falsity that has had us imprisoned, it’s not time for doctrine. It’s time to let the wonder of how the Lord has delivered us sink in, dwell on it, and then go home and tell our friends what great things the Lord has done for us and how He has had compassion on us. It’s time to share the good news of the gospel. There will, of course, be time to further develop our doctrinal understanding. But not now. This is the time to take this experience in deeply, reflect on the Lord’s greatness and compassion, and, then, share our story with others.

Apparently, the Gadarene man understands. In the closing words of the episode, we read that he “began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him” (Mark 5:20).

Jesus had told him to go home and tell his friends what great things the Lord had done for him. But the Gadarene man went home and told his friends what great things Jesus had done for him. Apparently, in the mind of the Gadarene man, there is no difference; the Lord is Jesus, and Jesus is Lord.

“And all the people marveled” (Mark 5:20).

Healing Jairus’ Daughter

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21. And when Jesus had crossed over again by ship to the other side, a crowd of many gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.

22. And behold, there comes one of the chiefs of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and having seen Him, he falls at His feet,

23. And implored Him much, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death; come, put Thy hands on her, that she may be saved, and she shall live.”

24. And He departed with him; and a crowd of many followed Him, and thronged Him.

25. And a certain woman, who had an issue of blood twelve years,

26. And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and profited nothing, but rather became worse,

27. When she had heard of Jesus, came in the crowd behind, and touched His garment.

28. For she said, [If] I may just touch His garment, I shall be saved.

29. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she knew in [her] body that she was healed of the scourge.

30. And straightway Jesus, knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turning around in the crowd, said, “Who touched My garments?”

31. And His disciples said to Him, “Thou seest the crowd thronging Thee, and Thou sayest, ‘Who touched Me?’”

32. And He looked around to see her that had done this.

33. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what was done to her, came and fell before Him and told Him all the truth.

34. But He said to her, “Daughter, thy faith has saved thee; go into peace, and be [made] whole of thy scourge.”

35. While He is yet speaking, [some] come from the chief of the synagogue, saying, “Thy daughter is dead; why dost thou still trouble the Teacher?”

36. But Jesus straightway, having heard the word that was spoken, says to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid, only believe.”

37. And He let no one follow with Him, except Peter and James and John the brother of James.

38. And He comes to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and beholds the uproar, those weeping and shouting much.

39. And coming in, He says to them, “Why do you make an uproar, and weep? The little child is not dead, but sleeps.”

40. And they laughed at Him; but He, putting them all out, takes along the father of the little child and the mother, and those with Him, and goes in where the little child was set down.

41. And having [taken] hold of the hand of the little child, He says to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is, being translated, “Damsel, I say to thee, arise.”

42. And straightway the damsel stood up and walked, for she was twelve years [old]; and they were amazed with a great amazement.

43. And He charged them much that no one should know this; and He said [that something] should be given her to eat.

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After the healing of the Gadarene man, Jesus gets back into the boat and returns to the side where He has left the multitudes. There He is met by one of the rulers of the synagogue, a man named Jairus. Rushing up to Jesus, Jairus cries out, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her that she may be healed, and she will live” (Mark 5:23).

As a religious leader, Jairus represents that part of ourselves that has not closed itself off entirely from the idea that Jesus might be divine, the Son of God, or even God Himself in human form. At the very least, there is a recognition that there is something special about Jesus, for He is unlike any other person, and possesses extraordinary power. This is what helps Jairus to rise above the religiously correct view at that time, that Jesus was an imposter, or a deranged fellow, or even in league with the devil. ⁷

But Jairus’ daughter is dying. He is a desperate man with nowhere to turn except to Jesus. And so, he cries out in a way that demonstrates full faith in Jesus’ healing power. “My little daughter is at the point of death,” he says. “Come, lay your hands upon her so that she may be made well and live.” Jairus is convinced that Jesus has miraculous power. Unlike the other religious leaders, he has faith. Therefore, he believes that his little daughter can be healed if Jesus comes and lays His hands on his daughter.

The dying of Jairus’ daughter represents the way each of us, at times, experiences the near death of something we love and cherish. Like Jairus, we approach Jesus, trusting that He can heal that which is at the point of death in us. It might be a love relationship that has gone cold; it might be a job we once loved but for which we no longer have any passion; it might be a love for God that is declining and seems to be at the point of death. Spiritually, these are examples of some affection in us (a spiritual “daughter”) that is dying. All we need, all we ask is that Jesus come close, enter our house (our mind), and lay his hands on (empower) that which represents a “dying daughter” in us. ⁸

The woman with a flow of blood

Jesus agrees to perform the healing, but on the way to Jairus’ house, a large crowd of people follow Him, pressing in on all sides. One of the people in the crowd is a woman who has been suffering from a continuous loss of blood for twelve years. Although she has been to numerous physicians, she is no better. In fact, her condition has been getting worse. Like Jairus, she, too, is desperate. If I just touch His cloak, she thinks, I will be healed. As soon as she does this, “the issue of blood stopped, and she was healed immediately” (Mark 5:29).

When Jesus becomes aware that “power had gone out from Him,” He looks around for the person who received the healing, and asks, “Who touched My cloak?” (Mark 5:30). Although the crowd is large, and many people must have been pressing against Him, only one person comes forward to admit that she is the one who touched His clothing. As it is written, “The woman came to Him, trembling with fear, and told Him the whole truth” (Mark 5:33). And Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well” (Mark 5:34).

It’s a wonderful moment for this woman. After twelve years, she is finally healed. But what about the rest of the people in the large crowd? Many of them were pressing against Jesus but only one person was healed. Power had gone out from Him, but only one person received it. Why? To answer these questions, we need only to remember that power is continually going forth from the Word of the Lord, even as light and heat is continually going forth from the sun. Although many people read the Word, only some receive the healing power that goes forth from it. This is not because the power that comes from the Word is intermittent, but rather because we are not always in a state of faith which is capable of receiving that power. The woman who was healed of an issue of blood represents the part of us that reads the Word in a state of faith. It is the faith that God speaks to us through His Word; it is the faith that healing power comes to us through the Word. Whenever we read the Word, believing and doing what God says, we will be sure to experience miraculous spiritual healings. ⁹

In this regard, it should be noted that this woman had faith in the healing that would take place within her if she only touched the outer edge of Jesus’ garment. The Greek word that is sometimes translated, “clothing, garment, or cloak” is ἱματίων (himatiōn). This refers to a long, flowing outer garment, perhaps a toga. In the language of sacred scripture, then, the desire to touch Jesus’ outer garment represents a belief that there is healing power in the literal teachings of the Word. Like the outer layer of clothing, the literal truths of sacred scripture are the outermost place where we can touch God, and in return, be touched by Him. This is because the literal stories and parables contain interior truths that are simultaneously present within the letter. It is similar to the way the outer layer of clothing contains within it the body, the mind, and the soul of the person who is wearing the clothing. ¹⁰

This woman had great faith in Jesus. “Daughter,” says Jesus to her, “your faith has made you well.” Even as Jesus is speaking these words, people come from Jairus’ house to announce that Jairus’ daughter is dead. Two daughters. One has just been healed, and one, apparently, has just died. “Your daughter is dead,” they tell Jairus. “Why trouble the Teacher any longer?” (Mark 5:35).

Jesus overhears the news about Jairus’ daughter, but He is not convinced. Turning to Jairus, He says, “Do not be afraid; only believe” (Mark 5:36). As we mentioned earlier, in sacred scripture the term “daughter” represents the affectionate side of our nature — the things we love, cherish, and care about. We also said that there are times when these tender affections seem to be at the point of death, or even completely dead. We are not touched by truth, nor do we feel compassion. Our life feels empty and spiritless. The things of religion no longer have any interest for us; the Word seems to have lost its power to move us; and life seems to be devoid of spiritual meaning. Our “little daughter,” who was “at the point of death,” now seems to be dead.

But we need not fear. We can believe that Jesus has the power to resurrect a dying affection. He can resurrect “Jairus’ daughter” in us. This is pictured by Jesus’ entering the house of Jairus with three of His disciples: Peter, who represents faith; James, who represents charity; and John, who represents love in action. In order to feel alive again, we need all three of these qualities. ¹¹

Upon entering, Jesus finds the house filled with a crowd of people who are weeping, wailing, and making a huge commotion. These mourners represent the throng of inner complaints and grievances that make such a terrible commotion in our minds. It is precisely this deadly sphere of negativity which can suffocate, and almost kill our tender affections, bringing us to what feels like the point of spiritual death.

But when we ask Jesus to draw near, as Jairus does, He rebukes the noisy voices of complaint. He says, “Why make this commotion and weep?” Jesus knows that although our inmost affections might appear to be dead, they are only slumbering. Therefore, He says, “The child is not dead, but sleeping” (Mark 5:39). And if she is only sleeping, she can also be awakened. The mourners, however, mock Jesus for what appears, to them, to be foolishness. Evil spirits would much prefer to keep people locked into negativity, weeping and wailing their losses. This is “daily food” for evil spirits. If there is going to be a resurrection to new life, if the child is to be awakened, and revived, the mourners, through whom the evil spirits are working, will first have to be cast out. And this is precisely what Jesus does. As it is written, “He put them all outside” (Mark 5:40). ¹²

Next, Jesus takes the little girl’s hand and says to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise” (Mark 5:41). Immediately, the little girl “stood up and walked around” (Mark 5:42). It is a great miracle and a magnificent moment, yet Jesus “commanded them strictly that no one should know it” (Mark 5:43).

The healing of Jairus’ daughter, then, pictures what is necessary for a revival of spiritual life within us. Whether it be a return to the love we felt in a relationship, the joy we felt in useful service, or the affection we felt when we were close to the Lord, a spiritual revival can always take place. But, first of all, we must believe. Then, with Jesus’ help, the mourners must be chased away. Finally, we must rise, start walking, and take in some spiritual nourishment. As Jesus says, in the closing words of this episode, “Give her something to eat” (Mark 5:43). ¹³

Connecting Matthew and Mark

Matthew, as we have said, is about the gradual revelation of Jesus’ divinity, a revelation that progresses steadily from His human birth to the realization that He is the Son of God. This is the first step that must be taken if we are to advance in our spiritual life. The next step is to believe that Jesus has been given “all power in heaven and upon earth” (Matthew 28:18). This is where Matthew ends and Mark begins.

As we have already mentioned, the first words said in Mark are, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). This “gospel” is the Word of God which contains the power that Jesus uses to cast out demons, heal spiritual sickness, and raise people from spiritual death to spiritual life. This is the “good news.”

In both Matthew and Mark, the story about the healing of Jairus’ daughter contains most of the same details. However, in Mark, at the end of this story, Jesus commands the onlookers to say nothing to anyone about the miracle they had just observed. This detail is not mentioned in Matthew. So far, Mark has frequently described Jesus as telling people to “say nothing,” or “be quiet,” or “tell no one.” The proclamation of the good news (to tell or not to tell), which is a minor theme in Matthew, is now a major theme in Mark.

As we shall see in the next episode, the connection between seeing Jesus as the Son of God and the casting out of demons is an important one. When there is little belief in His power, He can do little for us. And where there is great belief in His power, He can do great things in us and through us — the kind of things that qualify us to “Go and tell.”

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