Mark, Day Eight

Mark 5

• This is a chapter of miracles.
• Jesus heals a demon-possessed man (and casts the demons into a herd of pigs, who then kill themselves - Jesus had a twisted sense of humor, I think).
• Jesus heals a woman who's been hemorrhaging for 12 years.
• Jesus raises a 12-year-old girl from the dead (a synagogue official's daughter).
• The first thing I notice is that when he heals the demon-possessed man, the people of the area react by becoming frightened and asking Jesus to leave.  That seems like such an odd reaction to healing - fright.  But Jesus was demonstrating amazing power, and he did kill their pigs (which Jewish people were not supposed to have anyway, right?).  Did they feel convicted by this righteous man?  Were they afraid of his judgment?  Why was no one happy about this healing (other than the man himself, of course)?  I guess he was so much an "other" to the community (not a part of the community) that they didn't feel overjoyed by his healing, like they presumably would have if he'd been one of their own.  It's too easy to ignore the stranger in our midst.
• And then I notice that Jesus actually tells the healed man to "report to them [his people in his hometown] what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you" (v. 19, NASB).  This is the first time Jesus says, "Preach it" and not "Be quiet about it."
• The healing of the hemorrhaging woman is actually sandwiched between the scenes about Jairus's daughter, which I remember from seminary is some kind of literary device that Mark uses often, but now I can't remember exactly what the reason for this is other than it means these two stories are intertwined someway in their meanings.  What strikes me about this particular story, though, is that Jesus doesn't allow the woman to be anonymous.  She's healed anonymously, but then Jesus calls her out to tell her, "your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction" (v. 34).  This woman must have been pretty sad and lonely - her affliction made her "unclean" and unable to worship with the community.  It was a stigmatizing thing.  So Jesus calls to everyone's attention that she is now well.  She can be a full part of the community now.  Jesus cares about physical healing, but he also cares about community relationships. 
• And finally - the raising of Jairus's daughter.  Jairus is a synagogue official.  He must've been really desperate to go to Jesus with this because the religious leaders, remember, are not liking Jesus these days.  At best, he probably would've been ridiculed for going to Jesus.  And possibly ostracized.  But his love for his daughter overcame his good sense, and Jesus not only heals her but brings her back to life.  And then Jesus goes back to his old ways, telling them not to talk about this.  Which maybe is because he's a synagogue official?  And his story would just inflame already volatile tensions among the religious leaders.  Jesus is wise and thoughtful.  He doesn't bang his message over the heads of people who are unable or unwilling to hear it.