| Back to Home Page | Back to
Book Index |
Mark Chapter
Five
I. Content of the Chapter
Three Things that
the Bondman the Savior Had Done for Man
A.
Who delivered man
from the demon ---- to cast the demon to the herd of swine (v.1-20);
B.
Who made man no
longer consume his life ---- to heal the woman who had a flow of blood (v.25-34);
C.
Who made man risen
from the dead ---- to raise the daughter of Jairus (v.21-24, 35-43);
II. Verse by Verse commentary
Mark. 5:1 “Then they came to the other
side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.”
YLT: “And they came
to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gadarenes,”
Meaning of Words: “Gadarenes”: the reward in the end;
Literal Meaning: “Gadarenes”, it was not
far from the
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
The
disciples had finally “came to the other side of the sea” after strong wind and
heavy swell. Though we believers have tribulations in the world, we will surely
arrive at our destination as long as we have the presence of the Lord.
2)
If
we believers can keep the words of the Lord in the world, we will definitely
receive “the reward in the end (the meaning in the original of the word ‘Gadarenes’)”
in the future.
Mark. 5:2 “And
when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a
man with an unclean spirit,”
YLT: “and he having
come forth out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man
with an unclean spirit,”
Meaning of Words: “meet”: encounter;
The Background: “out of the tombs”, most of
the tombs in the
Spiritual Meaning: “a man with an unclean
spirit”, that a man is possessed by the devil symbolizes that men in the world
are ruled by the devil.
“Out of the tombs”, the “tomb” connects
both the dead and the hell (see Ps.88:3, 5).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) In this society there are
demon-possessed men everywhere such as heavy smokers, drunkards, the confirmed
gamblers, novels addicts, movie addicts and sport addicts.
2) The demon-possessed men live
a life as dark and dirty as that in the tombs. It is not
only others cannot control such men, even they themselves have no command over
themselves.
3)
Believers
should never give room to the devil lest we should be ruled by it.
Mark. 5:3 “who
had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with
chains,”
YLT: “who had his
dwelling in the tombs, and not even with chains was any one able to bind him,”
Meaning of Words: “had his dwelling among”:
had his permanent residence; “bind”: knit, tie;.
Spiritual Meaning: this verse shows the
conditions of men who are possessed by the devil:
1.
“Had
his dwelling among the tombs”, they live a dark and dirty life.
2.
“No
one could bind him”, they cannot be controlled by anyone.
3.
“Not
even with chains”, even the best method that men can find out is of no effect
to them.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
The
whole world lies in the wicked (1John 5:19). No one can overcome it through men’s
power.
2)
The
sin that dwells in men can not be controlled by men’s will of desiring to do
good ---- for to will is there with me, but to do right not (see Rom. 7:17-18).
Mark. 5:4 “because
he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been
pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone
tame him.”
YLT: “because that he
many times with fetters and chains had been bound, and pulled in pieces by him
had been the chains, and the fetters broken in pieces, and none was able to
tame him,”
Meaning of Words: “pull apart”: draw apart, sever,
dismember; “broken”: crush completely, shatter; “tame”: subdue;
Spiritual Meaning: in order to deal with
those who are possessed and controlled by the demon, the best way that the
world can find out is merely “to bind them with shackles and chains”, namely,
to forbid with laws and political regulations, to suppress by force, to
restrict by public opinion, to rule by ceremonies and social customs and to
govern by the conscience and etc. However, all of these means are turned out to
be a failure, for the corruption of men’s heart has not been subdued.
Enlightenment in the Word: the devil may possess men,
but men cannot subdue it.
Mark. 5:5 “And
always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and
cutting himself with stones.”
YLT: “and always,
night and day, in the mountains, and in the tombs he was, crying and cutting
himself with stones.”
Meaning of Words: “cry out”: creek; “cut”:
chop down;
Spiritual Meaning: “always, night and day, he
was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out”, “crying out”, it is a kind
of meaningless voice, which symbolizes that those who are possessed by the
devil often say some meaningless or boring words, e.g. lies, corrupt word, clamor,
injurious language, filthiness, foolish talking, or jesting (see Eph.4:25-31;
5:4).
“Cutting himself with stones”, it means
that he does things hurting his body, e.g. smoking, drinking, drug taking, fornication
and gambling and etc.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
To
say any unnecessary words is like those demon-possessed men who cry out and
annoy others.
2)
Every
one who is possessed by the devil cut himself with stones.
Mark. 5:6 “When
he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.”
YLT: “And, having
seen Jesus from afar, he ran and bowed before him,”
Literal
Meaning: “he
ran and worshiped Him”, it was not the true “worship” in spirit, but only an
act of “kneeling down” or “falling”.
Enlightenment in the Word: once Christ came, the
devil saw from afar, and automatically surrendered to the Lord, indicating that
casting the devil was not depended on the outward fleshly crying, but the real
stature of Christ.
Mark. 5:7 “And he
cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus,
Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment
me." ”
YLT: “and having
called with a loud voice, he said, `What -- to me and to thee, Jesus, Son of
God the Most High? I adjure thee by God, mayest thou not afflict me!'”
Literal Meaning: “Son of the Most High God”,
“the Most High God” is a form of address that the Gentiles call Jehovah the
Lord (see Gen.14:18; Num.24:16; Is. 14:14; Dan.3:26; 4:2; Acts16:17). The
unclean spirit knows the Lord Jesus.
“What have we to do with you?” ---- The
attitude of the demons is like that of those who admit the existence of God in
the world but do not want to make God govern in their lives.
“Do not torment me”, the devil knew that
its end in the future was the eternal fire (see Matt.25:41), but did not fear
and only besought the Lord that he would not command them to go away into the
bottomless pit (see Luke 8:31).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
“What
have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” ---- The devil knew
that the Lord Jesus is Son of God and they had nothing to do with Him. It shows
that the intellectual knowledge is not profitable to us if it is not mixed with
a heart of faith and obedience.
2)
There
is neither part for Christ along with the devil, nor consent of that of God
with that of the devil (see 2Cor.6:14-16). Therefore, we believers shall not
take part in the matters of heresies.
3)
Many
nominal Christians also worship the Lord Jesus (see v.6) and call Him the Son
of God, but their deeds and words have nothing to do with the Lord. One can
well imagine their end.
4)
The
devil fears to be tormented, but it specially torment others. Moreover, the
devil makes men suffer more tribulations in order to avoid its own torments.
5)
Everytime
we preach the glad tidings to the world, the general reaction of men is that to
believe the Lord right now is a kind of torment. They expect to enjoy their
life when they are young, and will come to believe the Lord when they are old.
Mark. 5:8 “For He
said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!" ”
YLT: “(for he said to
him, `Come forth, spirit unclean, out of the man,')”
Mark. 5:9 “Then
He asked him, "What is your name?" And he answered, saying, "My
name is Legion; for we are many." ”
YLT: “and he was
questioning him, `What thy name?' and he answered, saying, `Legion my name,
because we are many;'”
Literal Meaning: “My name is Legion”, the
word “Legion” in the original refers to the army group or legion. According to
the establishment of the Roman army, there are about three thousand to six
thousand soldiers in a army group.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
No
matter how great the number of the unclean spirits was, they had to obey the
word of the Lord Jesus. In the spiritual war, we should not see the outward
condition, but believe the word of God.
2)
There
are usually many demons in sinners, e.g. the smokers, the drunkards, the
confirmed gamblers and etc.
Mark. 5:10 “Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.”
YLT: “and he was
calling on him much, that he may not send them out of the region.”
Meaning of Words: “earnestly”: much; “country”: place, region;
Literal Meaning: the unclean spirit is a
kind of evil spirit that is seperated from the physical bodies. It usually
rests itself in certain bodies, so it usually possesses the body of men. It
explained why these demons begged the Lord earnestly not to cast them out.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
The
devil is deceitful and is usually capricious. It oppresses that it can oppress.
However, when it is powerless, it begs and begs earnestly.
2)
All
the deeds of the devil are for the sake of itself. It has not mercy, but begs
others to show mercy to it.
Mark. 5:11 “Now a large herd of swine
was feeding there near the mountains.”
YLT: “And there was
there, near the mountains, a great herd of swine feeding,”
The Background: “swine” is unclean in
God’s eyes (Lev. 11:7, 2Pet. 2:22). Generally, the Jews did not raise swine at
that time because the swine could neither be sacrificed to God nor used as food
(the Jews do not eat pork). Therefore the swine might be kept by the gentiles.
Spiritual Meaning: “those who kept the swine”
typify a group of people in the society. They seem to be normal from their
appearance, handling all kinds of professions diligently day and night, but they
neither work for God nor for the assembly.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
No
matter how noble our professional job is, if we do not work for the Lord and
the assembly, we are unacceptable to God just like those who kept the swine.
2)
The
feature of swine is that it keeps feeding but in the end it becomes men’s food.
The feature of the world is that men in the world keep seeking earthly
enjoyment but they turn out to be the devil’s enjoyment.
Mark. 5:12 “So all the demons begged
Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them." ”
YLT: “and all the
demons did call upon him, saying, `Send us to the swine, that into them we may
enter;'”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If the demons cannot play
with men in them directly, they will play with men by outside things (entering
the swine) indirectly.
2) Though the swine is “a good
way off from them” (see Matt. 8:31), the swine can still not escape from the
eyes of the demons. The devil is seeking whom he may devour everywhere (1Pet.
5:8). The safest way for us is to abide in Christ.
Mark. 5:13 “And at once Jesus gave them
permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were
about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the
sea, and drowned in the sea. ”
YLT: “and immediately
Jesus gave them leave, and having come forth, the unclean spirits did enter
into the swine, and the herd did rush down the steep place to the sea -- and
they were about two thousand -- and they were choked in the sea.”
Spiritual Meaning: “the unclean spirits went
out and entered the swine”, the Lord permitted the demons to go into the herd
of swine, indicating that the unclean career of making money is the area where
the demons are permitted to act.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
The
demons can not act until the Lord permit them. It unveils the power of the Lord,
and even the demons are under His control.
2)
The
work of demons is to make men abandon themselves (“ran violently down the steep
place”) and go into the sinful world (“into the sea”) and lose all reputation
and ruin the whole life of men (“perished in the water”).
Mark. 5:14 “So those who fed the swine
fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see
what it was that had happened. ”
YLT: “And those
feeding the swine did flee, and told in the city, and in the fields, and they
came forth to see what it is that hath been done;”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
“Those
who kept them” lost the herd of many swine and properties. If they obtained the
Lord by this, they would receive the best blessing. However they even rejected
the Lord.
2)
Many
people suffer losses in career and do not thus wake up. On the contrary, they
rely on the social organization more deeply (“they went away into the city”).
Mark. 5:15 “Then they came to Jesus,
and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and
clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. ”
YLT: “and they come
unto Jesus, and see the demoniac, sitting, and clothed, and right-minded -- him
having had the legion -- and they were afraid;”
Literal Meaning: this verse showed the
thorough change after the demons were cast out:
1.
“Sitting”,
be quiet and no longer run about.
2.
“And
clothed”, behave well and no longer be shameless.
3.
“And
in his right mind”, be sober and no longer be silly or mad.
Enlightenment in the Word: those who
have received the salvation of Christ must: (1) have rest ---- “sit”; (2) have
the covering of Christ and not be shameless any more ---- “clothed”; (3) have a
right mind ---- “in his right mind”.
Mark. 5:16 “And those who saw it told
them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.”
YLT: “and those
having seen , declared to them how it had come to pass to the demoniac, and
about the swine;”
Mark. 5:17 “Then they began to plead
with Him to depart from their region.”
YLT: “and they began
to call upon him to go away from their borders.”
Literal Meaning: not only did they not know
that Jesus is the Son of God, but also cared for material things only and
feared to suffer worse loss, thus losing the opportunity of receiving spiritual
blessings.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
The
country of the Gadarenes did not give any welcome to the Lord, for they only
emphasized the earthly possessions more than the soul of men. However, the Lord
preferred to sacrifice two thousand swine (v.13) in order to save a man. How
precious the spirit of man is in the sight of the Lord!
2)
The
earthly world and the heavenly king cannot coexist in one’s heart. If any one
loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him (1John. 2:15).
3)
Satan
uses money to control men’s heart ---- both gain and loss can make us reject
the Lord.
4)
“They”
actually rejected the Lord. It shows that those who do not know the Lord are
rather blind when they reject the Lord.
Mark. 5:18 “And when He got into the
boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.”
YLT: “And he having
gone into the boat, the demoniac was calling on him that he may be with him,”
Mark. 5:19 “However, Jesus did not
permit him, but said to him, "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." ”
YLT: “and Jesus did
not suffer him, but saith to him, `Go away to thy house, unto thine own , and
tell them how great things the Lord did to thee, and dealt kindly with thee;”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The
first step for one to be a Christian is to bear witness toward their families
and friends.
2) To
bear witness of the Lord is one thing, and to show off oneself is another
thing. Many believers seem to bear witness of the Lord, but actually they just
make themselves known openly.
3) To
bear witness is to tell others “what
great things the Lord has done for you”. It is to make others know the Lord’s
work, but not let others notice the work of us.
Mark. 5:20 “And he departed and began
to proclaim in
YLT: “and he went
away, and began to proclaim in the
Literal Meaning: “Decapolis” referred to a
large area in the east of the
Mark. 5:21 “Now when Jesus had crossed
over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He
was by the sea.”
YLT: “And Jesus
having passed over in the boat again to the other side, there was gathered a
great multitude to him, and he was near the sea,”
Mark. 5:22 “And behold, one of the
rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at
His feet”
YLT: “and lo, there
doth come one of the chiefs of the synagogue, by name Jairus, and having seen
him, he doth fall at his feet,”
Meaning of Words: “Jairus”: enlightenment;
Literal Meaning: “a ruler” referred to the
one who managed the order of worship in Jewish synagogue, who enjoyed high
social status among the Jews.
Spiritual Meaning: “synagogue” was a place
for the Jews to be gathered together, so the ruler symbolized the whole Judaism
and its leader.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
Only
those who have obtained the revelation and “enlightenment” of God (the meaning
of ‘Jairus’ in the original) can know the Lord and fall at His feet to seek Him
humbly.
2)
Jairus,
a ruler of the synagogue, even despised his status and
position and fell at the Lord’s feet to worship Him humbly, indicating that His
humbleness and modesty. The one who is willing to be humble can receive
blessings (see Matt.5:3; James 4:6).
Mark. 5:23 “and begged
Him earnestly, saying, "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." ”
YLT: “and he was
calling upon him much, saying -- `My little daughter is at the last extremity
-- that having come, thou mayest lay on her hands, so that she may be saved,
and she shall live;'”
Literal Meaning: “begged Him earnestly”, it
indicated that his attitude was both earnest and sincere.
“Come and lay Your hands on her”, it
showed that he did not know the authority of the Lord so much, for he did not
know that as long as there was “a word” of the Lord, his daughter would be
healed (see Matt. 8:8, 13).
Spiritual Meaning: “daughter” is the offspring
of the father, and therefore the condition that “the daughter of the ruler of the
synagogue lies at the point of death” symbolizes the condition of those who are
led by the stiff Judaism and its leaders ---- lacking life and just being close
to death.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
The
daughter of the ruler lies at the point of death ------if the leading brother
in the assembly lacks life, those who are led by him will lack life too. The
state of the common believers’ life shows the state of the minister’s life.
2)
If
we only stress on the reasons, doctrines and ceremonies in the assembly,
probably those who are edified by us have a name that they live, and are dead
(Rev. 3:1).
Mark. 5:24 “So Jesus went with him, and
a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.”
YLT: “and he went
away with him. And there was following him a great multitude, and they were
thronging him,”
Meaning of Words: “throng”: press;
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
The
Lord came to specially solve the difficulties of men. As long as we are willing
to tell Him our troubles through prayers, He will surely please to help us.
2)
Though
our faith is small, the Lord does not despise ---- how condescends the Lord to
us.
3)
Wherever
the Lord goes, there will we go with Him.
Mark. 5:25 “Now a certain woman had a
flow of blood for twelve years,”
YLT: “and a certain
woman, having an issue of blood twelve years,”
Meaning of Words: “a flow of blood”: the shedding of blood is irregular.
Literal Meaning: “a flow of blood”, it
might be an unusual symptom of menses (see Lev. 15:25).
Spiritual
Meaning:
according to the research of the Bible scholars, that “woman” was a Gentile
woman and therefore she symbolized the Gentile religion.
“A flow of blood” symbolizes
the flow of life because the soul of the flesh is in the blood (Lev. 17:11).
This gentile woman had a flow of blood for twelve years and the former dying Jewish
girl (see v.23) was exactly twelve years old (see v.42). Therefore they both referred
to the same thing that all the religions in the world seemed to leak life and
were dead religions in the sight of God. They had a name that they lived and were
dead (Rev. 3:1).
“Twelve years” symbolized
that they had been dealt with and instructed by God enough.
Enlightenment in the Word: anyone who neither lives for God nor has
been gained by God has a flow of blood ---- to consume his life.
Mark. 5:26 “and had suffered many
things from many physicians. She had spent all that
she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. ”
YLT: “and many things
having suffered under many physicians, and having spent all that she had, and
having profited nothing, but rather having come to the worse,”
Spiritual Meaning: “physicians” refer to the
leading class in the religion. If men in the world find there are problems in
their life, they will seek the religionists’ help. On the contrary, it brings
the consequences as follows: (1) suffer many things in vain; (2) spend much
money, and sometimes lose all one’s family fortune; (3) The condition even
becomes worse and worse.
Mark. 5:27 “When
she heard about Jesus,
she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His
garment.”
YLT: “having heard
about Jesus, having come in the multitude behind, she touched his garment,”
Meaning of Words: “touch”: contact;
The Background: the Jews regard “the flow
of blood” as unclean, and whoever touches them shall be unclean (Lev.
15:25-30). That was why the woman did not want to let others know her condition
but touched Jesus secretly.
Spiritual Meaning: the Lord’s “garment”
symbolizes His righteous walking. “Touched His garment”, it means that one
shall contact with the Lord through faith in order to be united with Him, thus
appropriating the accomplished righteousness of the Lord to be ours.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
“When
she heard about Jesus”, it was a turning point of the woman’s life when she
heard about the Lord Jesus. Believers should take the responsibility of
preaching the gospel so that there will be increasing number of men hearing
Jesus.
2)
There
will be no one who hears without one who preaches. And there will be no one who
believes without one who hears (see Rom. 10:14-15).
3)
“Came
behind”, it means that she came with a humble spirit and thought she was
unworthy. God sets himself against proud, but gives grace to lowly (see James
4:6).
Mark. 5:28 “For
she said,
"If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made
well." ”
YLT: “for she said --
`If even his garments I may touch, I shall be saved;'”
Meaning of Words: “be made well”: be healed;
Spiritual Meaning: “For she said”, it indicated the
faith in her.
“Touch His clothes”, it referred to the
outward act of faith.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
Jehovah
is clothed with strength. He has girded himself therewith (Ps. 93:1). Once we
have touched Him, we will receive power.
2)
The
power of the Lord is perfected in weakness (2Cor. 12:9). Whenever we find
ourselves weak, we should come to the Lord and ask for His power.
3)
When
we Christians are faced with difficulties, we should not touch the troubles
---- try to solve them by ourselves, but touch the Lord through faith in
prayers ---- ask the Lord to deal with the problems.
4)
Faith
is entrusting ourselves totally to the Lord and asking Him to do and save us.
5)
Faith
without works is dead (James 2:20). Faith should be developed with acts.
Mark. 5:29 “Immediately the fountain of
her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the
affliction.”
YLT: “and immediately
was the fountain of her blood dried up, and she knew in the body that she hath
been healed of the plague.”
Meaning of Words: “feel”: know; “affliction”: plague, scourging;
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
If
we want to solve any trouble that we are encountered with through asking for
men’s help ---- “many physicians”, we will be “suffered” in vain and “spend
all” and the disease will “last twelve years” and “rather grow worse” (v.26).
Only when one has “touched” the Only Lord Jesus, will he be healed immediately,
thus his problems will be fundamentally solved ---- “immediately the fountain
of her blood was dried up”.
2)
The
prayer of faith has much power (see James 5:15-16). The prayer of faith will be
answered “soon”.
3)
Those
who really have intimate fellowship with the Lord will surely feel that they
are strengthened by the power of the Lord. All those who keep the same feeling
before and after prayers may have not really touched the Lord.
Mark. 5:30 “And Jesus, immediately
knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd
and said, "Who touched My clothes?" ”
YLT: “And immediately
Jesus having known in himself that out of him power had gone forth, having
turned about in the multitude, said, `Who did touch my garments?'”
Meaning of Words: “immediately”: instantly; “know”: feel, find;
Literal Meaning: the Lord Jesus actually
knew who had touched His garment, for He knows everything. He asked this
question for He wanted to make the woman bear witness of the Lord’s grace
publicly ---- she had to boldly testify her miserable condition in the past and
how she was healed because of the act of touching (“the contact of faith”).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
The
Lord who is full of power is waiting for us to stretch our hands to appropriate
power from Him.
2)
Though
some Christians have enjoyed the Lord’s abundant grace and have been inspired
and pressed by the Lord for many times, they still dare not confess that they
believe the Lord Jesus before men and are shameful of bearing witness of the
Lord!
Mark. 5:31 “But His disciples said to
Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, "Who touched
Me?"' ”
YLT: “and his disciples
said to him, `Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and thou sayest, `Who
did touch me!'”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
The
disciples thought “thronging” the Lord was “touching” the Lord, for it was hard
to distinguish the differences of them. However, the Lord knew that “touching”
Him was totally different from “thronging” Him.
2)
The
Lord actually does not care for those who “throng” Him. However, the Lord knows
them who truly desire Him and really “touch” Him.
3)
There
are many people “thronging” the Lord, but there is only one who “touches” Him. “Thronging”
may be out of passionate zeal, but “touching” must be through the hand of
faith. One may receive nothing after “thronging”, but the disease of twelve
years has once been healed after “touching”. We believers, are we “throng” the
Lord or “touching” the Lord?
Mark. 5:32 “And He looked around to see
her who had done this thing.”
YLT: “And he was
looking round to see her who did this,”
Meaning of Words: “look around”: look about;
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
The
Lord neither wants men to believe Him secretly nor receive His grace privately.
2)
Today,
the Lord is “looking around” to see who has real faith in Him.
Mark. 5:33 “But the woman, fearing and
trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and
told Him the whole truth. ”
YLT: “and the woman,
having been afraid, and trembling, knowing what was done on her, came, and fell
down before him, and told him all the truth,”
Meaning of Words: “know”: see; “happen”: fulfill, turn; “fear”: be afraid, revere; “tremble”: dread; “truth”: reality;
Literal Meaning: “fearing and trembling”, “fearing”
refers to the inward feeling; “trembling” refers to the outward attitude;
Mark. 5:34 “And He said to her,
"Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of
your affliction." ”
YLT: “and he said to
her, `Daughter, thy faith hath saved thee; go away in peace, and be whole from
thy plague.'”
Meaning of Words: “heal”: be whole, save;
Literal Meaning: “your faith has made you
well”, it showed that her act of touching the Lord’s garment with hand was due
to her inner faith. Men can receive the healing of the Lord through touching
Him in faith only.
Spiritual Meaning: “go in peace”, it referred
to the spiritual salvation. “And be healed of your affliction”, it indicated
that her disease was healed.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
Without
faith impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6).
2)
Religionists
want to please God by good works and yet consequently they fall into the poor
state of death. The only way to be saved and healed is to receive the salvation
of the Lord Jesus through faith.
3)
If
we outstretch our hand of faith to touch the Lord, His power will enable us to
overcome difficulties.
4)
The
woman who had a flow of blood prayed “in her heart” only, and she was answered
and healed by the Lord. Obviously, it shows that whether a prayer is answered
or not lies in one’s heart, not words.
5)
The
word “heal” was different from the word “save” in verse 28. The woman was just
desired that her disease of the flow of blood would be healed, but the Lord’s
salvation made her “wholly saved”. What the Lord does is always far exceedingly
above all which we ask or think (see Eph. 3:20).
6)
All
those who have met Christ must “go in peace”.
Mark. 5:35 “While He was still
speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said,
"Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" ”
YLT: “As he is yet
speaking, there come from the chief of the synagogue's , saying -- `Thy
daughter did die, why still dost thou harass the Teacher?'”
Literal Meaning: “Why trouble the Teacher
any further?” It obviously indicated that this family hoped the daughter could
be healed before death ---- since she was died, they gave up their hope.
Mark. 5:36 “As soon as Jesus heard the
word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be
afraid; only believe." ”
YLT: “And Jesus
immediately, having heard the word that is spoken, saith to the chief of the
synagogue, `Be not afraid, only believe.'”
Meaning of Words: the words “be afraid” and “believe” are both in a commanding tone.
Literal Meaning: “Do not be afraid; only
believe”, we can see from the tense and voice in the original that the Lord
asked him to stop the endless fear, and encouraged him to believe unceasingly.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
Men’s
words make us be discouraged and afraid and even lose faith. However, the Lord’s
words will grant us comfort and encouragement and increase our faith.
2)
Fear
may make one lose faith, and strong faith will prevent one from being afraid.
Mark. 5:37 “And He permitted no one to
follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.”
YLT: “And he did not
suffer any one to follow with him, except Peter, and James, and John the
brother of James;”
Mark. 5:38 “Then He came to the house
of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those
who wept and wailed loudly.”
YLT: “and he cometh
to the house of the chief of the synagogue, and seeth a tumult, much weeping
and wailing;”
Meaning of Words: “tumult”: disturbance; “loudly”:
much, laegely; “weep”: bewail; “wail”: wail loudly;
Literal Meaning: “and those who wept and wailed
loudly”, they might be the women who were hired to mourn and cry for the dead.
Spiritual Meaning: this verse symbolizes that
religion is full of deathly stillness. Therefore the leaders use stimulant way
to incite all the people to do something in order to maintain the noisy and
live scene.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
The
daughter was dead. No matter how the crowd played the flute or made noisy, she
could not arise from the dead. If the state of the assembly is dead, it will be
of no use to instigate or encourage them with men’s way.
2)
If
a man still lives, others may show indifference to him. However, when the man
has been dead, men will come to show compassion to him. It is usually
unnecessary to help others after the event.
Mark. 5:39 “When He came in, He said to
them, "Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but
sleeping." ”
YLT: “and having gone
in he saith to them, `Why do ye make a tumult, and weep? the child did not die,
but doth sleep;”
Enlightenment in the Word: all those who are elected and preordained
by God will not be completed like those who have no hope after death. They have
fallen asleep (1Thess. 4: 13-14).
Mark. 5:40 “And they ridiculed Him. But
when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the
child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. ”
YLT: “and they were
laughing at him. And he, having put all forth, doth take the father of the
child, and the mother, and those with him, and goeth in where the child is
lying,”
Meaning of Words: “ridicule”: scorn; “put
outside”: cast, expel;
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) He who scorns the Lord
should be cast away from the church.
2) The religious way should
be “put outside of” our heart, and then the Lord Jesus will come in. Once the
Lord comes, the death will be eliminated and the trouble will be solved.
3) The purpose of all the
Lord’s works is not to persuade us but to quicken us, and is not to distribute
knowledge but to distribute life.
Mark. 5:41 “Then He took the child by
the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi,"
which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." ”
YLT: “and, having
taken the hand of the child, he saith to her, `Talitha cumi;' which is, being
interpreted, `Damsel (I say to thee), arise.'”
Meaning of Words: “talitha”: little girl; “cumi”: arise;
Literal Meaning: “Talitha, cumi”, it is Arabic.
It is a special point of the Gospel of Mark to record the original words of the
Lord.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
The
ruler of synagogue asked the Lord to lay His hands on her (v.23), but the Lord
directly took her hand and said “arise”. The imlimited Christ never works
according to men’s fixed method. It is sufficient for us to believe the Lord,
but we should not restrict the Lord’s works. This is a great principle of
prayers.
2)
It
is already time that we should be aroused out of sleep (Rom. 13:11), for the
Lord is saying to us: “I say to you, arise”.
Mark. 5:42 “Immediately
the girl arose and walked,
for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome
with great amazement. ”
YLT: “And immediately
the damsel arose, and was walking, for she was twelve years; and they were
amazed with a great amazement,”
Meaning of Words: “great”: large, strong; “amaze”: be (make) astonished,
be beside self;
Spiritual Meaning: “for she was twelve years
of age”, the woman who had a flow of blood for “twelve years” (see v.25). This
girl might be born when that woman began to have the flow of blood. Therefore,
we can take both of them as a whole thing, which typifies that men’s life in
the world is consumed because of sins. Though men live, they are actually dead
in offenses and sins (Eph. 2:1). Only through believing the Lord Jesus, men can
be united with “His mighty hand” and be quickened with Him together (Eph. 2:5),
namely, having been passed out of death into life (John 5:24-25).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
The
Lord asked the little girl to arise (see v.41) and she rose immediately. When
the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that have heard shall
live (John 5:25).
2)
“Took
the child by the hand (see v.41)” ---- when the Lord takes our hands of serving
and working, our service and works will have a turning point ---- “immediately
the girl arose and walked”.
Mark. 5:43 “But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that
something should be given her to eat.”
YLT: “and he charged
them much, that no one may know this thing, and he said that there be given to
her to eat.”
Meaning of Words: “strictly”: for many times; “command”: order; “say”: tell;
Literal Meaning: “no one should know it”, the
Lord did not want others to follow Him because of curiosity. The Gospel of Mark
repeatedly records that the Lord especially commands others not to make Him
manifest (see 1:44; 3:12; 9:9), for this book emphasizes that He is the “bondservant”
of Jehovah.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1)
“Said
that something should be given her to eat”, the need of life is “eating”, and “eating”
is the manifestation of life.
2)
Many
people in the church only focus on preaching the gospels, but neglect to feed
believers who have just believed. However, the Lord here asks us to care for
their need.
III. Outlines of the Spiritual
Lessons
The Condition of the Demon-possessed
Man
A. He dwelt among the tombs (v
B.
No
one could bind him (v.3b) ---- he lived in the lust of our flesh without any
restriction;
C.
Not
even with shackles and chains (v
D.
No
one could anyone tame him (v.4b) ---- that could not be tamed by men’s power;
E.
He
always cries night and day (v
F.
He
cuts himself with stones (v.5b) ---- he often hurt himself;
G.
He
thought he had nothing to do with the Lord (v.6
H.
He
feared to be tormented right now (v.7b-8) ---- he only cared for the temporary
enjoyment instead of the impending punishment;
I.
His
name is Legion (v.9) ---- he liked to associate with evil men;
J.
He
did not want to leave that place (v.10) ---- he liked to linger in sinful
places;
K. The demons entered to the swine (v.11
L.
The
demons ran down the steep place into the sea (v.13b) ---- he was willing to
corrupt;
M.
The
demons drowned in the sea (v
A Man Who was Possessed by the Unclean
Spirit
A.
He
gave place to the unclean spirit (v.2) ---- he was
possessed by the demon (the devil possessed men);
B. He was enticed by the unclean
spirit (v
C.
He
was ruled by the unclean spirit (v.3b-4)) ---- men could not bind and tame him
(the devil haunted);
D.
He
suffered from the trouble of the unclean spirit (v.5) ---- his life and conduct
did harm to men and himself (the devil did harm);
E.
He
was blinded by the unclean spirit (v.6-8) ---- he did not know the Lord Jesus (the
devil forcibly occupied);
F.
He
confessed there were many unclean spirit (v.9) ---- he had uncountable sins (there
were many demons);
G.
He
saw the unclean spirit enter the herd of the swine (v.10
H.
He
saw the end of the unclean spirit (v.13b) ---- he knew the end of the dark
authority (the devil drowned in the sea);
I.
He
was delivered from the unclean spirit (v.14-15) ---- he had been restored in
grace (the devil lost its power in him);
J.
He
knew the nature of the unclean spirit (v.16-17) ---- the world was enticed by the
unclean spirit (the devil captured men);
K.
He
preached that the unclean spirit was cast away (v.18-20) ---- he bore witness
of the grace to the world (the devil was not fearful);
The Moman Who Had a Flow of Blood for
Twelve Years Was Healed by the Lord
A.
She
had a flow of blood for twelve years (v.25) ---- her
life was leaked;
B.
She
received nothing from physicians (v.26) ---- all the methods from the world
were ineffective;
C. She heard about Jesus (v
D.
She
came to touched His garment (v.27b-28) ---- to touch the Lord with faith;
E.
She
had experienced the power of the Lord Jesus (v.29-30) ---- to obtain the life
of God;
F.
Her
heart was inspired by the Lord (v.31-32) ---- she knew that she could not do a
hidden believer;
G.
She
bore witness of the grace that she have been granted (v.33) ---- to declare the
works of the Lord in her;
H.
She
was proved by the Lord’s words (v
I.
Had
received true peace (v.34b) ---- to enjoy the gracious words of the Lord.
The Little Daughter of the Ruler of the
Synagogue Was Healed
A. He came to see the Lord
Jesus humbly
---- he fell at His feet (v.22).
B.
He
came to beg the Lord Jesus truly ---- he asked the Lord to lay His hands on her
and make her live (v.23-24).
C.
He
followed the Lord continually ---- though he heard the bad news, he still
followed the Lord (v.35-37).
D.
He
trusted the Lord Jesus at rest ---- he did not follow the tumult but heard the
command of the Lord secretly (v.38
E.
He
submitted to the Lord Jesus faithfully ---- he came to see the child with the
Lord together (v.40b);
F.
He
believed the Lord Jesus wholly ---- he witnessed the resurrection of the child
(v.41-42);
G.
He
obeyed the Lord Jesus joyfully ---- he fed the child according to the Lord’s
commandment (v.43).
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Mary Zhou