Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid

Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.

- Mark 6:47-56

In yesterday's reading, we read that, after completing their first mission,  the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.  Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.  (See Bread in the wilderness.)

Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.   Jesus has sent His disciples back across the Sea of Galilee, toward familiar home territory of Bethsaida.  Jesus has remained behind for solitude in order to pray.

 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  It doesn't matter where He is; His concern is for them, and they are struggling.  He sees what they're engaged in.  At this point in His ministry, we remember they've just completed their first mission (apostle means "sent out" on a mission), and in yesterday's reading they began with a few loaves and fishes and distributed what Jesus blessed to feed a multitude in the wilderness.  He's sent them back across the sea on their own.  His disciples are fledglings and learning what ministry is to entail when He is gone from them in the flesh.

Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.   The fourth watch of the night is about 3:00 A.M.

And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."   My study bible says, "It is I, literally, 'I am' (Greek ego eimi), especially used in the Gospel of John, is Jesus' own testimony to His deity.  It reflects God's name as revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Ex. 3:14).  Only God is self-existent, uncreated, the only being whose existence depends on no other but Himself; therefore He alone can truly say, 'I am.'"

Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.   A note in my study bible tells us:  "The knowledge of Christ is a matter of the heart.  When our hearts are illumined by God, they become the seat of divine presence, grace and knowledge."  It also notes that  in all the ascetic writings of the Eastern Church, the heart is known as the "seat of knowledge."

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.   And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.   They set sail for Bethsaida, but wind up a little further West, at Gennesaret, after crossing the Sea of Galilee, "straining at rowing" against the wind.   The plain of Gennesaret was known as a very fertile place at the time of Christ.  The Sea of Galilee is also called the Lake of Gennesaret, which gives us some idea of its importance also to fishing.  In contrast to the wilderness where Jesus has just fed 5,000 men (and more women and children), this is a bustling place which is teeming with agriculture and fishing industry.  The harvest of this ministry here is great; faith indicated by these healings is in abundance, so that everywhere Jesus goes, people beg even to touch the hem of His garment, and are made well.

I think it's important that we contrast the struggles of the disciples rowing across the Sea with our own journeys of faith, because everything in the Gospels, and perhaps we could say everything in Scripture, teaches us about ourselves and about the spiritual life of faith.  It's important that we note that the apostles have just returned from their first mission, which was quite successful, and we get a picture of the ups and downs of ministry.  They find themselves in a wilderness area, drawn away by Jesus in order to rest and tell of what has happened. But they're so busy, we read in yesterday's reading, that they don't even have time to eat.  And the crowds follow Jesus even to the wilderness.  But it's a time of great opportunity:  all four Gospels tell us of this feeding miracle, of bread in the wilderness.   But immediately afterward, after this great teaching opportunity of the feeding and multiplying of what is on hand, the disciples are sent again off on their own, and have a terrible time of it, even these experienced fishermen native to the Lake rowing hard against the wind.  In the midst of it is Jesus, who even at 3:00 in the morning, knows what is happening to them.  His words, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid," are words that teach us about faith.  We will always face difficulties, even in the midst of the most successful endeavors.  We will face our fears, we will need courage (in the Greek, that which is translated "be of good cheer" also has the meaning of "take courage").  But He is there with them, and He is there with us.  Alone and struggling across stormy seas, even those which we may have experienced many times, we still need His comfort.  It's faith that fed the multitude in the wilderness, faith they need across the seas at 3:00 A.M., and faith that gives the bountiful harvest in the fertile place of Gennesaret.  Mark's gospel tells us that the disciples had failed to recognize and understand this dimension of the feeding in the wilderness, and so they are given yet another experience in the power of faith.  Everything becomes occasion for teaching and learning, growing in their capacity to minister.  So we should also look at all events in our own lives.  Can we put our faith in Him through our adversities?  Do we remember He's there?  We may not know the outcome of every mission, but the Gospels teach us one thing through all events:  with Him, we are always on a road, we are always in a place of learning and growing and teaching.  Our real learning curve is in deepening our faith and opening our hearts, through all things.  Included in today's lectionary reading is this verse from Psalm 119:  "I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad."  The outcomes may seem perfect or not, but our real success is in the limitless learning of this journey.

Bread in the wilderness

 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.

Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. 

- Mark 6:30-46

In yesterday's reading, we read that King Herod heard of Jesus, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.  Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.   The apostles have returned from their first mission.   My study bible points out that the word apostle, which means "one who is sent," a messenger, "is used frequently in the epistles but is rare in the gospels.  It designates an official representative authorized to carry out a specific mission."  It adds, "Jesus gives the disciples time to rest a while.  They have just returned from a demanding assignment -- preaching, healing and casting out demons -- and it is time for solitude."  Mark's Gospel continues to give us a picture of a very busy ministry:  they did not even have time to eat.

So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.   Solitude does not seem possible.  Jesus' fame is so great that now people run in anticipation to where they believe He's going; they recognize Him wherever He is.  But the Gospel again tells us details:  here, we're given to understand this behavior.  The multitude is like sheep not having a shepherd.  They need Christ and what He has to teach them, what He offers.

When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  Jesus takes His apostles one step further in their missionary journey.  His is a challenge in their ministry:  "you give them something to eat."

And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.  My study bible says, "The disciples learn a great lesson here:  whatever they have is enough to feed the people, whether physically or spiritually.  God can multiply our resources so that everyone can be filled.  But we must participate in His grace.  Christ, along with the Father, blesses the loaves, but the disciples distribute them."  The twelve baskets left over is symbolic for each apostle:  they will continue to feed those who come and need shepherding.  The numbering of five thousand men is a cultural custom:  there were more women and children present (Matt. 14:21).

Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.  It's a momentous time, a turning point, and we know so by the fact that Jesus went away by Himself to pray.  The disciples return to their familiar ground of Bethsaida, home to Peter and Andrew.

It is a great turning point in Jesus' ministry.  In some sense, He's testing out the disciples.  As apostles, they've been "sent out"  on their first mission.   He's heard about it, but the crowds intervene.  There are masses of people who need Christ's help.  The demand is so great that the apostles themselves "don't even have time to eat."  There is a whole world that is clamoring for what Jesus has to offer, and the crowds are like sheep without a shepherd.  The demand is great.  There is clearly a call here for mission, for the mission of the apostles into the world.  Even in this deserted place, a crowd gathers, even in anticipation of Jesus, and He offers His teaching.  But the food in the wilderness is something more.  When tempted Himself in the wilderness, Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3:  “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”  We are given to understand that the teachings of Christ, His word, is food for us.  We remember that when Jesus called these disciples from the fishing town of Bethsaida, He told them that He would make them fishers of men.  Here in the wilderness is bread and fish, meant to feed a multitude, and coming from Christ through the hands of His disciples.  His ministry works through human beings and what they have as resources.  The turning point here is an understanding of the need for self-reliance in the future, or rather, the need for Church, and reliance on Father, Son and Spirit, working through the Church, in the future.  In this light, my study bible's note is important, when it tells us that the disciples learn an important lesson:  whatever they have is enough to feed the people, whether physically or spiritually.  There will be a time when He's not present in the flesh with them, and they must learn now to trust to God, and use what resources they have, to spread this ministry, to feed the people who are all like sheep without a shepherd.  In the parable of the Talents, Jesus will teach what we are to be about when He is gone.  Here, in the feeding with bread and fish in the wilderness, we learn about the use of our talents and what is at hand:  fishermen distribute the gifts of fish, multiplied by the Spirit, and the bread which symbolizes the word of God by which we truly live and are given life in abundance.  These twelve baskets left over of fish and fragments of bread teach us about our lives here and now -- that whatever we have is where we start, and with God's help, we, too, can distribute, and feed and multiply.  Bread in the wilderness teaches us about Church:  we start where we are and with what we have, we live by God's word, and the Spirit teaches and multiplies.  Wherever we are, whatever we have at hand, whatever need arises, let us remember this sense of mission and ministry.  In this context, all of life becomes ministry, in whatever wilderness we find ourselves, with His help.

Bring me the head of John the Baptist on a platter

 Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. 

Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

- Mark 6:14-29

On Saturday, we read that Jesus came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.  And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

 Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known.  My study bible points out that Herod here is Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great and governor of Galilee, called a king in popular language.  Again, Mark's Gospel emphasizes Jesus' fame in Galilee, which is extraordinary.

And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"   People speak of Jesus with messianic expectation.  Elijah was prophesied to appear before the Messiah would come.  (Jesus Himself will say that John the Baptist was the spirit of Elijah returned.)  "The Prophet" was another popularly expected figure, one who was to be like Moses.  We get a sense of the feverish nature of the times, with the people looking for a deliverer.  But King Herod has different ideas; his own fears and guilt are driving his expectation that Jesus is John the Baptist returned.

For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did any things, and heard him gladly.   So important is the Baptist to the Gospel story that Mark gives us a flashback of the circumstances of his death.  My study bible calls it a "powerful testimony to his faith and zeal.   Early Christians regarded John the Baptist with utmost esteem.  Here, Mark shows John's fearlessness in telling the truth."  It adds, regarding these verses, "What a comment on the righteousness of John the Baptist:  the king feared John!  The royally clad Herod was frightened of a man clothed in camel's hair, a servant of God who lived out in the desert."

Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."   The setting for this party tells us about life at this court.  So much is done for the appearance before the other people of rank. 

So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  Herodias' daughter also acts to please others, as if she has no mind of her own.  She's under the sway of her mother.   In a profound way, she's not acting in her own true interests.  Here, the girl does not reflect at all on what she is told to do.

And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.   Again, we read of the impact of others, and Herod's reflection in their eyes.  An extravagant promise becomes a bond he's afraid to break.

And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.  This grim and terrible scene is the result of manipulation and a complete lack of care for the real matter of our choices, a giving in to the image before others.  John's disciples, we note, simply come and do the right thing; there is no sworn vengeance here, no return of blood for blood, but rather acceptance through faith, as will also happen with Jesus' disciples.  It is an example, for us, of righteousness carried on.

Today's reading tells us a lot, but it also gives us hints about Herod and his personality, his court, and his surroundings.  He's easily bound by all the temptations of power, what is influential among those who are of rank in his kingdom.  Once he makes a lavish promise, he's bound to keep it through the manipulations of Herodias, which also makes him a vulnerable person. We contrast these persuasions of his own "crowds" that surround him -- the court and Herodias and her daughter -- with John the Baptist, who remains fully righteous whether pursuing his ministry out in the open by the Jordan, or locked up in Herod's prison, and repeatedly summoned before him.  We read of similar aspects of Herod's character on display when it comes to his interactions with Jesus:  Herod is curious about Him.  When Pilate sends Christ to Herod for judgment as Jesus is a Galilean, Jesus fails to perform any miracles for him, not satisfying the perplexed fascination Herod also has for John in these verses.  Jesus then is sent back to Pilate, and we are told in the Gospels that then the two rulers became fast friends, just as Herod here is locked into the eyes and expectations of his court, rather than the righteousness of John.  None of these people considers righteousness, a relationship with God, in their choices, but lives for the others of rank or status.  (We can count on the idea that Jesus' teaching to invite others who cannot repay us socially isn't followed here!)   The girl, in the hands of her mother, becomes the instrument of the most vile bloodlust, the gruesome scene of John beheaded, and his head "served" on a platter at this banquet.  Without faith in the one thing necessary, we're all liable to be misled in our lives.  What is ostensibly a laudable characteristic of human loyalty becomes perverse and manipulated for evil ends:  a mother's influence on her daughter, a king's curiosity and even fear of a holy man.  The attachments these people have to others in their circle become a kind of hideous stumbling block leading them on the worst of roads, into places of great treachery and blood-guiltiness of deeds committed against the good, the righteous.  All of this emphasizes the importance of putting God first in our lives, holding to the good before all else.  It doesn't matter what the relationship is:  a king to his court, or mother and daughter, without this emphasis in our lives of clinging to the Good for direction, we are easily lost.  The most beautiful and cherished of our notions of loyalty become instruments of the worst evil.  And that's what the Gospel emphasizes for us today.  A purely worldly view is one in which manipulation holds sway:  along with envy, and pride of place or position, and false loyalties.  In the view of the Gospels, without our relationship first to God, that which defines righteousness for us, we are somehow less as human beings, weak and empty.  We fail to be all that it means to be a human being in the fullest sense of our capabilities.  Even the most exalted worldly realities:  a court of power, those of high station, love of man and woman, fidelity of a daughter to her mother -- all of these things become corrupted in the absence of reverence first for the good:  true righteousness, relatedness to God who is the source of good.  When we're tempted to put other goals first, let us remember this failing, and where a solid hope and true direction lies.  Each one of the people in this story could have said "no" at some time, consulted with a conscience, remembered a loyalty to God's laws of love and righteousness.  But each failed.  In that, too, is a foreshadowing of events to come in Jesus' life, and what He called the power of darkness.  It's our choice that is the bulwark against that darkness; it's up to us to hold to the light before every other loyalty.  This is the way to illuminate the good in all things.  Above all let us remember there is no mercy, no graciousness, no charity or kindness in this elaborate scene of worldly extravagance, vanity and vulgarity.  In a righteous perspective, those products of humility are where true beauty (and nobility) live.   It is grace that teaches us what is good.

A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house

 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.

Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

- Mark 6:1-13

In yesterday's reading, we read that after having healed the Gadarene demoniac, Jesus and the disciples returned across the Sea of Galilee to Jewish territory.  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.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 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."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  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?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid, only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  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.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi,"  which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  Jesus and His disciples have come to His hometown of Nazareth, where His family live.

And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?  So they were offended at Him.   We've read consistently in recent readings in Mark's Gospel how Jesus is acclaimed and thronged by crowds elsewhere.  Here, Jesus teaches in the synagogue on the Sabbath as has become His custom.  But this is His hometown, and it is filled with people who know Him as the carpenter's son.  My study bible says, "Jesus' teaching, wisdom, and miracles do not overcome the disbelief of those in His hometown.  The people see Him as one of them, the carpenter they know.  They are offended because they can do none of His works, and they are unwilling to accept a far greater role and dignity for Him.  In Scripture the words brothers and sisters can refer to stepbrothers and stepsisters, as well as other relatives (see, for example, Abraham and Lot; compare Gen.. 12:5 with 14:16).  There is no New Testament evidence that Mary had other children besides Jesus.  That Christ from the Cross committed His mother to the care of John suggests that (1) Joseph was by now deceased and (2) Jesus was Mary's only child."

But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.    My study bible notes:  "Jealousy affects faith.  Every person could have been restored.  But in the absence of faith, Jesus does not release the divine power which is always His.

Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.  Whatever His setbacks, this ministry continues and expands.  Again, we return to the parables of the Kingdom which Jesus has taught in Mark's Gospel:  the Sower sowing seeds, and the tiny mustard seed that grows into an extraordinary plant.  Like the farmer who scatters seeds which grow into a harvest while he sleeps, Jesus does the work He is here to do, trusting in the Father for the proper growth of His ministry.

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  My study bible tells us, "This is the first time the twelve are sent out, as it were, on a training mission, preparing them for taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.  They go two by two for mutual support."

He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"   My study bible explains that shake off the dust is a symbolic gesture of judgment. 

So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.  A note here says:  "Preaching is an earnest proclamation, and this present proclamation of the need for repentance is momentous.  This is the first time the Twelve perform miracles.  God gives His power, His energy, to human beings and through human beings -- to and through those who repent.  He shares with us by grace what is His by nature.  The disciples anointed with oil as part of the act of healing, for by the Incarnation of Christ creation is renewed:  oil and water become instruments of renewal for the human race."

Jesus' recent teachings have given us many different levels and examples of faith.  In yesterday's reading, we observed how Jesus put out from the house those who ridiculed Him when He said the young girl was not dead.  He put away from Him those who made a calamitous noise in mourning and weeping, in order to heal the girl.  He brought with Him only the disciples of the inner circle, and the two parents of the girl.  What we observe is that to strengthen and shore up faith, Jesus is willing to separate Himself and others from those who do harm, somehow, to that faith.  In today's reading, we get a picture of others without faith in Him, and they're members of His hometown, people He knows and has most likely known all His life growing up in Nazareth.  But it's envy and jealousy that keep them from accepting Him.  Although the world elsewhere in Jewish territories of Galilee throngs to Him, and He's known as a healer, He can do nothing here because of their unbelief.  So we get once again a very strong picture about the nature of faith.  There are things that harm it.  Most prominently in the Gospels, it is envy that gets in the way of really seeing and perceiving.  When we care more about our position in light of another, we run the risk of spiritual blindness.  In the second half of our reading today, Jesus sends out the apostles on their first mission.  In yet another step in the remarkable growth of this Kingdom, Jesus' power is invested in them and shared in them with the world to which they go, two by two.  Their power works over unclean spirits, they heal and anoint others, they preach.  But again, there's a kind of separation from those incapable of receiving.  The symbolic gesture of judgment is just that, a symbol.  It's a way of walking away from that which cannot support the truth of the Kingdom.  Judgment belongs only to God, vengeance has no place here at all.  But they separate themselves from the place where the Kingdom cannot grow, where there is no faith to build upon.  Let's observe how even among His kin and neighbors, Jesus could do absolutely nothing of the works He's done elsewhere.  The faith He's talking about, the trust in Him, the perception of what He is and what He's offering, is something that cuts through all other relationships.  Every worldly institution comes second to the truth that's in the heart, that which we need to truly heal.  In yesterday's reading and commentary, we spoke of the need many people have to separate themselves from environments and people who cannot support their healing, their faith in what can be.  Christ gives us a picture here of just how deep the bonds of faith can go.  Family values are important, because they tell us about love.  Abuse, however, isn't love and it isn't a family value.  Let us remember, faith comes first.  We know love because we are loved.  Our healing depends on that truth.  When everything else fails you, it's there we rest and take our strength.  Love comes first, everything else second.  The apostles go preaching repentance.  Unloving relationships call for repentance, not a cover up.  It's in His truth we find our healing.

Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction

 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.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 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."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."

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?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid, only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  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.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi,"  which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

- Mark 5:21-43

Yesterday, we read that Jesus and the disciples came to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, 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.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  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."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  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.  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.  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.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  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."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

 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.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 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."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  Back across the Sea of Galilee, Jesus and the disciples are once again in Jewish territory.  My study bible points out here in this passage that not all Jewish leaders were opposed to Jesus, and from this we learn something very important.  As we read through the Gospels, there really isn't even one group of people about whom we can generalize:  there are always exceptions.  Joseph of Arimathea, an important member of the Sanhedrin, donated Jesus' tomb and claimed His body after crucifixion, while Judas, one of Jesus' personally-chosen Twelve, would betray Him.  Here in this scene, we've returned to a place where Jesus is so well-known that the crowds throng Him.

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  Here my study bible points out two things.  First of all, Jesus always has time for everything that is going on in His ministry.  He stops to attend to what has just happened among the crowds, even as He's going to Jairus' house to help his daughter.  It tells us, "Jesus never seems to be in a hurry, or ever interrupted from His mission.  Here, He attends to both needs."  It also notes, "Healing takes energy.  Jesus is aware that divine energy had gone out of Him when He was touched.  This power (Greek dynamis) is a manifestation of the one, uncreated power of God, 'the power of God to salvation' (Romans 1:16)." 

But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  My study bible says, "God's power or energy is available to people as grace from Him.  Jesus says, Daughter, your faith has made you well, showing that while divine power healed her, the woman's faith participated in the healing."

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?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid, only believe."   A note reads:  "No situation is hopeless when Christ is present.  As the woman needed faith to be healed, so these parents need to persist in faith, even now that their daughter's condition seems past hope."

And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  These three form Jesus' inner circle.  They will be the ones present also at the Transfiguration.  My study bible says that Peter, James and John are those "on whose faith and understanding Jesus could rely."

Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  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.  Again, there's a very particular emphasis here:  we see the drama of the weeping and wailing and mourning the child, a great tumult, a calamity.   But Jesus' careful selection of only those in whom He can trust (and trust is the root of faith in the Greek), and His deliberate exclusion of those in panic and fear and wailing tell us also an important part of this story and His ministry.  These are those in whom He can't put His trust because they don't put their trust in Him.  They even stoop to ridicule.

Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi,"  which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."   A note tells us, "Jesus speaks Aramaic here, the spoken language of Jews in His time.  Jesus commands demons  and they obey, the stormy seas and they obey, and here, the dead and she 'obeys.'"

Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.  My study bible tells us, "The daughter of Jairus returns to life to the great amazement of those present.  But like all of us, she will die again to await the resurrection of the dead and Christ's return."  Jesus' instructions to give her something to eat tell us of the normalcy of her life returned to her.  Like Peter's mother-in-law earlier, and the paralytic He healed, this girl is told to "arise" (and it's notable that this is done in Mark's Gospel with specific words in Aramaic).  Each one is restored to his or her proper place.

Today's Gospel reading is another illustration of what it is to have faith, to live in faith. Faith is a relationship.  It's to trust in somebody.  The woman with the blood flow had so much deliberate trust in Christ that she felt if she only touched the hem of His clothing, she would be healed.  This, in turn, created relationship to Christ.  A sort of automatic release of power came from Him to the woman with this act.  It's intriguing and mysterious that Jesus perceives this happening even as He did not seem to consciously command it!  It tells us something about our faith and it elaborates on the stunning story in yesterday's reading, about the Gadarene demoniac who fell at Jesus' feet in recognition of One who could help him, even though possessed of a legion of demons.  It's this link of faith that activates Jesus' power.  Then He deliberately excludes those who ridicule Him, who lament and wail and cause chaos and tumult over the death of Jairus' daughter.  He allows only Peter, James and John to come with Him to Jairus' house, and only the parents are allowed in with them to the girl's room.  It's a very deliberate way to exclude that which will distract from this important bond of faith and the working of Jesus' grace, the divine power that works through Him.  And we can take a great lesson from that.  In our own lives, we may have problems that we have to deal with, that require a great deal of faith on our part, and a lot of prayer.  If we surround ourselves with those who can't be supportive of such an endeavor, of a great effort on our part to cope and heal with our own problems, with God's help, then we endanger our own well-being.  A popular affliction we see around us in our modern lives is addiction.  This can come in many forms.  We may all be familiar with Twelve Step programs, with programs such as the Betty Ford Center which help individuals and families with such problems. But one thing we can be certain of:  the environment must be deliberately chosen by those seeking to remain in sobriety.  A "higher power" such as our faith in Christ, becomes a necessary part of that struggle.  But long before such programs came into existence, the Gospel taught us the importance of maintaining faith, and choosing very carefully those around us who will support positive endeavor, a journey of faith and trust, a relationship to Christ that will help lead us to our own wholeness and healing.  It's important that we understand that this relationship must be cemented with deliberate support, and that it's no sin to exclude those who will do harm to what is truly in the interest of healing.  Ridicule is an important clue here.  It can often be used as a type of abuse, a way to sabotage sincere efforts at healing, when what we need instead is help for our efforts and our weaknesses.  Positive support emphasizes our faith and our hope through difficult circumstances.  Remember that trust is important.  Whom do you trust?  When all else may fail you, and there may be no support (such as the conditions of the demoniac in yesterday's reading), we remember that we put our trust in Christ, and He puts His faith and trust in us.  The power released in such a relationship is grace.  Maintain that bond, call on it, and support it.  When we make this deliberate effort, we are following the footsteps of Christ for our healing, and our peace.

My name is Legion; for we are many

 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, 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.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  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."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  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.

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.  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.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  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."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

- Mark 5:1-20

 In yesterday's reading, we read that when evening had come, Jesus said to His disciples, "Let us cross over to the other side."  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was.  And other little boats were also with Him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!" 

Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. Here, we and the disciples with Christ find ourselves in Gentile territory.  This is a place where pigs are raised, which were considered unclean by Jews.  We are on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which was crossed in the storm in yesterday's reading.

And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, 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.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.   Here's a very descriptive and vivid image of this man with an unclean spirit.  The tombs here are caves cut out of soft rock.   This episode in Mark's Gospel could almost remind us of stories of Jason or Odysseus, but in this case the leader of this voyage across the sea into strange territory is Jesus.  It is He who has directed them to this place, where this tormented man is found.  The description here is very strong:  no one can bind him, not even with chains.  He goes about in his broken shackles and chains; he's untameable.  He can't live among the civilized, but he's in the mountains and tombs.  His life is self-destructive:  we can hear the wail of someone ceaselessly tortured by their own inner lives -- day and night he was crying out and cutting himself with stones.  He is fully isolated by his affliction from any sort of community life with other human beings.

 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  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."   My study bible tells us, "The deranged man worshiped Jesus; the demons see Him and fear torment. Not only are the demons unable to resist Jesus' command, they are unable to escape confrontation with Him.  though they have power over the man, they have no power over Jesus.  Jesus' words accomplish in an instant what shackles and chains cannot." The word for torment here can also mean a kind of examination or trial using beatings or torture. 

For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  My study bible says that "out of the country perhaps reflects both the wretched man's fear of being compelled to leave his homeland and the demons' fear of being cast out of the man."   A Roman army legion consisted of several thousand foot soldiers with cavalry.  In contrast to the demons' fear of trial by torment, Jesus' examination is a simple and straightforward one:  "What is your name?"

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  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.  My study bible says that "the destruction of the unclean swine was appropriate according to Jewish law."   In this sense the "unclean" demons go into an "unclean" territory.  Their effect on the swine is the same self-destructive impulse witnessed in the tortured man.

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.  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.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.   A note in my study bible says, "They ('those who fed the swine') fear Jesus' power, which they do not understand, and possible further disturbance from Him.  Their primary concern is with animals and property rights; Jesus is more concerned about the life of a demon-possessed man." 

And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  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."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.  My study bible tells us:  "Jesus allows an exception to the messianic secret:  this man may tell others.  Perhaps in Gentile territory misunderstanding of Jesus' mission was not so much a problem, because the Gentiles had no preconceptions about the Messiah."  The Decapolis ("Ten Cities") was a Greek-speaking region east of Galilee, and included a city called Gadara.

One thing is very clear from this story:  Jesus' power and authority extend way beyond the boundaries of Jewish life, beyond the boundaries of Israel.  Here, in this foreign territory, His power extends over a legion of demons who possess one man who cannot be subdued or tamed.  And in that sense, it is another illustration of the parables taught in Monday's and Tuesday's readings.  The growth of this Kingdom is surprising, and its seeds may be sown anywhere.  We can't really tell where the good ground may be found.  Even in this most unlikely of places, good ground is found in this poor man tormented by a legion of demons, who lives among the tombs and the herds of swine, and surrounded by people who only want Jesus to leave them.   That the man himself worshiped Jesus is important, because it tells us about the heart.  We can be going through a sea of afflictions and difficulties, with all kinds of strikes against us in our lives, but the love of Christ transcends all of that.  Most importantly, Christ's response to our love sees past all of that.  And we get down, once again, to the heart of this Gospel:  Jesus is the stronger man who has come to subdue the strong man (and his legions) that afflict us.  There is hope, wherever we are and whoever we are.  This is why we refrain from judgment, and the judgment is not ours:  it's Christ's.  He is the knower-of-hearts.  So in this Legion demoniac we have illustrated a very vivid example of Jesus' teaching about the heart, and about how we receive the Kingdom.  This demoniac recognized the One who'd come to the place from afar and was capable of healing him, helping him, and fell down on his knees before Jesus, even as he continued to be afflicted by the presence of the demons.  This is the literal meaning of the word translated as worship here in the text:  it is a full physical way of showing obeisance and love.  At the heart of this word (proskyneo) is a word meaning "to kiss" as in an act of profound reverence.  There are so many things that we can see in this reading of the demoniac in Mark's Gospel.  But for today, let us look at the heart of this man in forsaken territory among the tombs, and with so many afflictions, so many strikes against him.  Nothing in this world could make him a part of community, but the power of Christ responds to faith and love, to a heart that cries out in prayer and recognition of this Savior, this "stronger man."  Let us remember that wherever we are we have this hope, in whatever circumstances we may be found -- or those of others we wish to help -- He is there with His response, and sees through all things that might seem to stand in the way of His love for us. 

Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?

 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side."  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was.  And other little boats were also with Him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"

- Mark 4:35-41

In Monday's reading, Jesus gave us the parable of the Sower, and taught His disciples its meaning, elaborating on His use of parables.  In yesterday's reading, He continued.  He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you, and to you who hear, more will be given.   For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."  And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself:  first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."  Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may rest under its shade."  And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable He did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.

On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side."  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was.  And other little boats were also with Him.  Jesus has been preaching to the multitudes.  Mark's Gospel has let us know that the crowds are so great, Jesus has had to preach in a boat facing the shore, where all the people were gathered to hear Him.  Another sign of great numbers of people coming to Him is His beginning use of parables in His ministry (see Wednesday's reading).  Like the illustration of the Kingdom in the parables , Jesus' ministry continues to expand and grow (see yesterday's parables above, especially the parable of the Mustard Seed).  Here, Mark's Gospel sends us off in yet a new direction, with the crossing of the Sea of Galilee, as Jesus is headed off toward a Gentile territory.

And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  We look at the contrast here between the stormy sea, and the picture of Jesus asleep on a pillow.

And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  The question of the disciples indicates to us just exactly how great their fear is, and what kind of storm these experienced native Galilean fishermen feel they're dealing with!  My study bible tells us, "The same Greek word (φιμόω/phimoœ) by which Jesus commands the storm to be still is used for His telling the demon to 'be quiet' in 1:25.  As Lord of all, He commands all.  In obedience, the storm subsides instantly and fully." 

But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  Some ancient manuscripts read, "Have you still no faith?"  Like the great drama in this picture of the wild seas and storm, in contrast to Jesus asleep on a pillow in the stern of the boat, Jesus' words are also pretty dramatic in the Greek.  In an implied way, He's chastising them for a kind of cowardliness.  We remember that the Greek word for faith is rooted in the word to trust.

And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"   The word for fear used here is different from the one above (which implied timidity or cowardliness).  The fear expressed here is a kind of healthy fear that implies awe, a response to an overwhelming awareness of  great power beyond one's experience or understanding.

If we take a look at the drama in today's passage, it tells us quite a lot about our faith.  Coming just after the description of the Kingdom in the parables of Jesus in yesterday's and Wednesday's readings, we understand the implications here about expansion.  Jesus is leading the disciples (in several boats) into Gentile territory; this would most likely be someplace they haven't experienced across the Sea of Galilee.  It's also something unusual in the context of a Jewish teacher.  As the Sower, He's scattering seeds to find good ground for their growth.  Like the mustard seed, we expect new branches and surprising growth; like the farmer who sowed seeds, the Creator brings growth that we can't produce by ourselves.  In some sense, that growth is linked to today's text, because it implies the necessity of faith.  We trust that these things will happen; it's not all in our control, but we trust to Creator and creation when we invest in our faith.  Here the disciples follow Christ across the sea into unknown territory.  Going again by the response of these experienced fishermen, whose home territory is the Sea of Galilee, we can just imagine what kind of storm this is.  But that's a great parallel for what happens in our own lives of faith as Christ takes us into places we haven't been before.  We may find ourselves crossing boundaries we wouldn't have the courage to do otherwise, or facing great storms as we deepen our faith.  Internally in our psychological or emotional lives, and externally in other actions of faith, Christ may take us into territories that formed boundaries for us in the past.  There are all kinds of things we may have to face or go through in the process.  Sometimes our own fears form part of those boundaries He asks us to cross, that may keep us from the territory He wants us to explore with Him.  That's where faith comes in.  We trust in His leadership, we trust in our prayers, and we trust that wherever we go there is a way in which God is with us and wants us to go through that place.  Faith isn't about playing it safe, but it is about playing it safe with God, with Christ.  Christ-centeredness involves a focus on this faith, this relationship as our strength and our trust, our refuge and strong tower.   At the center of this dramatic story told in a few verses is the great question asked by the disciples, "Who can this be?"  The word noted above in Jesus' rebuke both to the unclean spirit in the first chapter of Mark's Gospel and here to the storm and wild sea is a word that at its root means to "muzzle."  In the context of Mark's Gospel, Jesus is the stronger man who binds up the strong man of this world, the adversary.  He's the One who's capable of binding up the one that seeks to bind and afflict us.  He muzzles the oppressor.  His truth puts an end to the lie of the enemy that holds us back and keeps us from our real freedom.    In our faith journey, we'll encounter many limits.  Christ will ask us to throw off all kinds of things that bind us.  Fear will be a part of that journey, if your experience is anything like mine.  So will a kind of confrontation where we have to make a choice, face loss and sacrifice.  But let's ask the question:  where is our faith?  Let's remember how He put it to the disciples, and where we place our trust -- what is faith for, and what does this word faith truly mean?

Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you, and to you who hear, more will be given

Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you, and to you who hear, more will be given.   For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."

And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself:  first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may rest under its shade."

And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable He did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.

- Mark 4:21-34

In yesterday's reading, we read that Jesus again began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched; and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.  And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that 'Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.'"  And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.   But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."


Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light."  A note in my study bible tells us:  "Christ discloses truth, He does not hide it.  His truth is like light, for it reveals all mysteries and exposes all secrets.  That which is hidden is the Gospel, the presence of the Kingdom of God.  The Gospel, at first a mystery explained only to the disciples, will be revealed to all (Luke 8:16-18).  Everything done in secret will ultimately be revealed (Luke 12:1-3)."

"If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you, and to you who hear, more will be given.   for whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."  We recall from yesterday's reading the notion of perception of the heart, and Jesus' frequent references back to Isaiah, even in the statement, "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  A note here tells us that this passage is "a call to attentive listening and discriminating response, both requisites for understanding and experiencing the truth of Christ.  We must not only hear but hear properly.  More will be given to those who respond to Jesus with open hearts; they will grow in understanding.  'Do the good you know, and what you do not know will be revealed to you' (St. Mark the Ascetic, 6th century)."   We recall from Matthew's Gospel:  "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things."  The growth of the Kingdom in the heart is "good treasure" that can be brought forth.  Referring back to the parable of the Sower, told in yesterday's reading, my study bible notes that "Satan, not God, takes away the Word that was sown in hearts too hard to receive it.  But to those who are able to receive His Word, God gives even more."

And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself:  first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."  A note says, "The kingdom of God is like the seed which by the power of God produces a harvest.  This is an image of the mysterious working of the Kingdom -- beyond human measures and expectations.  This parable appears only in Mark."  The parables teach us of this mysterious process of the growth of the Kingdom.  Let us remember the importance of the heart as a sense of the perception in the center of who we are, that place where the Kingdom grows.  It's not our doing, but nevertheless we see its results, its growth.

Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may rest under its shade."    A note says, "The parable of the mustard seed contrasts humble beginnings with a bountiful crop.  Jesus begins with poor fishermen, but in a few years the Christian faith will spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.  The work of God may involve apparently insignificant people and circumstances, but the possibilities are limitless because of God's power.  That being said, Jesus' followers must always be prepared for the 'long haul.'  Jewish expectations in Jesus' day were for the Kingdom to appear suddenly and fully.  But God's Kingdom takes time to grow and mature through adversity, and when it is fully formed it will be even greater than expected."

And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.   My study bible says, "Jesus spoke in parables, as they were able to hear.  Had the people turned to God in their hearts, their understanding would have cleared.  People are accountable even for what they do not understand." 

But without a parable He did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples. A note tells us here: "this is true here, but not at all times of His ministry. On other occasions, Jesus did teach the people without a parable."

Let us build on yesterday's parable of the Sower, because that is precisely what the Gospel is doing here.  Jesus is teaching about the power of this kind of perception of the heart, and emphasizing its crucial role in our faith -- in the understanding of the mysteries (or secrets, a kind of hidden knowledge) of the Kingdom.  What is it to really perceive and understand?  What is it to truly hear with the spiritual ears to hear that Jesus keeps talking about?  The idea that those who have will receive more is a teaching about perception, or the ability to perceive.  With a little comes more.  But with none, comes nothing.   It's like an initiation into something; but without the initiation, without this capacity, what will be received?  And there is more to this mysterious process; it's not up to us to grow it.  It grows almost unexpected, unannounced, through mysterious processes helped along by creation and Creator.  The lampstand and the light is the promise of all of this.  It's a promise of what is possible for those with eyes to see.  The mustard seed parable teaches us about the promise of growth:  it will be unexpected and strong, and capable of producing much more than is evident at first sight of these little seeds.  The nests of the birds of the air are like a promise of the messengers of God that may reside and take shelter in the branches of the sturdy shrub or tree that results.  Let's remember mustard is also a potent spice that warms and brightens and enhances whatever it is used with.  But again, we come back to parables themselves as a metaphor for the perception of the Kingdom.  It all depends on what we are capable of receiving.  What may not look like much (say, a simple parable about a mustard seed, or a farmer who scatters seeds and they mysteriously grow into a great harvest) can yield us an incredible amount if we but allow these seeds of simple parable to do their work in us.  Christ is signalling that with a little, we may receive a lot.  The depth and breadth and growth of this Kingdom within us will be surprising.  But it all depends on our reception, our initial capacity to begin to hear, to care about what spiritual light may begin to show us things we didn't know.  Our faith becomes challenged in our willingness to learn, to be receptive.  Let us remember:  "With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you, and to you who hear, more will be given."  But if we are truly empty of these things, He promises that even what we have will be taken away.  In the heart, the desire for what is on offer becomes the great gift and promise.  But so much depends on whether we care to hear.  This will always be our challenge.