Note: Paragraph sequence on the right goes backwards

4.       (To have Direction)        Realise big picture is complex

5:1-20

Country  Gerasines c/f sea

 swine into sea

8:10-13

Region Dalmanutha c/f ship

Pharisees seeking sign

 

5:1-20                      They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes.  Immediately (Jesus) came out of the ship, a man came out of the tombs.  This man was possessed with an unclean spirit.  He had been living amongst the tombs.  People could no longer bind him with a chain.  He had been bound with fetters and chains before and he had burst out of the chains and had broken the fetters so that no one was able to subdue him.  And always, by night and day amongst the tombs and in the mountains he cried out, cutting himself with stones.  Seeing Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped him.  He cried out with a great voice saying.  “ What are you about with me and yourself Jesus, Son of God the Most High?  I adjure you by God, so that you may not torment me."  For He said to him.  "Come out of the man, unclean spirit."  And He questioned the spirit “What name do you have?” And the latter said to him  “My name is Legion because we are many.”  And he besought Him that he would not send them outside the country.  Now there was near them a great mountain herd of pigs feeding.  And they besought Him saying.  "Send us into the pigs that we can enter into them."  And He allowed them to do so.  And coming out of the man the unclean spirits entered into the pigs.  And the herd rushed down the precipice into the sea.  There were about two thousand of them and they were drowned in the sea. 

And the people who were feeding the pigs fled and reported what had happened in the city and in the fields.  And the people came to see about this thing that had happened.  And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man sitting, having been clothed and in his senses.  This man had had a legion of spirits in him.  They were afraid.  The ones caring for the pigs told them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and what had happened with the pigs.  And the people began to ask Him to leave their territory.  And as he got into the ship the one who had been possessed by the demons asked if he could go with him.  But (Jesus) did not permit him to do so.  He said to him.  "Go instead into your own home and those of your people and tell them what things the Lord has done to you and how he pitied you."  And the man departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis what things Jesus and done for him.  Everyone marvelled.

8:10-13 Immediately, embarking in the ship (on the sea) with his disciples he (Jesus) came into the region of Dalmanutha

And the Pharisees came forth and began to debate with him, seeking a sign from heaven from him and tempting him.  And groaning in his spirit he says.  "Why does this generation seek a sign?  Truly I tell you, a sign will be given to this generation." 

 

                Place name given

                Place name given

 

Once again the one paragraph appears to echo what is in its pair.  The people in the country of the Gerasines considered that when Jesus allowed the demons to enter into a huge herd of pigs it was some sort of sign, indeed more than they could handle.  But one wonders what it was a sign of.  Does it show the extent of Jesus’ power - that he can command a legion of demons?  Does it show some sort of compassion on his part for the demons? Does it show that demons come from a realm of disorder and so they drive any sort of community (even that of pigs) into self-destruction?  Also note that Pharisees already considered swine to be unclean.  Yet these animals were so sensitive to unclean spirits that they destroyed themselves rather than allow the demons to stay.  Is this a comment on an ‘unclean’ spirit within the Pharisees as they demand external signs and place over-stress on external law?

 

 

5.       (To have Direction)       Value personal contact

 

5:21-34

Other side of sea

If I touch even his garments

7:31-8:9

Sea of Galilee, Decapolis
- spitting he touched the tongue

 

5:21-34    Crossing over the sea in the ship again, to the other side,  there was a great crowd assembled.  He (Jesus) was by the sea.  One of the synagogue chiefs, Jairus by name, on seeing him fell at his feet.  The latter beseeched him greatly saying.  “My daughter is at the point of death.  Come in order that you can lay your hands on her and that she may be healed and live.”  And He went with him.  A great crowd followed and pressed upon him.  Now there was a woman who had a blood flow constantly over twelve years.  She had suffered many things from physicians in order to be cured of this.  She had spent all her money on them and had not been improved but rather had become worse.  On hearing about the things Jesus had done, she came into the crowd behind him and touched his garment.  She had said.  “Even if I touch his garments I shall be healed.” And immediately she did this, the cause of bleeding within her was stopped.  She knew that in her body she was cured from the problem.  And immediately Jesus, knowing within himself that power had gone out from him turned in the crowd and said.  "Who touched my garments?"  And the disciples said to him. “You see the crowd pressing upon you and you say, “Who touched me?”  And yet He looked round to see who had done this.  And the woman fearing and trembling and knowing what had happened to her, came and fell before him and told him the truth.  And he said to her:  “Daughter your faith has healed you.  Go in peace and be cured of your problem. ”

7:31-8:9  And going out again from the district of Tyre, he came through Sidon to the sea of Galilee in the midst of the district of Decapolis.  And they brought to him a man who was deaf and speaking with difficulty.  And they besought him that he would put his hand upon him.  And taking him away from the crowd, privately he put his fingers into his ears and spitting, touched his tongue.  And looking up to heaven he groaned and said to the man  “Ephphatha” which means “Be thou opened.”  And the man’s ears were opened and immediately the bond of his tongue was loosened and he spoke correctly.  And he (Jesus) ordered them to tell nobody.  But as much as he ordered this, they proclaimed all the more about it.  And they were extremely astonished, saying.  "He has done all things well, both the deaf hear and the dumb speak." 

 

8:1  In those days there was a great crowd which did not have anything to eat.  And calling his disciples to him he said.  “I have compassion on the crowd because now they have been with me three days and they do not have anything to eat.  And if I send them away fasting to their homes they will faint on the way.  And some of them have come from afar.”  And his disciples answered him.  “Who can feed these people in the desert?”  And he asked them.  “How many loaves do you have?.”  They said “Seven.”  And he told the crowd to sit down on the ground.  And taking the seven loaves he gave thanks.  He broke these and gave them to the disciples so that they could hand them around.  And they served them to the crowd.  They also had a few fish.  Blessing these he (Jesus) told them to serve them as well.  And the crowd ate and were satisfied.  And when the fragments of food were collected they filled seven baskets.  Now the crowd consisted of about four thousand people.  After this He dismissed them.