The Way - Day 096 (Mark 5)

Pastor Tom's Journal on Today's Reading:
Mark 5
Mark documents Jesus' next miracle by telling of a man who was possessed by numerous demons (5:9). This man appeared to be uncontrollable, very strong, and harmful to himself (5:3-5). When Jesus approached the man, the demons recognized His deity (5:6-7) and begged Him to have mercy on them (5:10). Jesus casts the evil spirits from the man into a herd of pigs and they fall off a cliff and die (5:11-13). This miracle demonstrates Jesus' power over the spiritual world.

In Mark 5:21-24 and 5:35-43, he writes about a man named Jarius (one of the rulers of the synagogue) whose daughter is near death (5:21-23). Jarius comes to Jesus to ask if He will heal his daughter and He immediately leaves to go to his home (5:24). While Jesus is on His way to Jarius' house, He performs another miracle which we will return to later. Jesus finally arrives at his home only to find that Jarius' daughter has already died (5:35). Jesus calms the situation down by saying, "Do not be afraid; only believe" (5:36). Jesus enters the house with Peter, James, and John (5:37) where he finds the girl dead (5:40). Jesus "takes the child by the hand, and said to her...'Little girl, I say to you, arise'" (5:41). "Immediately the girl arose and walked....And they were overcome with great amazement" (5:42). This miracle demonstrates Jesus' power over life and death.

The final miracle of this passage happens while Jesus is on His way to heal Jarius' daughter. A woman who has a fatal disease (5:25-26) heard that Jesus was coming through her town so she thought that "if only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well" (5:28). She did get close enough to Him and touched His clothes and she was healed (5:29). Ultimately, her faith in Jesus' ability to heal was rewarded (5:30-34). This miracle demonstrates Jesus' power over the physical world.

Jesus' demonstration of His power over the natural world, spiritual world, and physical world as well as His power over life and death proves that He is able to handle any situation. These real-life happenings give me confidence that God is always in control and is able to rescue us from hopeless circumstances. Instead of seeing the miracles, see the character of the God behind them.

Dear God, demonstrate Your power to do the impossible in my life.