Mark 5

vs 1

So they crossed the lake.

vs 2

Tombs aren't a nice place to live. Also, they're unclean.

vs 3

So, he was strong - either that or darn wily. Although why they wanted to bind him with a chain is not yet apparent.

vs 4

Definitely strong, possibly slightly wily - wilyness uncertain.

vs 5

This is I think what is called 'high risk' behaviour these days. Obviously this is not typical for your average social person. As actions go for crazy hermits, I'm not sure where this is on the scale.

vs 6

This is better than getting punched to custard, so it's a win.

vs 7

Now, if you were the average person, and you didn't know that Jesus had driven out evil spirits before, and that they would regularly address him in this way, you might thin it odd that someone pleads that Jesus doesn't torture him.

Even then, though, you may still wonder about the whole "Jesus/God torturing demons" thing. Perhaps torture is sometimes appropriate.

vs 8

Okay, so Jesus had actually tried something on the demon, and now it was begging.

vs 9

I wasn't really aware demons had names (did Adam name them? not important), but this is probably a good illustration, like an object lesson, for Jesus' disciples.

vs 10

Why does the demon ( or the demons) want this? It's not explained. I guess some people might say that they don't want to go back to hell, but really, they get a reprieve of about 10 seconds in that case. Also, I think that's making some assumptions about hell that probably aren't well backed up.

vs 11

They would occasionally eat the corpses. I'm just kidding. Or am I?

vs 12

Again, why? Who can question the desires of demons, really.

vs 13

Which sucks if you own a herd of 2,000 pigs. I mean, that's a hell of a lot of pigs. Now, normally, a Jew wouldn't farm pigs I'm guessing (I mean, what would they do with them?). But still, that probably represents a rather big hit to someone's bottom line.

vs 14

Because, that's a hell of a lot of pigs to end up drowning in a lake.

vs 15

Because people who help hermits are scary. Or probably more reasonably, because people who can help a hermit who was so out of it as him are probably powerful. And that can be scary.

vs 16

And why not? It's a good story, and quite relevant to the time. "Those there told the others about the scores in a recent game of football" would be rather more confusing.

vs 17

Before he kills more livestock. You'd think they might ask how he did it, but no, all they want is the pig-killer to leave.

vs 18

He's a good beggar, this man, although apparently the demons were better and begging than him.

vs 19

It was a fair bit of mercy. About 2,000 pigs worth. It was also a mercy to the demons, apparently, which is a hugely confusing thing to think about. Probably why I don't think about it much. If God can show mercy to fallen demons, that doesn't really impact me a huge amount, except to prove something I already know - that God is good at mercy. But Jesus here is showing mercy to demons, to this guy by giving him a purpose in life and driving out his demons, and to the people of his village by sending him to them to tell them about Jesus.

vs 20

And rightly so. I mean, it's pretty amazing stuff. But what gets me is that Jesus sets in train very early on in his ministry a pattern of people telling people about him, and those people believing. That's no different to you or me, who never got to meet Jesus face to face.

vs 21

So wait, he sailed all the way over there just to heal this guy? That's service!

vs 22

Jesus must have gotten used to this. I've never had anyone fall at my feet, except by accident.

vs 23

Not an uncommon occurrence.

vs 24

So Jesus follows. I've also never had a huge crowd follow me around, or even been in a huge crowd trying to get to one person.

vs 25

Which could no doubt mean all sorts of things. But obviously isn't healthy.

vs 26

I'm sure there are many people who could testify to the truth of this statement in their own lives. Good to know that doctors stick to this tradition.

vs 27

Because cloaks have obvious healing powers. It's funny how people think about this stuff.

vs 28

Which, hey, turned out to be true. So she perhaps knows more about it than me.

vs 29

Which must have been a huge relief.

vs 30

The obvious absurdity of this question should be apparent.

vs 31

It's not lost on the disciples.

vs 32

Why is it he does this? Perhaps it is to call her out, to make her stand up for her faith, to show that it has healed her. I mean, obviously Jesus knows who it is, but he wants them to admit it.

vs 33

Why was she so afraid? Because she stole healing off him?

vs 34

Not his cloak, but her faith. Obviously in him, that he could do it.

vs 35

That's bad news. Perhaps if he didn't heal that woman, the girl would be alive. Perhaps if thousands of people didn't crowd around Jesus, he could have walked faster.

vs 36

This is a ballsy statement. I mean, healing is one thing, but this girl is dead. And it's not like they had no idea when someone was alive or dead. But even if they got it wrong, it's gutsy if you don't already know you can bring someone back from the dead.

vs 37

Why is this? Perhaps because he wanted to actually get there before midnight, but perhaps because he works on this pattern of him doing things, and other people having to take someone else's word that it's true.

vs 38

Typical cultural reaction to death. Watch a Muslim funeral in Palestine some day.

vs 39

He has not even seen her. They probably watched her die - or were called in afterwards to wail and mourn.

vs 40

Regardless, stating a dead person isn't dead makes Jesus a laughingstock. So Jesus sends them all away, except his three and the parents.

vs 41

Why does he record it in Aramaic? I assume because Jesus said it in Aramaic. But why here? Not sure. Perhaps he speaks to her in Aramaic because she's young, and that's the language most spoken in the home?

vs 42

So almost marrying age, would be a real loss to the family. A huge win for Jesus here, showing that patience is a virtue. Also, that he has power over death.

vs 43

Perhaps Jesus didn't want every man jack bringing out their dead and asking Jesus to raise them. That would kind of suck. Or perhaps he wanted some of his better stories to leak out later. I mean, obviously people were told, because we know about it. And I for one and glad, it's a cool story.