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5 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.
The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” And he went with him.
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling 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 disease.”
While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
(ESV)
I want to make a few quick points about the demon-possessed man and then move to the woman who touched Jesus.
We read several striking characteristics about this demon-possessed man.
This profile should not surprise us about demonic activity because the Bible tells us that the enemy’s motive is to kill, steal, and destroy. The hopelessness of this man’s life was on full display. It is important to understand that because humans were created in the image of God, demons actively want to destroy, mutilate, and distort that image. We see that in our culture and society today.
There was a superstition in the ancient world that if you spoke the exact name of someone or something, you were able to gain authority over it. By addressing Jesus by His full name, we can assume the demons were desperately grasping for control. They know who Jesus is and they even “pray” to Him and request that He not harm them, but instead allow them to go into the pigs. Of course, it is no surprise that they took pleasure in drowning (killing) those pigs.
But I want to go back to a previous point. The demons knew Jesus and even requested things from Him, however, they did not honor Him as God or submit to Him as Lord. There are many today who know Jesus and even pray to Him, requesting things like more control in their life. Jesus actually answered their request (most likely to teach his audience the motive of the enemy), however, it is an example that cannot be overlooked. We can know Jesus, recognize His authority, and selfishly pray to Him, yet, also be completely opposed to His Kingdom and His will.
Jesus knew someone had touched him and been healed. To the disciples, it seemed like a useless question. Loads of people had touched him. However, he knew that power had left His body. God’s power which was granted to Him was permitted to leave. And rather than let this woman wander off healed by some sort of magical encounter, He desired a personal conversation.
There are so many questions.
Did the woman believe it was the clothing that healed her? This is certainly what needed correcting, right? How did she even know that a touch of His robe would heal her? We see no evidence in Scripture that He healed in this way before. Furthermore, why would Jesus, God in the flesh mind you, need to ask who touched Him? Surely, He knew.
It’s likely this woman had misguided faith. It’s likely she was just like all of us. We pray things like, “Jesus if you get me out of this situation, I’ll never do it again.” We get superstitious at times. We have impure motives or misunderstandings. Then, on top of this, we watch as modern-day Pharisees crush people who don’t have a complete theological understanding of God before they come to Him.
“… even though her faith had elements of err and superstition, she believed in the healing power of Jesus, and the border of His garment served as a point of contact for that faith. There are many things that we could find wrong with this woman’s faith. But more than anything, her faith was in Jesus, and the object of faith is much more important than the quality of faith.”
David Guzik
The point of contact. I love this phrase. We all have different points of contact where Jesus meets us. Sometimes it’s in the church. Other times, it’s in the darkest of places. The important point here is that the woman believed that Jesus had the authority and power of God and her faith was strong enough that she was determined to fight through the crowds to get to Him. The determining factor in how God feels about this woman is clearly seen in how Jesus responds to her.
But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. [33] The woman realized what had happened to her, so she came, trembling with fear, knelt at his feet, and told him the whole truth. [34] Jesus said to her, “My daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your trouble.”
Mark 5:32-34 GNB
This reminds me of what Paul writes in Philippians 2.
So then, dear friends, as you always obeyed me when I was with you, it is even more important that you obey me now while I am away from you. Keep on working with fear and trembling to complete your salvation, [13] because God is always at work in you to make you willing and able to obey his own purpose.
Philippians 2:12-13 GNB
In that moment of standing before Jesus, this woman literally works out her Salvation with fear and trembling. Coming before Jesus, she acknowledges what happened with only a partial understanding of what really was taking place. She is honest. She is humble. She is grateful. She is changed. Is this not a physical manifestation of a greater spiritual truth? Jesus was not just showing us that He has the power and authority to heal. He was illustrating a colossal, spiritual miracle.
“It is not every contact with Christ that saves men; it is the arousing of yourself to come near to him, the determinate, the personal, resolute, believing touch of Jesus Christ which saves.”
Charles Spurgeon
Your (imperfect) faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed.
