July 1. Mark 5. George Lymbouris

‘Your Faith Has Made You Well’ and ‘Just Believe’

I, Mark, wish to continue with the story about our savior Jesus Christ: “So they came to the other side of the lake, to the region of the Gerasenes“ (v. 1)

When Jesus and his disciples came to this country of the Gerasenes, they were met by a man with unclean spirits emerging from the tombs. This man was so strong and wild no chains or shackles could hold him. ”Each night and every day among the tombs and in the mountains, he would cry out and cut himself with stones.“ (v. 5)

The unclean man ran up to Jesus and cried out, “ ‘Leave me alone, Jesus, Son of the Most High God! I implore you by God—do not torment me!’ ” (v. 7).

Jesus with compassion then did not torment the man or the demons, but he gave the demons the freedom to leave the man and enter into some swine that were grazing nearby. ”Jesus gave them permission. So the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake, and about 2,000 were drowned in the lake.” (v. 13)

Jesus had to leave from Gerasenes, but before leaving he told the once daemon possessed man to “ ‘Go to your home and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done for you that he had mercy on you.’ ” (v. 19) All were amazed when they met this man now cleansed from the demon spirits.

In Jesus’s next stop, many came to be around Jesus hoping for a healing miracle. There was one such woman who was suffering from a flow of blood. She got close enough to Jesus and touched his remnants and she was healed. When Jesus felt some of his divine strength leave him to heal the woman, Jesus asked his disciples who had touched him. No one in the crowed confessed, but the cured lady did, ”Then the woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth.“ (v. 33)

Jesus told her, “ ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’ ” (v. 34)

There was no end to requests made by the multitude for health miracles from Jesus. There was a synagogue leader whose daughter was so ill that she seemed to have died before Jesus could get to her to heal her. The distraught synagogue leader faced Jesus in sadness and disbelief, but Jesus realizing this simply said ‘”Do not be afraid; just believe.” (v. 36)

Jesus, along with Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and the father and mother of the girl, whose name was Tabatha, went to her and watch Jesus raise her from her state. “Jesus said to the girl ‘Talitha koum,’ which means, ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up.’ The girl got up at once and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). They were completely astonished at this.” (v. 41-42)

It is not so much that Jesus performed miracles but the fact that Jesus spoke words of FAITH and BELIEF to make these miracles happen. Today, when we here about these Godly miracles, we are also reminded that we can have miracles in our lives if we have the same kind of faith as the bleeding woman and belief as the synagogue leader. Miracles come in many shapes and blessings, and with a growing faith see them happening.

Amen