SERIES: WALKING WITH JESUS
(Series adapted from Wiersbe’s Bible Exposition Commentary)
“THE OVERCOMING SERVANT”
MARK 4:35-5:43
OPEN
Two explorers were on a jungle safari when suddenly a ferocious lion jumped in front of them. “Keep calm,” the first explorer whispered. “Remember what we read in that book on wild animals? If you stand
perfectly still and look the lion in the eye, he will turn and run.” “Sure,” replied his companion. “You've read
the book, and I've read the book. But has the lion read the book?”
Fear is something that is common to all of us. We’re generally afraid when we’re not sure how things are going to turn out. Through the events in this passage, we see how we can better face our fears and overcome through Jesus Christ.
OVERCOMING STORMS
Max Lucado, in his book In the Eye of the Storm, relates the story of Chippie the Parakeet. He writes:
Chippie the Parakeet never saw it coming. One second he was peacefully perched in his cage. The next
he was sucked in, washed up, blown over.
The problems began when Chippie’s owner decided to clean Chippie’s cage with a vacuum cleaner. She
removed the attachment from the end of the hose and stuck it in the cage. The phone rang, and she turned to
pick it up. She’d barely said “hello” when “sssopp!” Chippie got sucked in.
The bird owner gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum, and opened the bag. There was
Chippie—still alive, but stunned.
Since the bird was covered with dust and soot, she grabbed him and raced to the bathroom, turned on the
faucet, and held Chippie under the running water. Then, realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering,
she did what any compassionate bird owner would do . . . she reached for the hair dryer and blasted the pet
with hot air. Poor Chippie never knew what hit him.
A few days after the trauma, the reporter who’d initially written about the event contacted Chippie’s
owner to see how the bird was recovering. “Well,” she replied, “Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore—he
just sits and stares.”
It’s hard not to see why. Sucked in, washed up, and blown over . . . that’s enough to steal the song from
the stoutest heart.
Mk. 4:35-41 – “That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in
the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don't you care if we
drown?’ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it
was completely calm. He said to his disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ They were
terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’”
“That day” refers to the same day that Jesus taught the parables of the kingdom we looked at last week. This storm was part of the day’s teaching curriculum. Jesus, being Creator and over creation, knew the storm would happen. The lesson of the storm is that Jesus can be trusted in the storms of life.
The storm occurs on the Sea of Galilee. It was a place where sudden violent storms are not unusual. But the storm that is described here must have been extremely fierce. Remember that at least four Jesus’ disciples are experienced fisherman. They were used to the storms that blew up on this body of water.
As they evaluate their situation, they are extremely frightened. They see the storm and determine they are not able to survive. Yet, as they look to Jesus, he’s asleep. He’s completely at rest in the storm.
How many times in our own lives, when the storms of life come crashing down on us, do we do like Jesus’ original followers and panic? How many times have we cried out, “Lord, don’t you care?”
We see from this event that he does care. He got up, commanded the storm to stop, and it did. But the problem was not with the storm. The problem was the lack of faith in his followers. Jesus asked, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
You see, it was their lack of faith that caused their fear and it was their fear that caused them to question whether Jesus cared about their situation. Lack of faith in God and what he can do causes the same problems in our lives as well. Heb. 3:12 warns us, “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.”
The disciples are so amazed, they ask themselves, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” The answer is easy. This is God’s Son, God in the flesh, who has come to save. Let us remember the power of our Savior when we go through the storms of life.
Robert Morgan tells a story that took place on the Sunday after the Titanic sank. It happened in Belfast, Ireland where the great ship was built. Naturally, the townspeople were devastated. Men met on the city's streets, grasped each other's hands, burst into tears and parted without speaking a word.
Morgan told about one church that lost 16 men to the icy waters. All were mechanics on the Titanic. On that dark Sunday, the pastor read this very passage – Mark 4:35-41.
Then he told his troubled church that only one vessel in all of history had been truly unsinkable: the little boat occupied by the sleeping Savior. And, the preacher added, “The only hearts that can weather the storms are hearts with Jesus inside.”
OVERCOMING OVERWHELMING SITUATIONS
Mark next relates two encounters that show Jesus as giving victory in what seems to be impossible situations. The first encounter involves demonic possession.
Mk. 5:1-20 – “They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!’ For Jesus had said to him, ‘Come out of this man, you evil spirit!’ Then Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘My name is Legion,’ he replied, ‘for we are
many.’ And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, ‘Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.’ He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came
to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-
possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their
region. As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, ‘Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and
how he has had mercy on you.’ So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had
done for him. And all the people were amazed.”
In Matthew’s account of this event, he tells us that there were actually two men here who suffered through demonic possession – one who was very vocal. I believe that this is the man Mark describes in this passage.
We’re not told how or why, but something in these men’s lives opened them up to Satanic influence and possession. In this encounter, we see what Satan can do to people. The Bible tells us that he is a thief whose ultimate purpose is to destroy. 1 Pet. 5:8 says that he “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Eph. 2:2 tells us that he “is now at work in those who are disobedient.”
These men lost their homes and the relationships they had with their families and friends. They lost their decency as they ran around the tombs naked. They lost their self-control and lived like wild animals – cutting themselves, screaming, and frightening the people who lived in this area. They lost their peace and their purpose for living. And they would have stayed in the same situation had it not been for Jesus coming through a storm to save them.
Did you notice that? Nothing could stop Jesus from coming to help these men. Jesus determined before the storm to come this area. And he didn’t run or hide from them or try to ignore them like the people who lived there. He sought them out and treated them with love.
Jesus knows our hurts. He knows that Satan wants to destroy us. He knows that he has what we need. He reaches out to us and offers us his comfort and salvation – no matter who we are or what we’ve done.
I think it’s interesting to note that as the demons spoke, they confessed their faith in Jesus. In James 2:19, it tells us that demons have faith and are afraid because of what they believe. But we also see that neither their faith nor their fear can save them. It’s what you do with what you believe – your response, your action to what you believe – that determines your salvation.
We are told by Mark that the man who spoke to Jesus was under the control of a legion of demons. A legion was a unit of Roman soldiers that could consist of as many as 6,000 men. The demons begged Jesus not to send them into the abyss – a place of torment – but into the herd of pigs that was nearby.
Remembering that a legion could be 6,000 and that there were 2,000 pigs, that makes three demons per pig. It’s no wonder that they committed “sooey-cide.” (Okay, everybody groan at once: 1-2-3. GROAN!)
Legion – 6,000 soldiers. 2,000 pigs with three demons per pig, no wonder they committed “sooey-cide”. (Everybody groan at once: 1-2-3. Groan!!!)
Jesus could have sent these demons wherever he wanted, so why did he send them into these pigs? I think first of all because he wanted to show the value of human soul. He had come to give his life for us. Second, I think he wanted to demonstrate what Satanic influence brings in someone’s life – destruction.
The owners of the pigs ask Jesus to leave. Why would they do that? The same reason people refuse Jesus today – they don’t want what Jesus has to offer.
The second encounter is actually a story within a story and we will divide it into two parts. In the inside story, Jesus overcomes an incurable disease.
Mk. 5:21-34 – “When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, ‘My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.’ So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.’ Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ ‘You see the people crowding against you,’ his disciples answered, ‘and yet you can ask, Who touched me?’ But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear,
told him the whole truth. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from
your suffering.’
Isn’t it amazing that one group of people was glad to get rid of Jesus but another crowd was waiting for him to show up? In this crowd there were two people who were especially looking forward to seeing him.
The first was a man named Jairus whose daughter was dying. He was an important official with the local synagogue. The second was a woman with an incurable disease. Her name isn’t even mentioned. Yet both seek help from Jesus.
The woman suffered from some form of internal bleeding. It was apparently incurable because no doctor could cure her. It was slowly destroying her body. She had endured pain and disappointment for twelve years. And not only was she sick physically, the effect of the flow of blood made her ceremonially unclean according to Lev. 15:25-30 which restricted her religious and social life.
One great lesson here is that although not everyone has the same degree of faith, Jesus responds to faith at any level that brings action on our part. There were lots of people in the crowd pressing up against Jesus that received not one miracle. She trusted that he could do something for her and she acted upon that faith.
Her intention was to not bother Jesus at all. Just touch the hem of his garment and slip away – lost in the crowd. But Jesus had her declare publicly what he had done for her.
Her faith and her testimony are big lessons for us. First, we should know that there is nothing that God cannot do. Secondly, we can trust him to do what is impossible. Finally, when God does work in our lives, we should tell others what God has done.
OVERCOMING DEATH
Jesus has just healed a woman from a disease that no one else could cure. No physician had been able to provide any medicine or therapy that could alleviate her suffering. Next, he overcomes something more incurable than her disease – death.
Mk. 5:35-43 – “While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. ‘Your daughter is dead,’ they said. ‘Why bother the teacher any more?’ Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, ‘Don't be afraid; just believe.’ He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, ‘Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.’ But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha koum!’ (which means, ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up!’ ). Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.”
Understand that it was probably not easy for Jairus to come to Jesus for help. Remember, he was an important leader in the local synagogue. The Jewish religious leaders were already opposed to Jesus’ ministry and they would not have given their approval to what Jairus was doing.
It was at this point that Jairus had to make a faith decision. Would he choose to agree with his friend that it was too late and that nothing could be done for his daughter? Or would he choose to believe what Jesus said, “Don't be afraid; just believe.” Jesus had healed this woman of an incurable disease so they continued on to Jairus’ house.
When they got there, they saw and heard the professional mourners who were already brought in to weep and wail loudly and to lead the family and friends in expressive methods of grieving. But Jesus told them they had come too soon. He said, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.”
The gathered people’s response to Jesus’ statement? They laughed out loud. Unbelief doubts and laughs at God’s word. But faith takes hold of God’s word and because of it, experiences the power of God.
Notice that Jesus did not make a big show of raising this girl from the dead. He put the crowd outside, took the girl’s parents and his three disciples and went to where the girl was. He commanded her to get up and she did. He showed his power and authority over even death. And not only was the girl brought back to life, she was healed of the sickness that had killed because she was able to get out of bed and walk around.
CLOSE
God’s Servant – His Son Jesus Christ – overcame danger, demons, disease and death. What a mighty God we serve! Amen?
Please understand something very important this morning. God does not always rescue his people from every danger nor does he heal every affliction. But He is always sovereign over all things and because of that, we should never be afraid. As Rom. 8:37 reminds us, “we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
E. Stanley Jones wrote: “I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is. I am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety. In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath--these are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely--these are my native air. A John Hopkins University doctor says, ‘We do not know why it is that worriers die sooner than the non-worriers, but that is a fact.’ But I, who am simple of mind, think I know; We are inwardly constructed in nerve and tissue, brain cell and soul, for faith and not for fear. God made us that way. To live by worry is to live against reality.”
