«
»
0 2000 pigs (Mark 5-6)

Episode 251: 2000 pigs

Mark 5-6

Jesus casts out devils (and drowns 2000 pigs)

5 1 Jesus and his disciples went to the country of the Gadarenes.

2 As they arrived, a man with an unclean spirit ran out of the tombs to meet Jesus.

3 The man was so wild that no one could restrain him, even with chains.

5 He spent all his time, day and night, crying and cutting himself with stones.

6-7 But as soon as he saw Jesus, he worshiped him, and cried out with a loud voice, saying,

What do I have to do with you, Jesus, you son of the most high God?

I ask you in the name of God not to torment me.

8 Jesus said, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit.”

9 Jesus asked the unclean spirit, “What's your name?”

The unclean spirit answered, “Legion, because we are many.”

11 At that time there was a herd of pigs feeding in the nearby mountains.

12 All the devils said to Jesus, “Send us into the pigs.”

13 So Jesus sent the devils into the pigs (there were around 2000), who ran down the mountainside into the sea, and drowned.

14 Those who cared for the pigs told the people in the city, and they went to see what had happened.

15 They saw the man who had been possessed with the devils sitting peacefully, fully clothed, and in his right mind. And they were afraid.

16-17 When they were told about the devils and the pigs, they asked Jesus to leave their part of the country.

Jairus's daughter and a woman with an issue of blood

22 A synagogue ruler named Jairus fell at Jesus’s feet, and said, 23 “My daughter is deathly ill. Please come and heal her.”

24 Jesus went with him, and many people followed him.

25 Among them was a woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years.

26 She’d spent all of her money on physicians whose treatment only made her condition worse.

27 She approached Jesus from behind, touched his garment, and said, “If I can just touch his clothes, I'll be healed.”

29 And as soon as she touched his clothes, she stopped bleeding and was healed.

30 Jesus felt his virtue go out of him, and said, “Who touched my clothes?”

33 The woman fell down in front of Jesus and said that she did.

34 Jesus said to her, “Your faith has cured you.”

35 While Jesus said this, a messenger said to the ruler, “Your daughter is dead.”

36 Jesus said to the ruler, “Don't be afraid, only believe.”

39 When they arrived at Jairus’s house, Jesus said to the people who were crying, “Why are you crying? The child isn't dead, she's sleeping.”

40 And everyone laughed at him.

41 Jesus took the girl by the hand and said, “Stand up.”

42 And the girl stood up and walked.

43 Jesus told them not to tell anyone what had happened.

Jesus is rejected in his hometown

6 1 Jesus and his disciples came to his home country.

2 On the sabbath day, he taught in the synagogue, and everyone was amazed, saying,

Where'd he learn all these things?

3 Isn't this the carpenter, the son of Mary?

Isn't he the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?

Don't his sisters live here?

And they were offended by him.

4 Jesus said, “A prophet is honored everywhere but in his own country, among his own family, and in his own house.”

5 And he couldn't do any mighty work there, except for heal a few sick people.

6 And Jesus was surprised they didn't believe in him.

The mission of the apostles

7 Jesus sent the twelve off by twos and gave them power over unclean spirits.

8 He told them to take nothing with them but a staff, no bag, food, or money.

9 And to wear sandals and take only one coat.

It'll be worse than Sodom and Gomorrah

10 Jesus said to them,

When you enter a house, stay there until you leave.

11 If they won't let you stay with them, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them. It'll be worse for that city than Sodom and Gomorrah.

They cast out many devils

12-13 They went out and preached, cast out many devils, and cured sick people by anointing them with oil.

Herod: Jesus is the risen John the Baptist

14 When King Herod heard about Jesus, he said, “He is John the Baptist, whom I beheaded, risen from the dead.”

15 Others said Jesus was Elijah or one of the prophets.

The imprisonment of John the Baptist

17 Herod had imprisoned John at his wife, Herodias's, request.

18 Because John had said, "It's against the law to marry your brother's wife."

19 So Herodias wanted John killed.

20 But Herod was afraid of John, and he listened to him and believed what he said.

The death of John the Baptist

21 On Herod's birthday, there was a birthday party for him.

22 Herodias's daughter danced for Herod and his guests.

23 Herod said to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I'll give to you, up to half of my kingdom.”

24 She asked her mother, Herodias, and she said, “Ask for the head of John the Baptist.”

25 So the daughter said to Herod, “I'd like the head of John the Baptist on a plate.”

26 Herod didn't want to grant her request, but he had to since he had promised in front of his guests.

27 So he sent an executioner to bring John the Baptist's head to him on a plate.

28 And he gave it to Herodias's daughter.

Jesus feeds five thousand men

30-32 Jesus and his disciples traveled by boat to a place in the desert.

33 But the people saw them leaving, so they ran together from all cites and came to Jesus.

35-36 The disciples came to Jesus and said, “Send the people away so they can buy food to eat.”

37 Jesus said, “Give them something to eat.”

His disciples said to him, “We don't have enough money to buy food for them.”

38 Jesus said, "How many loaves of bread do you have?"

They answered, "Five loaves and two fishes."

41 Jesus took the five loaves and two fishes, blessed the food, broke the loaves, and gave it to his disciples to give to the people.

42-43 And everyone ate as much as they wanted, with twelve baskets of leftovers.

44 About five thousand men were fed.

Jesus walks on water

45 As soon as the people finished eating, Jesus sent them away, and left with his disciples on a boat to Bethsaida.

46 When they arrived, Jesus went to a mountain to pray.

47 In the evening, the boat was on the sea and Jesus on land.

48 Before dawn the next morning, Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.

49 He would have walked right passed them, but they saw him and cried out, thinking he was a spirit.

50 Jesus walked over to them and said, “Be happy. It's me. Don't be afraid.”

51 He walked up to them, and the wind stopped blowing. They were amazed and wondered.

52 They didn't consider the miracle of the loaves, because their hearts were hardened.

Jesus heals the sick in Gennesaret

53 They went over by boat to the land of Gennesaret.

56 In every city, the sick were brought to Jesus, and everyone who touched the hem of his robe was healed.

A few more words about this episode

There were around 2000 (5:13)
The story is repeated in Matthew and Luke, with some changes. Matthew says there were two possessed men, and neither include Mark's exaggerated number of pigs.
How many men were possessed with devils?
How many men were possessed with devils? (5:23)
Was Jairus's daughter alive when Jairus asked Jesus for help?
Isn't he the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? (6:3)
According to this verse, Jesus had four brothers and at least two sisters. This, of course, is denied by many Christians (especially Catholics), who believe that his mother Mary was always a virgin. (Wikipedia: Brothers of Jesus)
Take nothing with them but a staff, wear sandals, and take only one coat (6:8-9)
Did Jesus tell his apostles to go barefoot and without a staff?
King Herod (6:14)
This refers to Herod Antipas, the son of King Herod the Great. Herod Antipas was the tetrarch of Galilee and Perea (4 BCE to 39 CE). The author of Mark mistakenly refers to him as king.
He is John the Baptist, whom I beheaded, risen from the dead. (6:14)
The story in verses 14-29 is bit muddled and out of order. Verses 14-16 seem to be saying that Herod Antipas thought Jesus was John the Baptist who had risen from the dead after he beheaded him. And yet the beheading doesn't take place until verses 27-28.
Did Herod think Jesus was John the Baptist?
No comments yet

Copyright © 1999-2024
The Skeptic's Annotated Bible

Send comments to Steve Wells
at swwells(at)gmail.com