Mark 4–5: Who Is This?": Parables, a Storm, a Graveyard, and a Girl

Once again Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore.

And he taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said, “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings, and they yielded no crop.

Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprouted, grew up, and produced a crop—one bearing thirtyfold, another sixtyfold, and another a hundredfold.”

Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around him, they asked him about the parable.

He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables, so that,

Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?

The farmer sows the word. Some are like the seeds along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.

Some are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But they themselves have no root, and they remain for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.

Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word, but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.”

Jesus also said to them, “Does anyone bring in a lamp to put it under a basket or under a bed? Doesn’t he set it on a stand? For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.

If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

He went on to say, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and even more will be added to you. For whoever has will be given more. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how. All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within. And as soon as the grain is ripe, he swings the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Then he asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the earth. But after it is planted, it grows to be the largest of all garden plants and puts forth great branches, so that the birds of the air nest in its shade.”

With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand. He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples.

When that evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.” After they had dismissed the crowd, they took Jesus with them, since he was already in the boat. And there were other boats with him.

Soon a violent windstorm came up, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was being swamped. But Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke him and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are perishing?”

Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” he commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm.

“Why are you so afraid?” he asked. “Do you still have no faith?”

Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

On the other side of the sea, they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes. As soon as Jesus got out of the boat, he was met by a man with an unclean spirit, who was coming from the tombs. This man had been living in the tombs and could no longer be restrained, even with chains. Though he was often bound with chains and shackles, he had broken the chains and shattered the shackles. Now there was no one with the strength to subdue him. Night and day in the tombs and in the mountains he kept crying out and cutting himself with stones.

When the man saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees before him. And he shouted in a loud voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you before God not to torture me!” For Jesus had already declared, “Come out of this man, you unclean spirit!”

“What is your name?” Jesus asked.

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” And he begged Jesus repeatedly not to send them out of that region.

There on the nearby hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding. So the demons begged Jesus, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.”

He gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs, and the herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the water.

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, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

Those who had seen it described what had happened to the demon-possessed man and also to the pigs. And the people began to beg Jesus to leave their region.

As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus would not allow him. “Go home to your own people,” he said, “and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.”

So the man went away and began to proclaim throughout the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.

When Jesus had again crossed by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him beside the sea. A synagogue leader named Jairus arrived, and seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet and pleaded with him urgently, “My little daughter is near death. Please come and place your hands on her, so that she will be healed and live.”

So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. She had borne much agony under the care of many physicians and had spent all she had, but to no avail. Instead, her condition had only grown worse.

When the woman heard about Jesus, she came up through the crowd behind him and touched his cloak. For she kept saying, “If only I touch his garments, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction.

At once Jesus was aware that power had gone out from him. Turning to the crowd, he asked, “Who touched my garments?”

His disciples answered, “You can see the crowd pressing in on you, and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

But he kept looking around to see who had done this. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him trembling in fear, and she told him the whole truth.

“Daughter,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free of your affliction.”

While he was still speaking, messengers from the house of Jairus arrived and said, “Your daughter is dead; why bother the Teacher anymore?”

But Jesus overheard their conversation and said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid; just believe.” And he did not allow anyone to accompany him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.

When they arrived at the house of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw the commotion and the people weeping and wailing loudly. He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but asleep.” And they laughed at him.

After he had put them all outside, he took the child’s father and mother and his own companions, and went in to see the child. Taking her by the hand, Jesus said, “Talitha koum!” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” Immediately the girl got up and began to walk around. She was twelve years old, and at once they were utterly astounded. Then Jesus gave strict orders that no one should know about this, and he told them to give her something to eat.