The Life of Christ in the Synoptic Gospels
A TROUBLED SEA AND A TROUBLED SOUL
The Life of Christ in the Synoptic Gospels
A TROUBLED SEA AND A TROUBLED SOUL
Lesson Plan:
1. The Storm at Sea (Mk. 4:35-41)
2. The Transformation of a Troubled Soul (Mk. 5:1-20)
Lesson Setting:
Time: Autumn 28 A.D., immediately after the Parables by the Sea.
Place: The Eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, across the sea from Capernaum, to the southeast.
Place in the Record of Matthew: Part of the Series of Miracles following the Sermon on the Mount.
Introduction: The first of this lesson contains selected thoughts carried over from our lesson titled, ‘Jesus Calms the Storm.’ First we review, then extend our thoughts to the Master dealing with a troubled mind, i.e., sending demons into swine. If you are using this material as a Bible School Teacher, we suggest that you select what part, if any, and how much, if any, of Jesus calming the storm taken from our last lesson, allowing enough classroom time to cover new material.
Scripture Reading: Mark 4:35-41
1. The Storm at Sea
Embarkation: "And the same day, when the even was come" (v 35). Jesus had been having a very busy and trying day. It was ‘a great day of great deeds.’ He had just returned from a tour of Galilee with His disciples (Lk. 8:1-3), and entered into a house in Capernaum (Mk. 3:19). Great multitudes gathered at the house, both to hear His words, and to be healed, so that Jesus did not have time to eat bread (Mk. 3:20). Among them was a deaf and blind demoniac, whom Jesus restored (Matt. 12:22-32). Immediately Scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem confronted Jesus with their accusations that He was in alliance with Satan. Jesus defended Himself. Then the Scribes demanded a sign, which Jesus refused. Then came His mother and brethren, and friends who said, ‘He is beside himself.’ He is crazy (Mk. 3:21, 30). From the city Jesus went to the sea shore, while such multitudes crowded around Him that He entered a boat and sitting there He taught them the parables we have been studying. The people were still crowding around Him, when Jesus saith unto them, the disciples, Let us pass over unto the other side.
v 36 ... "And when they had sent away, (R.V. ‘leaving’) the multitude, they took him" with them, even as he was, without any change of dress, in order to get Him away as quickly as they could, for a little rest. And there were also with him other little ships (boats), a statement which shows how earnest the people were to be with Jesus.
The Hurricane: "And there arose a great storm of wind" (v 37), The Greek designates a furious storm, a hurricane. Matthew uses seismos, ‘a shaking,’ as an earthquake, such a commotion of the marine elements as corresponds to an earthquake. Such tempests as these come on suddenly, accompanied usually by piled-up rain clouds which can be seen advancing up the course of the Jordan valley. The whole heaven blackens; for a few moments a portentous calm succeeds; then with sudden fury the south wind breaks upon the lake. Darkness settles like a pall on the landscape, while sheets of rain pour down at intervals; the shores on all sides are blotted out by mist and rain, while the rapid flashes of lightning and the almost continuous rumbling of thunder reverberating between the surrounding hills strike terror into all hearts. One with personal experience in a similar, but by no means the worst storm on the Sea of Galilee writes, ‘the south wind burst upon us with all its force. The sail was torn to shreds in an instant, and we had to take to our oars to fight for our lives ... And it was only after three hours of imminent peril that we got safely into a little bay on the coast of Gennessret, full of thankfulness to God, who had almost miraculously saved us from so great a danger’ (Dr. John C. Freeman). On the apostles’ part, overwrought nerves and tired, exhausted bodies, would intensify their terrors.
v 37 ... "The boat was now full," (R.V. ‘was filling’).
Jesus Asleep in the Storm: "And he (Himself) was in the hinder part (stern) of the ship, asleep on a pillow (the cushion)" (v 38). A course leather cushion at the stern for the steersman. He must have been very weary. Here He shows His human nature, as His stilling the tempest displayed His divine nature. The two elements together made a perfect Savior. He slept the sleep of perfect faith. So David in Psalm 3:5, writes of the time when he was fleeing from Jerusalem because Absalom had usurped his throne, and was surrounded with enemies, ‘I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.’
v 38 ... "And they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?" Note the variations in the report from our last lesson: ‘Save, Lord, we perish’ (Matthew) ‘Teacher, carest thou not that we perish?’ (Mark) ‘Master, Master, we perish’ (Luke). All three reports are correct. One disciple cried out in one way, others in different words. Little faith prayed, ‘Save us’; Much faith cried, ‘We perish’; Distrust urged, ‘Carest Thou not?’; More faith said, ‘Lord’; Discipleship called out, ‘Teacher’ (Mark); Faint Hope cried, ‘Master, Thou with authority’ (Luke). The whole made a vivid scene.
The Rebuke to the Sea, and to the disciples: "And he arose, and rebuked the wind" (v 39). As a master rebukes his slave for disobedience. Observe the poetic parallelism of this verse; wind and sea separately addressed, and the corresponding effects separately specified; lulled wind, calmed sea. Peace. Be silent. Be still. ‘Be still and continue so.’ ‘Peace, be still’ are probably the very words that Christ used.
v 39 ... "And the wind ceased." ‘Grew weary.’ The sea sank to rest as if exhausted by its own beating. And there was a great calm. No after-swell. The lake sank back, like an exhausted creature, into motionless repose.
v 40 ... "And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how it that ye have no faith?" ‘Have ye not yet faith?’ (R.V.). As if He had said, ‘After all you have seen My power, all the proofs that I have given you that I am the Son of God, can you not trust yourselves to My care? Have you not learned the lesson of trust after so many lessons in My school?’ They had some faith, but sadly needed to pray, ‘Lord, increase our faith.’ Jesus was doubtless looking forward to the time, less than a year and a half away, when they would be exposed to more terrible tempests and darkness and a stormier sea, as the storms of persecution fell upon them, while He was in the hands of His enemies, crucified, and afterwards unseen in the heavens, as just now He had been asleep in the tempest on Galilee. It was high time that they had learned the lesson of faith.
v 41 ... "And they," the sailors and the disciples (Matthew). "Feared exceedingly." Not the fear of terror, as in the storm, but the fear of awe in the presence of such a stupendous power. Matthew says they “Marveled.” It was a new revelation to them of the power of Jesus, far more awe- inspiring than the curing of disease, or casting out demons. The disciples actually knew little at this time in the Life of Christ. They had only glimpsed into something within the Master, something that seemed to be transcendent in glory and illimitable in resources. That even the wind and the sea. These mighty, wild, seemingly lawless elements, whom no man can control.
Applications: (a) This miracle goes down the centuries as a lesson in faith, i.e., when we are in the storms of trouble, disaster, disease, and danger. (b) Jesus may well ask us as He did the disciples, “Have ye not yet faith?” It is strange that after having so many experiences with Jesus, so many proofs of His love and power, so many trials changed into blessings, that we have not yet learned to trust Jesus in the darkest times. On the voyage of life, if we are disciples, Christ is with us. (c) The truth of God and the church, sometimes seem to be overwhelmed in the storms of enemies, indifference, self-serving leaders, worldliness. But as long as the Christ is dwelling there and His Holy Spirit, no power can destroy it, however the waves may beat against it. (d) A nation may also meet many storms, but as long as her aim is the righteousness of God, she will as a nation survive future storms.
Scripture Reading: Mark 5:1-20
2. The Transformation of a Troubled Soul
The voyage ended when the boat landed in the country of the Gadarenes (v 1), southeast of Capernaum on the other side of the lake. In the Gospels are three names of this people, Gadarenes, Gergasenes and Gerasenes. Gadarenes were the inhabitants of Gadara, the chief city of the district, and probably including the district. Gergasenes and Garasenes, are probably different forms of the same name, the inhabitants of Gerasa, the modern Kersa on the eastern shore of the Lake about midway between the northern and southern ends. The use of two names is very familiar. One may say he lives in Tennessee or Nashville, in Texas or Dallas, both are true.
v 2 ... "Met Him ... a man with an unclean spirit." Matthew speaks of two, but one attracted particular attention as being the more violent of the two.
Illustration: In 1824 Lafayette visited the United States along with his son. Both were warmly received, attending many celebrations. However, in most accounts the son is omitted. Why? It was a triumph accorded more to his father.
v 2 ... "Unclean spirit." Verses 3-4 describe his fierceness, and the efforts of the people to restrain him.
v 6 ... "When he saw Jesus afar off, he ran." He seems to have been attracted to Jesus, with hope of being helped. He may have heard of the healings of Jesus. The conversation (vs 7-10), is one of the most remarkable conversations in the Bible. The awful picture of this demoniac is either painted from life, or it is one of the most wonderful feats of the poetic imagination. Nothing more terrible, vivid, penetrating and real was ever conceived by the greatest creative genius.
v 9 ... "My name is Legion," like the Roman legion in that district, a unit under one empire. Legion well represents the multiform aspects of sin, a hostile army.
v 10 ... "Not send them away out of the country." ‘Into the abyss,’ as Luke adds. The petition virtually was, ‘Send us anywhere; anywhere but to perdition. Send us to the most shattered man; send us to the lowest creature, into man or beast, bird, or reptile; anywhere but into hell!’
v 11 ... "A great herd of swing." About 2,000 (v 13). Though the Jews did not eat pork, Roman soldiers did (it was their staple article of food), and the swine may have been kept to supply the wants of the legion with which the man was familiar.
v 12 ... "Send us into the swine." This they asked naturally enough, from their love of uncleanliness as well to gratify their destructive passions. How demons could enter into swine we do not know, but it is no more of a mystery than the connection of a mind with a human body.
v 13 ... "Jesus gave them leave." This no doubt aided the cure of the demoniac, as he now realized: (a) That his disease was not a part of himself; (b) That his tormentors had actually left him, when he saw the swine rushing headlong into the sea.
v 15 ... "The possessed of the devil ... sitting clothed and in his right mind." The dangerous demoniac that terrified the region became a good citizen, and surely there was joy among the angels of God and among all good men.
v 17 ... "And they," the citizens, mostly Greeks and Romans, prosperous, money making people, began to pray (R.V. ‘beseech’) him to depart out of their coasts (R.V. ‘borders’). They felt in danger from this power that for the sake of transforming a demoniac into a good man could destroy so much property. It might strike them. The Romans might charge them for this loss. The man wanted to go with his benefactor (v 18), but Jesus knew there was something far better for him to do. The Master wanted him to put his new found life into action, doing all he could to remedy the evil he had done. It would also be better for the people, because many might be led to see and know their Messiah and be saved from their sins.
Applications
First, the exhibition of abnormal humanity. The abnormal man is our problem whether it be moral, physical, or social. It meets us in a thousand forms. There are the unbalanced, the neurasthenic, the weak, the ignorant, the ineffective, the disheartened, they hypochondriac, the incompetent, the erring, the vicious, the brutal, and the criminal.
Second, the incident also affords us an exhibition of the inability of society to meet this problem: (a) There was an ineffective theory. They said ‘demons,’ and supposed that they had spoken the last word. Nothing can be done with a man who has demons. And how easy it is to suppose that an explanation is a solution! We smile at the superstition. We have scientific explanation. We say heredity, degeneracy, racial tendency, class perversion. But this is not a solution. (b) There was also ineffective good-will. We are definitely told that the good people had tried everything possible. They had brought him to the city and had clothed him. They had tried again and again, even when he would persist in tearing off his garments. And now that he was living in the tombs, it is probable that they were bringing him food and leaving it where he could obtain it. The reason for the continuance of human abnormality is not that good people have not tried to help the unfortunate. How hard and sacrificingly society has tried, and how little society has succeeded. (c) And there was repressive action. They had tried chains and shackles. Perhaps the poor maniac still bore broken fetters upon his body as he rushed to the company of Galileans. Society will always have its chains. In times past, if we could not cure abnormality, we shackled it. Even today society puts people in asylums and sometimes even prisons. We can crush the movings of discontent with police and soldiers. What enormous effort has society spent in the never-ending task of preventing the abnormal from doing harm.
Third, the story exhibits the method of Jesus in meeting the need. He believes that God is willing and able to cure, and in Him are the mighty spiritual forces He can use for the cure. He has not only has faith, but sympathetic wisdom. Do our methods of dealing with crime in this country today work toward the method of Jesus? What about in the family? What about in our schools? How far will the spiritual appeal to follow Jesus really go in aiding and helping nervous prostration? Mental unbalance? Lunacy? Sickness? Vice and crime?
Fourth, the Element of Cost: (a) We must not omit an important element in the method of Jesus, the disregard of cost. Redeeming the man cost 2,000 swine. When an objector confronted a missionary that his work was a costly way of saving the lost? And there was no way to justify expenses, the missionary answered, “We are not justifying expenses, we are justifying men.” (b) The Gerasenes thought otherwise. One of the most suggestive elements in the narrative is the exhibition of society’s dread of the cost. What about the stockholders in the swine-company? Would they not have preferred to have Jesus go away? Do you think they would have been willing to contribute from their dividends, providing the ‘madman’ with clothes, food, and shackles to save their swine?
Fifth, yet there really was no cost. We actually see here the worth of the emancipated man. What did Gerasa lose that day? A strong, good man is worth more to any community than hogs. And more than that, the maniac becomes an apostle of salvation. So the cure of the demoniac may suggest the possibilities of spiritual forces, unselfishly and wisely put into operation, to meet the disease, the pauperism, the misery, the vice, the crime, and all the abnormalities of today. While it warns us that no doubt we must be prepared for heavy cost, it cheers us with the assurance of untold gain.
