Healing of the insane in the region of the Gadarenes:

And they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. And when he came out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man possessed with an unclean spirit. His dwelling was in the tombs, and no one was able to bind him, nor With chains. Because he was often bound with fetters and chains, so he broke the chains and broke the chains. And no one was able to humiliate him. And he was always day and night in the mountains and in the graves, shouting and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped him, and cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I ask you to swear to God not to torture me!” Because he said to him: “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit.” He asked him: “What is your name?” He replied: “My name is Legion, because we are many.” And he besought him many things, that he would not send them out of the country. And there was a large herd of pigs grazing in the mountains. Then all the demons besought him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may go into them.” So Jesus immediately gave them permission. So the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs. Then the herd rushed from the cliff into the sea, and they were about two thousand, and they were drowned in the sea. And the herdsmen of the swine fled and told it in the city and in the villages. So they went out to see what happened. And they came to Jesus and saw the demoniac, in whom were the refugees, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind. So they were afraid. Then those who saw told them how it happened to the demoniac and about the pigs. So they began to ask him to leave their borders. And when he was entered into the boat, he that was possessed with a demon besought him, that he might be with him. But Jesus did not leave him, but said to him: “Go home and to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and has had mercy on you.” So he went and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how great Jesus had done for him. Everyone was amazed. (Mark 5:1-20, Matthew 8:28-34, Luke 8:26-39).

This narrative of Mark, the longest among the narratives of the Synoptic Gospels, ends with the saying (Verse 20The recovered madman became a preacher of Christ in the Decapolis region. But in addition to this apostolic view, the evangelist wanted to show Jesus as a powerful Messiah who defeats Satan, paralyzes his works, and frees people from his slavery, thus inaugurating a new era for humanity that was heralded in the Old Testament and realized in the Church.

The miracle occurs “across the sea,” that is, in the area opposite Galilee across the lake. The various manuscripts mention the following phrases: “the region of the Gerasenes,” “the region of the Gerasenes,” “the region of the Gadarenes.” The first phrase goes back to the correction of Origene, who speaks about a city unknown today called Gergessa, considering that Gergesse is a city in Arabic. We know that the city of Jarasa is located 60 km from the lake in the Five Cities region. The more correct phrase, then, is “the Gadarenes” because the city of Gadra (which has a school for Stoic philosophers) is located near Lake Gennesaret, 10 km to the southeast of it. On the other hand, the event did not take place inside the city, but rather around it, “in the region of the Gadarenes…”, that is, in the lake area. What is stated in Luke 8:26, “which is opposite Galilee,” supports this point of view.

The condition of the patient who met Jesus when he got off the ship is described (Verse 2) That she is a miserable wretch. There is an “unclean spirit” in it, that is, a “demonisé” in it, and it inhabits graves. If we wanted to describe him in contemporary terms, we would say that he does not fit into society because he does not live among humans, but rather far away from them in graves and mountains (Verses 3 and 5), he has a habit of harming himself (“he cuts himself with stones”), he takes a positive attitude, but he is unable to control (theFor verse 4), and he suffers from an internal division in his personality (“My name is Jeon because we are many”). Thus, we see God’s “very good” creation described in this sad image after it became prey to Satan.

But the Evangelist shows Jesus liberating humans from such slavery and restoring their corrupt nature. The evil spirit hidden in the sick person recognizes such divine authority in the Messiah, and so he cries out to Jesus through the mouth of the sick person, “What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” In this sentence, Satan admits: 1- That there is nothing in common between him and Jesus, because Jesus wants to save people while he wants to destroy them; 2- That the person speaking to him is the Son of God the Most High. So, he adds a sublime quality that people do not know to the Messianic personality of Jesus. 3- The appearance of the Messiah in the world means the abolition of his corrupt work.

Another proof of Satan’s recognition of Jesus’ power is his answer to Jesus’ question about his name: “My name is Legion, for we are many” (Verse 9), because only the strongest can inquire about the name of someone who is inferior to him and weaker than him, according to the concept of that time. The Roman division called the Legion consisted of 4 to 6 thousand men and 300 horses. This does not mean that such a number was present inside the patient, but it means that they were many, an entire army, that could severely tear apart a person’s personality.

The demons ask Jesus not to send them to the place of torment but to allow them to live in a herd of pigs nearby (Verses 11-12). Jesus accepts their request “not convinced by them, but by intentional planning on his part,” according to Saint John Chrysostom. What “provision” did Jesus make when he allowed demons to inhabit the approximately 2,000 pigs that rushed off the cliff into the sea (Verse 13)? Some say that what happened was to punish shepherds who raised pigs prohibited by the Mosaic Law. This interpretation is incorrect because the event took place in a pagan land (the Decapolis) where the prohibition has no meaning. By fulfilling the demand of the demons, Jesus most likely wants to emphasize the destructive effect of their presence, because wherever they are found, whether in people or animals, they bring destruction. Jesus also wants to emphasize man's indisputable worthiness for every worthy sacrifice to secure his salvation.

The shepherds hastened to tell the people of the city and the villages.Verse 14(Those who came to the place of the miracle and saw the madman first, “clothed and in his right mind”)Verse 15), so they were afraid. Of course, they considered the destruction of the herd of pigs more important than the healing of the madman, and they feared that Jesus’ presence in their province would bring other calamities. So they begged him to leave their borders. It was their fear that led them, not to acknowledge the power of Jesus and worship him as the Messiah, but to the desire to get rid of him (Verses 16-17).

On the contrary, the healthy madman, who previously could not bear to live among people, is now “dressed and sensible” and seeks to be with Jesus (Verse 18). The encounter with the Son of God radically transforms a person and makes him a source of salvation for others. Jesus does not accept the madman’s request, but rather sends him to preach what the Lord has done for him (Verse 19). Verse 20 makes us understand that the one who was healed preached Christianity in the region of the Decapolis. His missionary enthusiasm is the result of his living encounter with Jesus and the result of his salvation through him.

In Matthew's account of the same subject (8:28 - 9:1), he talks about the healing of two demoniacs, not just one. Is it another wonder? The similarity between the three Gospels does not allow us to make such an assumption, especially since the Evangelists Mark and Luke place this miracle immediately after the storm subsides when Jesus passes by with his disciples. How then can we explain such a difference?

It is likely that the Evangelist Mark mentions one of the madmen who was the most dangerous and well-known to the residents of the region. This is what most of the Church Fathers say. On the other hand, we can say that the Matthew tradition speaks of two madmen, while the Mark and Luke tradition speaks of one madman. This is what happens with the blind men in Matthew (9:27-35 and 20:29-34).

What matters to evangelicals is not the number of cured patients, but rather their focus on the authority of Jesus as Messiah to cast out Satan, end his corrupting work in the world, and as a result free people from his slavery. This is what Matthew focuses on in particular, as the character of the two madmen does not appear much (Jesus does not speak to them, does not talk about what happened to them after recovery, does not talk about their condition after recovery as in Mark and Luke). Rather, he places more emphasis on the Son of God conversing with the devils and punishing them. The evangelist wants to emphasize that The work of Christ inaugurates a new time The power of Satan is defeated, the sick person retreats, and the person is liberated. We live this new time in the church founded and gathered by the Messiah.

The healing of the woman with the issue of blood and the raising of Jairus’ daughter:

And when Jesus had passed over in the boat again to the other side, a large crowd gathered to him. And he was by the sea. And behold, one of the leaders of the synagogue, whose name was Jairus, came. And when he saw him, he fell at his feet. He asked him many things, saying: “My little daughter is on her last breath. I wish you would come and lay your hand on her, so that she may be healed and live.” So he went with him, and a large crowd followed him, and they were crowding him.

And there was a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and she had suffered greatly from many doctors, and had spent all she had and had not gained anything, but nothing. She saw a worse situation. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind the crowd and touched his garment. Because she said: “If I touch even his clothes, I will be healed.” And immediately the fountain of her blood dried up, and she knew in her body that she was healed of the disease. Immediately Jesus turned around among the crowd, feeling within himself the power that had gone out of him, and said, “Who touched my clothes?” Then his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd crowding you and say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done this. But the woman came, fearful and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, and she fell down and told him the whole truth. So he said to her: “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be free from your illness.”

While he was speaking, they came from the house of the leader of the synagogue, saying: “Your daughter is dead.” Why do you trouble the Master any longer? And Jesus immediately heard the word that was spoken, and said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid, only believe.” He did not allow anyone to follow him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. So he came to the house of the leader of the synagogue and saw a commotion: they were crying and howling much. So he came in and said to them: “Why do you make a fuss and cry? “The girl is not dead, but she is sleeping.” They laughed at him. But he himself put them all out, and took the father of the damsel and her mother and those who were with him, and went in where the damsel lay. He took the girl’s hand and said to her: “Talitha, stand up.” And immediately the damsel got up and walked. Because she was twelve years old. They were greatly astonished. So he strongly charged them that no one should know about this. He said that it should be given to her to eat. (Mark 5:21-43, Matthew 9:18-26, Luke 8:40-56).

Both accounts attest to Jesus' mastery over sickness and death. They are not connected by time, but by the common theme of faith in Jesus' ability to heal. The woman with the issue of blood was considered unclean because of the type of her illness (see Leviticus 12:1, 15:9, 25…), and therefore she had no right to touch other people. But her faith in Jesus' ability to heal was stronger than the commands of the law, so when she mingled with the crowds, she touched the Master's clothes and was healed. After Jesus asked “Who touched my clothes” (Verse 30), the woman trembled and had to leave the unknown crowd and come to meet Jesus personally. The Lord did not rebuke her for her action (as she had expected), but He highlighted her faith by calling her “daughter” (despite her certainly advanced age), placing her in the ranks of God’s family, this family that He, the Messiah, was establishing on earth.

The commentator Theophylectus provides a symbolic interpretation of the novel, considering humanity bleeding and unable to be healed by the doctors and sages of this world, but it found its healing in its connection with Christ.

The healing event occurred while Jesus was accompanying the crowd, heading to the house of the synagogue leader, Jairus, to heal his dying daughter. While he was speaking with the woman whom he had healed, messengers came from the house of the leader of the synagogue, informing him of the death of the daughter, and therefore there was no longer any need to disturb the teacher (we notice, according to Matthew’s account, that the daughter had died when Jairus came to Jesus, begging him to lay his hands on her and heal her). Jesus did not give special importance to the news, “Jesus immediately heard the word that was spoken.” Rather, he said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid, only believe.” Naturally, the daughter's death shook the hopes of the head of the synagogue. But the Bible did not tell us about him because its interest focused on the Messiah’s ability to heal.

While it was the hour of Jesus’ announcement of God’s power and glory, he left the crowd and took with him three of his disciples, Peter, James, and John, and headed to the house of the leader of the synagogue, where he heard “a noise: they weeping and wailing greatly” (Verse 38), meaning that the crying over the dead had begun. According to the custom of burial in Palestine (see Grundmann, page 117), even in the burial of a poor Israeli, it was necessary to have a female mourner sing elegiac songs and two musical instruments to expel the evil spirits that were trying to kidnap the soul that had recently emerged from the body and was not yet close to it.

In Jesus’ remark that “the girl is not dead but asleep,” to which those present respond with mockery, “So they laughed at him,” Jesus sees death as sleep, because he is the master of life and death, so he holds the girl’s hand and gives a definite order for her to rise. At this point, the Evangelist mentions to us the Aramaic expression that Jesus used to raise the dead, “Talitha, arise,” meaning, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”

The 12-year-old girl gets up and walks. The command that Jesus gives to offer her food has the meaning of confirming the event and making it beyond all doubt. It is natural that after this strange event, everyone would be surprised. After that, the Gospel does not talk about the feeling of the crowd or about those who were previously laughing at it. The evangelist wants to emphasize Jesus' power over death. The narrative concludes with Mark’s well-known phrase about “the secret of the Messiah”: “So he strongly commanded them that no one should know about it” (Verse 43).