Mark 5:1-24 The Gerasene Demoniac

They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, ^and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; ^because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones. Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; ^and shouting with a loud voice, he said, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore you by God, do not torment me!” For He had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he said to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. The demons implored Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.” Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousands of them; and they were drowned in the sea.

The most important observation here is to see that demons, even powerful groups of demons, recognize Jesus for who He is and obey him. Demons are fallen angels who are under the control of Satan, but in the presence of Jesus who is the Son of God, they obey him and recognize that they have been judged. If Satan’s army recognizes and obeys Jesus, how much more should soldiers in God’s army do for the Son of God? Think about it.

Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus, you came not to judge me, but to free me. Because of Your finished work on the Cross, I am free to obey You not out of duty, but out of love. Instill in us all this kind of love. In Your holy name I pray Amen.

Mark 4:35-41 Jesus Stills the Sea

On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

These passages are often used among pastors. They begin by Jesus saying that they were to proceed by boat to the other side of the waters. The meaning here is that if Jesus said they will go to the other side, they will go to the other side. Jesus Himself was not concerned with the turbulent waters that were sent to test the faith of His disciples. When they were sufficiently panicked, they awoke Jesus and question whether or not He cared if they were perishing? So Jesus showing His authority stilled they waters by speaking to them! Now the disciples were afraid, not of the waters, but of the man who could make them obey Him by his command.

Daily Prayer: Lord, we live in a physical realm where the things that are possible for You are impossible for us. Sometimes it is not so much a problem of doubt, but one of confusion. Continue to build our faith by not limiting ourselves to the things that we know, but by trusting You in matters we do not know. In Your holy name I pray Amen.

Mark 4:30-34 Parable of the Mustard Seed

And He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, ^yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that the birds of the air can nest under its shade.” With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it; ^and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.

This is one of the most famous and quoted parables of Jesus. Here Jesus is trying to explain the Kingdom of Heaven. He starts by describing the subject of faith. He compares the tiny size of the mustard seed as sufficient faith to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. He shows that though the seed is tiny, it brings great results. The point he is making is that it does not require great faith to be saved, because small faith can work wonders.

Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus, we know that all faith is a gift from You to those whom you have appointed for salvation. To all of us under the sound of our voice receive faith to love you and believe in you. By this, we will be found blameless on that day of vengeance. In Your holy name I pray Amen.

Mark 4:26-29 Parable of Spiritual Growth

And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Jesus continues his teaching concerning the Kingdom of God in this message. Previously he spoke how seed that falls on “good soil” will produce thirty, sixty, or even ninety fold. How is it that this seed multiplies so greatly? It is part of the mystery of God’s Kingdom. If you plant small seeds into soil that do not reject it, then the Holy Spirit of God can impart life and multiply your investment in the kingdom making your contribution to it meaningful. However, if you invest in the kingdom of this world, where Satan declares himself king, you will earn his results which are physical and spiritual death.

Daily Prayer: Lord, when we are enticed by things that we can see in our own world, they attract us. Give us eyes to see your Kingdom and the things of this world will seem dim and unpersuasive and we will most certainly choose Your life over worldly death. But this vision is the vision of faith, which only You can give. Whether we see or not, let us believe. In Jesus name I pray Amen.

Mark 4:21-25 Parable of the Lamp

And He was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”

This parable is a prelude to the lessons Jesus taught on making judgment and on being faithful to the Master. Concerning judgment, Jesus teaches not to judge others, because the measure of judgment you use with your neighbor will in turn be the measure of judgment for you. Secondly, be faithful with Your Master and be fruitful with what he has given you. This is because whoever has been faithful with much, much more will be trusted to a faithful servant. If you are not faithful with little, then the Master will take the little He has trusted you with. In all cases, let your light shine before others so that they can see your good works and glorify God.

Daily Prayer: Father, bring me to a place where my works glorify You. Let me be prudent with what you have given me, because I am only a manager of Your affairs and talents. Let me be faithful to You first, but also to my friends. In Jesus name I pray Amen.