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Mark 5:1. And they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. Mark 5:2. And when He came out of the boat, He was immediately met by a man coming out of the tombs, possessed by an unclean spirit, Mark 5:3. he had a home in coffins, and no one could tie him even with chains, Mark 5:4. because many times he was bound with shackles and chains, but he broke the chains and broke the shackles, and no one was able to tame him; Mark 5:5. always, night and day, in the mountains and coffins, he screamed and beat against the stones; In the lists of more serviceable ones it reads: “to the country of Gergesin”. Matthew says that there were two demoniacs (Matthew 8:32), but Mark and Luke (Luke 8:26–33) speak of one. These latter chose the fiercest of them and tell about him. The demoniac goes and confesses Christ as the Son of God. Since those on the ship were perplexed about who He was, then the most reliable testimony about Him will follow from the enemies, I mean the demons. The demoniac lived in coffins, because the demon wanted to instill through this the false idea that the souls of the dead become demons, which should not be believed. Mark 5:6. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him, Mark 5:7. and crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” I conjure You by God, do not torment me! Mark 5:8. For Jesus said to him, “Come out, O unclean spirit, from this man.” Mark 5:9. And he asked him: what is your name? And he answered and said, My name is Legion, for we are many. Mark 5:10. And they asked Him a lot so that He would not send them out of that country. Demons consider leaving a person to be torment, which is why they said: “do not torment,” that is, do not drive us out of our home, that is, from a person. On the other hand, they thought that the Lord would no longer tolerate them for their excessive insolence, but would immediately give them over to torture, and therefore they prayed not to torture them. The Lord asks the demoniac not in order to know Himself, but so that others may know about the many demons that have taken possession of him. Since one man stood before his eyes, Christ shows how many enemies this pitiful man fought. Mark 5:11. There was a large herd of pigs grazing there near the mountain. Mark 5:12. And all the demons asked Him, saying: Send us among the swine, that we may enter into them. Mark 5:13. Jesus immediately allowed them. And the unclean spirits came out and entered into the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep slope into the sea, and there were about two thousand of them; and drowned in the sea. Mark 5:14. Those who were herding the pigs ran and told the story in the city and villages. The demons prayed to the Lord not to send them out of the country, but to let them into the herd of pigs. He agrees to this. Since our life is a battle, the Lord did not want to remove demons from it, so that by their struggle with us they would make us more skillful. He allows them to enter the pigs, so that we know that just as they did not spare the pigs, they would not have spared that man if the power of God had not preserved him. For the demons, being hostile to us, would have immediately destroyed us if God had not protected us. So, know that demons have no power even over pigs, much less over people, unless God allows. But know also that people who live like pigs and wallow in the mire of sensual pleasures are possessed by demons who cast them down from the rapids of destruction into the sea of ​​this life, and they drown. Mark 5:14. And the residents came out to see what had happened. Mark 5:15. They come to Jesus and see that the demoniac, in whom the legion was, is sitting and clothed, and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Mark 5:16. Those who saw it told them about how this happened to the possessed man, and about the pigs. Mark 5:17. And they began to ask Him to depart from their borders. Mark 5:18. And when He entered the boat, the demoniac asked Him to be with Him. Mark 5:19. But Jesus did not allow him, but said: go home to your people and tell them what the Lord has done to you and how he has had mercy on you. Mark 5:20. And he went and began to preach in the Decapolis what Jesus had done to him; and everyone marveled. The inhabitants of that city, amazed by the miracle, came out to Jesus, but when they heard about the details, they were even more frightened. That is why they asked Jesus to leave their borders. They were afraid that they would not suffer anything more. Having lost the pigs and regretting this loss, they also refuse the presence of the Lord. On the contrary, the demoniac asked Him for permission to be with Him, because he feared that the demons, having found him alone, would not enter into him again. But the Lord sends him home, showing that His power and providence will protect him even in his absence. Sends it along and so that it will benefit others who see it. That's why he started preaching, and everyone was surprised. But look how the Savior is a stranger to exaltation! He did not say: “tell me” what I have done to you, but: “what the Lord has done to you.” So you, when you do something good, attribute what you did not to yourself, but to God. Mark 5:21. When Jesus again crossed the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered to Him. He was by the sea. Mark 5:22. And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue, named Jairus, comes and, seeing Him, falls at His feet Mark 5:23. and he earnestly begs Him, saying: My daughter is dying; come and lay your hands on her so that she may get well and live. Mark 5:24. Jesus went with him. Many people followed Him and pressed Him. Mark 5:25. One woman who suffered from bleeding for twelve years Mark 5:26. suffered a lot from many doctors, exhausted everything she had, and did not receive any benefit, but came to an even worse state, - Mark 5:27. Having heard about Jesus, she came up from behind among the people and touched His garment, for she said: Mark 5:28. If I even touch His clothes, I will be healed. Mark 5:29. And immediately her source of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her illness. After the miracle over the possessed man, the Lord performs another miracle - he resurrects the daughter of the leader of the synagogue. For the Jews, eyewitnesses of the event, the evangelist also says the name of the leader of the synagogue. He was a half-believer: by falling at the feet of Christ, he turns out to be a believer, but by asking Him to go, he shows faith not as it should be; he should have said, “just say the word.” Meanwhile, on the path of the Lord, the bleeding wife is also healed. This woman had great faith, because she hoped to be healed from one garment of the Lord; That's why she received healing. In a figurative sense, understand this about human nature. It was bleeding because it produced sin, which is the murder of the soul and which sheds the blood of our souls. Our nature could not receive healing from many doctors, that is, neither from the sages of this age, nor even from the Law and the Prophets. But she was healed as soon as she touched the clothes of Christ, that is, His flesh. For whoever believes that Christ became incarnate is the one who touches His garment. Mark 5:30. At the same time, Jesus, feeling within Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned among the people and said: Who touched My garment? Mark 5:31. The disciples said to Him: You see that the people are crowding You, and you say: Who touched Me? Mark 5:32. But He looked around to see the one who did it. Mark 5:33. The woman, in fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came up, fell before Him and told Him the whole truth. Mark 5:34. He said to her: daughter! your faith has saved you; Go in peace and be well from your illness. The power does not come out of Christ in such a way that it changes place; on the contrary, it is communicated to others, and at the same time remains in Christ without diminishing, just as the lessons of teaching remain with the teachers and are taught to the students. But look how the people oppressed Him on all sides, and yet not one touched Him; on the contrary, the wife, who did not embarrass Him, touched Him. From here we learn the secret that among the people busy with many everyday worries, none touches Christ: they only oppress Him; on the contrary, whoever does not oppress Jesus and does not burden his mind with vain worries touches Him. But why does the Lord reveal his wife? Firstly, in order to glorify the faith of the wife, secondly, in order to arouse faith in the ruler of the synagogue that his daughter would also be saved, and at the same time in order to free the wife from strong fear, who was afraid that she would steal the healing. So the evangelist says: “she approached in fear and trembling.” Therefore, the Lord did not say: I saved you, but: “Your faith has saved you; Go in peace,” that is, at rest. The meaning of these words is this: be calm, you who have hitherto been in sorrow and turmoil. Mark 5:35. While He was still saying this, they came from the ruler of the synagogue and said: Your daughter is dead; Why else are you bothering the Teacher? Mark 5:36. But Jesus, having heard these words, immediately said to the ruler of the synagogue: Do not be afraid, only believe. Mark 5:37. And He did not allow anyone to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. Mark 5:38. He comes to the house of the leader of the synagogue and sees confusion and people crying and crying out loudly. Mark 5:39. And entering, he said to them: Why are you embarrassed and crying? the girl is not dead, but is sleeping. Mark 5:40. And they laughed at Him. But He, having sent everyone out, takes with Him the father and mother of the girl and those who were with Him and enters where the girl lay. Mark 5:41. And, taking the girl by the hand, he says to her: “talifa kumi,” which means: girl, I tell you, get up. Mark 5:42. And the girl immediately stood up and began to walk, for she was about twelve years old. Those who saw it were in great amazement. Mark 5:43. And He strictly ordered them that no one should know about this, and told them to give her something to eat. The people of the synagogue leader revered Christ as one of the ordinary teachers, which is why they asked to come and pray for the girl, and finally, when she died, they thought that He was no longer needed after her death. But the Lord encourages the father and says: “Only believe.” Meanwhile, he does not allow anyone to follow Him, except for the three disciples, because the humble Jesus does not want to do anything for show. At His words: “The girl is not dead, but sleeps,” they laugh; this was allowed so that later they would not have an excuse to say that she had fainted, and that it would not be surprising if He resurrected her; on the contrary, so that they would convict themselves by their own testimony of His resurrection of the truly deceased, when they even laughed at His words that she was not dead, but asleep. The Lord takes her hand to give her strength; and orders that she be given food in order to confirm the resurrection as a real and not an imaginary event.