Jesus Heals our Diseases

Written 11/1/2016; revised 4/28/2024

So yesterday I’m reading Mark 5 and it hits me: Why does Jesus tell the once demon-possessed man to go home to his people and tell them how much the Lord has done for him (v. 19), but gives strict orders to the sleeping girl’s family not to let anyone know about her miraculous healing (v. 43)?

At first glance, Jesus seems inconsistent. Why tell one party one thing and contradict it with another?

I mean…yeah, Jesus was always yielded to the Father following the Spirit’s lead. Fair enough. Still, I can’t help but dive a little deeper. As always, let’s grab a shovel and dig in.

Scripture/Observations

In Mark 5:1, we find Jesus, fresh off of calming a tempest (4:35-41), crossing the lake to Garasenes, a country region lying on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. Upon arrival, a demon-possessed man decked with torn chains coming out from the tombs approaches Jesus (Spooky, right? Talk about the ultimate Halloween Bible read). Once within range, the demon reveals itself as Legion (“for we are many” – v. 9) and begs to be cast into swine. From there, Jesus grants the request and inspires the man to proclaim the good news of what He had done John 4 style.

Now, check out v. 21: “When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around Him while He was by the lake.”

Like similar encounters, we see life flocking to Jesus upon arrival, perhaps more causal than coincidence given the west side was more populated, not to mention Jesus’ reputation had established momentum. Yet, it’s here I want to pause to highlight a key contrast.

When Jesus arrives at Gerasenes, how many people come to him? At least one that we know of, right? How about the flip side? If you said ‘large crowd’, you’d be correct. Granted, the population difference may seem like a subtle detail; however, when we stack it against proceeding context, we see its connection to part of the answer.

That answer, you ask?

I’ll get to that shortly. For now, we must understand the correlation between Jesus’ intimacy with the Father and how this enabled Him to know the best way to unleash the truth. In the case of Mark 5, Jesus, having already revealed His nature on the west side, knew the best way for the good news to spread at Gerasesnes was for the ex-possessed man to ‘go tell it on the mountain’. After all, what occurred at the Decapolis post-healing centered, in part, on Jesus’ identity being made known to the masses.

Yet, as I teased earlier, the truth of Jesus’ identity was already spreading on the west side. Therefore, it’s fair to say Jesus’ cross-country trek was just as much about manifesting love through power as it was confirming the truth of who He was (see v. 25-34).

Quick side note: I find it amusing how ‘crowd’ is mentioned not once, not twice, but five times between v. 21-31. If in fact the author intended the reader to grasp the chaotic backdrop, mission accomplished. The point here, I submit, is less about Jesus having to endure uncomfortable circumstances than it is Him loving in spite of them. Imagine having zero personal space, teaching to the culprits responsible, and being interrupted mid-sermon setting commotions between people crying and wailing loudly (v. 27). I’d probably lose my mind and grey my hair all at once!

But not Jesus. Instead, look at how unruffled he is, first in v. 36 when he says, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe’ in response to the disciples telling Jairus’ people, ‘Why bother the teacher anymore?’ and second in v. 39 when he says, ‘The child is not dead but asleep’ after the entire house thought Jairus’ daughter was dead.

Seriously, it’s like Jesus is calming a second storm here.

Now, for most, the story ends here, but the truth is Jesus had one more thing to say before peacing out, which in my paraphrasing, goes something like ‘Shhh! What happens here, stays here.’

But again, why would Jesus demand this? Well, go back to v. 36: ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’

Throughout this whole chapter, we’ve seen three miracles, three transfers of power; however, this doesn’t mean Jesus was on the ‘power play’. Rather, Jesus was on a mission to inspire belief in people’s hearts. Accordingly, we can assume what mattered most to Jesus more than signs, more than miracles was the truth of His Word.

In this context, Jesus knew if He allowed the news to break in synagogue central, it would lead to a major distraction. Remember there was enough pandemonium leading up to Jesus’ encounter with the little girl. Any more attention would likely have caused an uproar and reduce Jesus to the role of ringmaster. How fascinating it is to see how timely silence was sometimes part of Jesus’ strategy to further the Gospel!

Bottom line: While Jesus was Spirit led in all He said and did, He also discerned the theology of the land and time He was in as He constantly yielded to the Father. As a result, Jesus was able to reach more people through love and teach them with the truth and power of his Word.

Application/Prayer

Cover photo creds: JW Org

Not long ago, my eight-month-old daughter, Jubilee, received her tracheostomy – an answer to months of prayer, waiting, and wondering.

At last, The Master Physician…not just making a way for greater health but advancing her recovery to the next level.

Yet, in recent days, as I’ve considered the Cross with Easter still in mind, I’ve been moved by the Messianic prophecy captured in Matthew 8:16-17:

“When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.'”

A popular verse among those quoted in hospitals, I want us to consider Isaiah’s verb choices.

For instance, he doesn’t say verbatim Jesus would cure our infirmities and heal our diseases. Rather, he suggested Jesus would take them up and carry them – a metaphoric preview pointing to the Cross to come. Granted, on the surface this may seem discouraging for those seeking immediate results; however, I submit these words can carry powerful resonance if we allow them.

Think of it this way: Before Jesus could heal our diseases, He first had to relate to them. As Hebrews 4:15 emphasizes, Christ identified with us in our sufferings so He could restore our brokenness, transform our perspective, and fix our eyes to His presence. Cross in mind, this is why Jesus did not purchase our eternal freedom at the cost of iniquity alone as He knew our physical reconciliation was part of the package. Hence, why we must understand…

…while Jesus died for our sins and eternal relationship, He also endured our physical limitations so we could better relate to Him in our weakness.
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To me, this blows my mind knowing…

…Jesus, even in His final moments, was not only proactive to consider our need to walk in fullness by His grace but cared just as much about our physical restoration as our spiritual freedom.

As for how this can encourage us in the short-term? Again, consider the Cross within Matthew 8:16-17. Before Jesus could instantly heal, there had to be a way to Him and for Him to call us to receive His healing. By establishing this pathway, He also made clear a critical order: Healing, in its rightful place, is not a catalyst but an overflow – a means to relationship with God. Accordingly, since Jesus is the answer (John 14:6), we must be careful not to assume His divine intervention is even close to the solution He is.

Yes, the NICU life, like many settings and situations, is a struggle stirred by our desire to know the ‘why’ of God’s plan, but this shouldn’t deter us from pressing into Jesus. As Matthew 8:1-17 reminds us, healing is a holy prompt to discover God as He connects to our circumstances. While miracles are often perceived as the mic drops of God’s power, dare to see the waiting for them as opportunities to know His love, nearness, and faithful sovereignty in a fresh way.

After all, it’s God’s heart our burdens aren’t the only things growing amidst our perseverance.

Bottom line: While healing is a culmination of God’s power, the anticipation of it should excite our hearts knowing He never stops pursuing us in the midst of chaos and crisis. Even though many of us reading this have felt the letdown at one point or another, take heart: The next time you sense God knocking, open the door, cast your anxieties, and let Him minister to you in ways only He can.

Selah.