A Woman's Faith Pleased Jesus

By Mary Vee
Mark 5

From A Woman's Journal 

On the Sea of Galilee facing the shore where
this story takes place.
Photo by Mary Vee

My name is not given in the Writing, and so I won't leave it here. Just know that I am a woman who had heard Jesus the Healer had returned to the shore of my city.

I desperately wanted to see Him. Touch His clothes. If only I could reach His garment through the crowd, I am sure I could be healed. 

For twelve years I have suffered from a blood disease. I am weak. I've been to every doctor in our area. Followed their medical directions no matter how painful or miserable it made me feel and felt no relief. The treatments and doctor costs have depleted all my money, and my symptoms have grown worse. I don't know what else to do.

I stood by the shore with the large crowd and watched Jesus' boat dock. He climbed out and barely took a step on the shore before Jairus, one of the synagogue rulers, broke through the line of people and fell at Jesus' feet. 

He begged Jesus to go to his house and heal his daughter. Jesus agreed. They turned, walking away from the shore. The crowd went with them. They pressed so close to Jesus, I thought I wouldn't be able to even touch his garment.

Even in my weakened state, I wouldn't allow this moment to pass. I squeezed through the tightly packed men and women, determined to just reach my fingertip close enough to touch the fabric of his garment. 

Suddenly, the moment came. I stretched my arm between two people and touched his robe. 

I stopped.

Letting the people walk past me.

A weird and wonderful sensation came over me, one that I had not felt for a long time. I didn't hurt. I felt no pain. I was healed!

Jesus stopped walking. The crowd did as well. 

He turned around and looked at the crowd and said, "Who touched my clothes?"

His disciples looked confused. "Master," they said. "You see the people crowding against you. Why are you asking, 'Who touched me?'"

Jesus craned his neck, looking at the faces in the crowd. 

I knew I had to confess. Maybe I did something wrong. I ran to Him feeling so guilty and fell at his feet. My body trembled because I was afraid. I told him the whole story about my illness and how I waited for Him to return. I wept. "I thought, if I touched your garment, it would be all I needed to make me well."

He took my arms and helped me stand. "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

I hardly knew what to say. After all these years of pain, Jesus came to my city and He healed me. 

 Come back to read the next story.

*Author of blog's note: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


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sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

Jairus. My Daughter Is Dying

By Mary Vee
Mark 5

From Jairus's Journal 

On the Sea of Galilee facing the shore where
this story takes place.
Photo by Mary Vee

My name is Jairus. I am a ruler of the synagogue and am standing near the shores of the Sea of Galilee waiting for Jesus to return. I'm taking a risk being  here. 

Many of the other synogogue rulers don't like seeing the crowds following Jesus or spending their days listening to His teachings. The rulers feel they are losing control of what is being taught to the people. Maybe they are.

Jesus and his disciples crossed the sea yesterday. A few other boats filled with people wanting to see what Jesus would do went along. 

There was a terrible storm the night they left. We don't know yet how the ships fared. Many have sunk in the Sea of Galilee in the past. I hope He makes it back safely.

I mean, it seems He should be safe. I've heard so much about Him. 

The whole reason why I am here is to speak with Him about an urgent personal matter. I don't know how long He will be gone, but I'm willing to wait.

"Look!" 

I turned and saw a man shading his eyes against the sunlight and pointing toward the sea. In the distance several boats sailed toward our shore. It's HIm. He's coming back! 

I could barely restrain myself. 

In this crowd waiting for him, I have to be one who gets an audience with Jesus. Oh, please let it be so.

It took some time for the boats to arrive at shore, and the passengers to get out. News had spread that Jesus was coming back which only drew more people. I was determined, though. I had to speak with Him.

Jesus stepped out of the boat onto the shore.

I pressed through the crowd until I stood face to face with Him. I fell to the ground at Jesus' feet and pleaded with him, "My daughter is sying. Please come and put hands on her so that she will be healed and live."

I looked up at Him. He said, "Yes. I will go with you." 

And he did. He followed me away from the shore!

There is nothing else in this entire world that could have made me any happier.

 Come back to read the next story.

*Author of blog's note: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

The Pig Herder's Story

By Mary Vee
Mark 5

From Pig Herder's Journal 

On the Sea of Galilee facing the shore where
this story takes place.
Photo by Mary Vee

I am a pig herder. I've lived on the far side of the Sea of Galilee my whole life. I take my large herd to the hills and let them feed. 

In my village, there was a man who for a very long time had demons possessing him. The man seemed crazy all the time. 

The entire village was afraid of him. His eyes were wild. We didn't want him to harm our children or our wives so we hired guards to capture him and tie chains to his arms and legs. Big iron chains. But the man had the strength of a ... well, I don't know any man so powerful. He ripped the chains apart then escaped. 

After many years, the possessed man stayed in the tombs. Living like an animal. We left him alone since nothing could hold him prisoner.

Were we still afraid of him? Yes. We were.

This morning, I took the herd out to the hills to feed. From where I stood I watched several boats dock. One man seemed to lead many who followed him.

The most amazing thing happened after He and his followers stepped on to the shore. The crazy man from our village ran to the leader, falling to his knees. I couldn't hear what was said, but the man seemed desperate. Why he went to this leader, I didn't know.

Moments later something odd happened to our crazy man. He stood without thrashing. He didn't scream or flail his arms. It was the first time I had seen him this way.

At the same time, my pigs acted oddly. They squealed like they were attacked but there wasn't any other animal near. They ran in a pack, all two thousand of them, down the steep hill toward the water. 

I yelled my signal to them to come back, but they didn't obey. The entire herd ran into the sea and sank under the water. I couldn't believe my eyes. I had never seen such a thing. 

I ran to the village, calling for everyone to come and hear what had happened. I told them about the pigs running into the sea and the wild man from our village who no longer was wild. 

"Let's go see," they said.

I took them out to the place and showed them the leader who came ashore from the boat. They looked at the wild man from our village sitting on the ground, dressed, and in his right mind. 

We were terribly afraid. How could he have changed so much?

The people who had traveled with the leader told my villagers what had happened. Their leader stepped out of the boat onto the shore. The wild man from our village came and fell on his knees. Jesus told the evil spirits to leave him. The evil spirits asked to go into the pigs and Jesus allowed it. That was when the pigs ran into the sea and drowned.

The news frightened us. Such power in our presence. We hardly knew what to do. "Please leave our region," we said to Jesus.

Jesus didn't argue. He climbed back in the boat. As he did, our village man who had been healed ran to Jesus and asked to go with him. 

"No," Jesus said. "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you. Tell them how He has had mercy on you."

Our village man watched with great sorrow on his face as Jesus left. 

But, I am a witness, that the village man did as Jesus said. He went throughout Decalopis and told everyone what Jesus had done for him.

Everyone who heard his story was amazed.

It made me curious about this man called Jesus.

 Come back to read the next story.

*Author of blog's note: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

The Herd of Pigs That Ran Into the Sea

By Mary Vee
Mark 5

From Matthew's Journal 

On the Sea of Galilee facing the shore where
this story takes place.
Photo by Mary Vee

My name is Mark, I am a follower of Jesus. I have recorded some of what I witnessed in this post. 

I and other of Jesus's disciples sailed across the Sea of Galilee last night. A terrible storm rose up during the journey threatening to sink the ship and drenching everything. We woke Jesus, and He calmed the storm instantly.

We were all so thankful. Had He not done that, we all would have drowned. 

We landed on the other side of the lake in the region called Gerasenes and docked the boat. Not long after we stepped onto land a man ran to Jesus from a distance. He was not any ordinary man. 

This man had strong arms and legs. He was unkept with wild hair that had grown unreasonably long. He screamed and jerked his head. I could see where chains had once dug into his wrists and ankles. His power had broken them. None of his words could be understood. The man was a frightening sight.

Someone near said this man had lived in the tombs and rampaged like a possessed man. At one time the townsfolk could subdue him but he grew too strong. Now iron could not hold him. Night and day he would run through the tombs and the hills crying out and cutting himself with stones.

Jesus looked at the man and said, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"

The man fell on his knees in front of Jesus. He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?"

The voice did not sound like a normal man's voice. He then said, "Swear to God that you won't torture me!"

Jesus said, "What is your name?"

"My name is Legion," the man said, "for we are many." The strange voice coming from the man begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

Off to the right and in the distance a large herd of pigs fed on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs. Allow us to go into them." 

Jesus gave them permission.

Instantly the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank squealing and grunting. They ran as fast as they could into the lake. The herdsman ran after them shouting for them to stop but they didn't. They ran into the water where they drowned.

Shocked, the herdsman turned away and ran toward the town, yelling and raising their fists. 

The story will continue next time.

 Come back to read the next story.

*Author of blog's note: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them  and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.



*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.