God of the Unlikelys

Jesus’s public ministry lasted forty-two months so you might surmise that He would be about maximizing His efforts, speaking to the most possible, demonstrating God’s power and authority before the crowds. Not so. Today’s are a series of singular events with no mass appeals.

Leaving the crowds on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus goes not into the nearest village but near a graveyard,

They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain… And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” ¹ 

A single man albeit plagued with a multitude of demons, not even in town but living in the tombs, a wild man possessed and resistant to the authority of Jesus² yet the man is set free and becomes a witness of Jesus’s authority to the pagans (pig lovers) in the village. ‘As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.’³

Coming back to his home, He faces the throngs–a great crowd–and another unlikely possibility.

Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” And he went with him. ⁴

Having just dealt with resistant demons, He is now asked by a desperate religious leader to do the difficult. But wait, even more…

And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment.⁵ 

Unclean, unclean! This woman was at least as much an outcast as the man living among the tombs. ‘Bleeding’ was a taboo rendering the person both unclean and untouchable yet she violates everything in belief that touching Jesus’s robe would be near enough for her healing. She violates the Law by being in the crowd and yet, faith…

And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” …But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” ⁶

Freeing a demon-possessed man, now an unclean woman of her uncleanness, but wait—now He is too late for the girl—while still speaking to the woman,

While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” … Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking…⁷ 

In Matthew the passage continues, ‘And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be done to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.’ ⁸

Now, isn’t that enough? Apparently not in God’s eyes:

As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.” ⁹

After all that God had done through Jesus in this time, there are the Pharisees pronouncing that it was by Satan! Not so. The LORD is setting people free, giving life. Still, today.