As soon as they stepped ashore on the eastern side of the lake in the land of the Gerasenes, the disciples were confronted by a demon-possessed madman from a nearby town. Many times he had been put under guard and bound with chains, but the many demons inside him had repeatedly thrown him into convulsions, breaking his shackles and driving him out of the town into the countryside. He had been demonized for a long time and was living naked in a cemetery among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet and screamed out, “What are you doing here? You are Jesus, the Son of the Most High God!”
Jesus commanded the demons to come out of him, and they shouted, “We beg you, don’t torture us!”
Jesus asked the man, “What is your name?”
“Mob,” the demons answered. “We are a mob, for there are many of us here in this man. We beg you, don’t banish us into the Abyss!”
On the hillside nearby, there was a large herd of pigs, and the demons pleaded with Jesus, “Let us enter into the pigs.” So Jesus ordered all the “mob” of demons to come out of the man and enter the pigs. The crazed herd of swine stampeded over the cliff into the lake and all of them drowned.
When the herders tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off in fear and reported it to the nearby town and throughout the countryside. Then the people of the region came out to see for themselves what had happened. When they came to where Jesus was, they discovered the notorious madman totally set free. He was clothed, speaking intelligently, and sitting at the feet of Jesus. They were shocked! Then eyewitnesses to the miracle reported all that they had seen and how Jesus completely delivered the demonized man from his torment.
After hearing about such amazing power, the townspeople became frightened. Soon all the people of the region of the Gerasenes and the surrounding country pleaded with Jesus to leave them, for they were gripped with fear. So Jesus got into the boat, intending to return to Galilee. But the man who had been set free begged Jesus over and over not to leave, saying, “Let me be with you!”
Jesus sent him away with these instructions: “Return to your home and your family, and tell them all the wonderful things God has done for you.” So the man went back and preached to everyone who would listen about the amazing miracle Jesus had worked in his life.
When Jesus returned to Galilee, the crowds were overjoyed, for they had been waiting for him to arrive. Just then, a man named Jairus, the leader of the local Jewish congregation, fell before Jesus’ feet. He desperately begged him to come and heal his twelve-year-old daughter, his only child, because she was at the point of death.
As Jesus started to go with him to his home to see her, a large crowd surrounded him. In the crowd that day was a woman who had suffered greatly for twelve years from slow bleeding. Even though she had spent all that she had on healers, she was still suffering. Pressing in through the crowd, she came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of his garment. Instantly her bleeding stopped and she was healed.
Jesus suddenly stopped and said to his disciples, “Someone touched me. Who was it?”
While they all denied it, Peter pointed out, “Master, everyone is touching you, trying to get close to you. The crowds are so thick we can’t walk through all these people without being jostled.”
Jesus replied, “Yes, but I felt power surge through me. Someone touched me to be healed, and they received their healing.”
When the woman realized she couldn’t hide any longer, she came and fell trembling at Jesus’ feet. Before the entire crowd she declared, “I was desperate to touch you, Jesus, for I knew if I could just touch even the fringe of your garment I would be healed.”
Jesus responded, “Beloved daughter, your faith in me released your healing. You may go with my peace.”
While Jesus was still speaking to the woman, someone came from Jairus’ house and told him, “There’s no need to bother the Master any further. Your daughter has passed away. She’s gone.”
When Jesus heard this, he turned to Jairus and said, “Don’t yield to your fear. Have faith in me and she will live again.”
When they arrived at the house, Jesus allowed only Peter, John, and Jacob—along with the child’s parents—to go inside. Jesus told those left outside, who were sobbing and wailing with grief, “Stop crying. She is not dead; she’s just asleep and must be awakened.”
They laughed at him, knowing for certain that she had died.
Jesus approached the body, took the girl by her hand, and called out with a loud voice, “My sleeping child, awake! Rise up!”
Instantly her spirit returned to her body and she stood up.
Jesus directed her stunned parents to give her something to eat and ordered them to tell no one what just happened.
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