The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 215

could not get over that. They thought far the focus, so to speak, of his preaching and more of the worldly lose than of the miracles. When Jesus returned, a great epirituo.l gain; and they began to beeeeoh him multitude wa.a gathered unto him ; and he to depart from their borders. Bt. Luke ( viii, we.s by the sea. St. Luke says that the 87) so.ye that" they were taken (auvelxoll'l'o} people welcomed him, for they were e.11 [literally, taere h.olden] with great fear." waiting for him. Again he placed himself Thie we.e the dominant feeling. They did by the sea, probably for the convenience ol not entreat him to depart out of humility, addressing a multitude, and of relieving as though they felt themselves unworthy of himself of the pressure, as before, by taking his presence; but out of 8ervile, elavi11h fear, refuge in a boat. lest his continued presence among them Vere. 22, 23.-0ne of the rulers of the might bring upon them still greater )osses. synagogue, J'a.irns by name. He appears to They saw that Jesus, e. Jew accord1Dg to he.ve been one of the "college of elders," the flesh, was holy, powerful, Divine. But who administered the affairs of the syno.- tliey knew that they were Gentiles, aliens gogue. The name J airue, or " Ya-eiros," is from the commonwealth of Israel. Where- probably the Greek form of the Hebrew fore they feared lest he should punish Jair, "he will illuminate." He fell at them more grievously, both on account of his feet, and besought him greatly; it is their being Gentiles and on account of liteully (,,+,r-re, ,cal ,r<1pmf.>..e1), he falleth at their past sine. It wo.s not, therefore, so his feet, and beseecheth him. We picture him much on account of hatred, o.e out of e. to ourselves, me.king his we.y through the timorous fear, that they besought Jesus that crowd, and as he approached Jesus, kneeling he would depart out of their borders. down, and then bending hie head towards Vere. 18-20.-And as he was entering him, until hie forehead touched the ground. into the boat, he the.t had been possessed My little daughter is at the point of death. with devils besought him that he might St. Matthew says," is even now den.cl;" St. be with him, It was no.tural that he should Luke says, "she Jay e. dying." The broken desire this. It would be grateful and sooth- sentences of the father a.re very true to ing to him to be near to Christ, from whom nature. All the expressions point to the he ho.d received so great e. benefit and yet ea.me conclusion, that she was in articv.lo hoped for more. And he suffered him not, mortis. In each narrative the ruler is re- but saith unto him, Go to thy house unto presented as asking that Christ would hasten thy friends, and tell them how great things to his house. He he.d not reached the the Lord hath done for thee. Our Lord higher faith of the Gentile centurion, here to.kee e. different course from whe.t he "Speak the word only." eo often took. He saw, no doubt, that this Ver. 24.-And 'he went (,cal a.,rij.\8e µ.e-r' restored demonie.o was fitted for missionary au-rov)-literally, and he went away 1Dith him work ; and there was no reason to appre- -and II great multitude followed him, and hend any inconvenience to himself in con- they thronged him (auvi8.\,/3ov av-rJv); liter- sequence from e. people who wished to get ally, pressed close upon him, compressed him. rid of him. And he went his way, and Thie is mentioned purposely by St. Mo.rk, began to publish in Decapolis-in Decapolis, on account of who.t follows. St. Mo.tthew ,.e. through the whole dietriot of the ten says (ix. 19), "And Jesus arose, and so did hia cities-how great things ;Jesus had done for disciples." Observe here the promptitude of him. Thie would bring him into contact Christ to assist the o.fllicted. St. Chrysostom a.like with Gentiles o.nd with Jews; and so suggests that our Lord purposely interposed this dispossessed demonitLc beco.me o. mis- some delay, by hea.ling, 11s be went, the eiono.ry to both Jew and Gentile. Here he woman with 1110 issue of blood, in order that plo.n ted the standard of the cross. tbe actual dti1.1th of Jairus's daughter might Ver. 21.-Jesue now crosses over the sea to.ke place ; and that so there might be full age.in, and o.ppo.rently in the so.me boe.t, to demonstration of his resurrection power. the other side, the opposite shore, near to Vere. 25, 2G.-A woman, which had an issue Co.pemaum. St. Matthew (iv. 13) distinctly of blood twelve years. All the synoptic tells us that he had left Nazareth, a.nd we.a Gospels mention the length of time duriug- now dwelling at Capemo.um, thus fulfilling which she had been suffering. Eusebius the ancient prophecy with regard to Zebulnn records e. tradition the.t she wa.a a Gentile, and Nephthalim. The circumntances under 11 native of Creso.ree. Philippi. This disease which he quit!Aid Nazareth 1ue given by was a chronio hcemorrho.ge, for which she St. Luke (iv. 16-Sl). St. M1\tthew (ix. 1) hud found no relief from the physicians. co.Us Capemaum hie own city. Thus e.s Lightfoot, in his 'Horii! Hebro.icw,' gives a Christ enuobled Bethlehem by hie birth, list of the remedies npplied in such ce.eee, No.zo.reth by his education, ancl Jerueo.lem wbic-h seem quite rnllicient to o.ccount for by hie death, so Le honoll.l'ed Ce.peme.um St. Mnrk'd stutcmcnt that sbo WI\S nothing by mnking it bis ordinnry residence, and bettered, but rather i:-rew worse. St. Luke. 212 THE G-OSPEL ACCORDING 'I'O ST, MARK. [oH, V, 1-48,