Vers. 22-56.-..4. group of m!'.railee. The mother Rnd brethren of Jesus had trird i~ va_in. to in~rfere with the importl\~t work \n wh~ch he was eugag_od ; he olung to his dmnples as the real members of his FRther s fa.,nly. Aud so we tind his cnrl'er ae a merciful Miracle-worker continuing. We have hero a group of notable mimclos • it was, as Godet s1 1ggests, the culmination of his miraculous work, Nature hun'.ian naturo, and death yield to his authority in their order. ' I. SAFETY IN THE 1wc1ETY OF JEsus. (\' ers. 22-25.) The di~ciplcR Rnd Jesus had embarked to vioit the country of the Gadarenes. His object in doing so, as we shall preseutly see, was to re>1eue from diabolical possession a single soul. But to rescue this ~oul th<'y had all to pass through storms in crossing. It was surely worth all the risk they ran I 'l'he '\ll'eary Sa,·iour fell Mleep soon after embarking, and it was while he was sleeping th~ stor~ arose in ~ature, and the storm of fe:\r in the souls of the disciples. It argued little faith on their part to suppose that they were in danger when boside them is the sleeping Christ. Yet so it W!IB. Jesus me.y lead his people into danger, but he always shares it with them, and le1tds them in duo time out of it. No sooner do they appeal to him to save them from perishing, than he arises, rebukes the wind ancl the wave, so that, contrary to custom, there is an immediate calm; and then proceeds to rebuke the storm within their souls, and make all these also to be peace. In this way our Lord showed his sovereignty over nature, e.nd his sovereignty over man. He can rebuke "the noit1e of thtir see.s, the noise of their waves, e.nd the tumult of the people" (Ps. lxv. 7). No wonder the.t the strangers who were in the boat with the dis- ciples were astonishtd at One \\'ho could command wind and wave, and they obeyed him I IL JESUS THE MIKISTEB TO MINDS DISEASED. (Vere. 26--40.) In the greatest peace the dieciples &nd their Master approached the shore. But here a more terrible storm confronted him-the ruania of the poor possessed one. "The beloved physician," who writes this Gospel, brings out the characterisrics of the mania as a phybician would.1 No sooner does the case present itself to Jesus, than be commands the devil to depart from him. No protest on the part of the unclean tenant avails; the spirit aud his companions a.re compelled to prepare for departure. They bargain hard not to be sent "into the abyss" ( ••s .,.:i,., fz.f)vuuov), where their final doom awe.its them, and, as an altternative, ask to be permitted to enter into an a,ljoining herd of swine. This associa- tion of evil spirits with &nimals is illustrated in the Edenio temptation, e.nd it may account for the reign of terror in the geoiogic time,.• The possession of the animals may be different from that of a moral being like man, as Godet suggests ; yet it shows surely the sensuafum into which evil spirit~ can descend. The prodigal son only desired t.o sati,d'y himself with the swinish life; but these demons actually made the experiment (cf. eh. xv. 16). But now the swine, reinforced by the devils, rush madly onwarJ.s to the sea, and perish in the waters. The result is that one human being is delivered from hiB mania, while a herd of swine are sacrificed. If such an Bltemative is presented, there can be no doubt as to the decision. Better that all the swine in the world should perish, if as the result a single human soul is delivered from hi, ment.al diseQBe. Hence the wretched souls, who came from the city and lamented tLe lose of the swine instead of rejoicing in the cure of the demoniac, show thereby tLat they deserved the judgment which had overtaken them. Jesus can "minister to minds diseased;" he can bring the maniac to his right mind again; and he can cure us of the inl!anity of sin and have us sitting clothed at his feet and anxious to be with him evermore. When, besides, the Gadarenes desire hie departure, he cau make arrangement.s for wit[JeBB-bearing, BO that when he returns after a time, tho unwilling people shall be fouud ~ have renounced _their unwillingness and to gladly welcome him. So may we all witness among our friends t.o the power of our Lord. IlL TnB TOUCH or .,. AITH. (Vere. 43:-48.) We have next to notice tlLci healing of the 1 Of. Hobll.rt'1 'Medical Language of St. Luke,' pp. 13, 14 i also Trenoh on 'Th.
'Miraclea.' V· 171, etc. s Qf. &rsier'1 • La Solida.ri~,' p. 119. OR, IX, 1-62,] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. 231
woman with the i~sue of blood. This was the solitary miracle where faith anticipates our Lord's consent, nnd finds healing through the touch of bis garment. Havin~ pre- s,·nted herHelf so orten to the physicinne, she in this cMe refuses to obtrude upon his notice, but thinks she will escape in the crowd. But our Lord, perceiving that from his sacred Person healing power had flowed, inqnires for the patient, who in due season comes and confesses all. B11t she has been brought before him that he might convey to her the lessou. that it was her faith, and not a mere physical touch, which had saved her. That is to say, the process was moral, and not merely pby~ical. And surely this case of the issue of blood is to represent certain aspects of sin. It is a drain upon the moral system which man cannot stannch. But once we look to Jesus by faith and touch the hem of his garment, we are instantly healed, and power begins "gain to rise within us. We ought not to let our vital power be undermined when such a Saviour is at hand to heal us I IV. THE AWAKENING OF THE DEAD. (Vera. 41, 42,49-56.) This case of res'lrrection- power presents Jesus in the culmination of his miraculous work. 'The command of nature and of human nature is important, but still more magnificent is the command of death, the power to enter into the gloomy realm, and there assert one's authority. This is what Jesus (ioes. He is humbly asked by Jairns to come to his dying daughter. He finds that he has to face the little daughter already dread. The father, ready to despair, is told to "believe only, and she shall be made whole." He believed, and lo I he found ,in Jesus One who could awake the dead I The resurrection i, witnessed by the parents and three <lisciples--chosen witnesses. And after she is raised, he gives direction~ that she should be fed, and then that they should be silent about the miracle. He did not desire to be overwhelmed by the miraculous part of bis work, but that he might be able to give a due proportion of his attention to teaching. 1 Similarly may each of us expel'lence Chridt's resurrection-power ill our souls now, imd in our bodies alterwards.-R. M. E.
EXPOSITION.