SECTION XIII.

THE THIRD JOURNEY OF JESUS FROM CAPERNAUM, AND HIS RETURN ACROSS THE SEA. — THE MANIFESTATION OF THE POWER OF CHRIST OVER THE CONVULSIONS OF NATURE, THE POWER OF DEMONS, AND WAILINGS FOR THE DEAD. THE MIRACULOUS AGENCY OF CHRIST, BREAKING THROUGH THE STRONGEST OBSTACLES, AND ACHIEVING THE MOST DIFFICULT TRIUMPHS OF HIS SAVING POWER.

(Luke viii. 22-ix. 6.)

The third journey of Christ is considered by the Evangelist himself as an appendage to the second, or even as an episode in it. Therefore he says, on one of those days it began.

The question now arises, from what point of view did Luke regard the miracles of this journey as a third series, as higher manifestations of the power of Jesus, surpassing those of the second? The first act of the second series is a restoration from the dead; the second act of the third series is the healing of the demoniac at Gadara. Now it is here manifest, that the first miracle is greater than the last. It appears, therefore, at first sight, as if the transposition made by the Evangelist had no object; at least, not that of presenting the miracles in such an order, that a continuous gradation should be discernible. If, however, we look more closely, we shall find that the facts of this series possess in common, special, well-defined, characteristic features, which, in a certain sense, stamp them as miracles of the highest grade.

The first consists in this, that in all these cases, Jesus has not to do with the pure manifestation of any particular affliction, but with sufferings which (with the exception of the healing of the woman with an issue of blood, which does not here occupy a place of first importance) assumed the character of commotion. The second is, that He performs these miracles amidst great moral hindrances and obstructions.

The first miracle is the stilling of the storm. Jesus embarked in a ship with His disciples, and commanded them to pass over to the other side of the lake. During the voyage He fell asleep. Meanwhile, there came down a storm of wind on the lake, the weaves broke over the ship, and they were in jeopardy. The disciples helplessly left their work, hastened to Jesus, and awoke Him with the words, 'Master, Master, we perish! 'Then He arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water; and they were silenced. The wind and the sea were still. On this He reproved His disciples, saying unto them, 'Where is your faith? 'But they, filled with wonder and fear, said one to another, 'What manner of man is this? for He commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey Him! 'The greatness of this miracle did not alone consist in this, that He suddenly silenced the commotion of nature; but also in this, that He silenced it, notwithstanding the great obstruction offered to Him in the despondency of His disciples. We know of what significance

for His miraculous agency was the faith of those who sought His help. Even here, certainly, this faith was not altogether awanting; the disciples took refuge in Him. But they were wanting, nevertheless, in the proper composure and confidence of faith. The Lord had to contend at once with the commotion of nature and with the commotion in their hearts. He accomplished the miracle against a counteracting frame of mind in those who stood by Him and needed His help. In spite of the powerful reaction, caused by the excitement in the hearts of all the disciples, He accomplished the miracle, in the faithfulness of His own heart, altogether alone. This miracle is nothing less than the deliverance of the seed of His Church — of the Church itself in her germ.

The same special features are possessed by the history of the second miracle. They now sailed across to the country of the Gadarenes. Immediately on His landing, there met Him out of the city a man who had been possessed with devils for a long time, — a man who endured no clothing on his body, who would not dwell in any house, but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, 'What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God most high? I beseech Thee, torment me not.' These utterances attest the complete inward contradiction into which the sufferer had been thrown by the Lord. For He had already commanded the unclean spirit to come out of him; — instigated thereto by compassion, the Evangelist seems further to hint — for the evil spirit had for a long time dragged the man forth at his pleasure; and he had been bound with chains and fetters, but he was wont to break the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.

As the devil did not at once take his departure, Jesus asked him, 'What is thy name? 'And he said, 'Legion,' because many devils — in reality — were entered into him. On this they besought Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss (ἀπελθεῖν) . Further, they asked Him that He would suffer them to enter into a large herd of swine, which were feeding on the mountain. This request He granted; and they entered into the swine, and the herd rushed violently down the steep declivity of the mountain into the lake, and were choked.

Thus did the Lord also here triumph over a great commotion of demons, who, immediately on His reaching the strange coast, came storming down to meet Him, in the person of the raging demoniac.

But where is to be found here the counter-working principle in the heart — the spirit? This appears in what follows. When the herdsmen saw all that was done, they fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. Then the people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus, and saw the man who was healed sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, at the feet of Jesus — therefore already under His teaching — and they were filled with fear. The eye-witnesses narrated to them how the demoniac had been healed. Then the whole multitude of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes besought Him to depart from them, for they were taken with great fear.

This was the great obstruction under which He had performed this miracle. No man had accompanied the raging demoniac, who was scourged by so many spiritual plagues. No one had made intercession for him: he himself had, in his raging fury, met the Lord. In this helplessness of the suffering man, the Lord must have already inwardly discerned the character of a people, who soon afterwards, on account of the loss of the swine, besought Him, as speedily as possible, to take His departure from among them. Notwithstanding this frame of mind on their part, the Lord healed the demoniac. This is then the special greatness of this second miracle. He drives a legion of devils into the abyss, even there, where the loss of their swine lies nearer to the heart of the people than the wants of the suffering, and the Saviour Himself.

Where, however, in this case, is the point to which He can attach the exercise of His divine power? His eye alone observed the ray of light in the night of the sufferer (a point which has escaped most expositors), which manifested itself in the man hastening to meet Him, falling down before Him, and testifying to His divine dignity, in spite of the wild, raging words with which he at the same time assailed Him. How powerful the nature of the man must have been, is shown by the enormous energy which displayed itself in his state of possession, and by the multitude of spirits who ruled him, according to their several characters. It is shown also by the sequel. When, namely, the Lord again entered into the ship, in order to take His departure, the man out of whom the devils had been cast besought Him that he might accompany Him. As, in the paroxysm of his cure, he had helped to the destruction in Israel of the forbidden practice of swine-feeding, he seemed now to have no more pleasure in a land which banished his deliverer. Jesus, however, dismissed him with the words, 'Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee.' And he went, and did indeed proclaim throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him, — in spite of the chagrin which might still fill the city on account of the deed of Jesus, and partly also might turn against himself.

In the third case, it was the spirit of grief which caused a commotion against the Lord, and which He had to subdue, in order to afford His miraculous help. On this side of the sea, the Lord, on His return, was received by a multitude of the people; for they all waited for His arrival. And scarcely had He appeared, when a man named Jairus, a ruler even of the synagogue, came to Him, and fell down at His feet, beseeching Him that He would come into his house. For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as He went, He was thronged by the accompanying multitude, and it was a multitude of people who reverenced Him. In this instance there seemed to be no lack of sympathizing and susceptible hearts. How much must it have rejoiced Him, that a ruler of a synagogue, in the considerable city of Capernaum, humbly cast himself down before Him, and gave testimony to His divine power, hoping to find help from Him, for one who was even at the point of death! On this occasion, however, the obstacle was of another sort. One sufferer appeared now to hinder Him from bringing help to another. That was a woman, who had suffered twelve years from an issue of blood, and who had spent all her substance on physicians, but could be healed of none. She came behind Him and touched the border of His garment; and immediately her issue of blood stanched. And Jesus said, 'Who touched Me? 'and seemed disposed to institute a formal examination,— therefore to make a long delay. — When all denied, Peter and his companions remarked, 'Master, the multitude throng Thee and press Thee, and Thou sayest still, Who touched Me? 'They understood not that the gentle touch of one person could exercise a greater influence on the Lord than the dull pressing and crowding of whole masses of men. And Jesus said, 'Somebody hath touched Me; for I perceive that virtue (power) is gone out of Me.' And now the woman perceiving that she could not be hid, came trembling, and fell down before Him, and declared unto Him before all the people for what cause she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. Jesus dismissed her with the words, 'Be comforted, my daughter; thy faith hath made thee whole: go in peace.'

The solicitude of the woman was so great, her cure so important, the circumstances which attended it so remarkable, that in reflecting on these things, one might easily in some measure lose out of view the dying daughter in the house of Jairus. And the Lord seemed thoroughly to acquiesce in this delay. He had, however, scarcely spoken the last words, when the message of death arrived. Perhaps some bitterness of feeling against Jesus might conceal itself in the words, 'Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master further! 'A quite different reception, however, awaited Him still in the house of Jairus. But that did not deter Him. 'Fear not,' He said: 'believe only, and she shall be made whole.' Thus they came to the house. He suffered no one to go in with Him, save the three trusted disciples, Peter, James, and John, together with the father and the mother of the maiden. He was met, however, by those who bewailed and lamented the child. And when He called to them, 'Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth,' they laughed Him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. The weepers met Him with laughter. Spirits filled with grief laughed Him to scorn. This was the commotion among the slaves of death, who would bar His entrance into the realms of the dead. But as He had triumphantly broken through that obstruction. He now also annihilated the ban of this disconsolate laughter, and urged His way through to the departed child. He did this in a solemn act, driving all the mourners forth. Then He took the maiden by the hand, and called, saying, 'Maid, arise! 'And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway; and He commanded to give her meat. Her parents were beside themselves; but He, with the greatest composure and calmness, commanded them that they should tell no man what had been done — desecrating the mystery of that act.

That He, in the affluence of His gifts, put aside the hindrances opposed to Him in the domain of disease, although He felt every distress belonging to this domain, in order to carry His help into the realm of death itself; and that He here restored the life of a youthful maiden, amidst the laughter and the lamentations of hopeless, unthinking, dull, and heavy grief: in these, the glory of His miraculous power was revealed.

And on this occasion also, He combined the message of the Gospel with His mighty deeds. He did so by calling the twelve apostles together, and furnishing them for the work, that they might labour with Him. He gave them power and authority (the power of right) over all devils, and — the gift — to cure diseases; and sent them out to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick, with the direction following: 'Take nothing for the journey, neither staff, nor scrip, nor bread, nor money, neither have two coats apiece. And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide; and from thence again take your departure. And whosoever will not receive you, departing out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.' And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the Gospel, and healing (the sick and the demoniacs) everywhere.

Thus, all at once, the Lord extended the circle of Gospel proclamation, both by word and deed, in an extraordinary degree. In the place of one. He caused to go forth twelve preachers of the kingdom of heaven, in order to spread abroad His doctrine and His blessing.

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