Talitha Koum

Today I would like to look at Mark Chapter five and throw some questions out there.  For those of you two lazy to look it up, Mark 5 has three main stories in it.  The first is the story of the man possed by a demon called Legion.  Legion got its name because it was composed of many demons.  Anyway, the story goes that Jesus tells Legion to leave the man.  Legion pleads with Jesus and finally asks to be allowed to enter the herd of pigs near by.  The pigs all run into the lake and kill themselves, the farmers return to town and tell their story, Jesus is turned away from the crowd, and the man cured by Jesus is turned back to his town.  So what is the purpose of this story?  Jesus doesn't get angry at the town like He tells His disciples to do when they are rejected.  In fact, Jesus turns away the man that he healed so that he can try to bring the good news to the town.  Why is this town so different?  Another thing, Jesus gave into the demon and allowed it to go into the herd of pigs.  Why is this?  I have a theory for this one.  I feel that Jesus here is trying to demonstrate His teaching of love your enemies, but that theory could be wrong.  

The next story in Mark is of a lady who suffered constant bleeding for twelve years.  She spent everything she had on doctors but none could heal her.  Word of Jesus reached her ear and she decided to give things one last go.  Following Jesus throw the crowd she managed to touch the hem of His cloak.  It was recorded that "immediately He felt the healing power go out of Him" and he turned around to see who had touched him.  "Who touched my robe?" He demanded.  Now I;m not sure how He said it but Jesus almost sounded angry, at least how I am reading it.  Then the woman steps forward, with a very sorrowful look on her face I can imagine, and says I did it.  Immediately Jesus seems to have mood swing, and says "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace.  Your suffering is over."  Once again we are left with some questions.  What is the significance of this passage?  Well for that we can see that faith is really all that it takes, and this passage does a good job of describing that.  Why was Jesus so angry (or at least so it seemed to me, and i could be completely wrong) that someone had touched the hem of his cloak?

The final story in this chapter is about the little girl of a leader of a synagogue.  The girl was horribly sick and the father came to Jesus asking him to save her.  On route to the father's home the child dies, but Jesus ends up saving her.  Yadda yadda yadda, the moral is never give up hope.  My real question is in the way that Jesus tells the daughter to awaken.  "Talitha koum" he said, which is arabic for "little girl, get up."  Why did Jesus use that phrase, in that language.  As far as I am concerned it is the only time the bible records a specific phrase Jesus used.  So what is so special about it?  

I posed a lot of questions in this post and not a lot of answers.  If you have an answer to any of these I ask that you could impart your knowledge to me.  I would like to know.

Until next time

Godspeed