# Mark Chapter 5
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## Summary
In this chapter Jesus travels across the sea and heals a man with a demon. This results in the death of over 2000 pigs and as a result, the towns folk are alarmed, and beg him to leave. When Jesus returns across the sea he is approach by Jarius one of the rulers of the synagogue who asks him to heal his daughter. Jesus agrees to go with but the crowd press round on all sides. Jesus is touched by a woman who has been bleeding for many years and she is healed. Jesus acknowledges this and how her faith has healed her. Jesus arrives at Jarius house and the household believes that she is dead. Jesus goes in and commands the little girl to arise which she does.

## Imagery and Themes

The theme of this chapter might be best articulated as '*Jesus makes clean*'. The demon possessed man is described as a man with an *unclean* spirit. These ultimately depart from him into pigs which are considered unclean animals that subsequently drown themselves (all 2000 of them) in the sea. This suggests we are in an *unclean* gentile region, given it would have been unusual fora Jew to keep pigs because of the hygiene laws.

On a different angle,  The sea represents chaos, change and renewal. God parts the waters of chaos to plant a garden [Gen 1:9-12](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+1%3A9-12&version=ESV), or to deliver his people out of Egypt [Exo 14:21-25](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+14%3A21-25&version=ESV). Yet here the opposite occurs, the water covers or purges the pigs that contain the unclean spirits resulting in death. Parallels seem to exist here with the 'cleansing' of the land during the time of Noah.

We see this clean unclean dynamic present also for the woman with the condition that caused her to discharge blood for 12 years. Despite the press of the crowd around her Jesus is conscious that she has been healed and validates this publicly. Whilst he is still doing so Mark tells us (immediacy is another theme of this particular gospel) that Jarius daughter has died. Bearing in mind that the hygiene laws are clear around being present in the same room as a corpse. Jesus still enters the house, enters the room and takes action to health the little girl. Be it man, woman or child Jesus takes action to make clean.

Interestingly in contrast to his actions so far Jesus instructs the demon possessed man to tell others what God has done for him, yet strictly charges Jarius household not to tell others what has occurred. I wonder if the reason for doing so is to deliberately conceal. Certainly Jarius and his entire household are reputable witnesses. Yet is the man formerly known as legion? Undoubtely stigma is likely to follow him due to his physical appearance (the guy cut himself with stones) and the social implications of his earlier actions. Those kind of memories don't go away in the memories of his local community. As such one does wonder if Jesus is not intentional in his attempts to conceal his identity.