Why Did Jesus Say "Give Her Something To Eat"?

maja-petric-vGQ49l9I4EE-unsplashPicture a scene with me.

Your beloved daughter has been horribly sick. It has swallowed up every bit of your time, your resources, and your mental energy. And rightly so. She’s your baby girl. She’s your world.

A couple days ago you had a glimmer of hope. You’d heard word of this new treatment that would cure her. One sip of this medicine would cause the darkness of disease to flee and vibrant life would once again course through her precious little veins.

The husband goes to procure this medicine. But it’s too late. She dies before he gets back home. When he comes back–cure in hand–sorrow piles upon sorrow. What good does this do know? It’s presence is almost an insult.

Someone suggests to try the elixir. Maybe it’ll still work…no…that’s ridiculous…that’s insulting…it’s damaging to have such a foolish hope…No tonic can raise the dead…

I’ve shared the story this way to help us enter into the emotion of the moment. It’s the story of Jairus’ little girl. And the potion isn’t some strange brew forged from some rare herb, the “fixer” is the Lord Jesus.

And what happens next in the story is astonishing. It separates him from tonic and tincture. He’s the life giver. He is the source of life itself. And he imparts this life into the little girl.

Pause for a moment.

Feel the hope captivating the room. Drink in the deep wells of joy springing up because your deepest pain encounters life instead of death. Soak up the life in this story.

Euphoria.

Floating on the clouds…dancing on mountaintops…

This is what life with Jesus is like…

Then…thud!

“Y’all should fix her some breakfast!”

Okay, that’s not his exact words. He says “give her something to eat.” But it doesn’t seem to belong here. I’m reading this story and dancing and experiencing the jubilation of life swallowing up death. Why say this?

The gospel writers have a ton of material to cover here. A lifetime of things that Jesus did and said, why do we need this little detail? They could have just left us in the elation. Why let us know that Jesus said, “give her something to eat.”

I think in part it has to do with showing that this is a real and authentic healing. We aren’t talking about ghosts or zombies. Commentaries, if they mention anything at all, tend to focus on that point as well as highlighting Jesus’ love and care for the girl. That’s all well and true, but I want to highlight something else it is doing; namely, thrusting the delightful back into the ordinary. A miraculous encounter with Jesus puts them right back into the everyday rhythms of life.

My spiritual heritage comes from those who took these words from William Carey as their mantra:

Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.

It’s beautiful and true and good. After all, we are talking about the raising of a dead girl from death to life. Ephesians 1:19 and 3:20-21 merge to form the heart of Carey’s quote. God is doing great things–and at times extraordinary things.

But they are extraordinary. Most of our life is lived around breakfast and building and braiding and bookkeeping and the occasional mouthwatering barbecue. And this little story is a reminder that Jesus lives there too.

Talitha cumi aren’t the only life giving words of Jesus.

So also is “take and eat”.

The everyday and the miraculous. The beautiful and the boring. Christ is present–and this makes all moments marked with wonder, so long as we too are present to enjoy them.

Photo source: here

One of The Weirdest Articles I’ve Ever Written

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Okay, this post is going to be incredibly weird for a moment. I’m warning you up front. Oh please, please, please—don’t skim this and do read all the way to the end…I’m risking a moment of sounding like a total weirdo because I believe it’s going to teach you an important principle in biblical interpretation.

Okay. Let’s just get the weird sentence out of the way first.

Did you know that Proverbs 12:10 teaches us that if you’re righteous you’ll have sexual relations with your animal?

Let me show you why I say that.

Proverbs 12:10 says this: “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.” The word that is translated “regard” is the Hebrew word יָדַע yāḏaʿ. It means “to know”. Do you know where else we see that word in the Bible?

“Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain…” (Genesis 4:1)

“Cain knew his wife…” (Genesis 4:17)

The same word is used in Proverbs 12:10 that is used in Genesis 4 as a euphemism for having sexual relations between a man and a woman. SAME WORD!!!!

*I’m giving you that really long charismatic preacher pause as if the Lord has just revealed some mighty insight to me…something that took years of deep study in the original languages to find…*

Of course, this is not only disgusting it’s also an example of poor biblical interpretation. Just because a word means something somewhere doesn’t mean it carries that same meaning elsewhere. The nerdy term for this is illegitimate totality transfer. I think it was first coined by James Barr, in his landmark work Semantics of Biblical Language. Illegitimate totality transfer assumes that all the uses that occur at a given time apply in any given instance.

I share this rather ridiculous example because sometimes being absolutely foolish like this can help us see the danger of something. And this is especially a danger when we’ve got access to a resource like Blue Letter Bible or a Hebrew/Greek lexicon and maybe a Strong’s resource to boot. The overzealous student finds a word in the original and does a “word study” on that word. What that means it that you find all the uses of that word and then you shove each of those passages and all of their meaning into the Scripture you’re studying.

You likely understand this concept in English. Take something as simple as the word love. If someone tells me they love pickles, I’m probably not going to be waiting for an invitation to a wedding. (Unless of course Pickles happens to be the name of his new girlfriend). I know not to load every possible meaning of “love” into their propensity for pickle consumption.

Greek and Hebrew works the same way. Many words have a broad semantic range. So, when it says Adam yada’d his wife Eve and we’re also told to yada Fido, they clearly mean two different things. That’s why it is helpful translated something like “regard”. Because the word has a broad range of meaning.

We determine that meaning based on context. And frankly, common sense. If you’re translation of a passage has you pondering bestiality, you should definitely go back to the drawing board.

I share this silly, and really rather horrible, example of biblical interpretation gone wrong to warn you against doing “word studies” without caution. I’ll close with this warning from Ryan Martin:

Resist the urge to treat words—even key words like faith or justification—as if they were variables in a math equation. Think of words in terms of their function and usage, and don’t pull a word out of its context in order to determine its meaning. Conversely, reflect on how that word is being used within its context. (source)

If you want to see Word Studies done well, consider these from The Bible Project.

That picture is the popular meme of crazy conspiracy theory map guy. It fits. That’s often what happens with some of these word studies. And oddly enough the same thinking tends to lend itself to conspiracy theories too.

I’ve started a new project called Proverbs4Today. They are daily devotionals from the Proverbs. If you find this article helpful, you might consider checking out our newest project: Proverbs4Today. 

Vending Machine Jesus

victoriano-izquierdo-JG35CpZLfVs-unsplashGod isn’t a genie. He’s not some passive deity who responds to our every whim—dispensing answers to our deepest wishes. He’s not a cosmic vending machine where we put in our quarters, hit the correct button, and then enjoy the soda or candy bar we purchased.

I carry that theology with me into Mark 5.

Jairus, he’s my dude. He does it correctly. He has a desperate need, he makes a passionate request, falling at his needs and imploring Jesus to act. That’s not treating Jesus like a vending machine. It’s treating Him like the sovereign He is.

And Jesus, no doubt impressed by this dude’s faith and respect, goes along with Jairus to provide healing for his daughter. But he’s interrupted by this great crowd.

Mark stops his story about Jairus to tell us about one of those in the crowd. It’s a woman who is as desperate as Jairus. But that’s about all they have in common. They are on different ends of the social, religious, and economic ladder. Jairus is a powerful dude. She’s simply “a woman”…a woman that is ritually unclean, filled with shame, slinking in the shadows, and flat broke with a massive pile of medical bills.

The Bleeding Woman’s Theology

What she does next shows how sharply her theology diverges from mine. Mark tells us that she comes up behind him (a sneak attack) and touched his garment. And then Mark exposes her horrible theology, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.”

That’s magical and superstitious thinking. Vending machine theology. She has Jesus in an entirely passive role. She doesn’t care about relationship. She isn’t even acknowledging him. Her love of Jesus seems about as profound as my love for the outlet I found when my phone’s batter is at 1%. It’s entirely transactional.

But it works. I’m not sure why Mark tells us this. It’d be much better for my theology if she’d have come up empty. “God isn’t some impersonal force you can tap into, lady! If you want help from Jesus take the path of Jairus.” But Mark doesn’t seem to care about my theological assumptions.

Jesus stops and begins this passionate pursuit for who touched Him. I’m glad that He seems a bit more concerned about my theology than sloppy Mark. He’s certainly seeking her out to rebuke her. She “stole” a blessing. She hopped the fence. She didn’t do things the right way.

Jesus doesn’t have to search for long. The woman comes up before Jesus, falls down before him, and tells the whole truth. Good for her.

I’m grabbing my popcorn now. Waiting to hear Jesus’ theology lesson. Maybe point to Jairus as an example of how we approach the living God.

*crickets*

What Are You Doing Mark?

Sometimes Scripture speaks loudly by what it doesn’t say. There is no rebuke. In fact, there is vindication. He doesn’t say to her, “My power has made you well.” What are you doing, Mark!?!?!?

Jesus’ power calms the storm.

Jesus’ power calms the ravaged mind of the Gerasene demoniac.

Jesus’ power will raise Jarius’ daughter from the dead.

Daughter’s faith makes her well.

He’s vindicating her. I appreciate these words of Charles Powell:

This is the only woman whom Jesus addressed directly as “Daughter.” This endearing address suggests that Jesus accepted her as she was, in spite of what she had done. Jesus received this impure but courageous woman and made her feel special. In the presence of the crowd He announced that it was her faith that had saved her. [Charles E. Powell, “The ‘Passivity’ of Jesus in Mark 5:25–34,” Bibliotheca Sacra 162 (2005): 74.]

Conclusion

This little story makes a wreck of my theological assumptions. Now, don’t get me wrong. They aren’t entirely wrong. Jesus’ having sought her out is significant. It shows us that He’s more concerned with relationship than a transactional healing. He’s not a distant and detached Savior. As James Edwards as said, “Discipleship is not simply getting our needs met; it is being in the presence of Jesus, being known by him, and following him.” (Edwards, Mark, 165). Daughter needed to learn this lesson, as we all do.

But there is a desperation here that we need to embrace. There is a boldness to grabbing ahold of Jesus. And there is also a beauty in the fact that Jesus doesn’t rebuke this but actually encourages it. Sure, it doesn’t fit neatly into my theological assumptions. But we absolutely must make room for this faith. We must let Mark do what he is doing here.

He is highlighting this woman’s faith, a faith that seems to edge on vending machine faith, but one that is desperate and sees in Jesus at least a possible answer for what plagues her.

Photo source: here

Why’d The Pigs Have to Die?

pascal-debrunner-b-zyMn_e_R4-unsplashOne of my favorite stories in the Bible is the story of Jesus healing the Gerasene demoniac. It’s a beautiful picture of Jesus’ redemption. (See here)

But there is one question that always comes up with this story. It centers around Mark 5:13. Jesus casts the legion of demons out of the man, and they beg to be thrown into pigs. Here is what happens as a result:

“So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.”

Why’d the pigs have to die? Doesn’t that seem a bit unnecessary to the story? Is it not cruel? And what about these farmers whose livelihood is now impacted by losing 2000 pigs?

I’ll offer an answer to that today. First, we have to see that this is meant to tell us something about the demonic.

What Does This Tell Us About Demons?

Mark sets this story right after Jesus calms the chaotic sea. Who is this man that he can bring calm to the meteorological chaos? How can He speak and calm the raging sea? Who is this guy?

And then Jesus steps onto the shore and is immediately met with more chaos. This time it isn’t the chaotic sea, it’s the chaos of a mind broken by demon possession. We see woven throughout this text that demons are destructive. They are also unbounded. Just as humanity seemed paralyzed at the raging sea, so now they are just as impotent against the unbridled power of the brokenness in this man.

What, then, do you think is going to happen to pigs if they are demon-possessed? Chaos. What happens when our enemy gets his way is chaos and destruction with the aim at dethroning God and destroying us. That is what God, through Mark, wants us to see here.

But it also tells us something about Jesus. When we see the previously broken man now clothed and in his right mind, it shows the power of Jesus. There was always a human in there somewhere. Some how the image of God remained—and Jesus threw back the chaos and pulled out the imago Dei.

It tells us about the beauty of redemption. But it also paints another picture as well.

What Does This Tell Us About Redemption?

It’s not only the demonic that can be destructive. Redemption can also be destructive.

It might help us to think about Luke here. He tells this story right after his parable of the soils. Consider the soils. What would need to happen for the seed to take root on the path? You’d have to plow it up. Hard hearts need broken up. You think that isn’t going to hurt? You think that isn’t going to bring some change and some tough questions. You better believe it will. The same is true with rock removal and eliminating a thorn bush. That’s going to be painful. It’s going to require sacrifice.

Why, then, does Mark tell us about the farmers response? Why not just let that little fact from history be buried? It’d be easier to just leave these at some random pigs. But Mark highlights the fear of the townspeople. Why?

It’s to highly a sad and painful aspect of the story. The townspeople are afraid of Jesus’ power. They are afraid of what it would mean and all that they might lose if they follow Jesus. Jesus is a farm wrecker. He’ll destroy your livelihood and kill your pigs.

That’s what the townspeople had to wrestle with. Those are the bare facts here. They see a guy who was so broken and so destructive that they had to treat him even lower than a pig. And now they see him clothed and in his right mind.

But his redemption was costly.

Is it worth it?

Is it more important for Jesus to be rescuing and restoring humanity and booting out all sin and unbelief of the kingdom OR your farm, economic prosperity, etc.? Do you want your thorn bush or the kingdom of God?

If they see the value in Jesus, they’ll invite him to stay. Burn it all to the ground, if you must! Whatever isn’t of the kingdom, then throw it over the cliffs. Tear down all that we’ve built with our hands. And rebuild it all for your glory.

The Holy Spirit, through His servant Mark, wants to confront us with that question. Would you boot Jesus out of your town? ‌

Why’d the pigs have to die? Because that’s what the demonic does. And we need to know that. Humanity cast our lot with darkness and this is part of the consequence. We also need to know and see that redemption is costly. And we need to be pressed into those painful decisions. What’s more valuable? A pig farm or redemption?

What will you do with Jesus today?

Photo source: here