SECTION VIII.

THE ENHANCED MANIFESTATION OF THE GLORY OF CHRIST BY MIGHTY MIRACLES, IN WHICH HE REVEALS HIS DOMINION OVER THE POWERS OF NATURE, THE KINGDOM OF SPIRITS, THE DOMAIN OF THE MOST CONCEALED SUFFERINGS, AND OVER THE POWER OF DEATH ITSELF.

(Mark. iv. 35-v.)

The power of Christ had thus even already to contend with a great and resolute opposition amongst His people. It was repelled by a large sphere of unsusceptibility, and permitted itself to be repelled by this, because it was a holy power, which would not break through all resistance as mere omnipotence, but, with the delicate unobtrusiveness of the Holy Spirit, in the presence of a spirit of wanton malice or outrage, withdrew within itself. But the more it was thus repelled by the hierarchical sphere, the more powerfully did it manifest itself in the circle of susceptible souls. "We see therefore why, just at the present juncture, an enhanced display of His glory should take place. He discovers Himself in a series of mighty wonders, as Lord over the tempestuous kingdom of nature, over the dark domain of spirits, over the calm world of secret suffering, and over the deep valley of death.

That day also on which He had discoursed to the people the great parables, when the shades of evening had already begun to descend, was His day's work not yet at an end. Calling His disciples to Him, He said, 'Let us pass over to the other side.' They therefore dismissed the multitude, and took Him even as He was in the ship (without further arrangements of any kind having been made), only that several other little ships served for an escort. And now there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship^ so that it was already full of water. But the Lord was in the hinder part of the ship, and, reclining on a pillow, was asleep. And they awake Him, and say unto Him, 'Master, carest Thou not that we perish?' And He arose and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, 'Peace, be still! 'And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And He said unto them, 'Why are ye so fearful? Is it then, indeed, that ye have no faith?' And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, 'Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?'

Christ stood before them as the Prince of the kingdom of nature — as the Ruler of its powers, the Subduer of its storms, whose untamed violence often threaten's the kingdom of God with destruction— as the Restorer of the peace of paradise.

Thus they came to the opposite coast, into the country of the Gadarenes. And so soon as He was come out of the ship, there ran to meet Him out of the tombs a man who was possessed of an unclean spirit. It was no ordinary demoniac; he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no man could bind him, no, not with chains. For often already he had been bound hand and foot with chains (manacles) and fetters, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces; and no man could tame him. And always, night and day, he dwelt in the tombs (of the rocks), and in the mountains, crying and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and fell down before Him, and cried with a loud voice, 'What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of the most high God? I adjure Thee by God, that Thou torment me not.' For Jesus spake unto him (had said to him), 'Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.' And now He asked him, 'What is thy name? 'And he answered, saying, 'My name is Legion; for we are many.' But after uttering the proud, defiant word, he began (probably in manifold fawning tones) to beseech Him, with many words, that He would not send them away out of that country. Now there was there on the declivity of the mountain a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought Him (without doubt in a mixture of variously sounding voices), 'Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.' And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And as soon as the unclean spirits went out, they entered into the swine (one could see how the swine, during the paroxysm in which the demoniac was delivered, gradually fell into a state of commotion); and the herd rushed tumultuously down the steep descent of the mountain into the sea. There were of them about two thousand, which were thus choked in the sea. And the swineherds fled, and told it in the city and. in the country. And the people rose up, to see what had happened. And they came to Jesus, and saw him that was possessed with the devil, how he (calmly) sat there, clothed, and in his right mind, the same who had had the legion (in him). This sight filled them with fear. And those who had been the witnesses of it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also what had happened to the swine. And now could those men begin (dare) to ask Him that He would depart out of their coasts. And when He was come into the ship (at once responding to their petition), he that had been possessed with the devil prayed Him that he might remain with Him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not; but said unto him, 'Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.' And he departed, and began to publish in the territory of the ten cities how great things Jesus had done for him, so that all men were filled with astonishment.

Thus, even in those dark regions, in which they had deprecated a visit from Him, Christ was proclaimed as the royal Euler over the kingdom of demons, as the all-powerful Subduer of the demoniacally possessed, as the terror of the demons themselves, and as the Deliverer of the souls bound and tormented by them.

And now, when Jesus returned again in the ship to the nearer shore, He was received by a great multitude of people, with whom He still lingered on the sea-shore. And, behold, there came one of the rulers of the synagogue, — a man thus of eminence in that party, which everywhere showed enmity towards Him, — Jairus by name; and when he saw Him, he threw himself down at His feet, and with the most urgent expressions besought Him, 'My little daughter lieth at the point of death: come and lay Thy hands on her, that she may be healed, and live.' Jesus went with him, a great multitude of people following, so that they thronged him. And a woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered much of many physicians, and had spent thereby all her substance, without deriving any benefit, nay, rather grew ever worse, this woman — so entirely discouraged by all previous experiences — when she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched His garment. For she said, If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole! And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up (the issue, which burst forth as from a fountain of the blood, entirely ceased, as when a fountain is dried up); and she felt at once in her body that she was healed of her plague. And Jesus, who was immediately conscious in Himself of the power already going out of Him (so that both the going out of the power and the consciousness of it concurred, with the suddenness of lightning, in the same instant of time), turned Himself about in the press, and said, 'Who touched My clothes?' His disciples remarked to Him, 'Thou seest that the multitude throng Thee, and Thou sayest, Who hath touched Me? 'And He looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman came full of fear and trembling — for she well knew what had happened to her — and fell down before Him, and told Him all the truth. And He said, 'Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. Go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.' He had not yet finished speaking these words, when there came people from the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and announced, 'Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master further? 'As soon as Jesus had heard this word, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, 'Be not afraid — only believe.' And he suffered no one (of the disciples) to follow Him, save Peter and James, and John the brother of James. He thus formed, in the disciples who remained behind, a natural dam against the swelling tide of the people surging behind Him. He now comes to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and sees (already before the door) the tumult, and them that wept and made great lamentations for the dead. And when He was come in, He saith unto them, 'Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.' And they laughed Him to scorn. And when He had put them all out, He taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and His attendants, and entereth into the chamber where the damsel lay. And taking the damsel by the hand, He saith unto her, 'Talitha cumi! 'which is, being interpreted. Damsel, I say unto thee. Arise! And straightway the damsel arose, and walked about; for she was already twelve years old. And He charged them straitly that no man should know these proceedings; and then commanded that something should be given her to eat.

The life-like concatenation of the two last miracles serves to bring out each in its full significancy.

Jesus is about to hasten to the bed of a dying child, and on His way, in the throng. He feels behind His back the pulling of His garment by a poor woman in need of help. He renders help at once silently in spirit, and then helps her also publicly to confess the truth, and lovingly lingers for this end, although it is the moment in which the child, whom He goes to heal, dies, or is just dead. Thus He reveals the calm freedom of His soul in the midst of the greatest excitement.

He thus here becomes manifest, in the first place, as Prince in the kingdom of secret suffering, of deep silent sighs, of mute sorrow, and as the Saviour of all in this domain who turn to Him for deliverance, helping them in deepest silence amidst the tumult of the world, until they are enabled publicly before the world to confess their trouble and their Deliverer, and to glorify Him with their praises. Thus, even in His flesh, He appears as the impalpable ghostly archangel, who has a listening ear for all the sighs of the most timid, refined, and deep-seated sorrow, and imparts His aid with a heavenly tenderness of disposition.

Nevertheless He does not allow Himself, through the homage of a soul which has experienced His help, or by the admiration of the people, to be detained from hastening to the bed of death. He removes to a distance the wild, faithless wailings of the mourners, establishes a holy silence of spiritual concentration and prayer around the body of the dead, and then recalls her to life. This last miracle is the greatest: it glorifies Him as Lord over the domain of death, as the Prince of the resurrection.

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