To the Gerasens (and in them to all men) Christ manifests how the Devil of his malice would use them, if he would permit: (17) and yet they like not their Saviour’s presence. (21) A woman Gentile, that began her sickness when the Jew’s daughter began her life (signifying Abraham’s time) he cures by the way as he was coming to heal the Jews: And even then the Jews do die; but yet them also he will revive, as here the Jew’s daughter.
AND they came beyond the strait of the sea into the country of the Gerasens. 2And as he went out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the sepulchres a man in an unclean Spirit, 3that had his dwelling in the sepulchres. and neither with chains • could any man now bind him: 4for being often bound with fetters and chains, he had burst the chains, and broken the fetters. and nobody could tame him. 5and he was always day and night in the sepulchres and in the mountains, crying and cutting himself with stones. 6And seeing Jesus afar off, he ran and adored him: 7And crying with a great voice, said: what to me and thee Jesus the Son of God most high: I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not. 8For he said unto him: Go out of the man thou unclean Spirit. 9And he asked him, what is thy name? And he says to him: My name is Legion: because we are many. 10And he besought him much, that he would not expel him out of the country. 11And there was there about the mountain a great heard of swine, feeding. 12And the Spirits besought him, saying: Send us [a] into the swine, that we may enter into them. 14And Jesus immediately granted unto them. And the unclean Spirits going out, entered into the swine: and the herd with great violence was carried headlong into the sea, about two thousand, and were stifled in the sea. 14And they that fed them, fled, and carried news into the city and into the fields. And they went forth to see what was done: 15and they come to Jesus, and they see him that was vexed of the Devil, sitting, clothed, and well in his wits. and they were afraid. 16And they that had seen it, told them, in what manner he had been dealt withal that had the Devil; and of the swine. 17And they began to desire him, that he would depart from their coasts. 18And when he went up into the boat, he that had been vexed of the Devil, began to beseech him that he might be with him: 19And he admitted him not, but says to him: Go into thy house to thine, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had mercy upon thee. 20And he went his way, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done to him: and all marvelled.
21 * And when Jesus had passed in boat again over the strait, a great multitude assembled together unto him, and he was about the sea. 22And there cometh one of the Arch-synagogues, named Jairus: and seeing him, he falleth down at his feet, 23and besought him much, saying: That my daughter is at the point of death, come, impose thy hands upon her, that she may be safe and live. 24And he went with him, and a great multitude followed him, and they thronged him.
25And a woman which was in an issue of blood twelve years, 26and had suffered many things of many Physicians, and had bestowed all that she had, neither was any thing the better, but was rather worse: 27when she had heard of Jesus, she came in the press behind him, and touched his garment. 28For she said, That • if I shall touch but his garment, I shall be safe. 29And forthwith the fountain of her blood was dried; and she felt in her body that she was healed of the malady. 30And immediately Jesus knowing in himself • the virtue that had proceeded from him, turning to the multitude, said: Who hath touched my garments? 31And his Disciples said to him: Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, who hath touched me? 32And he looked about to see her that had done this. 33But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her: came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 34And he said to her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee safe, go in peace, and be whole of thy malady.
35As he was yet speaking, they come ‘to’ the Archsynagogue, saying: That thy daughter is dead: why doest thou trouble the Master any further? 36But Jesus having heard the word that was spoken, says to the Archsynagogue: Fear not; • only believe. 37And he admitted not any man to follow him, but Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38And they come to the Archsynagogues house, and he seeth a tumult, and folk weeping and wailing much. 39And going in, he says to them: Why make you this ado and weep? the wench is not dead, but [b] sleepeth. 40And they derided him. But he having put forth all, taketh the father and the mother of the wench, and them that were with him, and they go in where the wench was lying. 41And holding the wenches hand, he says to her, Talitha cumi, which is being interpreted, wench (I say to thee) arise •. 42And forthwith the wench rose up, and walked, and she was twelve years old: and they were astonished with great astonishment. 43And he commanded them earnestly that nobody should know it: and he bade that something should be given her to eat.
Footnotes
- ↑ It is not without mystery that the Devils desired, and Christ suffered them to enter into the swine; signifying that filthy livers be meet dwelling places for Devils. Aug. tract. 6 in ep. 10.
- ↑ To Christ, that can more easily raise a dead man than we can do one that is but asleep, death is but sleep. Aug. de verb. Do. Ser. 44.
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. V.
↑ 3. Could bind him.) We see here that mad men which have extraordinary strength are many times possessed of the Devil: as there is also a deaf and a dumb Devil, and unclean spirits, which work these effects in men, possessing their bodies. All which things infidels and carnal men, following only nature and reason, attribute to natural causes: and the less faith a man hath, the less he believeth that the Devil worketh such things.
↑ 28. If I shall touch.) So the good Catholic says: If I might but touch one of his Apostles, yea one of his Apostles’ napkins, yea but the shade of one of his Saints, I should be better for it. Act. 5. and 19. See St. Chrys. to. 5 cont. Gent. in principio. in vit. Babylæ. Yea St. Basil says: He that toucheth the bone of a Martyr, receiveth in some degree holiness of the grace or virtue that is therein.
↑ 30. Virtue.) Virtue to heal this woman’s malady, proceeded from Christ, though she touched but his coat: so when the Saints by their Relics or garments do miracles, the grace and force thereof cometh from our Saviour, they being but the means or instruments of the same.
↑ 36. Only believe.) It is our common speech, when we require one thing specially, though other things also be as necessary, and more necessary. As the Physician to his patient, Only have a good heart: when he must also keep a diet and take potions, things more requisite. So Christ in this great infidelity of the Jews, required only that they would believe he was able to do such a cure, such a miracle, and then he did it: otherwise it followeth in the next Chapter: He could not do miracles there because of their incredulity. Again, for this faith he gave them here and in all like places health of body, which they desired. And therefore he says not: Thy faith hath justified thee: but, hath made thee safe or whole. Again this was the father’s faith, which could not justify the daughter. Whereby it is most evident, that this Scripture, and the like, are foolishly abused of the Heretics to prove that only faith justifieth.
↑ 41. Wench arise.) Christ’s miracles, besides that they be wonders and ways to show his power, be also significative: as these which he corporally raised from death, put us in mind of his raising our souls from sin. The Scripture maketh special mention only of three raised by our Saviour, of which three, this wench is one, within the house: another, the widow’s son in Naim, now carried out toward the grave; the third, Lazarus having been in the grave four days, and therefore stinking. Which diversity of dead bodies, signify diversity of dead souls, some more desperate than others, some past all men’s hope, and yet by the grace of Christ to be revived and reclaimed.
Margin Notes
- 22. Archsynagogue, chief governer of a Synagogue.
- annot. 3. Profane and natural men
- annot. 28. The touch of Relics
- annot. 36. Scripture fondly applied to prove only faith.
- annot. 41. By three dead, are signified three kinds of sinners.
Margin References
- 1. Mat. 8, 28. Luc. 8. 26.
- 21. Mt. 9, 18. Luc. 8, 42.
- 35. ‘from’
- annot. 28. Basil. in Ps. 115.
- annot. 41. Aug. de verb. Do. ser. 44.
