The Person and Work of Jesus (Part 1)

Throughout our time and studies in Jerusalem, we have been consistently exposed to ancient Jewish culture in the time of Jesus. Our professor, Dr. Wright, has been a great help in making somewhat of a foreign culture more familiar to us. We have seen how this culture worked especially in terms of the ancient cultural standard of “ritual purification.” The ultimate aim of these rituals would be to remove specifically defined “uncleanliness” prior to worship or interaction with a deity. The culture in the time of Jesus was transfixed on this notion of cleanliness. It defined their social interactions and very being. As our professor noted, “uncleanliness” could be transmitted by touch our even transitively through pots, jars, doors, etc. Due to this fact, those who were considered unclean were exiled--social pariahs--in fear that these people would blemish other’s standing before God. These ideas are still practiced today, as seen through Orthodox Jews. Kosher food laws would be an example of this.

Me Looking out over the Sea of Galilee and its surrounding settlements

Now, why does this matter? Why should we know this stuff? Is it relevant to us today? Oh, yes. Yes it is. You see, God sent his one and only Son, Jesus, into this particular culture. This culture. Not 21^st century. Therefore, in order to understand the person and work of Jesus, and ultimately the character of God, we must examine how he interacts with this particular culture. We need to grasp the ritual purity laws to understand ancient Jewish culture, just as someone 2,000 years in the future would need to grasp the economy, technological innovation, or political structures to understand our modern American culture.

            With this understanding, I want to now turn to Mark 5:21-42, which vividly demonstrates how Jesus interacts with and challenges ancient Jewish culture in ways that are exceedingly relevant to us today. I’ll finish part 1 of this post with the passage, and attempt to explain it in part 2. All of the following took place around the Sea of Galilee, the exact region we just spent four days examining as a class.

Mark 5:21-42

 “And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, ‘my little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.’ And he went with him.

            And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, ‘If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.’ And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my garments?’ And his disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say ‘who touched me?’’ And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’

            While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, ‘your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?’ but overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’ And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, ‘why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, ‘Talitha cumi,’ which means, ‘Litter girl, I say to you, arise.’ And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement.”