Jesus' Deeds and Miracles in the Gospel of Mark

Aguirre, Adrienne Mae R.
TH 121 - Section BB
Antonio, Noelle Yoshiko S.
Dr. Ma. Lucia C. Natividad
Guevarra, Shandrei Allen E.

Indorte, Mark Vincent B.
Javellana, Daniel Alexander Xedric L.
Laxamana, Wendell A.
Masigan, Joseph Benedict N.
Velandres, Isabelle Nicole M.
JESUS DEEDS
In the gospel of Mark, Jesus is illustrated as someone quite popular within the
Galilean community. He taught and preached about the gospel and performed
miracles that attracted the people but not everyone was pleased with his deeds. This
also caused disdain from notable people and would eventually lead to his death.
Jesus deeds are considered miracles; acts done which can only be explained
on a supernatural level. These deeds usually involve miracle healings, some of
which involve making the blind see, exorcism, and resurrecting the dead. Jesus also
performed miracles involving nature like calming of storms.
The Cure of a Demoniac (Mk 1:21-28)
This is the first miracle of Jesus to be written. In this account, Jesus is
depicted as a teacher with authority but not as the scribes. Scribes, in the New
Testament, often are seen as teachers of Moses commandments and help resolve
issues in conflict with the law for they are considered wise since they have studied
these documents and had to copy these in writing. Scribes taught with authority but
uses other people as authority, as a point of reference, or a source such as teachers
prior to them. The astonishment of the people with his teaching, not yet knowing that
he was the Son of God, probably come from the fact that Jesus, a lowly son of a
carpenter, was able to teach about The Word but with Him as His own authority and
no one seemed to question His teachings.
The man is described as a man with an unclean spirit which refers to a
demonic possession. Demons are cunning and intelligent. They are bodiless beings
whose desire leans towards the death of the humans whereas Jesus wants us to
take the path towards life and living. A demonic possession can be distinguished
from a mental illness through what the person says usually foul language,
superhuman knowledge, and desires. In this case, people did not even know that He
was the Son of God yet the demon was able to call him out as the The Holy One of
God. Have you come to destroy us? says the demon. This probably pertains to
Jesus destroying the works of the devil. Jesus said Quiet! Come out of him! It is
evident that Gods authority is above all spirits. As compared to other exorcists of
that time, the exorcists would usually converse with the demon and make the
ceremony quite complex and theatrical, whereas Jesus would just cast out the
demon.
The crowd was stunned. First, they have never seen anyone teach like Jesus.
Second, they have never seen someone cast out a demon so quickly. The power to
command disembodied spirits thus amazed the people, because it was more
mysterious than the power to work physical miracles.
The Cleansing of a Leper (Mk 2:40-45)
The account started when a man with leprosy approaches Jesus to make him
clean. Biblical leprosy is different from today's leprosy which is commonly known as
Hansen's disease. It is considered an impurity of three kinds. First, it is a physical
impurity because it is an impulsive scaly skin disease. Second, it is a legal impurity
because it must be legally resolved by priest before the sufferer could resume
ordinary life in accordance to the Levitical rules found in the Old Testament that
provide regulations for lepers and their purification. [The leper] shall dwell alone in a
habitation outside the camp.1 They are denied any contact to protect the community
from the spreading disease. Their scaly skin leads to their being isolated, being away
from society, being an outcast and untouchable. Lastly, it is believed to be a spiritual
impurity because it is a symbol of affliction and separation from God. They are
barred from entering God's holy dwelling place to participate in liturgies. They are
banished from society because it is considered to be demonic in origin and a result
of human sinfulness.2
The leper begged Jesus to make him clean. His kneeling gesture is a sign of
supplication for healing and of reverence for Jesus. He seeks Jesus' help rather than
aid from the Jerusalem priests who have the only power to declare anyone pure to
be free to partake in liturgies. It shows his absolute confidence and bold faith in
Jesus' power. With compassion Jesus touches the leper and commands healing.
When Jesus cleansed of the leper, He was moved with pity. Pity is a strong and
deep emotional reaction. It connotes mutual and shared feeling between Jesus and
the leper. Jesus is with the leper and He understands the leper. Jesus touched that
leper though He could have just said a word to make the leper clean. The healing
takes place by touch and by words. For Jesus to touch the man required great
compassion.3 Without the slightest fear of contamination, Jesus still touches him.
No defilement can contaminate Jesus' holiness and he removes the defilements or
1
Leviticus 13:46
Heil, John Paul. The Gospel of Mark as Model for Action. Paulist, 1992.
3
New Jerome Biblical commentary. Edited by R.Brown, J. Fitzmyer, and R. Murphy.
Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1990.
2
Englewood
sins from people. Jesus' touch may be interpreted by the wonderful mystery of
Jesus' Incarnation. Jesus is in contact with his people to cleanse and save them
from spiritual impurity. Jesus' compassion and saving power is manifested in His
divine words and touch.
The leper's daringly confident faith in Jesus' power is rewarded by immediate
and miraculous healing. Afterwards, Jesus sends him to the priest to complete the
healing of the leper. The cure should be legally established according to the
regulations about their purification in Leviticus. Moreover, Jesus warns him to tell no
one anything. This is also known as the Messianic secret. Throughout Mark's
gospel, Jesus desires His works not be publicized. He forbids revealing his true
identity. The Messianic Secret must be unveiled gradually to avoid distorted if not
false messianic enthusiasm or expectations.4 Israel expected a political and a
military leader that would liberate them from Rome and would usher the world peace
and prosperity.
The Messiah is wrongly viewed as just a wonder-worker. But in truth, Jesus
had come to bring a much greater liberation - from dominion of sin and death.
Jesus' destiny as Messiah was not to lead Israel to kingly triumph, but undergo
suffering and death. Messianic Secret elicits Jesus' refusal of the kingly role.5
Christ kingly role is the complete reversal of our earthly notion of kingship. It is the
kingship that serves.
However, the healed leper publicized the whole matter and spread the report.
The words, Spread the word, are parallel with the joyful evangelic preaching of
Christians. The cured leper cannot simply contain the marvelous divine power of
Jesus.6 At the end of the account, reversal of roles between Jesus and the leper
happened. Jesus became like the leper - remained outside deserted places and
could no longer openly enter a town and the leper began preaching how he was
cured. This reversal of roles shows Jesus' personal relationship with the leper. He
has healed the man with leprosy at a cost of Himself.7 This event is parallel to the
salvation from sins through Crucifixion.
The Healing of a Paralytic (Mk 2:1-12)
The account starts when Jesus is continuing his salvific way the purpose why
He came and that is to preach the Word. He is continuing to proclaim the arrival of
God's kingdom, calling for repentance and faith in Capernaum, the center of Jesus'
public ministry. He attracts so many people that even the doorway is filled. Four men
lower a paralytic to Jesus through the roof. Paralysis is literally the inability to move
4
Healy, Mary. The Gospel of Mark. Baker Academic, 2008.

Porter, Joshua Roy. Jesus Christ. Duncan Baird Publishers, 2007.
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the body and thus, being unable to walk.. Paralysis in a biblical sense means being
crippled in state and being incapacitated to walk with God and follow His ways.
Walking in a biblical sense [...] means walking with the lord by being upright,
keeping the Law, being morally good.8 The paralytic's dependence on others is the
result of his inability to walk alone. It indicates the communal dimension of sickness evokes care and concern of those people around. Jesus sees the lowering of the
paralytic through the roof as a demonstration of their faith and He commended their
initiative, effort and most specially, their faith. Seeing their faith, Jesus said, Child,
your sins are forgiven. Jesus healed the paralytic spiritually from sin, an interior
illness. It was believed during their time that sickness and sinfulness were
interrelated with both having a common demonic origin.9
Some scribes question whether Jesus can forgive sins. Blasphemy is a great
disrespect shown to God. In this context, it means that act of claiming the attributes
of God. The scribes argued that Jesus has no authority to forgive sins because God
alone can forgive sins. Jesus reveals that he is the Son of Man who has the authority
to forgive sins. As this transcendent Son of Man figure sent by God, Jesus now has
the unique authority to forgive sins[...].10 Jesus was made flesh and body of man for
the salvation of sins. It is a fulfilment of the prophecy of Daniel. "One like a Son of
Man came on the clouds of heaven [...] his kingdom will never be destroyed.11 Son
of Man emphasizes Jesus being fully human and divine.
The paralytic is healed and all glorify God. It shows the duality of healing.
Hand in hand with physical healing, there was a spiritual resurrection or a rebirth
from an old life of sinfulness.12 The rise of the man from his crippled state is
analogous to Christ resurrection. The man rose, the same word that will be used for
Jesus resurrection.13 The passage shows Jesus' performative statement as the
Messiah, as the Son of Man. It shows the authority of His words alone. Jesus is not
saying words but rather effecting words.14 His deeds like his works of healing are
revelation of his divine identity like to forgive sins. All acknowledge that God's unique
authority both to forgive sins and heal is now marvelously operative in Jesus.
The Man With the Withered Hand (Mk 3:1-6)
This account beings as Jesus enters the synagogue where he encounters a
man with a withered hand. Withered means something that is dried up, atrophied
and probably paralyzed.15 The encounter of Jesus with this man lead to the
8
Barta, Karen. The Gospel of Mark. Wilmington: Glazier,1998.

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Dan 7:13-14
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expectation of a miracle. The Pharisees in the synagogue watched closely. This is

very ironic because instead of feeling joy and happiness that they will be able to
witness a miracle, they instead use this to bring a legal charge against Jesus.
Despite knowing the intentions of the Pharisees, Jesus calls the man into the
middle of the synagogue. The verb used (egeiro) can be translated as rise up and
is actually the same very used during Jesus resurrection. This shows how the
healings of Jesus is similar to his very own resurrection. This healing is not just
about physical cures, but it is also about the restoration of the fullness of life.16
Jesus then asks the Pharisees a very important question. He asks: Is it
lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to
destroy it? Upon hearing this, the Pharisees just remained silent. The Pharisees
themselves knew that what Jesus was saying made perfect sense. During the
Maccabean revolt, the Jews were much more strict about the Sabbath and this lead
to disastrous slaughter. As a remedy, they allowed self-defense even during the
Sabbath.17 The logic behind Jesus question lies behind the law allowing the waging
of war for self-defense but the ban during the Sabbath. It made no sense but the
Pharisees refused to acknowledge it.
Jesus is then angered and he grieves at them. Jesus does not get angry
because of normal human emotional response, but he gets angry because of love.
He also gets angry because of the hardness of hearts of the Pharisees or their
refusal to open themselves to God.18 There in the synagogue, Jesus is performing a
miracle right in front of the Pharisees but they are too busy to see and instead focus
on the technicalities of the law.
Jesus finally enacts the healing. What he did was in accord with the purpose
of the Sabbath, which is to bring rest and refreshment to human lives. Through this
act, Jesus also showed the people and the Pharisees that he is lord of the Sabbath.
He is the creator of law; therefore he knows what it actually means. Because of
Jesus actions, the Pharisees plot together with the Herodians to kill Jesus. This
partnership shows the gravity of the hatred toward Jesus because these two groups
dont normally get along. This plotting of killing Jesus was also very ironic because
they refuse to recognize the restoration of life, yet they themselves promote the
destruction of life during the Sabbath.19
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The Calming of the Storm (Mk 4: 35-41)

The calming of the storm is a sea rescue epiphany. An epiphany is a sudden
manifestation of a divine being where in the divine being reveals a divine message.In
this account, the epiphany begins as a storm approaches.20
The terrified disciples awaken the sleeping Jesus. The sleeping of Jesus
shows his perfect and complete trust in God. The terrified disciples on the other hand
show the opposite. They ask Jesus: Teacher, do you not care that we are
perishing? The tone of the disciples shows how little they know of what Jesus is
capable of.21
Upon awakening, Jesus stills the winds of the sea. He does not pray to God
but he does it himself. Jesus tells the winds to be quiet and be still. The chaotic
elements were like entities possessed by demons and it was like Jesus himself was
exorcising them.22 This shows Jesus absolute power to save from any danger. After
calming the winds, Jesus questions his disciples. He asks: Why are you afraid? Do
you not yet have faith? Jesus raised this question in order to bring the disciples into
a new confidence and deeper faith in God.23
Upon witnessing what had just happened, the disciples question the profound
identity of Jesus. The disciples were filled with great awe. Before this event, they
knew Jesus as just a healer and exorcist, but now they see him as someone who
can control even the forces of nature. Their fear of the forces of nature was replaced
by the reverent fear of the presence of God in Jesus.24 The early boat is often
compared to the early church which faced many trials and persecutions. Often times,
the people felt that God was unconcerned or missing, but in the end, nothing can
truly harm those who trust in God. 25
Jairus Daughter and the Woman with the Hemorrhage (Mk 5:21-43)
The healing narrative of Jairus Daughter and the Woman with the Hemorrhage
begins with Jairus, a synagogue official, falling by Jesus feet and begging Jesus to
heal his daughter who is at the point of death. This mans humble posture is a
gesture of petition or homage. Due to his desperation, neither his poise in the
presence of others nor others negative opinions of Jesus concern him. Jairus only
concern is that his daughter be healed before it is too late.26 Through his plea, Jairus
expresses his faith that Jesus has the power to cure his daughter. Jesus quickly
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responds to this urgent plea by going off with Jairus. However, the woman with the
hemorrhage interrupts the healing of Jairus daughter.
A hemorrhage is a condition in which a person bleeds too much and cannot
stop the flow of blood. Marks account makes it clear that in this situation, the
disease is not only medically distressing but something of an embarrassment.27 Mark
magnifies the womans unfortunate situation by paying regard to the detail that she
had spent all that she had on doctors who failed to alleviate her condition and only
increased her suffering. Marks motive is to heighten the healing power of Jesus by
contrasting it with the failure of these doctors.
What the woman had heard about Jesus has stirred her to faith, and this is
why she goes into the crowd and sneaks up behind Jesus. Jesus looks around
searchingly after the woman had touched him, but he does so because the healing is
not complete. He wanted the woman to enter into a relationship with him. He does
not want the woman to slip away with only a physical healing. The fullness of
healing, physical as well as spiritual, occurs only in a personal encounter with
Jesus.28 Singling out the woman and demanding to know who had touched him,
Jesus, paradoxically, made the healing more individual and personal.29 Jesus
achieves this personal and healing touch by reversing the process. When the woman
stumbles out of the crowd into the open, the touching is reversed. Earlier, the
woman had touched Jesus clothes; now Jesus touches her by acknowledging her
existence. If the woman had never known that Jesus knew about the cure, she would
have never known his love for her.
Jesus tells Jairus, Do not be afraid. Just have faith.30 With this word, Jesus
is calling Jairus to lay hold a deeper faith than he had so far. At the beginning of the
narrative, Jairus believed that Jesus could cure his daughter from her sickness. Now
he is asked to believe that Jesus can conquer death itself. The praiseworthy faith of
the woman in the earlier account now serves as model of faith for Jairus.31
Jesus brings with him only the three disciples who will accompany him to two
other events: the Transfiguration and the agony in Gethsemane. Their presence here
indicates that what is about to happen is another key event in Jesus mission. Jesus
tells the mourners that, The child is not dead but asleep.32 By saying that the child
is not dead but asleep, Jesus calls his listeners to recognize that death is not the
ultimate end of human life. Jesus then says, Talitha koum, which means, Little girl,
27
Mackrell, Gerard. The Healing Miracles in Marks Gospel. Makati: St. Paul, 1987.
29
Mackrell, Gerard. The Healing Miracles in Marks Gospel. Makati: St. Paul, 1987.
30
Mark 5:36
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Mark 5:39
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I say to you, arise!33 The verb for arise, egeiro, is the same word used for Jesus
resurrection, and often appears in his healings as a sign that they foreshadow his
ultimate victory over sickness, death, and all the effects of sin.34
The narrative is concluded with strict orders that the miracle not be disclosed.
Jesus means that they should avoid undue publicity and celebrate within the privacy
of their home. A rumor that Jesus had raised a dead child to life could lead to a
superficial acclaim that would only hinder the understanding of his messiahship. The
raising of Jairus daughter is the climax of the series of miracles recounted in the
Gospel of Mark. Each one increasingly reveals Jesus power to overcome death.
The Syrophoenician Womans Faith (Mk 7:24-31)
Jesus moves on to the territory of Tyre because he feels a need to get away
in order to gain perspective on his own people, his nation, and the religious
community are reacting. The strict barrier that the ceremonial laws had created
between Jews and gentiles, which was part of Gods plan in the old covenant, is now
being removed by Jesus. Mark formulates the introduction to the story so that Jesus
reputation in the Gentile region is evident. He is no more able to remain alone by
entering a house here than he was in Galilee. He attempts to go there incognito, but
without success.
The Syro-Phoenician woman who asked Jesus to heal her possessed
daughter would seem to have two counts against her from the start. Being a woman
and a non-Jew, it is no wonder that she crouched at the feet of this male Jewish
preacher, begging him for help. She approached Jesus on her knees, but she is
breaking laws left and right. She is an outsider, a Gentile pagan, who has entered
the house of a Jewish man. Even though she would have had a higher status than
he in her culture and society, she abases herself and does him homage. Then she
begs on behalf of her small daughter. This scene would have been an affront to
many Jews and even to Jewish Christians who resisted sharing the table of the Lord
with either Gentiles or women.
The children are the people of Israel, Gods children. Dogs was a pejorative
term often used by Jews to refer to Gentiles. Here the point is that as household
pets, dogs do not have the rights or privileges of the children. In the form of a
parable, Jesus is asserting that the blessings of a kingdom must be given first to
Gods chosen people, to whom they had been promised. But the qualifier first
means that the time will come, after his passion and resurrection, when the Gentiles
too will share in the full inheritance of Gods children. The early church followed this
principle by preaching the gospel always to Jews first, before moving on to Gentiles.
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Mark 5:41
By referring to his works of healing as bread, Jesus indicates that there is a

deeper symbolic meaning to the bread he has provided in the desert. As ShepherdMessiah of his people, he provides the bread of a new life, which includes liberation
from sin, from demonic oppression, and from all the forces of evil. The woman
acknowledges Jesus as the Giver of bread-the one loaf for Jew and Gentile-and
expresses her confidence that somehow the dogs will not be left out. This exorcism
is the only work of healing done at a distance in Mark, accenting the efficacy of the
womans faith. His ability to heal by a mere word someone who is not even present
is a powerful message for the readers of the Gospel: to experience the Lords power
it is not necessary to have seen or touched him as he walked on earth before his
resurrection. All that is needed is faith.
The Healing of a Deaf Man (Mk 7:31-37)
The second healing following the dispute over ritual purity takes place in the
region of the Decapolis another signal that the blessings of the kingdom are being
extended to the Gentiles. The inner meaning of the story is underlined by a clever
hint. The phrase speech impediment represents a single Greek word, mogilalos. It
is far from a common word and its only occurrence in the ordinary Greek version of
the Old Testament is at Isaiah 35:6. Here there is a poetical description of the fine
things that will happen when God comes to his people. So, Marks choice of a word
from this description of the new age seems to say to the reader, as Jesus might have
said: If you have ears to hear, then hear.
These details suggest that Jesus intuitively understands the unique needs of
each person. The spitting should be interpreted as Jesus spitting on his own finger,
then touching it to the mans tongue, so that both his impaired organs are healed by
Jesus direct touch. In the ancient world saliva was considered to have therapeutic
qualities. Jesus looking up to heaven is a gesture of prayer, expressing his total
reliance on the Father.
It is the only place in the Gospel where Jesus is said to groan, perhaps
because of his grief over a person so ravaged by the effects of the fall. Jesus
ministry to the man was unusually elaborate, but the healing is instantaneous and
complete. His faculties are restored to the full functioning for which they were
designed and he is able to communicate freely with others. This is the language of
baptism. It is very physical and involves an in intimate relationship between Jesus
and the man. Jesus doesnt want to spread the news because the focus would be on
a spectacular outward feat, obscuring the real meaning of his messiahship. His
miracles point to the truth of his messianic identity-but they are only part of the truth.
The Blind Man of Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26)

The Blind Man of Bethsaida is considered to be a special cure.35 He is the
first blind person to be healed, and this miracle has an unusual structure in that the
first attempt at healing provides only partial vision; the coming to sight is gradual and
imperfect. The Healing of a Deaf Mute and the Blind Man of Bethsaida are both
similarly symbolical in the sense that they signify the idea that only the Lord can cure
deafness and blindness. They also show how the apostles are deaf and mute, as
well as blind, to the revelation of Jesus more profound identity having ears but
not hearing and eyes but not seeing.36
The miracle is performed in two stages, called the double healing gesture.37
The gradualness of the mans recovery symbolizes the slow and difficult process of
opening the apostles eyes to an understanding of Jesus and His mission. This
symbolizes the growing perception of the apostles as to Jesus true character. This is
exemplified in Mark 8:29 when Peter has already identified Jesus as the Messiah,
however, in Mark 9:31-32, he is still unable to perceive Jesus as the suffering of
Man. Peter then is still half-blind, thus, the double gesture healing is necessary.
In the account, [Jesus] took the blind man by the hand and lead him outside
the village. This is a symbol of intimacy and trust between Jesus and the blind man,
and this shows that Jesus will take care of him.38 Jesus established personal contact
with the man by holding him by the hand. This recalls the Old Testament theme that
God Himself leads his people by the hand. Jesus then ordered the man not even
go into the village. This means that he is not to go back to the old ways that hinder
and block what Jesus is doing in the world.
In the process of healing, Jesus [Jesus] spittle in [the blind mans] eyes. This
signifies that at times, Jesus uses his body as the instrument of healing to remind us
that God is not embarrassed by the earthiness of the human body; He even delights
to use it as a vehicle of His grace. Jesus then asked the man, Do you see
anything? This represents the way that Jesus has been privately, personally and
powerfully revealing Himself to the apostles.39 The man responds by saying, I see
people looking like trees and walking. This characterizes how the apostles were
beginning to see by correctly answering Jesus questions about the overabundance
of his feedings in Mark 8:19-20, however, they still do not see or understand clearly
enough as shown in Mark 8:21 when Jesus asked Do you still not understand?
35
Mackrell, Gerard. The Healing Miracles In Marks Gospel. Makati: St. Paul, 1987.
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38
James, Alexander. The Gospel According to St. Mark. NY: Sheed and Ward, 1963.
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Afterwards, [Jesus] sent [the man] home. This is a way on how Jesus
completes the mans personal experience of the salvation by sending him to his
home, restored as a fully healed human being to his family.40 To see means to
look intently or to fix ones gaze upon. This suggests the penetrating gaze of faith
into physical realities, which Jesus desires for his apostles.41 The Blind Man of
Bethsaida symbolizes that much more than a man whom Jesus cured, he is a
symbol of the first apostles and all the apostles of Jesus who need Jesus
enlightening touch.
The Transfiguration of Jesus (Mark 9:2-8)
The transfiguration establishes Jesus identity as the Beloved Son of God.42
The word "transfiguration" signifies a change of form or appearance. In this event,
Jesus appearance changed; there was an exalting, glorifying and spiritual change,
and He became glorious.43 The transfiguration happens after the announcement of
the passion in Mark 8:31-33. This is an anticipation of what Jesus has just revealed
about his death, resurrection and future glory44.
The three privileged apostles, Peter, James and John, see Jesus as He really
is His human nature immersed with His divine glory.45 They were also the ones
who witnessed the healing of Jairus daughter in Mark 5:21-43, and they were also
brought by Jesus to witness the agony in the garden of Gethsemane in Mark 14:3242. Although the healing of Jairus daughter and the transfiguration show a special
manifestation of Jesus power, these three disciples do not demonstrate exceptional
loyalty towards Jesus deeds.
This is exemplified in Mark 8:32-33 when Peter has already been rebuked by
Jesus for rejecting the necessity of suffering. In Mark 10:35-37, James and John will
soon show themselves preoccupied with greatness rather than service. And all three
of them failed to watch the agony in the garden of Gethsemane. These three
apostles would most need to be strengthened in faith to lead the others on the
arduous road ahead. The transfiguration, like Jesus baptism in Mark 1:9, is a
Trinitarian event.46 However, in the transfiguration, the Holy Spirits presence is
symbolized by a cloud. At the baptism, God speaks to Jesus Himself, now He is
speaking to Jesus apostles as He reveals a status that far exceeds that of Moses
and Elijah.
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After six days signifies one of the most precise time references in the
Gospel.47 Here, there is an allusion in Exodus 24:16-17 which narrates the event on
Mount Sinai where the cloud of Gods presence covered the mountain before God
spoke to Moses. Jesus [] lead them into a high mountain. This high mountain is
Sinai. Often in the Gospel, a mountain is the setting for a revelation and the key
events in the life of Jesus, which can also be seen in Mark 3:13, 13:3, 14:26.
During the event, [Jesus] clothes became dazzling white. Often in the
Sacred Scripture, clothing is the visible expression of the person himself.48 White
clothing signifies the holiness that can come only from God. Then Elijah appeared to
them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. The transfigured
Jesus is accompanied by two great figures in the old covenant, Elijah, the wonderworking prophet, and Moses, the great lawgiver.49 This portrays the close
association between Jesus and two revered prophetic figures of the Old Testament
who are now in heavenly glory. Both of them had encountered God in Mount Sinai:
Moses in Exodus 9:3 and Elijah in 1 Kings 19:8-12. Together, Moses and Elijah
signify the totality of the Old Testament the Law in Moses, and the Prophets in
Elijah. The two of them bear witness to Jesus.
Peter then said, Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents.
This is interpreted into Peters desire to prolong the experience that he is having in
the mountain.50 The point of this is to demonstrate Peters awe and lack of
understanding at the experience of this heavenly glory. The transfiguration is meant
to point forward to the sufferings Jesus is about to experience, which Peter fails to
realize.51 Then a cloud came casting a shadow over them. For the people of Israel,
a cloud was the visible sign of Gods presence and the manifestation of His glory,
like in Exodus 19:9-16.
Then God said, Listen to Him. This phrase by God recalls Moses that God
would one day raise up a prophet like [Him] [] from among [His] own kinsmen, and
to Him [they] shall listen, which can be found in Deuteronomy 18:15.52 This means
that the apostles are to listen to everything that Jesus has to say, but especially in
the context of the First Prediction of the Passion in Mark 8:31-38, as this the
prophecy about Jesus Messianic suffering and its implications for them.53
Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with
them. This shows that Moses and Elijah have already accomplished their tasks.
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Jesus must now complete the Fathers plan by going to the cross alone. His own life
and mission will be the fulfillment that transcends all that took place in the Old
Testament.
The Healing of a Boy with a Demon (Mark 9:14-24)
The story of begins as Jesus was coming down from the mountain after His
Transfiguration. He saw a crowd who were arguing with the disciples and the
pharisees and asked what was going on. A man came forward and explained that he
brought his son, who was possessed by a mute spirit, but they were unable to do so.
The inability of the disciples to exorcise the demon implies the being deaf and
mute of the disciples to the necessity of the passion of Christ which they were told
in Mark 8:31-33.54 This deafness roots from the expectation of the disciples and the
Jews of a Messiah who is a warrior who can expel the Romans and bring back glory
to Israel. The problematic notion here is that they are looking at the Messiah through
a human perspective of salvation when Gods means for salvation is through the
liberation of man from sin. In addition to this, the absence of Jesus and confidence
over the successes of past exorcisms made them vulnerable to failure.55
After this, the father then narrates the symptoms of the possession. This
underlines the difficulty of the exorcism. It casts a shadow of doubt upon Jesus
ability to expel the demon from the boy to Jesus laments by saying O faithless
generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? In the context
of the prediction of Jesus passion this can be interpreted in two ways. One, Jesus
laments over the lack of faith of the people of Israel. He sighs upon the non-belief of
His people and His disciples. Another can be that it is a foreshadowing of the nearing
death of the Son of Man.56
After saying this He calls for the boy who falls immediately into an epileptic
attack as soon as he saw Jesus. The father then explains further the life-threatening
capabilities of the demon that further emphasizes the difficulty of this exorcism. In
desperation, the father begs Jesus by saying But if you can do anything, have
compassion on us and save us. The fathers call to Jesus bears uncertainty and
doubt. He is not sure whether Jesus can really heal his son thus his incoherent plea.
Jesus responds to him by saying If I can do anything! All things are possible for one
who believes! The father responded by saying I do believe, help my unbelief!
The statement of Jesus clarifies the mystery behind the events in the account.
Firstly, the statement call for the conversion of the father from an uncertain faith to a
more recognized one. Just like how Jesus calls his disciples to understand the
necessity of what is to come. Secondly, it verifies that Jesus, indeed, can cast out
54
Stock, Augustine. The Method and Message of Mark. Wilmington: Michael Glazier, 1989.
56
55
the demon because of His faith. In contrast to His disciples who could not do so
because of their lack of understanding and faith. Lastly, it is a reflection of the
destiny of Jesus and His disciples that like the father and the boy, they will be able to
overcome and accomplish the plan of God so long as they have faith.57
Meanwhile, the reply of the father exhibits a faith that is humble, the faith that
the disciples needed to exorcise the demon, and the faith that they need to
understand the necessity of what is to come to Jesus. It is humble because, the
father humbly puts himself behind Jesus. He admits that he was unfaithful and then
puts himself under the care of Jesus. It is the faith that Jesus wanted His disciples to
have when Peter rebuked him when He told them of the prediction. A faith that puts
the bearer behind Jesus, the rightful place of a disciple of God.
The Blind Bartimaeus (Mk 10:46-52)
Mark 10: 46-52 is the concluding section of Mark 10. It is a part of Jesus
mission to Jericho, as he was leaving for Jerusalem, really late in his ministry.
Jericho at that time was known as a place full of violence, intrigue with bandits and
revolutionary groups within Judaism organizing resistance against Rome.
This excerpt is mainly about Jesus healing a blind man, not just any healing
but a special one. The blind man is named Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus.58 Here while
Jesus was headed to Jerusalem, there were large crowds following him, and in the
crowd, Bartimaeus cries out despite the people trying to keep him from doing so,
because of strong love and faith for Jesus. Bartimaeus shows great enthusiasm
despite his current life predicament, poverty, state of living, and handicapability. The
persistence he showed for Jesus help and healing power is great. He believed in
Jesus and he begged for mercy. He is the only person Jesus healed in Marks
Gospel whose name is recorded. His name is recorded as a sign of emphasis, to
show the gravity of this moment, because this was a special healing.
Bartimaeus cried out Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me! Him crying
this out, is the first application of the messianic title.59 The first time (of 17 times in
the New Testament) wherein Jesus was called Son of David. This is not to be
taken in a literal sense, because David existed 1000 years before Jesus did. This is
just to emphasize the Messianic title of Jesus. This is the first recognition of Jesus
true identity by a human being. Besides being the first person to call Jesus the Son
of David, he is also the one and only person in Marks Gospel that calls Jesus
Master. Master is Rabbi in Hebrew, which means teacher. For a blind man to be
able to know and call Jesus Master, Rabbi, or Teacher is already a metaphorical
sign of spiritual sight from Bartimaeus.
57
59
58
Jesus healing of Bartimaeus is a really special and different instance from

other healing accounts because Jesus merely spoke to Bartimaeus whereas in other
accounts he had to physically touch the people to heal them, or give them their
eyesight back. Jesus, only needed to speak, Your faith saved you. or Go your
way, your faith has made you well.60 because the undying faith and trust Bartimaeus
had in Jesus, the Messiah is imminent.
The mere strength and power of Bartimaeus faith was what brought his
eyesight back. This is another form of Baptism in a sense that his sins and the
shortcomings of a blindman (which is being blind) was forgiven and he is given sight
again. To further expound on how this is a Baptism, blindness, deafness, and other
types of sickness, could be compared to the stain of original sin. Baptism cleanses
that stain, and Jesus, in that context also cleans their sin by healing their
handicapabilities. This event (the healing of Bartimaeus) is very relevant in Jesus
ministry because it cements the power and love of God through the Son.
Being blind in biological terms, is being handicapped and having the partial or
complete loss of sight.61 Being blind or having sicknesses was considered as
something looked down upon by society during that time, because people arent
complete or they were considered as inferior or a minority by society. In a
metaphorical and spiritual context, Bartimaeus can actually see more about Jesus
than those who can literally see. These people have the eyes but they cant see what
Bartimaeus sees. The heart of Bartimaeus sees better than any eyes.
The curing of Blind Men in the gospel is symbolic of what will happen to the
apostles. They are previously blind to the meaning of Jesus passion, and to the
necessity of their sharing of his suffering. When Jesus healed blind men, he gave
them sight. Same as well to the apostles, wherein he healed them through his death
and resurrection, making the disciples come to finally see what they failed to see
when they were previously blind. Jesus Christ is what makes us see. We are blind
without Him.
Given all of what the group has discussed, the casting out of a demon, the
cleansing of the leper, the healing of the paralytic, the man with the withered hand,
raising Jairus daughter, the woman with the hemorrhage, the healing of blind and
deaf men, these are considered as people looked down upon and avoided by
society. Yet, our Lord focused on them and helped them. Jesus cures these people
to show everyone about the healing power of God. He does this to make Himself
known and give emphasis to the salvation. The turning point is the transfiguration,
wherein He becomes a glorious being, leaving mere human beings in great awe and
amazement. All feats done by Jesus really shows us his true identity as our Savior.
60
61

WORKS CITED
Barta, Karen. The Gospel of Mark. Wilmington: Glazier,1998.

Bergant, D., & Karris, R. J. (1989). The Collegeville Bible commentary: Based on the
New American Bible with revised New Testament. Collegeville, Minn: Liturgical
Press.
New Jerome Biblical commentary. Edited by R.Brown, J. Fitzmyer, and R. Murphy.
Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1990.
Porter, Joshua Roy. Jesus Christ. Duncan Baird Publishers, 2007.
Stock, Augustine. The Method and Message of Mark. Wilmington: Michael Glazier,
1989.

Jesus' Deeds and Miracles in the Gospel of Mark

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Aguirre, Adrienne Mae R.

Antonio, Noelle Yoshiko S.

Dr. Ma. Lucia C. Natividad

Guevarra, Shandrei Allen E.

Healy, Mary. The Gospel of Mark. Baker Academic, 2008.

Barta, Karen. The Gospel of Mark. Wilmington: Glazier,1998.

expectation of a miracle. The Pharisees in the synagogue watched closely. This is

Healy, Mary. The Gospel of Mark. Baker Academic, 2008.

The Calming of the Storm (Mk 4: 35-41)

By referring to his works of healing as bread, Jesus indicates that there is a

The Blind Man of Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26)

Healy, Mary. The Gospel of Mark. Baker Academic, 2008.

Jesus healing of Bartimaeus is a really special and different instance from

Healy, Mary. The Gospel of Mark. Baker Academic, 2008.

Barta, Karen. The Gospel of Mark. Wilmington: Glazier,1998.

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