The demoniac is what we might call the obvious sinner, a person whose sins are exposed to all. He is so steeped in sin, especially a particular sin, that he is unable to change or even see that his sin is wrong. He is naked in that he lives his life openly as an evil, wicked person, who simply refuses to be tamed or reformed. Nevertheless, Jesus is not hindered by how such a person has lived his life. No one is so evil that Jesus cannot bring him to repentance. So, what about others who aren’t so public about their wickedness? How would Jesus bring them to repentance? In this context, then, Jesus left the Decapolis in the boat provided by one of the disciples, no doubt Peter, and he returned to Capernaum, his own city (Matthew 9:1), where, we are told, the people waited for him (Luke 8:40). After he disembarked the boat and stood in the midst of the multitude on the seashore (Mark 5:21), a man, Jarius, who was a ruler of the synagogue, approached him and fell at his feet, begging Jesus to come with him and heal his daughter, whom he said was at the point of death (Mark 5:22-23).
What is odd about this occurrence, namely, that a ruler of the synagogue would come to Jesus begging him for mercy, is understood in the light of what we might call the Beelzebub Controversy (cp. Mark 3:22). The Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem claimed Jesus was in league with the devil. Therefore, it is probably true that Jesus was put out of the synagogue by order of the Jerusalem authorities. In fact, although many of the rulers believed on Jesus, and undoubtedly Jarius was among them, they simply wouldn’t confess it openly, because they feared they, too, would be expelled from the synagogues, which was the center of Jewish social life (John 12:42-43).
Therefore, the fact that Jarius came begging Jesus for the life of his young daughter tells us two things. First, Jarius was probably among those who publicly rejected Jesus, but privately believed on him. Secondly, his begging expresses his repentance in that he found the life of his daughter was more important to him than his fear of being expelled from Jewish social life and what praise he would have of men by publicly rejecting Jesus (cp. John 12:43). Sooner or later, every one of us must publicly expose his true heart to others, and be known by what we do, showing who we really are.
Notice that the text says: “Jesus went with him (Mark 5:24)!” There is no evidence of a rebuke or an “I told you so!” etc. Jesus simply went with Jarius, who seems to be an image of the repentant sinner. Jesus was slandered by the Jewish authorities and said to be evil (Mark 3:22), and many believing rulers, which, presumably, included Jarius, had remained silent to say the least, or publicly agreed with such slanderous treatment of Jesus to keep their reputations intact (John 12:42-42). This was their demon, which they simply couldn’t bind or cast out on their own. Yet, Jesus mentioned none of this to Jarius who begged him for mercy.
As Jesus and Jarius, together with Jesus’ disciples, walked to where Jarius’ daughter lay sick, the multitude gathered around them, impeding their progress. The multitude seems to represent the mindless spirit of folks who simply do as they are told, and believe as they are told to believe without ever asking why. They hinder the progress of the repentant sinner, like Jarius. They cause his hopes, visualize saving the life of his daughter, to grow dim with every step he takes with Jesus. Picture Jarius awaiting Jesus’ return on the beach near Capernaum. How long, Oh Lord will you forget me (Psalm 13:1) and look on (Psalm 35:17)? How long will you be angry (Psalm 79:5) and hide yourself (Psalm 89:46)? Return Oh Lord (Psalm 90:13)! Now, that Jesus had returned and seemed ready to comply with Jarius’ wishes, it seemed that Jesus’ progress was hindered by the multitude’s desire to touch him, or to witness the next great thing he might do etc. (cp. Luke 23:8; John 12:18; Luke 4:23).
The mindlessness of the multitude is itself a kind of demon, and so relates to the exorcism of the demon called, Legion. The multitude had a collective spirit that drove it like a mob is driven to violence, but these people, it seems, were driven by curiosity. Such a spirit can be witnessed in a flock of flying birds, which has no particular shape or order, but the whole group will fly and turn together, until the spirit vanishes, and they go off in different direction. No doubt it was such a phenomenon that drove the herd of 2000 swine to their destruction (cp Mark 5:13). In the present context the multitude, who awaited Jesus’ return on the shore of the lake, hindered his progress to do good, and dimmed the hopes of Jarius, the repentant sinner.
The Greek word translated thronged in the KJV is sunthlibo (G4918) and means ‘to press together.’ It is derived from two Greek words: sun (G4862), which means union, with or together, and thlibo (G2346), which means afflict, suffer tribulation or trouble. The multitude represents that which discourages the repentant sinner. It could be his friends who press him in order to draw him back to his old ways, or an enemy who troubles him and keeps him from progressing with Christ. In the present context, it was the crowd of people, driven by curiosity, who slowed the progress of Jesus’ journey, and thus dimmed Jarius’ hope of saving his daughter’s life. Often folks mean well, but they take no real thought of how their words or deeds affect the cause of Christ.
Smoodock's Blog 