20 And it was told Him bysome, who said, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.”
21 But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”
Wind and Wave Obey Jesus
22aNow it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out.
23 But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling withwater, and were in1 jeopardy.
24 And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm.
25 But He said to them, a“Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, b“Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”
A Demon-Possessed Man Healed
26aThen they sailed to the country of the1 Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.
27 And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons1 for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.
28 When he saw Jesus, he acried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, b“What have I to do with cYou, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!”
29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.
30 Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him.
31 And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out ainto the abyss.
32 Now a herd of many aswine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them.
33 Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.
34 When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.
35 Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, asitting at the bfeet of Jesus, clothed and in his cright mind. And they were afraid.
36 They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was1 healed.
37aThen the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the1 Gadarenes basked Him to cdepart from them, for they were seized with great dfear. And He got into the boat and returned.
38 Now athe man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying,
39“Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
40 So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him.
41aAnd behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house,
Two miracles of Jesus Christ recorded in Scripture tell of Him calming storms on the Sea of Galilee. The first miracle of this type appears in Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; and Luke 8:22-25. For Jesus, this is a day of both significant teaching, including the seven parables of Matthew 13, and considerable testing. He is sought by concerned friends, His mother, and half-brothers, and is accused of being demon-possessed by some who think that He is not in His right mind.
These things, along with performing this miracle, leave Jesus physically and mentally tired. Mark indicates that He shows signs of fatigue from incessant interruptions and distractions by the people pursuing Him. Yet, He unselfishly gives Himself to serve others. Because of the large crowds still gathering around Him, He tells His disciples to take Him in their small boat to the quieter region of Perea across the Sea of Galilee.
Once on board, Jesus falls asleep on a pillow, an item normally found among the sparse furnishings of that type of boat. A storm rises suddenly, terrifying the disciples. Mark describes the waves beating into the boat and filling it. Luke expresses the disciples' urgency by repeating the Greek word epistates, which means "Master, Master!" or "Rabbi, Rabbi!" However, because of His complete trust in His Almighty Father's care and protection, and His knowledge that He had God-given power over the winds and the sea, Jesus remains peacefully asleep.
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