THE LIFE OF CHRIST - MINISTRY OF WITHDRAWALS
Third Withdrawal
-In Decapolis - Many Healed & A Multitude Fed
-Matthew 15:29-39; Mark 7:31-8:10
-Jesus journeyed to the region of Decapolis.
-Remember, in Matthew 8 and Mark 5, Jesus had traveled to the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee.
Upon landing, He was met by two men possessed with demons. These demons were cast out
into a herd of swine which then ran into the sea and perished.
-The man who had been possessed by many demons (Mark 5:9), after being healed, began to
proclaim in Decapolis all the great things that Jesus had done (Mark 5:20).
-This time, while Jesus was in the region, multitudes gathered unto Him.
-Lesson for us: The word of a single individual can have quite an impact.
-Mark records the healing of one man in particular - a man who was deaf and had a severe speech
impediment.
-“The extent of the impediment of speech is debatable. Mogilalon may be used of one who is
completely mute, but its literal meaning is speaking with difficulty. The statement of Mark 7:35 that
he spoke plainly seems to indicate that previously he had not been able to speak clearly. However,
the exclamation of the people in 7:37 was that he made the speechless (Gr.) to speak” (Wycliffe).
-Notice that when the people came to Jesus, they made a specific request that He “put his hand upon
him” (Mark 7:32). However, Jesus took Him aside and healed Him.
-“From the crowd in the presence of only a few witnesses. Why? Many reasons may be given
and none be correct. (1) His friends had suggested their way of healing (to put his hands upon
him) (verse 32); they needed to be taught that they should leave the way to Jesus. (2) The
people may have gathered to see a great miracle. But Jesus would make no display; nor
satisfy mere curiosity. (Matt. 12:15-21.) (3) He would withdraw from observation; and
produce as little excitement as possible. (6:31,32; 8:22,23.) (4) While he would strengthen their
faith, he would not feed their superstition. (5) For the good of the man himself; that he might
have a proper view of Christ’s healing power. Jesus showed that he was not limited to any one
way of exercising his miraculous power” (Dorris, pg 182).
-“Jesus was still seeking to suppress excitement. A very little encouragement from him
would have brought together a multitude, the very thing which he was journeying to avoid”
(McGarvey/Pendleton, pgs 403-404).
-Those who witnessed the miracle were astonished and published this throughout Decapolis, even
though Jesus told them not to do so. As a matter of fact, the more Jesus charged them to keep it
quiet, the more they published it.
-While in the mountain region of Decapolis, near to the Sea of Galilee, a multitude gathered to Jesus
and remained with Him for three days.
-Jesus then told the apostles that He had compassion on the crowd due to the fact that they had
remained with Him for those three days. If He sent them to their homes, they would grow faint along
the way, especially those who had traveled a long distance to be with Him.
-“Whether they had been without food three days is not clearly expressed. If they brought any
food it was all consumed, and they were in a wilderness (verse 4) where no food could be bought
and were in immediate need” (Dorris, pg 185).
-McGarvey and Pendleton stated, “The multitude had not been three days without food, but it
had been with Jesus three days and was now without food” (pg 405).
-Regardless of the specific details, Jesus was about to feed them.
-The disciples questioned where they might find enough food in that remote area to feed such a multitude.
-“It seems that his disciples had forgotten that he had power to feed the multitude. It had not been
long since the multitude of five thousand men had been fed. Perhaps they believed he had the power
to feed the multitude, but they were not sure he would repeat the miracle. They did not have the
boldness to ask him to perform a miracle, hence they just asked, ‘Whence should we have so many
loaves in a desert place to fill so great a multitude?” (Boles, pg 336).
-Jesus then responded, “How many loaves have ye?” Surely, this sounded very familiar to the apostles
and must have reminded them of the miraculous feeding of the 5,000.
-However, this time, the apostles didn’t question the usefulness of such a small amount of food in
regards to such a large number of people. “The disciples seem now to have suspected what Jesus
was about to do, for they do not ask, as on the former occasion, ‘What are these among so many?’
(John 6:9.)” (Boles, pg 336-337).
-The people were seated, Jesus gave thanks for the food and then the multitude was miraculously fed.
After all had eaten (four thousand men plus women and children), seven baskets full remained.
-Jesus then sent the multitude away, and traveled by boat to the coasts of Magdala (Matt 15:39), parts of
Dalmanutha (Mark 8:10) on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
-“These were probably small towns situated close to each other. Some think there was but one town,
having two names. Neither exists now. Note the evangelists do not say that he went to either of
those towns, but only to the coasts, or parts, where they were situated. This leaves no contradiction
between the two writers” (Dorris, pgs 187-188).