There is, as we know, the world, the flesh, and the Devil. 8; Mark vi. I think the coup de grce is to look up the Greek word for country in these passages, to see what latitude of meaning it has. . Luke seems to base this fear solely upon what happened to the demoniac, not on the loss of their pigs. Mark 9:17-29). Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. Immediately, as this weary group disembarked from the ship, they were met by what appeared to be a madman. Demons are highly organized (cf. My office mate of several years back was interrupted by a young and very zealous new Christian teacher accompanied by a student from whom she wanted my friend to cast out a demon. The lectionary reading for Trinity 1, Year C, is Luke's version of Jesus meeting and healing the demon-possessed man in the 'region of the Gerasenes' (Luke 8.26-39). What was it that caused these people to react in such a way? xx. Daniel 10:13; Ephesians 6:12), whose leader and prince is Satan (Matthew 12:24). June 2020 Other demoniacs described in Scripture were bent on self-destruction as well (cf. All Scripture agrees with this, that the judgment of the angels is yet to come (1 Cor. Even in our sophisticated times, there is an intense interest in the supernatural and the occult. seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Jude 6), no longer to afflict men or resist God. One is to disbelieve in their existence. When Jesus asked his name the man answered, Legion, for we are many (Mark 5:9). When addressed, the person was the mouthpiece of the demon (such as Legion, Mark 5:9). They valued their pigs more than they valued salvation. Just as demons desire to possess persons through whom they can exhibit their personalities, so the Spirit of God indwells man, imparting new life, and progressively gaining control so that the character of God is exhibited, but not in such a way as to hinder our individuality and identity. We see the first reaction to this in the storm MARK 4:7 And a great windstorm arose [snip]. In any event, they were not Israelites, as indicated by the fact that a herd of swine was being kept nearby, which would have been forbidden by the Mosaic Law, since swine were unclean animals (Leviticus 11:7-8). You might be thinking back to Easter and not recall very many hogs showing up except for at Easter supper. Why is there a voltage on my HDMI and coaxial cables? The occult and every front for demonic influence and activity should be avoided like the plague. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. The drowning of these pigs has caused a great deal of discussion amongst Bible students, for as a friend of mine once observed, Thats a lot of pork chops! Had our Lord achieved such a miracle today He would have been in deep trouble. The Gadarenes was the place where Jesus confronted a man whose possession by demons gave him a level of superhuman strength like Samson (Mark 5:3 - 5, Luke 8:27). February 2015 Why would God tell King David to take a census of the people in verses one through nine, and then cast judgment on him because he did what he told him to do? Our children would probably understand best if I said that his appearance must have been somewhat like that of the television creation, The Incredible Hulk. On the other hand, the scene gains in grandeurhas, so to speak, a fitting backgroundif we suppose the Saviour and His disciples to have landed on the other side late in the evening, when perhaps the silvery moon was shedding her pale light on the weird scene, and laying her halo around the shadows cast upon the sea by the steep cliff down which the herd of swine hurried and fell. The demoniac further evidenced demon activity by the depth of his spiritual insight. Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant. October 2017 Unfortunately, Christians [or those using the name] can be harsh, condemning and critical driving people further into sin and away from God. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? 22ff. They ask Him if they can enter some nearby pigs, and He lets them. While he was once wild and uncontrollable, he was sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus. The best human analogy might be in the area of drug abuse. And they were afraid. of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were So he got into the boat and left. print and digital media outlets, dedicated to reporting the truth in light of the Gospel and the From this point on, Jesus began to speak to the crowds in parables in order to veil or conceal the gospel from those who had blasphemed the Holy Spirit (Mark 4:lff). 37Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. Pigs were seen as unclean animals in the eyes of the people of Israel. - And they came to the other side of the sea.The other side of the sea would be the south-east side of the sea. Here in Mark, he purposely set out to travel into another land. Jesus is conscious that He now breaks the power of the devil and his angels because He is the One in whom the dominion of God is present on behalf of humanity. W. Foerster, as quoted by Lane, Mark, fn. They were willing to post guards and chain and shackle their neighbor to keep him from hurting someone. Jesus had been performing miracles in Gods nation - Israel. Read the Scripture: Mark 4:35 - 5:20. In this account we, by inference, learn much about the demonic spirits. And, lastly, this would allow sufficient time for those miracles which took place on that second day in Capernaum after His return thither. The demons in the man recognize Jesus and the man bows before him. Lane believes the modern Kersa is the most likely place: The point of arrival is indicated in a general way as the district of the Gerasenes, most probably in reference to a town whose name is preserved in the modern Kersa or Koursi. Such was the case with this man (cf. 15; Mark ix. No matter where you are on life's journey. Non-Christians can often experience this fear of Jesus as well. He who feared His arrival now dreaded His departure. "The trains were . The confrontation of Jesus and the Gerasene demoniac made it clear that Jesus was no servant of Satan. The commission of our Lord is considerably different from His instructions to the Israelites whom He had delivered. Why did Jesus allow the demons to enter the herd of pigs? Who do you care more about, people or pigs? Men and women (as well as children) were demonized in that they fell under the influence of these unclean spirits. EIN 27-4581132 Pastor Chrissy is a native of East Tennessee. More from Medium Jameson Steward in. Some of the proposed answers to this question are totally unacceptable to an orthodox, evangelical Christian.123 By way of explanation, there are several factors which should be given serious consideration. It is noteworthy that it is distinguished (especially in the Gospel of the physician, Luke) from cases of ordinary sickness, insanity (lunacy), leprosy, blindness, lameness, deafness and other natural defects and diseases (cf. Yet, conversely, the known can be just as scaryif not more. But here we speak not about a bishop, but about Christ who made His Godhead revealed through devils beseeching Him not to cast them to hell but enter the swine. Winthrop Congregational Church, UCC No matter who you are. This suggests that whoever was the customer for the swineherder in the "region of the Gerasenes", it was not the Roman army to any significant extent. Matthew 12:43-45). From this it is clear that demon-possession is a phenomenon which occurred almost exclusively, but then to be sure on an amazing scale, during Jesus appearance on earth and to a lesser extent during the activity of the apostles. He seemed to view Jesus approach as the launching of a direct attack on the demonic forces. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. March 2022 (London: InterVarsity Fellowship, 1950), fn. But the city of Gadara owned some territory round about Khersa, so that the district and the pigs could properly also be called Gadarene. F. F. Bruce, Are the New Testament Documents Reliable? 1, pp. 124 Augustine: The devils were driven out and permitted to go into the swine; and Aquinas: But that the swine were driven into the sea was no work of the divine miracle, but was the work of the devils by divine permission. Quoted by Trench, Miracles, fn. 36 Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. How to prove that the supernatural or paranormal doesn't exist? iv. 35Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. What would happen to them? February 2016 Such seems to be a similar case with Judas (John 13:1-2). It hit them hard in the pocketbook. Jesus asked a sick man if he wanted to get well. July 2020 To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. It is a violent tempest, that is, outside of the natural. Like the Samaritans who followed the woman at the well to see this One who had told her all she had done, so these residents came to see for themselves what had happened. What about us, as Christians, are we afraid of Jesus? 125 This is the position of Lane, Mark, p. 187. Follow Up: struct sockaddr storage initialization by network format-string, How do you get out of a corner when plotting yourself into a corner, Movie with vikings/warriors fighting an alien that looks like a wolf with tentacles. (3) Spiritual insight. November 2022 Those possessed are depicted throughout as unfortunate sufferers who by no fault of their own are dominated by evil spirits and who, when the spirits are cast out by Jesus, accept their deliverance with joy and gratitude (Mark v. 18-20, Luke viii. How Satan blinds our minds! They likely were Gentiles and had been under the influence of the demonic principality of the region their whole life. 4, p. 102. While the Jews had not denied the works of Jesus were supernatural, they had declined to admit they established His deity. Small sins lead to big sins, and big sins bring about a terrible spiritual darkness. Why as the question? September 2022 December 2015 For more information about Glenn Davis see our About Glenn page and/or his Author's Page. In this context, however, he insists that legion has nothing of its usual Roman military overtones, but is the designation of numerous powers which oppose themselves to Jesus as the embodiment of the power of God. Lane, Mark, fn. The people who witnessed this are . Jesus was saying, (demonstrating) that He had all authority, in any land. Cookie Notice The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. How much more sinful than Peter were the Geraseneans, who because of love of money did not shun even to engage in a non-Jew business of herding swine; how much more unbearable and dreadful must have been for them the Lords presence! David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 991. They came face-to-face with the Son of God, the Being with the power to change their world forever, and they said, "Please leave." Why? In this story, we have a demon-possessed Gadarene who saw Jesus from a distance, and immediately he appeared to have felt a strong compulsion to run up to Jesus and bow down before him. . The first two are in the Authorized Version. Known as the Judas Iscariot of Gnosticism for revealing that which is not to be revealed. What scared them was a power so fierce it could free a man. (2) Anti-social behavior. Fear that you might do something that would embarrass you? Sign-up for E-NewsletterGet Register Updates sent daily or weeklyto your inbox. (5) Torment. especially fn. Jesus has lead me away from my old life. By His power, we, too, are able to overcome Satans treacheries. When the Gadarenes saw what Christ was capable of, they panicked. This is probably the Gerasa of Mark and Luke. It became one of the proudest cities of Syria. It was situated some 30 miles southeast of Gadara, on the borders of Peraea and a little north of the river Jabbok. Another reason could be as Dr. R.C. Where did the demons go after they went into the pigs and caused them to jump to their death. Satans most effective tool is not the demoniac wandering about the desolate places. I asked why people are afraid of commitment and relationships and some said they are afraid because they fear being hurt again. January 2022 Note: 'had the legion', i.e., the many unclean spirits inhabiting him. or school. Why would Jesus ask, "Who touched Me?" Not long after that, while I was still a student in seminary, there was a car parked by the seminary in a somewhat suspicious manner and I called the police to check it out. That would be a strong message, by allowing them to be possessed and then drowned. For some people, the cost is too high. 114 We are indebted to Edersheim, who reminds us that the expression demon possession never occurs in the New Testament: The term demoniacal possession occurs not in the New Testament. Hence there was demon-worship, the worship not necessarily of evil spirits; but of the spirits of those who had existed in the Golden Age. G. Campbell Morgan, The Gospel According to Mark (New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1927), p. 114. Neither is it only a kind of physical disease, although spiritual and physical disease often accompany it (e.g. September 2018 "I am afraid of Trump on a very personal level because I don't think he likes me. This was a power far beyond anything they had seen or even imagined. 115 While Mark and Luke describe only one demoniac, Matthew informs us that there were two. In the King James Version it is called the country of the Gadarenes in Mark and Luke, and of the Gergesenes in Matthew. Lets learn why. Many times people - Non-Christians and Christians - push Jesus away because they do not want to change. As these people began to piece together the previous events, not only of the destruction of the pigs, but also the deliverance of Legion, they began to sense that there was One far more awesome, much more to be feared, than Legion. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. 2 Now a centurion had a servant 1 who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Christians are to be a "safe" people - an expression of that love of God so people who do not know Him can be drawn to the Truth. The religious rulers hated Jesus for exposing their hypocrisy and feared the consequences His actions might have with Rome, but they were not afraid of Jesus as a Person. No matter who you are. Sproul says in his commentary on Mark, When the Holy One is manifest in the midst of unholy people, the only appropriate human response is dread.. The expression to be with Jesus is used particularly of His disciples (cf. At the conclusion of this day of teaching by parables, the Lord had instructed His disciples to cross over the Sea of Galilee to the other side. (1) As Lord of all, God has the right to make use of His creation any way that He deems best, and this includes not only pigs, but people (cf. Bill Maher says he's scared of former President Trump "on a very personal level" and "what he would do" to the comedian if he were to win the 2024 White House race. At first we may deceive ourselves into thinking that we are controlling them, but the ultimate likelihood is that they will master us. Another approach is to note the different intentions of the Gospel writers. Even as the purpose of Roman legions was to enforce the will of the emperor, the goal of the multiple evil spirits was to carry out the devil's will of bringing pain, destruction and chaos to humans! He felt Jesus' reassuring hand on his shoulder. At the side of Kersa the shore is level, and there are no tombs. June 2015 Wikipedia states about it: In the second half of the 1st century AD, the city of Jerash achieved great prosperity.. He was received into the Catholic Church in 1991. Luke 8:26-39 Mark 5:1-20 ESV - 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. where something similar occurs) is a demon-possession mentioned, and that outside the Gospels it is referred to only twice in the New Testament (Acts xvi. Reproduction of material from this website without written permission, or unlicensed commercial use or We are seeking a replacement and hope to have it in your newspaper soon. Early Christians like St. Polycarp clearly held the Catholic view on salvation. NET Bible Then all the people of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Jesus to leave them alone, for they were seized with great fear. What did Jesus mean when he said only prayer can cast out this demon? You will receive a monthly newsletter with Scriptural teaching plus notifications of any new articles, courses or books. This request was granted and the entire herd rushed headlong to their own destruction. e.g., Matt. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. The pig tenders reported it far and wide, in city and country (verse 14). There is the so-called demon of doubt, of anger, of overindulgence, of drunkenness, laziness and so on. Privacy Policy. If anything, that would have made them angry. Some appeared not to be oppressed by them so much as exploiting their powers (cf. We read at Mk 5:14-17 (NRSVCE), the immediate after-effects of the driving out of evil spirits by Jesus at Gerasene by allowing them to enter pigs: The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. If an Israelite, why was he in Gerasene in the first place and why was he living so near a large herd of swine? For many Christians today, the horrifying experience of Legion should be sufficient testimony of the reality of the Satanic underworld. How ironic, as others have noted, that the tormentor pleads not to be tormented. man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 'Return home and tell how much God has done for you.' So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus (Luke 8:26-39, NIV) Note that the texts dont say Gerasa or Gadara, so they arent necessarily referring just to one of the cities. When you get a chance, please take the, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. 5:5). Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. May 2021 Jesus asked Mary why she was crying at the grave site. But having recalled a passage in Ephesians, I realize now that this man is a reminder of the dilemma of every man, woman, and child who have not come to a saving dependence upon the work of Jesus Christ for sinners on the cross. Fear that you would not be in control? Understand the meaning of Luke 8:37 using all available Bible versions and commentary. T. H. Huxley, in his Essays upon some Controverted Questions (1892), made merry over the escapade of the Gadarene swine, running the seven miles between Gadar and the lake of Galilee, crossing the deep river Yarmuk en route. 68f. Matthew 8:28 - 29, 31, 34And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. When once he was an instrument of Satanic opposition against the Messiah, now he is a witness to His power. And the people there were scared, they recognised this, but more, they realised the significance of this. It's a curious passage with many unanswered questions. Similar to the storm we see in the book of Job that killed Jobs sons - and Satan was the instigator of that as well. Rev. Having been properly warned of the demonic underworld, let us not fall into the opposite error of absolute paranoia. Confusion, fear in moments after crash "There were many big pieces of steel," said Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who said he was one of the first people on the scene. The whole story is a myth. December 2016 Demonic influence further destroys mans reflection of God as originally designed.128 Demons have great spiritual insight and reluctantly submit to Jesus as Lord of all. It is in no way certain, however, that the pig raisers were Jews. She and her wife moved to Maine from Illinois. Paul says of the former life of the Christian, And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 1:1-2). Women, children and defenceless people all admired Him and felt comfortable in His presence. The pleas of Legion were in response to the command of Jesus for the demons to come out of him (verse 8). That is not the choice at all. Luke 8:37Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them: for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again. November 2017 Give a Gift SubscriptionBless friends, family or clergy with a gift of the Register. Satans most useful instrument is the outstanding, outwardly moral and upright religious man, whose good deeds are done independently of God. The scene which Mark presents is deliberately dark. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. You are welcome here. It is amazing to think that people could be fearful of Jesus. I felt somewhat guilty, particularly fearing that I may have created an unintentional hardship for some classmate. Significantly, the demons are called unclean spirits (verse 2,9). I think all these attempts to harmonize what may at first seem like a contradiction are plausible, respectable, and adequate. But, the pigs were a part of their economic wealth. They would have to trust Jesus. In fact the region was known as the Gadarenes-Gerasenes region. It was like being attacked by two Hulks. They probably thought of quickly getting aboard ship and pushing off. Pope Francis Inexhaustible Font of Words: 10 Gems From the Heart Over 10 Years, Pope Francis, Biden Commend Peacemaker Bishop OConnell as Memorial Services Begin. His animal-like shrieks must have sent chills up the spines of any who were nearby. The people were gentiles who had not yet any interest in the Messiah. The Lord, in an act of great mercy, freed the Gadarenes' man by casting the demons out of him and allowing them to enter a nearby herd of pigs. The region was known also as the Decopolis because ten Greek cities were located in the region. 26). The Gadarenes was the place where Jesus confronted a man whose possession by demons gave him a level of superhuman strength like Samson (Mark 5:3 - 5, Luke 8:27). 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. Horoscopes and astrological predictions are found in most major newspapers. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.110. As we pass from this section to the next, let us not end on the note of the death of the pigs, but on the deliverance of the demoniac. And, Gerasene was one. Like it or not, demons and demonic activity are likely to become much more of a concern to you in days to come. Far from this, He had stormed the gates of Hell and prevailed. Events that are important to our Church Community, Mark 5:1-20 Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac. As I have been studying this account through the week, it has seemed to me a rather bizarre and remote situation, the liberation of this Gerasene demoniac. No matter what men attempted to bind him with, he broke loose. Its ruins include two amphitheaters, a basilica, temple, a hippodrome, aqueducts and colonnades, showing its importance and stature. Although the manifestations of demonization vary widely, this man115 evidenced several of the classic symptoms. Now appreciate the reaction - another God was messing with their god - and demonstrating authority! Another indication of demonic control is the fact that this man was continually doing harm to himself by gashing himself with stones (verse 5). As He had landed with His disciples He had been confronted with a demon-possessed man - a man that no one had been able to control. That is why he was living in the solitude of the tombs, away from civilization. Then the SPCA would have been up in arms over such cruelty to animals. 116 As Lane observes this title Son of the Most High God, is not a messianic designation but a divine one. Lane, Mark, p. 133, cf. The fear of the unknown, the uncontrollableof change. 10). This man demonstrated all four characteristics. Lane, Mark, p. 182, fn. A Jewish exorcist with such authority in the region, risked to damage the beliefs and reputation of the local pagan inhabitants. They greatly desire to enter and control a physical body, whereby they may reflect their character and attributes. xii. He did not appear to rush upon the small group of men to attack them (as he would normally have done), but rather to plead with Jesus. He also maintains a popular Facebook page. SubscribeStart your Register subscription today. "The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. November 2016 recognizes the military background of the term, pointing out that in the imperial period a legion consisted of 6000 foot soldiers, 120 horsemen and technical personnel.
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