I looked at this passage a lot while at IFI.
Mark
5
They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones. Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; and shouting with a loud voice, he said, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” For He had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he said to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. The demons implored Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.” Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea.
They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones. Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; and shouting with a loud voice, he said, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” For He had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he said to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. The demons implored Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.” Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea.
Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the “legion”; and they became frightened. Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. And they began to implore Him to leave their region. As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. And He did not let him, but He said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.
How would we have “labeled”
this man today with his presenting “symptoms?”
- Homeless (dwelling among the tombs)
- Violent (and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore)
- Displays of strength (even with a chain, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him.)
- Psychotic Episodes (Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains,)
- Self-harm/mutilation (gashing himself with stones)
What
would we do with such a man today?
> Hospitalize him?
> A double dose of Thorzine?
> Restraints?
> Solitary confinement?
> Case-management?
> Lobotomy?
This is how Jesus handled the
situation. He bypassed the man
altogether and spoke directly to his affliction, in this case a “legion” of
demons. He commanded them to “come out”
and they did.
What was Jesus’ outcome: “observed the
man who had been demon-possessed sitting
down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the ‘Legion’”
Jesus
didn’t do a social history. He didn’t do a medical exam. He didn’t ask the man if he preferred the
“outdoor” lifestyle. He didn’t even ask permission. He didn’t speak to the man
directly.
Jesus
took authority and the affliction was cast away.
That
was where I wanted to go. I wanted Jesus
to speak directly to the hearts of the men and prison and instantly “heal”
them. I wanted the men to amaze people
by sitting clothed and in their right minds.
You
would think the people of the Gerasenes would have been ecstatic to have Tomb Man taken care of. Surely
he had been a community risk for many years?
You would imagine they would have begged Jesus to stick around and
clean-up their community.
Not so
much…
Here
was their response:
“they became frightened. Those who had
seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. And they began to implore Him to leave their region.”
They
would rather deal with demonically oppressed men and continue their illegal
“swine” operation than to have a healthy community…a theme that would show up
in our reality as well.
So
Jesus left. His only reported convert? TOMB-MAN!
“As He (Jesus) was getting into the boat, the man who had been
demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. And He did not let him, but He said to him, “Go home
to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you,
and how He had
mercy on you.” And he went away and began to
proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone
was amazed.”
That
also became a common theme in our reality as well…
chris
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