Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. For these demons to be sent out of the country would have meant that they would then be confined along with other fallen angels (cf. The house that is left swept and clean is a likely target for Satanic influence (cf. It only takes a minute to sign up. Mark 5:16 says the thoughts of the people were on the swine. This man demonstrated all four characteristics. Lane, Mark, p. 182, fn. The entire population of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them because they were seized with great fear. It was opposite Galilee. I would like to invite you to return to where we left off a few weeks ago in our studies in the gospel of Mark. Wasn't the answer obvious? 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear (Luke 8:35-37). (5) What our Lord could have given the people of this territory was much greater than what He took away. Acts 5:1-6). When addressed, the person was the mouthpiece of the demon (such as Legion, Mark 5:9). Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. They were afraid and astonished, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the sea, and they obey Him?" . Jude 6), no longer to afflict men or resist God. People who have no appr Fallen people reject God not because they do not know His power. Though Legion bowed before Jesus (verse 6), it was no act of worship (as the King James Version would seem to indicate). 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). At their request, He left. The first two are in the Authorized Version. The difference between the phonemes /p/ and /b/ in Japanese, Is there a solutiuon to add special characters from software and how to do it. They are happy in their sin and the consequences seem far away. These, however, are not the problem raised by Bible students. Legion of Demons - NeverThirsty The price tag of possession was high, for those who fell victim to the demons agonized in constant torment. Pig carcasses were washing ashore and drifting out to sea. The typical explanation for the petition of the residents that Christ leave their country is that they were motivated by materialistic considerations. There is, as we know, the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Another reason they may have been afraid of Jesus was the realization that if they accepted Him, it would mean a radical change of lifestyle. Both Gerasa and Gadara were cities to the east of the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan. He was received into the Catholic Church in 1991. June 2017 February 2018 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. A Summary and Analysis of Jesus and the Gadarene Swine It should also be observed that nowhere in the Old Testament (except in I Sam. For those who are shaken like leaves in the wind at the mention of demons, let us remember from this story that demons cannot even possess pigs without prior permission from our Lord. xx. Treasury of Scripture. Gerasenes, Gadarenes, Pigs and "Contradictions" - NCR 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? That is why the inhabitants of the area are referred to variously in different Bible manuscripts as Gergasenes, Gadarenes, or Gerasenes. All Scripture agrees with this, that the judgment of the angels is yet to come (1 Cor. 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. This was surely not so in every case, and perhaps in none. What they were not willing to accept was the frightening power that could cure him. Second, while the death of the pigs is clearly an economic loss for the owner, Jesus is illustrating the infinite value of human life. I have always wondered what my Christian brothers had to say to the police officers by way of explanation. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine . October 2017 He shivered at the disturbing memory. The spectrum ranges from those who seem to control the demonic powers to those who are utterly controlled by them. They were instructed to keep quiet about what Jesus had done for them (cf. The demonically possessed man who came to Jesus cried out his name was Legion. It would seem that these people had no Messianic expectations, and therefore wanted nothing to do with One Who had such awesome power, a power over which they had no control. February 2015 (it should be added that Plummer himelf does not hold to any of these views.). Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. 4, p. 180. The district of the Gerasenes probably included that of the Gadarenes; so that the demoniac of Gergesa belonged to the country of the Gadarenes and also to that of the Gerasenes, as the same person may, with equal truth, be said to live in the city or the state, or in the United States. (London: InterVarsity Fellowship, 1950), fn. Textual variations have compounded the problem. 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. iv. Life with him would be heaven on earth. Perhaps they clenched their fists or picked up driftwood with which to defend themselves. 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. Satans most effective tool is not the demoniac wandering about the desolate places. January 2023 Afraid of Jesus? | Sermons | College Park Church Jesus has lead me away from my old life. Sign-up for E-NewsletterGet Register Updates sent daily or weeklyto your inbox. Pigs were specifically set aside as the animal used in sacrifices to their god. This makes sense, I couldn't believe they asked Jesus to leave. Then any greatest of men, like any prophet, hero or king? January 2021 The pleas of Legion were in response to the command of Jesus for the demons to come out of him (verse 8). The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. It might be better to hide behind masks than risk being hurt again After all, if God rejects youwhere else can you go? Author of The Gnostic Notebook series, stand-up comedian, and Gnostic. As an alternative to confinement, the demons posed the option of being permitted to enter the pigs, some 2,000 in number, feeding nearby. Ouija boards are found in many American homes. Swine were unclean animals according to the Torah. The Gadarenes' Rejection | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at The Truth is Jesus is a safe Person Who loves them, values them, wants their best and will never force Himself on them. It is amazing to think that people could be fearful of Jesus. The lose of the pigs meant loose of partial income in the area. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). e.g., Matt. When you get a chance, please take the, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. Why is that. I felt somewhat guilty, particularly fearing that I may have created an unintentional hardship for some classmate. The passage in Daniel especially suggests specific geographical boundaries within which spirit beings must abide. There was no such danger in Perea, and thus the mercy of the Lord was to be heralded. Even in our sophisticated times, there is an intense interest in the supernatural and the occult. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.110. The region was known also as the Decopolis because ten Greek cities were located in the region. Five squad cars converged on it. February 2017 They were willing to post guards and chain and shackle their neighbor to keep him from hurting someone. I think all these attempts to harmonize what may at first seem like a contradiction are plausible, respectable, and adequate. So he got into a boat and returned. Jesus never interacted with people as they were, but as He knew they were created to be. Until we decide on a new comic, you'll likely see a gray box where "Dilbert" had appeared. Others are absolutely controlled (hooked) by the drug and totally dependent upon it. . The Greeks were believers in the spirit world, but not necessarily convinced that demons were evil.127 As a result, Marks readers needed to be instructed as to the essential nature of demons and demon possession. Significantly, the demons are called unclean spirits (verse 2,9). 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. Well, it is because atheists, in their zealous rush to make fun of Christians, Christianity, and the Bible, start to lose their logical rigor and rationality, leading them to contend for implausible things: as presently. And when the man spoke to Jesus, it looks like the demons inside the man were the ones doing the speaking. That would be a strong message, by allowing them to be possessed and then drowned. "Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear." (Luke 8:37a) Fear plagues us. Asked October 24 2014 Top Ten Reasons Why There Were Pigs In Gerasenes 120 The request is in both cases the same; for, according to Jewish notions, certain countries being assigned to evil as well as to good spirits, whose limits they were unable to overpass, to be sent out of their own country, no other being open to them, implied being sent into the abyss, or bottomless pit, since that remains for them alone. Trench, Miracles , p. 101. And the people there were scared, they recognised this, but more, they realised the significance of this. Unfortunately, Christians [or those using the name] can be harsh, condemning and critical driving people further into sin and away from God. Winthrop Congregational Church, UCC No matter who you are. 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. April 2021 September 2022 How many demons possessed the man in Mark 5:6? What scared them was a power so fierce it could free a man. Another approach is to note the different intentions of the Gospel writers. Where it falls apart for me is why the Bellonas, knowing that only one person is allowed to survive each duel, take the defeat so personally. March 2018 The people were more terrified of Jesus and His authority than they were of this crazed and demonized man living among the tombs. The region and polygon don't match. It is a violent tempest, that is, outside of the natural. . 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. 117 so that, by their own confession, a time is coming when there shall be an entire victory of the kingdom of light over that of darkness (Rev. No matter where you are on life's journey. Those who had seen it told them how the man who had been demon-possessed had been healed. Who was afraid of Jesus and why? seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Matthew 12:43-45). 9. Paul tells us that our struggle is, at bottom, a spiritual one (Ephesians 6:12). What did Jesus do? 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.. Gergesa may have been a variant spelling of Gerasa. Ralph Earle, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1957), p. 70. Horoscopes and astrological predictions are found in most major newspapers. The US Congress is currently debating whether TikTok should be banned for everyone in the US, not just government officials. November 2014. Have you even been in a service where the Spirit of God was moving and felt fear? This reveals to us that demons have an intuitive knowledge of their impending doom.117. verse 5). Did Jesus command the demon before he fell on his knees in Mark 5:6? It is even possible that his request was to become one of our Lords disciples.125. May 2018 Gospel Parallels: The Gerasene Demoniac - READ-SCRIPTURE.COM 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's a curious passage with many unanswered questions. (1) Severe personality change. Flavius Josephus and Steve Mason, Flavius Josephus: Life of Josephus (Boston; Leiden: Brill, 2003), 47. He pleaded with Jesus not to be tormented. These men were a danger to themselves and others. Since the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave in their fear, it seems that Jesus' ability to exorcise Legion was disturbing to the people.