Mark 5:1-20 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
When he saw Jesus
from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at
the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High
God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of
this man, you impure spirit!”Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”“My name
is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” And he begged Jesus again and again
not to send them out of the area.
A large herd of
pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, “Send us
among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” He gave them permission, and the
impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in
number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. Those tending the pigs ran off and reported
this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had
happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by
the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they
were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the
demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to
plead with Jesus to leave their region.
As Jesus was
getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with
him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them
how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the
man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for
him. And all the people were amazed.
A
Different Ministry
Mark
5
As we look at it, Jesus is visiting the area of the Gadarenes. This area was lived primarily by
the people of the tribe of Gad. When they returned they added pagan rituals
into their lives in order to reach God and receive protection. The towns were settled
in the middle of hills and often the inhabitants would surround their city with
the tomes of the dead. The hope was that the spirits of their dead relatives
would protect them.
The Gadarenes were
part of Israel but they were not living like Israel.
If the Pharisees
looked down on Galilee area this place was even worse. We will notice that they
even keep pigs.
The towns surrounded
by the dead, pigs kept, for the people at the time especially the religious
leaders this place was unclean.
Yet Jesus went
here.
We see that a demoniac
ran to Jesus crying out who Jesus was.
The demons these
unclean spirits aren’t trying to help Jesus they are trying to cause a stir.
Translation: evil/unclean
spirit but Jesus isn’t made unclean by this spirit.
Looking at this
man:
1.
Lived
in the tombs
2.
Couldn’t
be bound
3.
Cried
out
4.
Self-mutilation
Jesus cast out the
demon, but it seems not to work.
It worked but the
problem there were a lot of demons.
ILLUSTRATION: If
you see a mouse in the daytime and then catch a mouse. You haven’t taken care of
the problem because there are a bunch there.
Jesus was showing the
disciples why it seemed not to work by asking the name. Jesus never addresses
the man as Legion.
The demons didn’t
want to leave this area.
What does it say
if the demons don’t want to leave?
The demons beg
Jesus to let them go into the pigs and he let them.
WHY?
Pigs were unclean animals by allowing the pigs to go there Jesus in a very real way cleansed
the area of two problems; the demonic and the pigs.
Early Church Father Chrysostom: pointed out that Jesus
“did this so that you might know that the demons would have done the same to
the human beings and would have drowned then if God had allowed them to do so.”
Even here we see the mercy of God.
The crowds came at the destruction of the pigs but
were afraid when they saw the demon-possessed man made whole.
1. Clothed
2. In
his right mind
What do you do with the man who can cleanse the land
and cleanse the demon-possessed? What do you do with someone of this power and authority?
Ask him to leave!
They were more comfortable with the pigs and the demon-possessed man than with Jesus.
Romans 6:12-23: Do not let sin control your life, and
do not give in to sinful desires.
Hebrews 11:24-27: Moses chose to be mistreated with
the people of God rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
If you are more comfortable with you sin than with Jesus.
If you again and again push Jesus aside then eventually, Jesus will leave.
But that doesn’t mean that Jesus is giving up on you.
He may use another voice. We will see that in a different ministry that Jesus gives
to the man-made free.
I like the way Gregory the Great said it, “A legion of demons
had been as I believe cast out of me. I would prefer merely to forget all of
this that I have known and simply rest at the feet of the Savior but lo it is
said to so strongly as to compel me against my will, “go home to your friends
and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on
you.”
The man wants to go with Jesus (very commendable) but
Jesus tells him to stay. Jesus gives him specific yet different instructions
just as he did man cleansed of Leprosy.
Leper:
1. Tell
no one
2. Show
yourself to priest
3. Offer
the correct sacrifice
Demon possessed man
1. Go
home to your family
2. Tell
your family
a. How
much the LORD has done for you
b. The
Mercy the LORD has shown
What did he do?
1. Went
to Decapolis (ten cities)
2. Told
what Jesus did for him.
What does this show us?
1. We
need to be more uncomfortable with sin than Jesus
2. We
need to do the ministry He gives us(not our ministry)
Photo by Laura Anderson on Unsplash
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