Just imagine, a man in a cinema, having bought popcorn and cola and watching an action movie, with a lot of violence and harsh language in it, and then he sees suddenly that a saintly bishop is sitting just next to his seat, not watching the movie, but reading silently psalms with a countenance radiating a deep contemplation; will not the first man be upset and lose all pleasure of watching the movie? Asked October 24 2014 123 1. We dismiss it the more readily, that, in our view, it conveys a wrong impression. Its ruins include two amphitheaters, a basilica, temple, a hippodrome, aqueducts and colonnades, showing its importance and stature. . You can flip a coin hoping for heads, but you know that tails is a very real probability. 2 Now a centurion had a servant 1 who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. August 2018 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. . Matt. December 2014 xii. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Is it a bug? The occult and every front for demonic influence and activity should be avoided like the plague. March 2016 Those who had seen it told them how the man who had been demon-possessed had been healed. June 2020 So he got into the boat and left., Luke 8:37, NIV, great fear [KJV] thoroughly frightened [Phillips]gripped with great fear [NASB]. Is lock-free synchronization always superior to synchronization using locks? SubscribeStart your Register subscription today. So who was afraid? I asked why people are afraid of commitment and relationships and some said they are afraid because they fear being hurt again. 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). In other words, even though he set the bar extremely high, he seemed to be a fascinating man. Although God's word does not name which cities were considered part of this region, Pliny's Natural History (c. 77 A.D.) lists these cities as Gerasa, Scythopolis, Hippos, Gadara, Pella, Philadelphia, Capitolias (Dion), Canatha, Raphana and Damascus. 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. They valued their pigs more than they valued salvation. 37Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. On the other hand, it may be correct to understand that although there were many demons, they had combined as one force to possess this man.119 While Mark records Legions request as one of not being sent out of the country (verse 10), Luke adds a significant explanation by interpreting the meaning behind this request: And they were entreating Him not to command them to depart into the abyss (Luke 8:31). What they were not willing to accept was the frightening power that could cure him. They look forward to their future with great dread. In Luke 2:8 it is applied to the city of Bethlehem; in Acts 18:23 to Galatia and Phrygia. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine . 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. Since the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave in their fear, it seems that Jesus' ability to exorcise Legion was disturbing to the people. We are seeking a replacement and hope to have it in your newspaper soon. (3) Our Lord was moved with compassion by the torment of Legion and the loss of these pigs should in no way dim our view of the deliverance of the demoniac. The region is located east of the Jordan River and southeast of the Sea of Galilee. Oh Hye-son recently published a Korean-language memoir on how she and her husband Thae Yong-ho, then deputy ambassador at North Korea's London embassy, defected in 2016. What was it that caused these people to react in such a way? September 2020 That is why he was living in the solitude of the tombs, away from civilization. April 2022 The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. Treasury of Scripture. It indicates full and permanent control. 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. . Those demons were terrified of Him! 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. xvi. The second question is an ethical one: What right had the Lord to inflict this loss on the owners of the swine?121 Put even more crassly, Huxley censored this act with these words: the wanton destruction of other peoples property is a misdemeanour of evil example.122. Brazilian Charity Caring for Children Who Survived Abortions Issues Urgent Appeal, Memento Mori: Remember You Are Going to Die, The Meat of the Matter: St. Patricks Day and the Lenten Fast. It should also be observed that nowhere in the Old Testament (except in I Sam. Yet, conversely, the known can be just as scaryif not more. Acts 16:16), while others were the virtual pawns of these spirits, losing their own identity and autonomy. 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. December 2015 They were sacrificed by being thrown off a cliff. I felt somewhat guilty, particularly fearing that I may have created an unintentional hardship for some classmate. June 2021 (5) Torment. Lukes reading Gergesenes may represent even more accurately the ancient name of this place, as Origen knew of a Gergesa on the lake of Galilee. Lets learn why. In the form of tongues as of fire, the Holy Spirit rests on the disciples on the morning of Pentecost and fills them with himself. (CCC 696). Events that are important to our Church Community, Mark 5:1-20 Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. Norval Geldenhuys, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1951), p. 174. Was it fear that a secret sin might be exposed? His greatest impact would be on those who knew his former state. The destructive desires of the demons were dramatically carried out in the drowning of the swine. Whenever a man, woman, or child surrenders control of himself either to fleshly desires (anger, lust, passion, etc.) 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) 15; Mark ix. Ouija boards are found in many American homes. But about a mile further south there is a fairly steep slope within forty yards from the shore, and about two miles from there cavern tombs are found which appear to have been used for dwellings. William L. Lane, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), p.181. We owe it to Josephus, from whom it has passed into ecclesiastical language. Embedded into both stories are people who were afraid of Jesus. This incident in the Gerasenes requires some entry understanding. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. 10). 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. Then all the people of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Jesus to leave them alone, for they were seized . 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. The expression to be with Jesus is used particularly of His disciples (cf. No matter what men attempted to bind him with, he broke loose. May 2022 Why did the demons ask to be cast into the herd of pigs, and why did the pigs then run into the water to be drowned? 36Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. May 2018 . He could just as easily commanded them to return to the deepest, darkest pit of Hell. 5. Far from this, He had stormed the gates of Hell and prevailed. The pleas of Legion were in response to the command of Jesus for the demons to come out of him (verse 8). There is no true freedom and fulfillment apart from Jesus Christ, the Creator and Redeemer of men. 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. Satan loves those Christians. The Lord refused this request and commissioned this delivered man to return to his own people and declare to them what God had done for him. 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. Unfortunately, Christians [or those using the name] can be harsh, condemning and critical driving people further into sin and away from God. This would also give time afterwards for the dispersion, not only into the city, but into the country of them who had fed the swine. Matthew 12:43-45). In Galilee and Judea there were Messianic hopes which would have been quickly fanned into flames if the miracles of Jesus were too widely publicized. Their influence and control leads to untold agony and destruction. 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. The people (nations) were divided up, and boundaries allocated' and the sons of god were put over these nations. He who feared His arrival now dreaded His departure. When the townspeople arrived on the scene, they saw the formerly demon-possessed men, clothed, in their right mind and sitting at the feet of Jesus. (6) Tendency towards self-destruction. The demoniac further evidenced demon activity by the depth of his spiritual insight. Why did Jesus allow the legion of demons to stay in the area when they begged him? I have always wondered what my Christian brothers had to say to the police officers by way of explanation. Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant. Read the Scripture: Mark 4:35 - 5:20. The lesson of this passage is that Satan is a defeated foe. Demon possession, such as that of the Gerasene demoniac is the crudest and cruelest form of Satanic control, but by and large also one of the less common manifestations of Satans work in the world today. But, the pigs were a part of their economic wealth. October 2018 to sign up for our free Water Of The Word newsletter at the top of any page! They likely were Gentiles and had been under the influence of the demonic principality of the region their whole life. As C. S. Lewis aptly put it: There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. Life with him would be heaven on earth. When addressed, the person was the mouthpiece of the demon (such as Legion, Mark 5:9). February 2017 On several occasions, when Jesus forgave someone, He specifically said, Go and sin no more. That only works for people who are sick of their sin and want to change. EWTN News, Inc. is the worlds largest Catholic news organization, comprised of television, radio, Immediately, as this weary group disembarked from the ship, they were met by what appeared to be a madman. 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. Such must have been the response of those with our Lord. While he was once wild and uncontrollable, he was sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus. ESV - August 2020 Those who have witnessed demon possession tell us that each demon has its own distinct personality and that the individual possessed begins to manifest the distinct personality of the demon by which he is possessed.
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