NOTES for Mar 5:1-20
Before us is another story of Jesus' victory over the dark forces ruling on earth. At the same time, this story tells us much about ourselves, about the greatness and damaged state of the human being. The spirits of darkness try to destroy the possessed man, but even a legion of demons is able only to torment the unfortunate man, while once they find themselves in a herd of pigs, the demons immediately drag their "hosts" into the abyss.
In this one can see the extraordinary importance of human resolve, of human will. The person himself is not able to free himself from unclean spirits; he cannot heal himself. But with those remaining parts of the will that have not yet been damaged by the evil demonic will, he is able to do the most important thing: to come to Jesus and bow down to Him. In fact, this fully corresponds to the way our salvation takes place. Which of us can independently cast off his sinful inclinations, be healed of laziness, despondency, vanity, and other diseases of the spirit? But one thing we can do, for this region of the spirit is not subject to Satan: we have the freedom to come and bow down before the Lord, who alone has the power to heal and save us.