NOTES for Mar 5:1-20
1 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. |
2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, |
3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: |
4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. |
5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. |
6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, |
7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. |
8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. |
9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. |
10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. |
11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. |
12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. |
13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. |
14 And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. |
15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. |
16 And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. |
17 And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. |
18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. |
19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. |
20 And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel. |
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It is true that Christ can give us much, but He can also deprive us of much. How will we respond to this? Are we ready to lose something familiar so that in our soul light may replace darkness?
Let us consider today's story. Before us are Jesus, a possessed man, a legion, about 5,000, of demons, and the local residents. There is a clear conflict, a clash of desires.
Jesus wants to free the man from the power of the demons and drive them out of that region.
The possessed man: his whole being had been suppressed by an unclean power. If he had any awareness of himself at all, his desire could only have been one thing: to be freed from this nightmare as quickly as possible.
The demons plainly want to remain masters in that region. Apparently they lived comfortably in godless surroundings. They even dare to ask the Lord not to trouble them. Incidentally, they are the only ones who fully understood with whom they were dealing.
The local residents paid attention to Jesus only after they had lost their herd of pigs. And the normal condition of the man freed from demons inspired only fear. People are always afraid of what they do not understand, and Jesus, having brought such turmoil into their measured life, was not needed by them.
Does something similar not happen in our own lives? How do we react to the Lord's unexpected "invasion" of our little world? The demoniac, after coming to his right mind, wanted only one thing: to be with Christ and obey Him. His preaching about the Lord's miracle is the best gratitude to God for His mercy. Can you say that Jesus has freed you from what bound your soul? If so, are you grateful to Him for it?
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