NOTES for Mar 5:1-20
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?