recognizes the military background of the term, pointing out that in the imperial period a legion consisted of 6000 foot soldiers, 120 horsemen and technical personnel. 5:5). August 2021 Lets face it, we all like to be in control. There is the so-called demon of doubt, of anger, of overindulgence, of drunkenness, laziness and so on. Similar to the storm we see in the book of Job that killed Jobs sons - and Satan was the instigator of that as well. He also maintains a popular Facebook page. For example, He didnt condemn a prostitute for her actions, He saw a daughter of God who was valuable beyond measure and only needed genuine love and forgiveness. Jesus asked some crazy questions like "Why are you afraid?" In recent years the matter has been getting uncomfortably close to home. Verse 1. Dave Armstrong Dave Armstrong is a full-time Catholic author and apologist, who has been actively proclaiming and defending Christianity since 1981. So he got into a boat and returned. For the Christian, there are two extremes which must be avoided with reference to Satanic activity. Jesus has lead me away from my old life. Norval Geldenhuys, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1951), p. 174. Then all the people of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Jesus to leave them alone, for they were seized . 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. Was it fear that a secret sin might be exposed? Ananias and Sapphira did so by allowing their greed to grip their hearts (cf. The story shows Jesus exorcising a demon or demons out of a man and into a herd of swine, causing the swine to run down a hill into a lake and drown . when He was the only One Who truly knew what had happened. Acts 19:16). Jude 6), no longer to afflict men or resist God. What they were not willing to accept was the frightening power that could cure him. 117 so that, by their own confession, a time is coming when there shall be an entire victory of the kingdom of light over that of darkness (Rev. Now' as to the pigs (an unclean animal, so you know Jesus wasnt in Israel! December 2021 and thank you for your contribution. seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. March 2017 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. 124 Augustine: The devils were driven out and permitted to go into the swine; and Aquinas: But that the swine were driven into the sea was no work of the divine miracle, but was the work of the devils by divine permission. Quoted by Trench, Miracles, fn. Demonized individuals are not to be viewed so much as a pigeon hole category, as they are a continuem. The capital of the region was Gerasa, and the largest city in the region was Gadera. The conduct of this pathetic individual was obviously anti-social. Matthew 12:43-45). A Jewish exorcist with such authority in the region, risked to damage the beliefs and reputation of the local pagan inhabitants. They likely were Gentiles and had been under the influence of the demonic principality of the region their whole life. Jesus never interacted with people as they were, but as He knew they were created to be. More than this, however, is the fact that the mans own identity and individuality were swallowed up by the demons with him. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023, Highlights in the Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ. Reproduction of material from this website without written permission, or unlicensed commercial use or This is when the storm arose which threatened to destroy the ship (Mark 4:35-41). rev2023.3.3.43278. How much more sinful than Peter were the Geraseneans, who because of love of money did not shun even to engage in a non-Jew business of herding swine; how much more unbearable and dreadful must have been for them the Lords presence! The conduct of this pathetic individual was obviously anti-social. They would have to trust Jesus. Embedded into both stories are people who were afraid of Jesus. Here is where Satan can use a man to influence scores of people, blinding minds and hearts to the truths of the Word of God (2 Corinthians 4:4). When Jesus asked the demoniac his name, it was not without significance for He was, I believe, asking the demons to reveal their identity. Jesus did say to count the cost [Luke 14:28-33]. Commentator R. C. H. Lenski states: The distance of these cities from the lake is immaterial for the narrative since this deals with the region that is near the lake and not with the vicinity of either of the cities to the lake.. Other demoniacs described in Scripture were bent on self-destruction as well (cf. The demoniac was uncontrollable by any of the normal means of human confinement. This is probably the Gerasa of Mark and Luke. 17, pp. Until we decide on a new comic, you'll likely see a gray box where "Dilbert" had appeared. And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to depart from them; for they were gripped with great fear; and He got into a boat, and returned (Luke 8:35-37). It is very appropriate that these two incidents . "The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. Since the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave in their fear, it seems that Jesus' ability to exorcise Legion was disturbing to the people. July 2022 July 2017 The swine then immediately killed themselves by rushing off a cliff. We should know from other Scriptures that our present spiritual experience is one of spiritual warfare. Wikipedia states about it: In the second half of the 1st century AD, the city of Jerash achieved great prosperity.. 115 While Mark and Luke describe only one demoniac, Matthew informs us that there were two. We are seeking a replacement and hope to have it in your newspaper soon. Mark 9:17-29). Instead, they reject Him because all they know is His power and purity. The center of personality, the volitional and active ego, is impaired by alien powers which seek to ruin the man and sometimes drive him to self-destruction (Mk. What did we miss because we allowed fear instead of faith to drive our lives? Was there some sort of unwritten rule that Darrow (or any non-Bellona) was supposed to throw the fight? Although demon-possession after that time no longer occurs on such a devastating and noticeable scale, the absolute form of demon-possession will appear at the end of the age in the Antichrist and in his followers (2 Thess. HELPING CHRISTIANS BUILD POSITIVE, GODLY FAMILIES, CHURCHES, AND NATIONS, Follow us on social media for daily Scripture comments and more at. When Jesus and his disciples come to the mostly-Gentile region of the Gerasenes, they are met by a man whose life has been destroyed by demonic infestation. In the past several weeks, there has come to light the case of a man arrested for various crimes who has several of the symptoms of demon possession, including multiple personalities, even multiple IQs. Gadara, though not directly named in Scripture, was part of the Decapolis. There is, as we know, the world, the flesh, and the Devil. The sons of god ended up becoming the gods of these nations. It is noteworthy that Jesus nowhere speaks of forgiveness of sins or of purification-sacrifices, that have to be brought after His curing of such cases (as He did in some cases of physical illness). Second (and primarily), Mark employs this event to authenticate the claims of Jesus to be the Son of God and Israels Messiah. Top Ten Reasons Why There Were Pigs In Gerasenes Remember the story of Jesus casting demons out of the crazy man in Luke 8? Our Lord responded sternly by calling this accusation blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and as such was the one unpardonable sin (verses 28-30). Paul tells us that our struggle is, at bottom, a spiritual one (Ephesians 6:12). He was also humorous in his answers. Sometime after the Lord Jesus miraculously calmed the storm, the ship landed, perhaps late in the evening,111 on the other side of the lake in the country of the Gerasenes.112 If, indeed, it was late at night, the scene must have been an eerie one, with the nerves of the disciples already worn thin by the terrifying experience of the storm. He who feared His arrival now dreaded His departure. Matthew 8:4; Luke 8:56). How to prove that the supernatural or paranormal doesn't exist? 2). The region and polygon don't match. By His power, we, too, are able to overcome Satans treacheries. If anything, that would have made them angry. There was no such danger in Perea, and thus the mercy of the Lord was to be heralded. Jesus was saying, (demonstrating) that He had all authority, in any land. July 2016 As we pass from this section to the next, let us not end on the note of the death of the pigs, but on the deliverance of the demoniac. The people were gentiles who had not yet any interest in the Messiah. They came face-to-face with the Son of God, the Being with the power to change their world forever, and they said, "Please leave." Why? The miracle referred to took place, without doubt, near the town of Gergesa, the modern Kersa, close by the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and hence in the country of Gergesenes. This was surely not so in every case, and perhaps in none. Even as the purpose of Roman legions was to enforce the will of the emperor, the goal of the multiple evil spirits was to carry out the devil's will of bringing pain, destruction and chaos to humans! October 2015 We owe it to Josephus, from whom it has passed into ecclesiastical language. My office mate of several years back was interrupted by a young and very zealous new Christian teacher accompanied by a student from whom she wanted my friend to cast out a demon. You will receive a monthly newsletter with Scriptural teaching plus notifications of any new articles, courses or books. Early Christians like St. Polycarp clearly held the Catholic view on salvation. 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. When our Lord confronted the demons, they had to submit to His power and authority. October 2022 Some of the proposed answers to this question are totally unacceptable to an orthodox, evangelical Christian.123 By way of explanation, there are several factors which should be given serious consideration. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. In Acts 8:1 we have the regions of Judaea and Samaria (KJV), and in Acts 16:6, Galatia alone. Read the Scripture: Mark 4:35 - 5:20. The spectrum ranges from those who seem to control the demonic powers to those who are utterly controlled by them. Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. No matter where you are on life's journey. "Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear." (Luke 8:37a) Fear plagues us. Winthrop Congregational Church, UCC No matter who you are. John 8:32; Matthew 11:28-30), or to be the pawns of Satan (Ephesians 2:1-2). April 2020 Why did Jesus allow the demons to enter the herd of pigs? For these demons to be sent out of the country would have meant that they would then be confined along with other fallen angels (cf. Vote Up What about us, as Christians, are we afraid of Jesus? December 2015 Create your own unique website with customizable templates. 114 We are indebted to Edersheim, who reminds us that the expression demon possession never occurs in the New Testament: The term demoniacal possession occurs not in the New Testament. The account occurs in all three Synoptic gospels; in Mark (the shortest gospel) the story is in the longest and most detailed version; Matthew 8.28-34 is the shortest, His animal-like shrieks must have sent chills up the spines of any who were nearby. I think the coup de grce is to look up the Greek word for country in these passages, to see what latitude of meaning it has. But as Gergesa was a small village, and little known, the evangelists, who wrote for more distant readers, spoke of the event as taking place in the country of the Gadarenes, so named from its largest city, Gadara; and this country included the country of the Gergesenes as a state includes a county. NET Bible Then all the people of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Jesus to leave them alone, for they were seized with great fear. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? 2,8) who can possess men and animals. to sign up for our free Water Of The Word newsletter at the top of any page! The reference could hardly be to the better known Gerasa (Jerash) between thirty and forty miles southeast from the lake. I used to want the longest life, perfect health and happiness, but really it is that feeling that I am so glad that this isnt all there is and that we have heaven to wait for, and that well be with Jesus, and there will be no more tears Amber VanVickle (1982-2023), The headquarters of the charity, which serves as a consecrated family to 46 disabled children, were badly damaged in major flooding near Rio de Janeiro last year. But, the context is not going to be comfortable (accepted by) to some traditional understandings. 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