As the world's top superpower, how unsure of itself can the US be to . Why would Jesus ask, "Who touched Me?" He shivered at the disturbing memory. If they dare to open up their lives to Jesus what will happen? That is why he was living in the solitude of the tombs, away from civilization. Treasury of Scripture. Now' as to the pigs (an unclean animal, so you know Jesus wasnt in Israel! or by some form of self-emptying (such as various forms of eastern meditation) in my opinion, they are in a precarious position. I understand why," the HBO "Real Time" host told Jake Tapper on Tuesday as part . You can like Jesus for two different reasons. December 2014 They liked Him and wanted to be with Him. The demons in the man recognize Jesus and the man bows before him. But having recalled a passage in Ephesians, I realize now that this man is a reminder of the dilemma of every man, woman, and child who have not come to a saving dependence upon the work of Jesus Christ for sinners on the cross. Have we stepped back, in effect asking Jesus to leave us alone, only to discover, as a Gentleman, He did? September 2022 That is why he was living in the solitude of the tombs, away from civilization. The exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac (Matthew 8.28-34; Mark 5.1-20; Luke 8.26-39), frequently known as the Miracle of the (Gadarene) Swine and the exorcism of Legion, is one of the miracles performed by Jesus according to the New Testament. Why were the Romans afraid of the Christians? EWTN News, Inc. is the worlds largest Catholic news organization, comprised of television, radio, February 2016 - And they came to the other side of the sea.The other side of the sea would be the south-east side of the sea. Like it or not, demons and demonic activity are likely to become much more of a concern to you in days to come. I think all these attempts to harmonize what may at first seem like a contradiction are plausible, respectable, and adequate. e.g., Matt. April 2017 128 In most of the stories of possession what is at issue is not merely sickness but a destruction and distortion of the divine likeness of man according to creation. Instantly he recognized the Lord Jesus to be the Son of God (verse 7).116 There was a source of spiritual insight beyond human capabilities here. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. 9. June 2022 Satan loves those Christians. Exercising authority in the land allocated to Abraham, for Israel, the land set aside for God and his people. 68f. June 2020 26). May 2016 The demoniac further evidenced demon activity by the depth of his spiritual insight. March 2021 Not long after that, while I was still a student in seminary, there was a car parked by the seminary in a somewhat suspicious manner and I called the police to check it out. Wasn't the answer obvious? I will not look for a reason to return to it. 2,8) who can possess men and animals. Also, frequently associated with demon possession was a super-human strength (cf. (2) Anti-social behavior. This was surely not so in every case, and perhaps in none. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. Then all the people of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Jesus to leave them alone, for they were seized . Another reason they may have been afraid of Jesus was the realization that if they accepted Him, it would mean a radical change of lifestyle. Acts 19:16). Dave Armstrong Dave Armstrong is a full-time Catholic author and apologist, who has been actively proclaiming and defending Christianity since 1981. Why is that. It might be better to hide behind masks than risk being hurt again After all, if God rejects youwhere else can you go? Both Gerasa and Gadara were cities to the east of the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan. Renew or manage your subscription here. . And those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. (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. Mark 5:16 says the thoughts of the people were on the swine. The occult and every front for demonic influence and activity should be avoided like the plague. 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. 8ff.). For more information about Glenn Davis see our About Glenn page and/or his Author's Page. Mark 9:17-29). Far from this, He had stormed the gates of Hell and prevailed. How Can a Person Get Rid of Evil Spirits. So he got into a boat and returned. These men were a danger to themselves and others. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. December 2021 The Gospels use different names for the place where this occurred: This is supposedly a contradiction. Gerasa is (as we know) some 30-35 miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee, but may have also been the name of the larger region. Holy Communion From the Chalice Reintroduced in the UK: What About the US? Pigs were specifically set aside as the animal used in sacrifices to their god. 2ff., xvv. Jesus had just performed an incredible miracleand one they desperately needed, at that! What they were not willing to accept was the frightening power that could cure him. The nearby townspeople, upon hearing of the great miracle (and not wanting to suffer further economic loss), begged Christ to leave the Gadarenes and never come back! 61-62. December 2016 Gergesenes means "those who come from pilgrimage or fight.". Acts 16:16), while others were the virtual pawns of these spirits, losing their own identity and autonomy. The drowning of the swine was an accident, possibly simultaneous with the healing, and report mixed up the two incidents. Paul tells us that our struggle is, at bottom, a spiritual one (Ephesians 6:12). Perhaps they clenched their fists or picked up driftwood with which to defend themselves. January 2021 The demoniacs were mere maniacs, whom Jesus cured by humouring their fancies; and His giving leave to imaginary demons to enter into the swine, produced the story of the disaster to the herd.All these explanations assume that the Gospel narratives are wholly or in part unhistorical. Plummer, Luke, p. 228. The subject of demons and demon possession has always seemed somewhat remote and academic to sophisticated 20th century Americans. How many demons possessed the man in Mark 5:6? Bible scholar Gleason Archer (Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties) argues similarly, It is entirely possible that the political control of this region was centered in Gadara as the capital city. May 2018 His greatest impact would be on those who knew his former state. 37Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. Rather, they attributed the power of Jesus to Satan (Mark 3:22). February 2017 No matter what men attempted to bind him with, he broke loose. For more information, please see our The region is located east of the Jordan River and southeast of the Sea of Galilee. Horoscopes and astrological predictions are found in most major newspapers. 1) He Exposes Evil (v 28-30) . It hit them hard in the pocketbook. Why did Jesus allow the legion of demons to stay in the area when they begged him? Just as demons desire to possess persons through whom they can exhibit their personalities, so the Spirit of God indwells man, imparting new life, and progressively gaining control so that the character of God is exhibited, but not in such a way as to hinder our individuality and identity. and 1 Kings xxii. of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were So he got into the boat and left. Then any greatest of men, like any prophet, hero or king? Jesus deserves the benefit of the doubt even when we don't have all the facts. 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. 2. to sign up for our free Water Of The Word newsletter at the top of any page! September 2021 March 2018 Life with him would be heaven on earth. And he said to them, Where is your faith? To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. And, it can not be understood properly out of this context. And, Gerasene was one. 16ff., xix. They were content where they were. If it is a feminine spirit, the voice will be a feminine one, if masculine then very manly. May 2017 It was scary. As I have been studying this account through the week, it has seemed to me a rather bizarre and remote situation, the liberation of this Gerasene demoniac. June 2015 Spam. No! Jesus asked some crazy questions like "Why are you afraid?" Men and women (as well as children) were demonized in that they fell under the influence of these unclean spirits. So much pain, so much sin. With a little knowledge of the geography of the region, this apparent contradiction can be resolved. In any event, they were not Israelites, as indicated by the fact that a herd of swine was being kept nearby, which would have been forbidden by the Mosaic Law, since swine were unclean animals (Leviticus 11:7-8). No matter where you are on life's journey you are welcome here! Slain Los Angeles auxiliary bishop was remembered at the Mass of Christian burial as friend of Jesus Christ and of Mary, our Blessed Mother.. Demons are highly organized (cf. Catholic Church. Instead, they reject Him because all they know is His power and purity. The conduct of this pathetic individual was obviously anti-social. rev2023.3.3.43278. The demonically possessed man who came to Jesus cried out his name was Legion. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. What purposes did Mark intend to achieve by the inclusion of this event? February 2021 Nor was it the Jewish population of Galilee. 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. Hence there was demon-worship, the worship not necessarily of evil spirits; but of the spirits of those who had existed in the Golden Age. G. Campbell Morgan, The Gospel According to Mark (New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1927), p. 114. The passage in Daniel especially suggests specific geographical boundaries within which spirit beings must abide. 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, On the other hand, Gadara is only six miles from the southern tip of the lake and could easily have given its name to the district. (3) Spiritual insight. Jesus showed to the local population the inferiority of pagan life. 5:5). Jesus never interacted with people as they were, but as He knew they were created to be. iv. And, lastly, this would allow sufficient time for those miracles which took place on that second day in Capernaum after His return thither. 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. Ananias and Sapphira did so by allowing their greed to grip their hearts (cf. Some today have given demons far more than their due by blaming demons for every malady of mankind. On the other hand, the scene gains in grandeurhas, so to speak, a fitting backgroundif we suppose the Saviour and His disciples to have landed on the other side late in the evening, when perhaps the silvery moon was shedding her pale light on the weird scene, and laying her halo around the shadows cast upon the sea by the steep cliff down which the herd of swine hurried and fell. Matthew is habitually more oriented to a Jewish readership, and so he refers to Gadarenes because Gadara was the most important Jewish city in the area. Second (and primarily), Mark employs this event to authenticate the claims of Jesus to be the Son of God and Israels Messiah. It's a curious passage with many unanswered questions. It is something like the behavior and personality change in a man who is totally intoxicated. We dismiss it the more readily, that, in our view, it conveys a wrong impression. April 2015 Why are trials on "Law & Order" in the New York Supreme Court? 2). But for most of us, the world and the flesh are all that are necessary to cause us to stumble. The swine then immediately killed themselves by rushing off a cliff. These, however, are not the problem raised by Bible students. 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. When addressed, the person was the mouthpiece of the demon (such as Legion, Mark 5:9). Earles comments are helpful: The difference in names for the destination on the east side of the take has caused considerable comment. First let us see what the Sacred Texts says: The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. As indicated in the textual note, the best Greek text reads Gerasenes in Mark and Luke, Gadarenes in Matthew. November 2021 Having been properly warned of the demonic underworld, let us not fall into the opposite error of absolute paranoia. xvii. How do I connect these two faces together? Smiths Bible Dictionary provides what I find to be a quite plausible explanation (not special pleading at all), and analogous to how we still use place names today: These three names are used indiscriminately to designate the place where Jesus healed two demoniacs. Sermon for July 26, 2020: Why Were They So Afraid: Mark 5:1-20. He was Someone Who could control the spirit realm. Jesus asked Mary why she was crying at the grave site. 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. His teachings have inspired great moral reformations such as abolition of slavery and the Civil Rights movement. The ego is so impaired that the spirits speak through him. Order Bulk SubscriptionsGet a discount on 6 or more copies sent to your parish, organization Sproul says in his commentary on Mark, When the Holy One is manifest in the midst of unholy people, the only appropriate human response is dread.. When Jesus asked the demoniac his name, it was not without significance for He was, I believe, asking the demons to reveal their identity. Men in their unbelief suppose that the choice is either to be free (independent of God) or to be the slaves of Christ. 13ff.). Demonized individuals are not to be viewed so much as a pigeon hole category, as they are a continuem. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. When the pigs were sent into the sea, the people of Gadara lost money. May 2015 It was opposite Galilee. What were the women in Mark 16:8 afraid of? November 2022 They were not looked upon as necessarily evil in all cases. When the Gadarenes saw what Christ was capable of, they panicked. So, they asked Him to leave. 23, 24, viii. March 2016 Unfortunately, Christians [or those using the name] can be harsh, condemning and critical driving people further into sin and away from God. 0 Responses Let me say as graciously as I can, Satan does not need to work on us in those areas as we are doing very well without his exploitation. People who have no appr Fallen people reject God not because they do not know His power. 18). They have three sons and a daughter (all homeschooled) and reside in southeast Michigan. This is when the storm arose which threatened to destroy the ship (Mark 4:35-41). For the Christian, there are two extremes which must be avoided with reference to Satanic activity. May the Spirit of God be so evident in us that men may see God in our lives. Jesus asked a sick man if he wanted to get well. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. Whenever a man, woman, or child surrenders control of himself either to fleshly desires (anger, lust, passion, etc.) 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Until we decide on a new comic, you'll likely see a gray box where "Dilbert" had appeared. Pope Francis Inexhaustible Font of Words: 10 Gems From the Heart Over 10 Years, Pope Francis, Biden Commend Peacemaker Bishop OConnell as Memorial Services Begin. 115 While Mark and Luke describe only one demoniac, Matthew informs us that there were two. They ask Him if they can enter some nearby pigs, and He lets them. Mark 3:14). What about us, as Christians, are we afraid of Jesus? July 2015 But let us return to the gist of the matter: if Christ showed them His Divinity through the reason given above, is it easy to be in the presence of God? Matthew 8:4; Luke 8:56). The entrance of the term into colloquial speech indicates that the Roman occupation was a heavy burden. He obviously attracted crowds. Mark 5:1And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. What did Jesus do? The difference between the phonemes /p/ and /b/ in Japanese, Is there a solutiuon to add special characters from software and how to do it. If we put ourselves in their place, and use empathy to feel how we might have reacted if we were confronted with the loss of our next year's source of feeding our families, it will be easier to understand that they were afraid to suffer any other loss that might result if Jesus stayed in their area. 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 . Lets face it, we all like to be in control. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Such seems to be a similar case with Judas (John 13:1-2). The region was not poor or economically depressed. It is in no way certain, however, that the pig raisers were Jews. 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. This suggests that whoever was the customer for the swineherder in the "region of the Gerasenes", it was not the Roman army to any significant extent. Fear that you would not be in control? 3. Ridiculous? Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. . And when the man spoke to Jesus, it looks like the demons inside the man were the ones doing the speaking. Many New Testament manuscripts refer to the "Country of the Gadarenes" or "Gerasenes" rather than the Gergesenes. The Politics of Luke 8:26-39. There probably were not many who had been told yet of the Messiah, and so were not yet believers. In both the accounts of Mark and Luke, the primary motivation is described as that of fear. Understand the meaning of Luke 8:37 using all available Bible versions and commentary. If anything, that would have made them angry. Luke 8:37Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them: for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again. The fear of the unknown, the uncontrollableof change. 127 The view of Greek philosophy was that these were the spirits of those who lived in the Golden Age. They are happy in their sin and the consequences seem far away. 7. I felt somewhat guilty, particularly fearing that I may have created an unintentional hardship for some classmate. August 2017 Vote Up Why did Jesus allow the demons to enter the herd of pigs? (3) Spiritual insight. It was like being attacked by two Hulks. They probably thought of quickly getting aboard ship and pushing off. Author of The Gnostic Notebook series, stand-up comedian, and Gnostic. In the King James Version it is called the country of the Gadarenes in Mark and Luke, and of the Gergesenes in Matthew. 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. The Gadarenes was the place where Jesus confronted a man whose possession by demons gave him a level of superhuman strength like Samson (Mark 5:3 - 5, Luke 8:27). The most likely answer is to the country of the Gerasenes: i.e., Gerasa, a Greek town thought to be the same as the similarly-named Kersa on the east shore of Lake Tiberias. He said unexpected things and lived by a high ethical standard. July 2017 10). But, the context is not going to be comfortable (accepted by) to some traditional understandings. The price tag of possession was high, for those who fell victim to the demons agonized in constant torment. COMMENTARY: Atheism is generally the expression of a moral attitude more than a real intellectual conviction based on evidence thought through. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. As these people began to piece together the previous events, not only of the destruction of the pigs, but also the deliverance of Legion, they began to sense that there was One far more awesome, much more to be feared, than Legion. Why is there a voltage on my HDMI and coaxial cables? Asked October 24 2014 Unbelieving men may not rave and carry on like the Gerasene demoniac, but they are nevertheless under Satans control, doing his bidding. 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 did not appear to rush upon the small group of men to attack them (as he would normally have done), but rather to plead with Jesus. He also maintains a popular Facebook page. What sort of strategies would a medieval military use against a fantasy giant? French Monastery Survives War and Famine After 885 Years, the Basilica of St. Ambrose in Milan, and More Great Links! First of all, I believe Mark was attempting to warn his Gentile readers of the great danger of demonic influence and activity. March 2020 That is not the choice at all. It is amazing to think that people could be fearful of Jesus. 606-607. The reply Legion118 may be some kind of evasion, a reluctance on the part of the demons to individually identify themselves. We are seeking a replacement and hope to have it in your newspaper soon. October 2022 Jewish theology, at least on this point, seems consistent with biblical revelation. Some illicitly use drugs, supposing that they have them completely under their control. First of all the Scriptures do not say that the local Pagans were afraid of Jesus, but that they merely begged him to leave their neighbourhood. ESV - In that case, of course, it would be in the early morning that the Gerasenes afterwards resorted to Jesus and that He again returned to Capernaum. Why do people like Jesus a lot? 112 Skeptics and liberals have made much of the differences between the Gospel writers as to the place Jesus landed with His disciples. and our Norval Geldenhuys, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1951), p. 174. Why did Jesus have the authority to forgive sins, why did the scribes take it as a blasphemy, and was this authority also given to men in general? First of all, the EPA would have been investigating the pollution of Lake Galilee with decaying pigs. Christians are to be the answer, but often they are part of the problem. The Lord, in an act of great mercy, freed the Gadarenes' man by casting the demons out of him and allowing them to enter a nearby herd of pigs. We will examine two incidents -- the stilling of the storm on the sea of Galilee, and that which follows immediately, the healing of the demoniac. And the people there were scared, they recognised this, but more, they realised the significance of this. I asked why people are afraid of commitment and relationships and some said they are afraid because they fear being hurt again. March 2022 So he got into the boat and left. 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? It is now called Jerash and is a deserted ruin. 22ff. Neither is it only a kind of physical disease, although spiritual and physical disease often accompany it (e.g. They were sacrificed by being thrown off a cliff. Yet, conversely, the known can be just as scaryif not more. In contrast, the people of Gerasene are asking him to leave their place. Fallen people reject God not because they do not know His power. At the conclusion of this day of teaching by parables, the Lord had instructed His disciples to cross over the Sea of Galilee to the other side. to men facing fear and death. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. While the Jews had not denied the works of Jesus were supernatural, they had declined to admit they established His deity. 1, pp. This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was better known. 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). Demon-possession is, therefore, not merely a mental state in which someone suffers from a delusion or is subjected to some subjective disturbance of the world of ideas. The entire population of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them because they were seized with great fear. 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. December 2017 when He was the only One Who truly knew what had happened. . Since the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave in their fear, it seems that Jesus' ability to exorcise Legion was disturbing to the people. August 2016 110 C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (New York: The Macmillan Co., 1971), p. 3. What did we miss because we allowed fear instead of faith to drive our lives?
Laguardia High School Famous Alumni,
Chadwick School Headmaster Fired,
High School Baseball Bat Rules 2022,
How To Change Messenger Color Back To Normal,
Jimmy Spinks East London,
Articles W