Christians are to be a "safe" people - an expression of that love of God so people who do not know Him can be drawn to the Truth. 8; Mark vi. And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another . The region was not poor or economically depressed. 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. The people who witnessed this are . By His power, we, too, are able to overcome Satans treacheries. Acts 19:16). The spectrum ranges from those who seem to control the demonic powers to those who are utterly controlled by them. 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. 4, p. 102. . Jesus asked Mary why she was crying at the grave site. We see the first reaction to this in the storm MARK 4:7 And a great windstorm arose [snip]. While he was once wild and uncontrollable, he was sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus. Lane believes the modern Kersa is the most likely place: The point of arrival is indicated in a general way as the district of the Gerasenes, most probably in reference to a town whose name is preserved in the modern Kersa or Koursi. It is amazing to think that people could be fearful of Jesus. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine . Immediately, as this weary group disembarked from the ship, they were met by what appeared to be a madman. It is very appropriate that these two incidents . It only takes a minute to sign up. 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. Matthew 8:28 - 29, 31, 34And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. March 2020 3 When the centurion 2 heard about Jesus, c he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his . Some today have given demons far more than their due by blaming demons for every malady of mankind. The region is located east of the Jordan River and southeast of the Sea of Galilee. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. No! In fact the region was known as the Gadarenes-Gerasenes region. Lukes reading Gergesenes may represent even more accurately the ancient name of this place, as Origen knew of a Gergesa on the lake of Galilee. Pigs were specifically set aside as the animal used in sacrifices to their god. The best known Gerasa was a Greek city nearly forty miles southeast of the lake (modern village of Khersa, on the east shore of the lake. Its important to note that this was the first demonstration of Jesuss authority outside of Canaan. His teachings have inspired great moral reformations such as abolition of slavery and the Civil Rights movement. 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. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. Like children convinced there are monsters under our beds, the unknown scares us. November 2017 All Scripture agrees with this, that the judgment of the angels is yet to come (1 Cor. Acts 5:1-6). It is not difficult to imagine what was going through the minds of the disciples as their ship landed and as these two demon possessed men rushed to them. For some people, the cost is too high. Thayers Greek Lexicon defines it as the space lying between two places or limits region or country. The Sea of Galilee was clearly one of the limits. Jesus has lead me away from my old life. More than this, however, is the fact that the mans own identity and individuality were swallowed up by the demons with him. If it is a feminine spirit, the voice will be a feminine one, if masculine then very manly. As He had landed with His disciples He had been confronted with a demon-possessed man - a man that no one had been able to control. Other demoniacs described in Scripture were bent on self-destruction as well (cf. Acts 16:16), while others were the virtual pawns of these spirits, losing their own identity and autonomy. Welcome to Biblical Hermeneutics! Others cited unfaithfulness, lack of seriousness, and the lack of confidence to sustain a relationship. "The name "Gerasenes" is to be associated with the modern city of Jerash, located in Transjordan, 22 miles N of Amman." John McRay, "Gerasenes," ed. Catholic Church. May 2016 Instead, they reject Him because all they know is His power and purity. One is that he was a fascinating man. Fear that you might do something that would embarrass you? Brazilian Charity Caring for Children Who Survived Abortions Issues Urgent Appeal, Memento Mori: Remember You Are Going to Die, The Meat of the Matter: St. Patricks Day and the Lenten Fast. Sign up for 6 Free IssuesTry us out with a free trial subscription. That is why he was living in the solitude of the tombs, away from civilization. 2 Now a centurion had a servant 1 who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. What was it that caused these people to react in such a way? He said unexpected things and lived by a high ethical standard. Bible-believing Christians have always accepted the fact of demons and their activity in New Testament times, but most of us are inclined to relegate demonic activity in these days to pagan lands and missionary experiences. Pastor Chrissy is a native of East Tennessee. and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. Where did the demons go after they went into the pigs and caused them to jump to their death. This request was granted and the entire herd rushed headlong to their own destruction. No! He pleaded with Jesus not to be tormented. 5. We are seeking a replacement and hope to have it in your newspaper soon. "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. When once he was an instrument of Satanic opposition against the Messiah, now he is a witness to His power. It is Geldenhuys who gives us the most concise description of demon-possession: in the New Testament demon-possession means that a person is dominated by the spirit of a demon and tormented by him. (4) Super-human strength. Though Legion bowed before Jesus (verse 6), it was no act of worship (as the King James Version would seem to indicate). July 2016 While the Jews had not denied the works of Jesus were supernatural, they had declined to admit they established His deity. As C. S. Lewis aptly put it: There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. Such must have been the response of those with our Lord. His greatest impact would be on those who knew his former state. The exercising of authority over demons, in the land under another god, was a message. (3) Spiritual insight. Reproduction of material from this website without written permission, or unlicensed commercial use or 26). Jesus had been performing miracles in Gods nation - Israel. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Does a barbarian benefit from the fast movement ability while wearing medium armor? Gergesa, also Gergasa ( in Byzantine greek) or the Country of the Gergesenes, is a place on the eastern ( Golan Heights) side of the Sea of Galilee located at some distance to the ancient Decapolis cities of Gadara and Gerasa. Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. Thats why also Peter having realized who Christ was, was dreaded and asked Him to leave him for he said to be a sinful man (Luke 5:8). Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Luke 8:26-39 Mark 5:1-20 ESV - 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. How many demons possessed the man in Mark 5:6? Although the Gospels give us little information as to how individuals become targets of Satanic control, I would suggest for your consideration that they sometimes do so by leaving themselves open to Satanic influence. The lectionary reading for Trinity 1, Year C, is Luke's version of Jesus meeting and healing the demon-possessed man in the 'region of the Gerasenes' (Luke 8.26-39). They look forward to their future with great dread. Satans most useful instrument is the outstanding, outwardly moral and upright religious man, whose good deeds are done independently of God. Embedded into both stories are people who were afraid of Jesus. . Preisker, TWNT IV (1942), pp. 16, x. There is no conflict, however, for Mark and Luke have apparently focused their attention on the most striking of the two. May 2020 The second question is an ethical one: What right had the Lord to inflict this loss on the owners of the swine?121 Put even more crassly, Huxley censored this act with these words: the wanton destruction of other peoples property is a misdemeanour of evil example.122. Instead, they reject Him because all they know is His power and purity. However, the point was clearly made; Jesus, the Son of God, has power over all things, including the powers of darkness. May 2022 Rather, they attributed the power of Jesus to Satan (Mark 3:22). Why were the Romans afraid of the Christians? 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. What did we miss because we allowed fear instead of faith to drive our lives? Mark 5:1And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. How Can a Person Get Rid of Evil Spirits. Now they would deal with this One greater than he by doing likewise. seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. In the third chapter of Marks Gospel, our Lords miraculous works were attributed by His opponents to the power of Satan (verse 22). The destructive desires of the demons were dramatically carried out in the drowning of the swine. Why is there a voltage on my HDMI and coaxial cables? All of this sure seems perfectly consistent with calling the same area the country (chra) of either the Gerasenes or the Gadarenes, after the two major cities. 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. 3); they are reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day (Jude 6); and what the unclean spirits deprecate here, is the bringing in, by anticipation, of that final doom. R. C. Trench, Notes on the Miracles of Our Lord (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1949), p. 100. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Is there any archaeological evidence for Joshua entering Israel and conquering cities in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age? Copyright 2023 EWTN News, Inc. All rights reserved. The presence of holiness and, moreover, the most intense divine holiness is undesirable; I mean, unless you are an angel or a saintly recluse in his ascetic toils in a cave or a top of a pillar. Instead of opening themselves up to Jesus and receiving His love and forgiveness, they allowed fear to drive a wedge between them. May 2015 This is when the storm arose which threatened to destroy the ship (Mark 4:35-41). On the other hand, it may be correct to understand that although there were many demons, they had combined as one force to possess this man.119 While Mark records Legions request as one of not being sent out of the country (verse 10), Luke adds a significant explanation by interpreting the meaning behind this request: And they were entreating Him not to command them to depart into the abyss (Luke 8:31). For many Christians today, the horrifying experience of Legion should be sufficient testimony of the reality of the Satanic underworld. 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. Another indication of demonic control is the fact that this man was continually doing harm to himself by gashing himself with stones (verse 5). In the wake of new restrictions on the traditional Latin Mass, two American bishops spoke with EWTNs Raymond Arroyo Thursday about how their dioceses have responded. 113 According to the Talmud there were four characteristics of madness: walking abroad at night; spending the night on a grave; tearing ones clothes and destroying what one was given. The word translated windstorm here, and storm in the KJ, is the word lailaps, which is more than just a storm. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. Mark 9:17-29). (2) Anti-social behavior. 28); Mark the country of the Gerasenes (v. 1), and Luke, probably, the country of the Gergesenes (viii. If Jesus had that kind of power, then He could not be controlled. This was a region east of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. So much pain, so much sin. They are unclean spirits, (vss. He was received into the Catholic Church in 1991. It was opposite Galilee. What did Jesus do? EWTN News, Inc. is the worlds largest Catholic news organization, comprised of television, radio, Early Christians like St. Polycarp clearly held the Catholic view on salvation. when He was the only One Who truly knew what had happened. 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. 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. The people of Gerasenes were willing to live with the devils they knew - quite literally. Putting all of these factors together the term demon-possessed inplies too much. They have three sons and a daughter (all homeschooled) and reside in southeast Michigan. Today, it is identified with El-Koursi or Kursi. Others are absolutely controlled (hooked) by the drug and totally dependent upon it. 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. Unfortunately, Christians [or those using the name] can be harsh, condemning and critical driving people further into sin and away from God. July 2020 December 2017 verse 5). 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? 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. He said he had come to the house of Israel, not to the gentiles. Series NotesScripture references are based on the King James translation. Top Ten Reasons Why There Were Pigs In Gerasenes Remember the story of Jesus casting demons out of the crazy man in Luke 8? The price tag of possession was high, for those who fell victim to the demons agonized in constant torment. Why as the question? And when the man spoke to Jesus, it looks like the demons inside the man were the ones doing the speaking. 5:5). xii. (1) As Lord of all, God has the right to make use of His creation any way that He deems best, and this includes not only pigs, but people (cf. 23, 24, viii. In the King James Version it is called the country of the Gadarenes in Mark and Luke, and of the Gergesenes in Matthew. March 2016 The first two are in the Authorized Version. Second, while the death of the pigs is clearly an economic loss for the owner, Jesus is illustrating the infinite value of human life. 8ff.). They found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. No matter where you are on life's journey you are welcome here! 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.. The lose of the pigs meant loose of partial income in the area. Why would Jesus ask, "Who touched Me?" Although Gadarenes and Gergesenes are derived from a different Greek word, they are essentially referring to the same area. 18). To the evildoer, anonymity is always preferable to identification. When Jesus asked his name the man answered, Legion, for we are many (Mark 5:9). Sermon for July 26, 2020: Why Were They So Afraid: Mark 5:1-20. 2. Small sins lead to big sins, and big sins bring about a terrible spiritual darkness. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. 21,22). Why did the demon-possessed Gadarene bow down before Jesus? Such an entreaty can be addressed by them to only God. According to another theory, the Chapati movement of 1857 was an attempt to prevent a cholera outbreak in central India. Why is that. And the people went out to see what happened; and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. Another reason could be as Dr. R.C. 22, xvii. I would like to invite you to return to where we left off a few weeks ago in our studies in the gospel of Mark. e.g., Matt. Luke 8:26And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. 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. Like it or not, demons and demonic activity are likely to become much more of a concern to you in days to come. He was a totally safe Person. In both the accounts of Mark and Luke, the primary motivation is described as that of fear. They valued their pigs more than they valued salvation. The pigs had been driven mad and rushed down a steep slope plunging into the lake and drowning. January 2016 Give a Gift SubscriptionBless friends, family or clergy with a gift of the Register. Lets learn why. 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! Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. When Jesus asked the demoniac his name, it was not without significance for He was, I believe, asking the demons to reveal their identity. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. 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. Those demons were terrified of Him! Many times people - Non-Christians and Christians - push Jesus away because they do not want to change. The drowning of these pigs has caused a great deal of discussion amongst Bible students, for as a friend of mine once observed, Thats a lot of pork chops! Had our Lord achieved such a miracle today He would have been in deep trouble. This man demonstrated all four characteristics. Lane, Mark, p. 182, fn. Matthew 12:43-45). The people were gentiles who had not yet any interest in the Messiah. Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. in 1971. What did Jesus mean when he said only prayer can cast out this demon? 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. It is now called Jerash and is a deserted ruin. In Mark 1:5 it is used of the land of Judaea (KJV) and in Acts 10:39, to land of the Jews (KJV). 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. In other words, even though he set the bar extremely high, he seemed to be a fascinating man. Men in their unbelief suppose that the choice is either to be free (independent of God) or to be the slaves of Christ. Also, frequently associated with demon possession was a super-human strength (cf. So who was afraid? 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.
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