loudandclear

Mark 5:1-20

 ¹ So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes.² When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from a cemetery to meet him. ³ This man lived among the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. ⁴ Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. ⁵ Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.

 ⁶ When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. ⁷ With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” ⁸ For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”

 ⁹ Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name?”

   And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.” ¹⁰ Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.

 ¹¹ There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. ¹² “Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.”

 ¹³ So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.

 ¹⁴ The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. ¹⁵ A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. ¹⁶ Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. ¹⁷ And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.

 ¹⁸ As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. ¹⁹ But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” ²⁰ So the man started off to visit the Ten Townsof that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.

(((Jesus gets off of the boat and is immediately met by someone who sounds like a zombie.  This guy seriously sounds like something straight out of a horror flick…cutting himself…hanging out in burial grounds (where Jewish people would never venture because it was considered unclean).  I think it is easy to overlook something very important here.  Jesus, even though many people thought he shouldn’t, had compassion on this guy and realized that He could heal him.)))

(((Jesus has a very strange convo with the demons inside of the man and the demons actually make a request of Jesus, that He would not send them far away.  It is interesting to me that Mark says, “Jesus gave them permission.”  This is important to see that God is in control and does not let evil run out of check.  He is supreme, even over evil forces)))

(((In a strange conclusion to this miracle healing, Jesus sends the demons into a herd of pigs and they jump over a cliff into the water.  The farmers in the community wanted Jesus out of their community as soon as possible, but Jesus tells the man who was healed to tell His family and friends what God had done in his life that very day.  Are you telling your friends and loved ones what Jesus has done in your life?)))