The conduct of this pathetic individual was obviously anti-social. 5:5). . Most people confessed to having the fear of things not working out, an inability to trust and others said they . 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. December 2021 When the townspeople arrived on the scene, they saw the formerly demon-possessed men, clothed, in their right mind and sitting at the feet of Jesus. Is it a bug? 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.. In recent years the matter has been getting uncomfortably close to home. They all say country of (in the sense of region, not nation). 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. Nevertheless, for consideration. These, however, are not the problem raised by Bible students. 36Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. A Jewish exorcist with such authority in the region, risked to damage the beliefs and reputation of the local pagan inhabitants. Their first question is a rather pragmatic one, namely, How can demons possess animals? To this we must confess that we know too little to understand the mechanism of demon possession but the reality is very evident. It is noteworthy that it is distinguished (especially in the Gospel of the physician, Luke) from cases of ordinary sickness, insanity (lunacy), leprosy, blindness, lameness, deafness and other natural defects and diseases (cf. PDF A Legion of Fears The city of Gadara and its surrounding area are referred to as the Gadarenes. What were the women in Mark 16:8 afraid of? 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. Other demoniacs described in Scripture were bent on self-destruction as well (cf. May 2018 Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. 112 Skeptics and liberals have made much of the differences between the Gospel writers as to the place Jesus landed with His disciples. At their request, He left. February 2022 The time of this event was before Jesus' crucifixion, and before the gentiles were grafted in to the promise (Acts 10). rev2023.3.3.43278. The demons freak out that Jesus is there because it's not time for them to be tormented by Him yet. Jesus did say to count the cost [Luke 14:28-33]. His website/blog, Biblical Evidence for Catholicism, has been online since March 1997. Why do people like Jesus a lot? Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Men and women (as well as children) were demonized in that they fell under the influence of these unclean spirits. 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. 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. The Lord granted the only request of these residents, which was for Him to leave. December 2014 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). or school. e.g., Matt. This man demonstrated all four characteristics. Lane, Mark, p. 182, fn. In contrast, the people of Gerasene are asking him to leave their place. The region was not poor or economically depressed. Such an entreaty can be addressed by them to only God. But, Im telling you. September 2022 A land that was essentially under another god (lower case g). Flavius Josephus and Steve Mason, Flavius Josephus: Life of Josephus (Boston; Leiden: Brill, 2003), 47. Order Bulk SubscriptionsGet a discount on 6 or more copies sent to your parish, organization The expression to be with Jesus is used particularly of His disciples (cf. Christians are to be the answer, but often they are part of the problem. Why would the Gerasene people beg Jesus to leave their region after He cast the demons into the pigs? Then the SPCA would have been up in arms over such cruelty to animals. January 2016 iv. 4, p. 102. Events that are important to our Church Community, Mark 5:1-20 Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. 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. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. In the third chapter of Marks Gospel, our Lords miraculous works were attributed by His opponents to the power of Satan (verse 22). March 2016 September 2018 Afraid of Jesus | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at Ligonier.org June 2022 Whenever a man, woman, or child surrenders control of himself either to fleshly desires (anger, lust, passion, etc.) What sort of strategies would a medieval military use against a fantasy giant? A friend of mine told me later that two students were attempting to cast a demon out of a fellow. Why would Jesus ask, "Who touched Me?" Whereas he had been a slave, he was now delivered from demon possession. Jesus had been performing miracles in Gods nation - Israel. French Monastery Survives War and Famine After 885 Years, the Basilica of St. Ambrose in Milan, and More Great Links! COMMENTARY: Atheism is generally the expression of a moral attitude more than a real intellectual conviction based on evidence thought through. It was greatly influenced by Greek culture.126. Like it or not, demons and demonic activity are likely to become much more of a concern to you in days to come. He could just as easily commanded them to return to the deepest, darkest pit of Hell. 26). 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. The scene which Mark presents is deliberately dark. Afraid of Jesus? | Sermons | College Park Church Rev. 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. Another indication of demonic control is the fact that this man was continually doing harm to himself by gashing himself with stones (verse 5). 61-62. Such must have been the response of those with our Lord. This was a region east of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. So who was afraid? The lesson of this passage is that Satan is a defeated foe. Welcome to Biblical Hermeneutics! The swine then immediately killed themselves by rushing off a cliff. In fact the region was known as the Gadarenes-Gerasenes region. Just imagine, a man in a cinema, having bought popcorn and cola and watching an action movie, with a lot of violence and harsh language in it, and then he sees suddenly that a saintly bishop is sitting just next to his seat, not watching the movie, but reading silently psalms with a countenance radiating a deep contemplation; will not the first man be upset and lose all pleasure of watching the movie? ), you also need to understand the significance of this - to the people in Gerasene. 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. Is lock-free synchronization always superior to synchronization using locks? 21,22). Fear that you would not be in control? November 2016 And the people there were scared, they recognised this, but more, they realised the significance of this. Subscriber Service CenterAlready a subscriber? May 2016 Legion of Demons - NeverThirsty At the side of Kersa the shore is level, and there are no tombs. How Can a Person Get Rid of Evil Spirits. In this account we, by inference, learn much about the demonic spirits. All Scripture agrees with this, that the judgment of the angels is yet to come (1 Cor. This supposition would be further confirmed, if the evening when Jesus embarked was what the Jews were wont to call the first evening, that is, the time when the sun was declining in the heaven, but before it had actually set, the latter time being the second evening. For it seems most unlikely that multitudes would have resorted to Jesus at Capernaum after the second evening, or that either the disciples or other boats would have put to sea after nightfall. (2) Pork was a food forbidden to Jews, and as such, those who raised these pigs may have done so knowingly in violation of divine injunction. Second (and primarily), Mark employs this event to authenticate the claims of Jesus to be the Son of God and Israels Messiah. Who Were The Gerasenes In The Bible? - Mastery Wiki This makes sense, I couldn't believe they asked Jesus to leave. "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. Unfortunately, Christians [or those using the name] can be harsh, condemning and critical driving people further into sin and away from God. July 2015 For those near by the local name would be used; but in writing to a distant people, as the Greeks and Romans, the more comprehensive and general name would be given.. They liked Him and wanted to be with Him. How many demons possessed the man in Mark 5:6? The healing of the demoniacs and the repulse of the Healer by the inhabitants are historical, but the incident of the swine is a later figment. November 2015 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus? The house that is left swept and clean is a likely target for Satanic influence (cf. They had been unable to control these two men [Luke only mentions one man, but Matthew tells us there were two]. Gergesa - Wikipedia Then all the people of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Jesus to leave them alone, for they were seized . 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. So who was afraid? 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. The spread of cholera was linked to the movements of . Wasn't the answer obvious? Thats just westernised interpretation which simply doesnt work when interpretating a Jewish book. monetization of National Catholic Register RSS feeds is strictly prohibited. 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. It is mentioned in some ancient manuscripts of the . He shivered at the disturbing memory. 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. Exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac - Wikipedia The demoniacs frightened the swine, and the transfer of demons from them to the swine was imagined. Treasury of Scripture. Bill Maher: 'I am afraid of Trump on a very personal level' They likely were Gentiles and had been under the influence of the demonic principality of the region their whole life. This story is a little bit of an Easter story. Gergesenes is also in some manuscripts (Khersa or Gersa was a town actually on the shore of the sea). 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. and thank you for your contribution. The first two are in the Authorized Version. especially fn. SubscribeStart your Register subscription today. In Galilee and Judea there were Messianic hopes which would have been quickly fanned into flames if the miracles of Jesus were too widely publicized. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Sermon for July 26, 2020: Why Were They So Afraid: Mark 5:1-20 And those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. 14ff. (4) Our Lord did not command the demons to enter into the pigs and bring about their destruction; He only permitted it.124. 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 . The word translated windstorm here, and storm in the KJ, is the word lailaps, which is more than just a storm. This request was granted and the entire herd rushed headlong to their own destruction. While he was once wild and uncontrollable, he was sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus. By His power, we, too, are able to overcome Satans treacheries. The man, who was naked when he saw Jesus, had the added ability of enduring both freezing and sweltering temperatures as well as pain he inflicted upon himself! 123 1. So he got into a boat and returned. Small sins lead to big sins, and big sins bring about a terrible spiritual darkness. December 2015 "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. You can flip a coin hoping for heads, but you know that tails is a very real probability. This incident in the Gerasenes requires some entry understanding. In other words, even though he set the bar extremely high, he seemed to be a fascinating man. Crazy question or.? 17, pp. As an alternative to confinement, the demons posed the option of being permitted to enter the pigs, some 2,000 in number, feeding nearby. And, Gerasene was one. Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus? Demon possession, such as that of the Gerasene demoniac is the crudest and cruelest form of Satanic control, but by and large also one of the less common manifestations of Satans work in the world today. Jesus had freed the man and for a reason known only to Himself, He had granted the demons request to go into a nearby herd of pigs rather than go into the Abyss [bottomless pit]. Others cited unfaithfulness, lack of seriousness, and the lack of confidence to sustain a relationship. We should be warned that fooling with these Satanic fronts is like experimenting with drugs. August 2021 Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. There is, as we know, the world, the flesh, and the Devil. 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. 606-607. The Politics of Luke 8:26-39 | Political Theology Network 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? Putting all of these factors together the term demon-possessed inplies too much. The reference could hardly be to the better known Gerasa (Jerash) between thirty and forty miles southeast from the lake. The demons in the man recognize Jesus and the man bows before him. 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. The exercising of authority over demons, in the land under another god, was a message. 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. Jesus asked some crazy questions like "Why are you afraid?"