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Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me." For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!" Then He asked him, "What is your name?" And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many." Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them." And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.
So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region. And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you." And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.
- Mark 5:1-20
Yesterday, we read that when evening had come (after a day of teaching in parables), Jesus said to the disciples, "Let us cross over to the other side." Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"
Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. Here is an encounter, indeed. It almost sounds like one of the tales from the Greek mythic histories: of Jason or Odysseus. Jesus and the disciples have set sail in the evening across a frighteningly stormy sea, into a tempest so great that even these seasoned fishermen (whose home has always been on the Sea of Galilee) feared for their lives. Crossing the sea into the country of the Gadarenes, they come to a place still in Galilee, an area with many Gentiles who lived among the Jews. What greets them is another "terrible" spectacle, a man driven to the tombs by an unclean spirit. He's been driven so far beyond human connection and communion that he must live in this place, among the rocks and tombs of the dead, held by chains which he's broken apart, in a wild and anarchic state. He cries, and cuts himself with stones.
When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me." For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!" Then He asked him, "What is your name?" And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many." Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. We see what happens in response to the presence of Jesus; at once there is a spiritual stirring. The man's true soul and heart are reflected in his running to Christ and worshiping Him (the Greek word translated as "worshiped" means to fall prostrate in a worshipful position of prayer and supplication). And we hear the voice that replies to Christ, speaking for the demons, who are Legion, and beg not to be sent out of this country. A "legion" was a division of elite troops of the occupying Roman army; by Jesus' time this could consist over 5,000 highly professional and standardized units of cavalry and infantry, supported by at least an equal number of auxiliary troops. A legion was able at this time to make or break any commander under which they served and often played a political role, securing an empire or taking it away.
Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them." And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea. Although Jesus and the disciples are still in Galilee, this region has great Gentile influence, and the swine being herded here are a sign of that influence. Many infer that this is a Gentile population, but in fact the Gospel hints more likely to us that these are Jews who've taken on Gentile practices forbidden by the Law (see Deuteronomy 14:8). In this perspective, that the demons desire to enter the swine makes some sense; they are unclean animals in the Law. The true nature of the demonic is revealed in the mass suicide and drowning of the herd.
So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region. It is more terrifying to the people of this region that the swine have died, than it is a good thing that this formerly wild, uncontrolled man is now sitting and and clothed and in his right mind. In fact, the healing itself seems to inspire fear in them. Jesus' presence, and its clear effect, is something they don't want: they plead with Him to depart from their region.
And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you." And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled. The Decapolis is, tellingly, a Greek-speaking region of ten cities (deca = "ten," polis = "city"). This man who is healed and restored by Christ prefigures the spread of the Gospels throughout the whole of the world. It tells us a great deal that here, in the Decapolis, all marveled.
In Luke's Gospel, Jesus says, "Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division" (Luke 12:51). In Matthew's Gospel, the language becomes even more vivid: "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword" (Matthew 10:34). (See both quotations in context here.) Today's story in a very real way gives us an illustration of the polarization and division that is an effect of Jesus' presence and His power. When He refers to Himself as bringing a sword in Matthew's Gospel, it strikes us very strongly in the image of the "legion" that occupies this man who is so tormented by their presence. The ones interested only in the commerce brought to them by raising swine want Him to be out of their region, they beg Him to leave. The healing and restoration of this man to a state of sanity and functionality only fuels their fear. It is a great insight of the Gospel that these people respond in such a way, a very telling fact. Materialism, for its own sake, is not going to bring us much in the way of true human welfare. It doesn't balance the intangibles, doesn't value what is of truly great value and is often so fragile and incalculable. The world of the unclean spirits reacts in its own way to Christ, as has been seen in previous readings, but the ultimate destruction of the swine gives us another added facet to the picture: He is here not to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17); the "unclean swine" being raised by apostate Jews tells us something about this place and these people, again (as so often is the case) particularly in the context of the Old Testament and the spiritual history of Israel. All of this picture in this forsaken place of tombs and rocks teaches us something about the spiritual reality of the world and the effects of the coming of Christ. The great redemption possible for this man possessed even by a "legion" of demons is perhaps the most striking thing about it all: he goes on to spread the gospel in a sense, telling all his friends about the great things the Lord has done for him. In the context of the wider world throughout which the gospel would spread after the death of Christ, it's a most telling picture of the effect of Jesus in the world. Glorifying the God of Israel, the "Lord" of the Old Testament (whom Christians traditionally see as Christ, the Son), he goes through the Greek-speaking region of the Decapolis, a center of Greek and Roman culture in the midst of a Semitic territory. The gospel will spread in Greek, the international and literary language of this time, giving a lingua franca through which to go out to all the nations. There, in this place, all marvel; there are no great disputes about "Messiah" to be had. Christ's power, as illustrated in this story, is the same power and effect at work today through His ministry, through the work of the Spirit, within a world troubled by many things. We live still in a world of many influences, where we remain free to turn away from the things of God, to turn our back on spiritual values, in a time when materialism has held many promises and also brought with it many human disasters. Let us consider His effect, and think about its polarizing nature -- where we are asked to make choices, and still to rejoice in the good things the Lord has done for us. Do you know those who have been healed from things that seemed beyond their own control? How has your life been affected by His presence? Are there people or places you have had to let go from your life? Who are the friends who marvel at and support the good things the Lord has done for you?
