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

 

 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, after preaching in parables, on the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "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.  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.  The setting for the story in today's passage is the country of the Gadarenes, which was part of Galilee.  In fact, at the end of the story we're told that the healed man began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.  The Decapolis ("Ten Cities") was a group of ancient Greek cities formed as a league after the Roman conquest in 63 BC, a place of Roman and Greek cultural influence.  Galilee itself was a region of mixed Gentile and Jewish populations, although by this time many Gentiles had converted to Judaism.  My study Bible explains that Gentile influence on the Jews caused many of them to take on Gentile practices, such as raising swine in this story, which was forbidden by the Law (Deuteronomy 14:8).  Moreover, in Matthew 10:5, Jesus forbade His disciples to go to the Gentiles, and was Himself reluctant to seek out the Gentiles (Matthew 15:24).  So these people raising swine -- in this seemingly God-forsaken place of tombs, wilderness, and mountains, isolated from all except this tormented man with a legion of demons -- are likely Jews engaged in a sinful occupation for the Gentile market.  My study Bible explains that the destruction of the entire herd reveals that, first, while animals are a venerable part of creation, human beings are of much greater value.  Second, Christ removes a source of sin, as swineherding was an abomination to the Jews.  Finally, demons have no power over creation, but are subject to the will of God, for they could only enter the swine at the command of Christ.  Moreover, human beings are protected under God's providence, because otherwise the demon-possessed man would have come to the same self-destructive end as the swine.  Finally the magnitude of their economic loss would remain a sign for the hardhearted people of the region, who, instead of rejoicing at this afflicted man's healing, begged only for Jesus to depart their region. 

So how can we think about this afflicted man, oppressed by a legion of demons?  We can see, as my study Bible points out, the ultimately totally destructive violent effect that they have on the swine.  Before Jesus came to this deserted place, we're told that this man was completely out of control -- his own or anyone else's.  He cannot live in community but only among the tombs.  Nobody 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.  This is a forlorn life, out of order and seemingly without hope or help.  But Jesus has in some strange sense made a beeline for this place and this man overwhelmed by a legion of demons, even sailing through tempestuous wind and waves that so terrified the disciples they thought they were perishing (see yesterday's reading, above).  It's as if there is an enemy occupation in the man's body, but somehow his soul and spirit remain free, because we read that when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  But the demons know who Jesus is, and they also know they should fear Jesus, for they say to Him, "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."  Note that the demonic force asks for a mercy it would not give to the man, who was clearly tormented by them.  Malice, cowardice, and cruelty are aligned with their destructive aim.  When we see such things in the world, we should take note of what they mimic and share in common with these evil spirits.  Moreover the torment of the man by the demons seems entirely pointless except to cause pain.  So likewise we should make note when we observe human beings who afflict others similarly, and only for the purpose of causing pain and harm.  By these lights, Jesus comes clearly across the sea as Liberator, for He frees this man from this enemy occupation, this evil force, these destructive beings who seem to take purpose in afflicting pain, and alienating human beings from all purpose and identity.  Ultimately a profile of the demonic is a picture of forces which seek to alienate us from Creator, for true identity and purpose come from this relationship.  So we should consider anything that alienates us from God, from our source for what is best for us, the One who truly loves us when all other love might fail.  But in today's reading, it is God Incarnate, Jesus Christ, who comes to save and to redeem.  For even this man plagued by a legion of demons finds purpose through Christ, and becomes an evangelist to the Decapolis with the good news of the great things the Lord has done for him, and how He has had compassion on him.