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 in 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, following Christ's preaching in parables, 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. In Christ's time, the city of Gadara was a part of what is known as the Decapolis, a league of ten cities of Hellenistic culture founded in the period of Alexander the Great.  But at this time, under Rome, Gadara was placed under the rule of Herod, the tetrarch of Galilee.  This is a country of mixed Jews and Gentiles, and dominated by Greek and Roman culture, including worship of the emperor.

 

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.  We might pause to notice the entirely chaotic and uncivilized nature of this man with an unclean spirit.   Whatever and whoever this demonic spirit is, it causes him to be uncontrollable, untameable.  He cannot be bound, even with chains, which had often been tried; but he has pulled apart the chains and broken his shackles.  Notably he cannot live in community; he lives in the mountains and in the tombs, among the dead.  Night and day he was crying out and also cutting himself with stones, so we note the self-destructive effects of the demonic afflicting him.  In some sense, he mirrors the chaos of the sea in our previous reading, encountered by the disciples as they crossed over the Sea of Galilee to this place, reflecting traditional images of the chaos and destruction associated with Leviathan.  

 

 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."  This man is possessed by a legion of demons, in some sense "occupied" by an invading spiritual army and under attack.  A Roma legion consisted of thousands of soldiers; at Christ's time, approximately 6,000.

 

 Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there in 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.   This violent death of the swine teaches us about the destructive influence of the demons.  My study Bible says that the destruction of the herd reveals several things.  First, while animals are a venerable part of creation, human beings are of far greater value.  Additionally, Jesus removes a source of sin, for swine-herding was an abomination to the Jews (Deuteronomy 14:8).  Moreover, the demons have no power over creation but are instead subject to the will of God.  They can only enter the swine at the command of Christ (and needed His permission).  Finally, we see that people are protected under God's providence.  Otherwise the demon-possessed man would have come to the same end as the swine.  As we will see, the magnitude of the economic loss of the swine will remain as a sign to the hardhearted people who fled (see the following verse).  A steep place (a cliff) often appears in icons to represent the dangers of sin.

 

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.  My study Bible comments that while there are those who teach the presence of the swine indicates that these are Gentiles, it's more likely that they are Jews catering to the Gentile market in this region, and therefore doing what was forbidden in the Law.  Jesus had forbidden his disciples to go to any but the Jews in this time of His public ministry (Matthew 10:6).  They have traveled across the sea to save this lost sheep (the man who was demon-possessed).  The hard-heartedness of these people show in that their care is only for their economic loss of the swine, and not of the healing of this man who is now sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  They respond by simply pleading for Christ to leave 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.  In Tuesday's reading, we read that Jesus said that "whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother" (Mark 3:34-35).  This man who has been saved from the legion of demons occupying him understandably does not want to stay in this place with the people who care nothing for his healing.  In this sense of Christ's family, he wishes to come with Jesus and the disciples.  But Jesus has a better plan, a mission for him, and sends him out to the Decapolis, this mixed region of Jews and Gentiles, to proclaim the good news of Christ, and give glory to God, to "tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."   And all marveled.

 

 As referenced above, we might very well wonder in the context of today's reading if this forgotten man in the tombs isn't the prime example of Christ's statement when sending out the apostles on their first mission:  "Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  We couple that together with His statement about His own mission:  "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24).  When we combine these with Jesus' parable of the Lost Sheep found in St. Luke's Gospel (Luke 15:4-7), it leads us to consider Christ's determined journey across the Sea of Galilee, and through a terrifying storm, to get to this forsaken place of the man who lived in the tombs.  Perhaps taken in this vein and with these other images from the Gospels and Christ's teachings, today's reading about the Gadarene demoniac, possessed by a legion of demons, might well serve as a powerful illustration of the will of God to save even one lost sheep out of one hundred, and to make every effort, to take every risk, to do so.  We pause to wonder why indeed Christ gave the command (see yesterday's reading, above) to His disciples to sail across the sea through the perilous wind and waves.  Certainly today's reading gives us no clue that the rest of the people who populate the story -- the swineherders and villagers who come to Christ only to ask Him to leave -- are those willing to become His disciples or believers in any way.  They reject Him and beg Him to go; they are only frightened by the exorcism that saved the man possessed by the legion of demons.  In the conclusion to the parable of the Lost Sheep, Jesus tells His listeners that "there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."  Christ's journey across the sea with the disciples to this forlorn man affirms that in the sight of God every effort is worthwhile to save even one.  It tells us of the value of human beings (as my study Bible pointed out, above), and it tells us of our Liberator or Savior, the One who frees this man from his prison among the tombs and held by this legion of demons.  Since today's Gospel reading uses the language of the military, speaking of a legion of "occupying" demons holding this man in spiritual imprisonment, who is literally bound with chains and shackles, it also speaks to us of the spiritual warfare in which our world -- and the souls, hearts, and minds of human beings -- is the battleground.  It assures us that not only is Christ the true Chief Commander of the spiritual world, but that He is also a Deliverer who will spare no effort to rescue us from the things that bind us and imprison us and make us slaves (John 8:34).  Indeed, the world and those who surround us may deter such a journey of liberation at every step, and scoff at Christ's salvation, even reject us when we are healed as do the swineherders and townspeople in today's reading, but nonetheless our salvation is incomparably more valuable than "fitting in" with such neighbors who do not bear our best hope in mind.  Ask any recovering addict, or perhaps those for whom the light of Christ commands any personal change, and we may find a kind of shunning that accompanies such healing.  Let us give thanks for that which is incomparably greater than a neglectful status quo that accepts what ails us as normal, and is frightened by the power of recovery it can't understand.  For we are also told that "the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:5).  There will always be those who prefer the darkness, but Christ will have a new mission, a new life, for each one of His own.  For this is the Lord's compassion, and as far as we know, that is limitless.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country

 

 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 so 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 in 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 Jesus had been 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.   My study Bible comments that the country of the Gadarenes was in Galilee, an area of many Gentiles living among the Jews. 

 

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 so 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.  Let us note the signs of this man's terrible affliction, an occupation by a legion of demons.   He can't be bound, and has a kind of superhuman strength, even pulling apart his chains, and breaking his shackles in pieces.  He's a picture of chaos, and cannot be tamed.  He cannot live in community but among the dead in the tombs, nor can he live a healthy life, constantly crying out and cutting himself with stones.  He has no rest from this, night and day.  But nevertheless, there remains a part of this man who runs to Christ for help, for 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. My study Bible comments that these demons recognize Jesus as Son of the Most High God.  Note how this legion of demons do not want to be sent out of the country. 

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there in 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.  In this region of mixed populations, Gentile influence caused many Jews to take on Gentile practices, such as raising swine, which was forbidden by the Law (Deuteronomy 14:8).  Perhaps they raise swine for the Gentile market, a lucrative practice.  My study Bible comments that, although some teach that the presence of the swine indicates these are Gentiles, we know that the Lord forbade His disciples to go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5) and was Himself reluctant to seek out the Gentiles (Matthew 15:24), so it is more likely these are Jews engaged in what is for them a sinful occupation.  My study Bible comments that although the malice of these demons is great (for we observed the torment of this man), they can do nothing against the will of God.  So they can only enter the swine at the command of Christ.  It notes that the immediate destruction of this herd shows that the man had been protected by God's care, otherwise he would have perished under the demonic influence.  It also reinforces that swineherding was unlawful for the Jews, and shows the incomparable value of human beings, whose salvation is worth every sacrifice.  

  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.  Again, emphasizing the lack of response to faith in these people, we see that they care far more for their swine than for this man and the remarkable healing of a human being.  They respond simply with fear, and plead with Jesus to depart from their region.  They want nothing to do with Him.  They care only for the swine they have lost.

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.  Clearly we can understand how this formerly demon-possessed man does not want to remain in this region, where he's been plagued by demons, and in which the people care more for their swine than for the healing of a human being.  Moreover, the people here have rejected Christ.  But Jesus has an alternate plan for him:  He will go home to his friends, tell them what great things the Lord has done for him -- and he began to proclaim in Decapolis, a place of both Gentiles and Jews, all that Jesus had done for him, so they all marveled.  

I marvel myself at today's story, because one is able to find so many things of value in it.  One thing we might note in today's reading is that much seems to be connected to place.  The demons beg not to be sent out of the country.  The demons don't want to leave this place; it seems they've found a home here.  The people of this area, the swine-herders, reject Jesus as a community, and plead with Him to depart from their region.   There is a kind of effect to the story that seems to suggest there is more that happens with such an occurrence than meets the eye, that the place itself may become somehow tainted by bad influence and the lack of faith that invites or accepts such influence, even rejecting Christ.  This is seen in the Old Testament Scriptures, as the land is depicted as a gift from God, and responds with fruitfulness or not depending on the people's faithfulness or rejection of God.  This seems to be especially clear in the story of the Promised Land (see Leviticus 26:3-5; Deuteronomy 11:26-28; 2 Chronicles 7:14).  In Christian tradition, home blessings remain a regular part of Orthodox Christian practice, and to sprinkle holy water in places of growing things such as gardens and agricultural produce is very common.  This author can attest to the effects I seem to have observed upon my own gardens over time.  While in a very secular modern context, we seem to treat land as something neutral, which our own plans and construction can turn into whatever we want, certainly place in the context of the Scriptures is something that is responsive in the way human life is responsive to spiritual faithfulness or the lack of it.  We've all heard stories of haunted houses, and seemingly haunted places such as battlegrounds where terrible deaths and killing have taken place, and we may take that as we might.  Nonetheless, the reality of faithfulness becomes part of the story of the Scriptures, and its effect upon the land we inhabit and cultivate.  This tells us a special story about the connectedness of all things, but not external to the centrality of God and our faith and our living of that faith.  We can picture the life in the Garden we're given of our earliest ancestors, in which all things are in communion under faithfulness to God, and the effects of sin on that peaceful and productive life.  So, for today, let us consider how "place" is not a neutral concept, but is also a part of how our lives become changed and challenged by our faithful living -- or the lack of it.  What do we tolerate and what do we want to send away from us?  Do we see people in our lives like this demon-possessed man, and what do we think forms part of the healing solution to these problems?  Do we turn to God for order out of chaos when we experience such unbalances in one way or another in any aspect of our lives?  Let us consider more than simply ourselves and our bodies within the limited concept of life that we think we inhabit and in which we practice our faith, for life is much more to us than that.  Let us observe that, according to the Scriptures, God places human beings in the world to tend and to keep the garden -- and all in it -- which God has created and given to us (Genesis 2).  We are to be like God, setting things in order and making them fruitful, learning from our faithfulness and growing in God's likeness.  But the first sin changes everything, and even the ground becomes cursed; effects on human life are shaped through that as well (Genesis 3).  So let us consider the power of faith and all the things of which life consists, for under God we are part of the whole and there is nothing left out.  Yet, even so, that interconnectedness and its state also depends upon how we live in relationship to God, not simply upon our own constructs and theories.  How do you treat a gift such as this? 

And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ

 

 Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.  

When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.  

 

Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

 

- Luke 4:38–44 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus, after visiting His hometown of Nazareth and being rejected there, went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.  Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon.  And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.  Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is!  For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."  And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

 

  Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.   My study Bible remarks that this passage and 1 Corinthians 9:5 (in which Simon Peter is called Cephas) indicate that Peter was married.  Christ's healing miracles, it notes, are diverse.  In this case, He heals by a word.  In other cases, He heals by touch (Matthew 8:1-4).  This healing is immediate and complete, but others are gradual (Mark 8:22-25) or they require the cooperation of the person or their loved ones (Luke 8:54-55).   All of Christ's miracles, my study Bible adds, manifest His redemption of ailing humanity.  We note also the language here:  Christ rebuked the fever.  My study Bible quotes St. Cyril of Alexandria:  "That which was rebuked was some living thing unable to withstand the influence of Him who rebuked it, for it is not reasonable to rebuke a thing without life and unconscious of the rebuke.  Nor is it astonishing for there to exist certain powers that inflict harm on the human body."

When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.    Let us note here first of all that we're given a sample of a "day" in Christ's early ministry.  During this Sabbath, Christ was in the synagogue and rebuked the unclean demon (in yesterday's reading; see above).  Then Jesus left the synagogue and went to Simon Peter's house, where He rebuked the fever of Peter's mother-in-law.  Here the sun is setting (this is actually the start of a new day in the ancient Jewish reckoning) and so the people all come with their sick and those with various diseases, and bring them to Jesus to be healed.  Again, part of this healing is the expelling of the demons, who are once again rebuked by Christ.  And also again, as in yesterday's reading, the demons know exactly who He is; they know the messianic secret.

 

Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.   This is the same day that begun (at sunset) with the healing of the sick and demon-possessed, only now it is daylight.  Perhaps Jesus went to a deserted place for prayer or rest.  But the crowd sought Him out,  and tried to keep Him from leaving them.  This is a repeated experience in the ministry of Jesus.  My study Bible comments, regarding His response to them, that Christ's primary mission was to preach the kingdom.  It notes that miracles and healings testify both to the truth of the message and the identity of the Teacher (see Luke 5:24).  The same pattern holds true in the Church (Acts 4:29-30).  

 

We have repeatedly read about Jesus acting to rebuke in several ways.   He rebukes a fever in the case of St. Peter's mother-in-law, He rebukes the demons who speak and identify Him as the Christ, the Son of God.  In that latter case, Christ's rebuke is like a muzzle, His command is for them to be quiet (literally so, in yesterday's reading, above).  So let us examine directly what a rebuke is, and what is meant by this.  Oddly, perhaps, this word in Greek is related to "honor."   It has to do with placing proper weight on something, giving it the proper value.  In this case, the word meaning to rebuke (ἐπιτιμάω/epitimao) indicates, according to Strong's Greek Concordance, meting out a due correction, even a warning to prevent something from going wrong.  So "rebuke" as an action of Christ is yet another action of authority, a kind of authority that has the ultimate discernment regarding what is fitting and right, and what is not.  Jesus has this authority to assign values, including, apparently, negative values.  It is yet one more aspect of His identity as Son of God.  He can teach us what is good to say, what is not good to say.   It's very interesting to note that, although what the demons say is quite true, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, that they know something that the people don't know, it's nevertheless inappropriate and not good for them to say it.  Hence, Christ is the One who is the ultimate judge of all things (John 5:22), and here in His authority He makes it clear that His identity must not be publicly revealed except in the proper way and at the proper time.  This gives us several avenues to consider:  First of all, the demons are those in rebellion against God; even a truth spoken from them is misleading, inappropriate, used improperly, and a hindrance to God's plan for salvation and Christ's mission in the world.  This alone gives us a great deal to consider in terms of our own discernment when we speak to others, and how, for example, we respond to our prayer lives and where God would lead us -- including who we listen to and why.  Even what is true can be used in a false and misleading way.  If the demons were enabled or allowed to continue to reveal the real nature of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, all of the misunderstandings and inappropriate expectations of the Messiah would trample upon Christ's ministry, creating chaos for Him.  Soon enough, this will happen in its own time and in the ways we will see; but it will all be used by the Lord for the Lord's purposes.  Christ also rebukes the fever of St. Peter's mother-in-law.  Like St. Cyril of Alexandria responds, this would indicate that there is a type of "living thing" that is the cause of this fever being rebuked by Christ.  Again, Christ's authority and discernment is being expressed in the rebuke.  Is this fever caused by a demonic force, or something else?  Perhaps it is so, as St. Cyril in his wisdom states.  This fever has the effect of disabling in a temporary way this woman who would be the elder woman of the household, the one who -- minus the fever -- becomes upright and serves Christ and His ministry (immediately she arose and served them).  In other words, she not only is engages the honor to serve Christ and this beginning ministry, but she becomes able to take her rightful place in the household.  Thus Christ's rebuke again puts things in a way that are fitting and right, bestowing the proper honor and value and rectifying a situation.  What we perhaps are meant to learn from this action on the part of Jesus is His role as the ultimate discerner and judge of all things.  It is Christ who can mediate and assign values, teaching us what is proper and true and what is not.  Even a true statement in a false place or manner of use becomes bad, a misuse of knowledge for misleading purposes.  Something done at the wrong time, not at the proper hour or with the proper preparation, also becomes a false step, a way to mislead and waylay God's purposes and Christ's plan of salvation.   In today's world, there is a high price placed on information.  That is, information of all and almost any kind.  We have a proliferation of sights, internet portals, social media, and all kinds of technologies designed for gathering information in all kinds of ways.  But what the story in today's reading seems to tell us is that there is a proper time for all kinds of things, and an improper way to use even what is true.  St. Paul writes, "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify" (1 Corinthians 10:23).  Let us pray that we will use discernment, in both consuming and hearing information, and in spreading it.  

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-posssessed 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, on the same day Jesus had preached using parables to the crowds, 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.  My study Bible explains that the country of the Gadarenes was in Galilee, an area with many Gentiles who lived among the Jews (Matthew 4:15).  This Gentile influence is considered to be important for this story, as we will read further along.  Here the unclean spirits recognize Jesus as the Son of the Most High God.   My study Bible asks us to recognize that although the malice of the demons is great, they can do nothing against the will of God, and they fear torment from Him. 

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.    My study Bible comments that Gentile influence on the Jews caused many of them to take on Gentile practices, such as raising swine, which is forbidden by the Law (Deuteronomy 14:8).   In the previous reading, Christ's power over creation was evident in His command to the wind and the sea (see above).  Here, we note His power over the demons.  They have begged Him not to be sent out of the country, and they can only enter the swine at Christ's command.  The immediate destruction of the herd, my study Bible comments, shows that the possessed man had been protected by God's care; otherwise he would have perished under this extraordinarily destructive demonic influence.  There is a great deal of focus in today's passage on the raising of swine which was not lawful for the Jews.  Commentary focuses on the Gentile influence which caused Jews to take on Gentile practices, such as this.  While my study Bible notes that some teach that the presence of the swine indicates a Gentile population, it points out that our Lord forbade His disciples to go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5) and was Himself reluctant to seek out Gentiles (Matthew 15:24), these are likely Jews engaged in a sinful occupation.  The destruction of the herd reinforces its unlawful aspect, but also shows the incomparable value of human beings, whose salvation is worth every sacrifice.  

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-posssessed 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.  We see here the people of the region are much more fearful that they've lost their swine than that this demon-possessed man has been miraculously healed, and is once more in his right mind.  We must be sympathetic to him that he wants to be with Jesus and the disciples.  But Jesus has a better job for him; he's to spread the good news of Christ:  "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."

 

Who can blame this healed demoniac -- freed of a legion of demons (we're told that there were about two thousand swine) -- for wanting to come away with Jesus?  Why would someone in his position want to remain around people who apparently cared far more for the swine than they did for his healing?  After all, these people in some sense find it far more tolerable that he was among them as a ranting demoniac, out of his mind and out of control, and even living among the tombs!  What an outcast condition.  Moreover, he was so disordered that "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."  What a pitiable site of human deterioration and degradation to compare with what human beings might potentially be.  But it is Christ's presence that brings about that change for him, and unleashes his dignified and glorious potentials instead of the slavery he's been freed from.  But these people among whom he's lived -- they were happier with the previous status quo.  They'd prefer him as a wasted potential of humanity, doomed to the life he was living among the dead and in agony of one who constantly cries out.  Perhaps he's one of those sad people who felt at least tolerated, but has now awakened to the reality of the people and his environment.  No wonder he pleads with Jesus to get into the boat and come with Him and the disciples, wherever they were going.  But Jesus, of course, has better plans for him, and gives him a commission, a job to do, in which he glorifies God.  When we read his story, we might be reminded of the epic adventures of ancient myths such as that of Odysseus, traveling to strange sights across the seas.  Jesus and the disciples have come across a stormy sea of Galilee to get to this forsaken place, where Jews raise swine, and a man is possessed by a legion of unclean spirits.  For those Jewish Christians who first heard this story, perhaps years before it was written down, the tale of this sad man might have seemed strange and even terrifying as a prospect.  But for those of us living in the modern world, in big cities in the West, it should not seem that strange.  In many of the urban areas of our big cities, we might find people routinely living on the streets who remind us of this man, possessed perhaps not with demons (although one can't always know) but with the demon-like effects of alcohol or drug addiction, to which they are surely enslaved.  We might well recognize the disorder, the crying out, even the lack of clothing.  Perhaps we've seen people ourselves dragged down to such a condition in which they are a spectacle of humanity in its degradation, seemingly cast down the cliffs so far away from the heights to which human beings can aspire.  Yes, we who live in certain cities can well and easily see spectacles like this regularly, especially in certain public spaces.  Among those who enter recovery programs, it is well-known how difficult it is to return to the people considered friends once upon a time, without falling back into a self-destructive pattern of behavior -- even how environment might conspire to keep us in what turns into an enslavement to addiction.  Who wouldn't need a mission that pulled them out of that place where this man lived among the tombs, and among those who simply didn't care about him at all?  When we lose sight of this need to differentiate between what's good for human beings and bad, when we blur the lines between correction and tolerance but omit notions of healing, when we fail to understand bad influence -- well, then, we are headed for poor results, to put it mildly.  We need to see what destroys us and what helps us.  Those are hard choices and sometimes involve even family, even those whom we think are our friends. But Christ will show us the way, and we will always find a mission to take us out of the misery of the forsaken place in which we once found ourselves.  This man's mission to glorify God is his life being saved.  May it be so for each one of us.  There is no compassion among those who preferred their swine; but he will proclaim the Lord's compassion to all.

 

 

 

 

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.