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, on the same day after preaching in parables, when evening had come, He 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 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.  The country of the Gadarenes, my study Bible explains, is in a region in Galilee with a mixed population of Gentiles and Jews.  Let us note this detailed and fairly careful description of this man whose life we can clearly say is in utter disorder.  He dwells among the tombs with the dead and not with the living.  He cannot be controlled, neither by himself nor by others who have sought to bind him often with shackles and chains.  But even these chains had been pulled apart and the shackles broken.  At the same time, no one could tame him; he is a state of chaos.  Moreover, he is self-destructive:   he is always 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.  This Legion of demons occupying this man and making his life miserable, recognize Jesus.  They know He is the Son of the Most High God. They fear the time of judgment, and they also fear torment.  We note that the text seems to indicate that Jesus immediately sought to exorcise this man.  Moreover, even under the severe yoke of the demonic influence, the text says that this man ran and worshiped Jesus when he saw Him from afar.  The Greek word translated as worshiped literally means to fall on one's knees, to kiss the ground before another as in prostration.  But this word is often used for "worship."   In whatever sense this is used, the text seems to indicate that the man reaches to Christ, although the demons fear 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.  The swine give us an indication that Jesus and the disciples are in a place with a great deal of Gentile population.   My study Bible comments that this extremely violent and self-destructive death of about two thousand swine indicates that this man had been protected by God's care.  Otherwise, he would have perished under the demonic influence.  It also reinforces the understanding that swineherding was not lawful 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.  This part of the text emphasizes for us that these people are likely to be Jews who are engaged in what was (for Jews) a sinful occupation:  raising swine to sell to the large Gentile population in that region.  These people make a clear choice:  they fear Jesus.  Rather than marveling at the transformational change in the man under the influence of the Legion of demons and his astonishing healing (they saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind), the only thing that makes an impact on them is the loss of their swine.  Rather than welcoming the good news and the power of Christ manifest in their midst, they 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.  Here is the response of the man who, while under the severe influence of a Legion of demons, ran toward Christ and worshiped Him.  He does not want to stay in this place where the status quo of his affliction was preferable to those who beg Jesus to leave.  He begs to get into the boat and become a disciple of Jesus.  But Jesus has another plan for him, another way to share the gospel of Jesus 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."

 

 What we need to marvel at in today's story is the thing that is completely overlooked by the people who own the swine, and that is the great transformation that takes place in the former demoniac.  This tormented man goes from being utterly disordered and impossibly unregulated, to peacefully sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  How does someone go from being so entirely out of sorts to sitting quietly and clothed and in his right mind?  This is a great transformation, an effective change made possible entirely by Christ.  In our modern world, many people -- perhaps particularly city dwellers -- are familiar with sights of homeless populations and individuals.  Many of these seem to be striking images of disordered conduct such as we read here:  clothing in tatters, rambling speech, shouting, and all manner of inability to live in what one might call conventional community, such as it is today.  But the picture we get of this man beset by a legion of demons seems to indicate one thing very clearly:  all of this disorder within him and in his life is precipitated by the influence of the demons.  While the demons plead with Christ not to torment them, what we can see is how they are indeed tormenting this man.  Why is he cutting himself on the rocks?  Why does he go about incessantly shouting?  Why is he living among the tombs -- and why can he not be clothed or even tamed so that when he is, by contrast, simply "sitting" it is a revelation of good order?  This clear contrast between the chaos of his demoniac life and his finally peaceful state through the power of Christ teaches us about the demons and what they do.  They respect no boundaries whatsoever, neither those that one considers "should" be proper to them, nor the boundaries of this poor, unfortunate man who must live in the midst of a legion of them.  He is their victim, a sort of scapegoat upon which they all parasitically rest and derive whatever it is that the demonic receives from people they afflict.  The demons are bullies; this man is in a sense swamped by them and unable to fend them off alone.  In short, Christ comes into this picture as Liberator, and He is a Liberator and Deliverer of a particular kind.  Only He makes it possible for these demons, trespassing where they don't belong, and creating misery for the man, to be evacuated and routed out.  As my study Bible points out, we can see how terrifyingly destructive they are in this almost savage scene of the swine rushing down the steep place to their deaths in the sea.  It might help here to remember that in Scripture, cliffs can symbolize the perilous nature of sin.  But all of this is lost on the people who simply respond with fear to Jesus.  There is no faith in them.  They care only for the swine which they have lost, and Jesus the Son of the Most High God is not welcome in their world.  Christ's effect is too frighteningly "other" for them, outside of their norm, and beyond their entirely worldly set of values, where even this man who was lost and is healed seems to mean nothing to them.  Let us also look at the bigger picture, and recall that Jesus has set sail with the disciples across a frighteningly stormy Sea of Galilee, seemingly just to come to this place.  Here, He has found one man desperately in need of His saving power, and Jesus in turn sends the healed man home to the Decapolis (meaning "ten cities" in Greek, a region of great Roman and Greek cultural influence), to proclaim great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.  Note that in contrast to the vicious world of the demons, Christ's powerful victory is not one of conquest and suffering, but one in which the demons are allowed to go where they want to into the herd of swine, and this man is liberated from his captivity -- especially through the compassion of Christ.  On the one hand, modern readers may feel sorry for the swine.  But on the other hand, they are simply the property of those for whom their sale and slaughter will bring profit, and who care absolutely nothing for the welfare of an afflicted human being.  In this reading, then, we have the contrast of what we might call two kingdoms, one of the demons, and the other the kingdom of God, which Jesus bears into the world, as will the apostles (Luke 10:9).  Let us remember the great good news of the healed man, and the message of the Lord's compassion.

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.

 

 

 

 

What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?

 

 Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time.  And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me!"  For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?"  And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.  And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.  

 

Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain.  So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them.  And He permitted them.  Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.  When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.  Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.

 

Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. 

 

- Luke 8:26-39 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus taught, "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.  For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.  Therefore take heed how you hear.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him." Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.  And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."  But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."  Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples.  And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."  And they launched out.  But as they sailed He fell asleep.  And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.  And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water.  And they ceased, and there was a calm.  But He said to them, "Where is your faith?"  And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be?  For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!"

 

Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time.  And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me!"  For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?"  And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.  And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.  If we take this story part-by-part, we must look at what it presents us with as it unfolds.  We first might observe that the disciples have just rowed across the Sea of Galilee.  Many of them, we know, are seasoned fishermen whose trade depended upon fishing the waters of Galilee; but the windstorm, we know, also terrified them to the point where they feared they were perishing, even with Jesus onboard (see yesterday's reading, above).  Now they have come to this "strange" place, across the Sea, where a man from the city met them, who had demons for a long time.  Now this region would have been one of mixed Gentiles and Jews, and the man is apparently from the city called Gadara (about six miles from the shore of the Sea of Galilee).  But here in this area, the man lives in the wilderness, wearing no clothes, and living in the tombs.  So tormented by the demons is the man that he apparently was often seized apparently with fits of violence, and so kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.  Thus, this is a man drive further away from society in every sense, and into complete disorder.  Jesus' first act was apparently to command the unclean spirits to come out of the man, and so the demons respond through him, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me!"  In Matthew's Gospel, the demons not only recognize Jesus, but ask, "Have you come here to torment us before the time?" indicating the time of the final judgment.  They do not wish to go into the abyss, indicating a bottomless place of darkness, an image of being buried alive in a place where one would be completely forgotten.  

Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain.  So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them.  And He permitted them.  Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.  When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.  Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear.  My study Bible comments that some teach that the presence of the swine indicates a Gentile population.   But, since Christ forbade His disciples to go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5) and was Himself also reluctant to seek out Gentiles (Matthew 15:24), these are likely to be Jews engaged in a sinful occupation, raising swine for a Gentile market.  It notes that the destruction of the entire herd reveals several things.  First, while animals are a venerable part of creation, human beings are of far greater value.  Second, Christ removes a source of sin, as for Jews swine herding was an abomination (Deuteronomy 14:8).  Moreover, demons have no power over creation, but rather are subject to the will of God.  Clearly here, they could only enter the swine at the command of Christ.   It also shows that people are protected under God's providence; otherwise, the demon-possessed man himself would have come to the same end as the swine.  Finally, the magnitude of the economic loss would remain as a sign for the hardhearted people who fled that region and rejected Christ, asking Him to leave them.

Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.  This interesting final note on this passage has Jesus commanding this man to return to His home (presumably in the city of Gadara), and testify to the great things God has done for him.  It sets an example for all of us.

In a modern world, in what we might call one of the developed countries, there are many people who discount the idea of spiritual beings, such as demons or even angels.  Many would deny the existence of a spiritual evil, such as the devil, and clearly all the tenets of early Christianity are no longer held by many people.  But one thing that we might see as a very common sight in a city in such a "developed" country is a man (or even a woman) who looks like this man in today's reading, who is occupied by a legion of demons.  The effects of the demons are things that we could see on the streets of any one of our large cities today, and maybe even in smaller cities and towns as well.  Whether it is the result of mental illness or of addiction, the crisis of what many would lump under "homelessness" looks so often like this man -- uncontrollable, disordered, even without clothing, ranting, and unable to live in community in the day-to-day sense in which we think of what community means.  In my city, and in my neighborhood, people who bear close resemblance to the demon-possessed man in today's reading are every day sights.  There is no getting around this reality and this presence, especially when violent acts in public places -- such as on a subway, for example -- have become common occurrences filling the daily news.  So what should we make of this coincidental observation?  (Is it even so coincidental?)  Frequently such appearances go hand in hand with addiction crises, as well as mental illness.  Often, those two modern plagues go hand in hand.  It might even be difficult to discern which came first, or which one might be the cause of the other.  In today's story, Jesus directly challenges the demons who are responsible for this man's condition.  Once upon a time, many of our cities had programs that also confronted or challenged such conditions, such as offering a choice of going to jail for vagrancy or to go to a treatment program.  I have anecdotal evidence of such a program working to help people be rehabilitated and to stabilize their lives.  For whatever reason, coincidental or not, commensurate with popular dismissal of once-common spiritual understanding, such sights on our streets have grown.  More often than not, supposed solutions to this problem do not address true causes.  There is little doubt of the overwhelming problem of addiction among the homeless population, and despite protestation among professional healthcare workers, many government bodies are loathe to directly and forcefully target that problem in an effective way.  Perhaps it is coincidental, or perhaps not so coincidental, that our tolerance for such disorder seems to grow with a systematic abandoning of social standards often linked to faith.  Because, after all, aren't our lives essentially going to be ruled and constructed out of whatever it is that we put our faith into?  How else is a social order formed and maintained?  Of what is society, or what we might call civilization, made?  Moreover, how does that process work?  The ancient world into which Christ was born was full of monarchs, kings, emperors and other rulers with absolute power, even those who were revered as gods, and the Gospels contain the stories of saints and martyrs who came into disagreement with such power and its abuses.  How have social systems evolved standards of justice, or lists of human rights, even international courts to guard them?  Does our faith have something to do with that?  Does our Lord's sacrifice on the Cross as the true Innocent have something to do with that?  And how does our definition of what the demonic is and does -- the destructiveness to human life on display in today's reading in this pathetically demon-afflicted man -- affect our own sense of what is ordered and what is disordered in our cities and towns and neighborhoods?  What does it mean that this man was afflicted by a legion of demons?  In the period of time in which this story took place, a Roman legion consisted of approximately 5,800 men, and it was the largest military unit in the Roman army.  So this number of demons is meant to suggest to us an overwhelming force of the toughest, strongest, most disciplined, and well-equipped infantry in existence.  That is an incredible power to think about opposing and afflicting one sole human being.  Consider what he endured, borne out in the sight of the swine who were driven over a cliff by this demonic influence.  When the things we see and experience seem to be crowding our conditions of life, why don't we consider the force capable of disarming such a legion of demonic adversaries and influences?  Why do we not think more readily of Christ who protects and saves this man, and God whose protection afforded this human being a kind of survival that the swine cannot experience?  When we reach a state where we can recognize influences -- or at least effects -- that appear in spiritual stories, why do we not consider what we seem to be losing when we lose tenets of faith as part of our understanding of how our society needs to function in order to be healthy, and to protect the common good?  The tolerance for destruction of human life is evident.  What about our capacity to build our societies and life-giving standards?  Sometimes problems overwhelm a person to the point where they need another level of help and protection, like a legion of troubles and bad influences.  Let us consider the kind of help we need today.

 

 

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.

 

 

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

 

 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, on the same day Jesus preached with many 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.   My study bible tells us, first of all, that we should understand that the country of the Gadarenes is still in Galilee (although Jeus and the disciples have crossed the Sea of Galilee to get here), which means this is an area with many Gentiles living among the Jewish population.  

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.  Let us take a good look at the state of this man, and his complete alienation from human society.  It's an important clue that he had his dwelling among the tombs, with the dead.  He's not capable of living an ordered life.  Although bound with shackles and chains, the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces -- no one can tame him.  He is beyond human help to be able to live in community.  Night and day, he's crying out in the mountains and the tombs, and cutting himself with stones.  Does this give us a picture that we can relate to in modern society?  And let us note the human impulse that operates in the man, despite the presence of the legion of demons, as when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  Just as we have already read in Mark's Gospel, the demons speak through this man, as they recognize Jesus, calling Him Son of the Most High God.   My study bible suggests they are surprised that their power is being terminated before the time of the last judgment (see Matthew 8:29), hence they beg "do not torment me."  

 

 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.   As this is in a region mixed with Gentiles, these swineherd are likely apostate Jews, who raise swine (either having adopted Gentile practices or possibly in order to sell them to the Gentile community) -- something which is forbidden in Jewish Law (Deuteronomy 14:8).  My study bible comments that since our Lord forbade His disciples to go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5), and was Himself reluctant to seek out the Gentiles (Matthew 15:24), it's more likely than not these are Jews who plead with Him to depart from their region.  Their preference is for the money they have lost because of the death of the swine who've drowned in the sea, and not for the healing of the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, who is now sitting and clothed in his right mind.  This simply fills them with fear at the power of Christ.

 

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.  Let us observe Jesus' response to this man who knows he has been saved, and so begs Jesus that he might be with Him.  He is to go home to his friends, "and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."   The healed man dutifully goes out to the Decapolis (a union of ten Greek-Roman cities in Galilee) and proclaims all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.  

This man healed from a legion of demons begins a new life, going out to the Decapolis, where he proclaims his salvation and the compassion of the Lord.  Let us look at the place from which he starts in our story, not only as the man completely lost to the merciless occupation of a legion of demons, but also living among the dead, and those who cared nothing for him, as they had also given up the laws of their own faith.  If we are going to look at this carefully, it is a full picture of abandonment, of a world gone over to rebellion against God.  This one human being struggles in a world dominated by violence and thievery, where human beings have given up on the Law given by the Lord, the God of Israel.  There is no guarding of community here, only the rule of exploitation and selfishness, one of hardened hearts which care nothing for the restoration of humanity, and thereby, for salvation.  It is a picture of a world where the struggle for faith is abandoned, and with it the God of mercy, healing, and compassion.  This demon-possessed man, "occupied" by a foreign legion of the army of the enemy, can only live among the dead in the tombs, crying out, unable to contain himself or be tamed.  He is, in a sense, tortured night and day by those who simply wish for him to suffer and surrounded by a heartless and uncaring world.  The swineherders clearly show themselves to be people given up to what is called hard-heartedness in the Gospels.  It is a picture of a world where God is given up and abandoned, and the thoroughly destructive results that are attained by so doing.  We could possibly see in it a picture of the results of war that is "all hell" in the words of a famous American Civil War general.  In 20th century history, we can look at the results created when a regime steeps itself in the throwing off of all religious restraint, and military pursuit of endless power and sheer might; we have examples of that on both the far right and far left.  But it's also a warning for our own future, because it gives us a picture of a life in which we have forgotten that the good teachings of God are given out of love, and that those laws are meant to save and to create community, taking in even the least among us, the strays, the strangers, the broken, even the despised, all who know they are in need of healing.  When we find ourselves in a world where ideology supplants the faith in something greater than a political party or social theory, then watch out, for from there insanity arises in double-speak and triple-speak, words and laws lose their meaning, and the result is in this picture of the abandoned uncontrollable and untamable man among the tombs, possibly a familiar sight to those who witness the problems of the homeless and modern "disordered" among us.  There are those who say that the sickest among us mirror to us the problems of the family and society, and they wouldn't be far wrong if we take a closer look at what we have so frequently left behind in the name of an ideological and even purportedly scientific progress.  "What is truth?" Pilate will ask, when it is standing in front of him.  For the root of truth is much deeper than our theories and even our proofs, based on so many assumptions.  We have only to look where hypocrisy covers a multitude of selfish sins.  But the One who is above it all remains Christ, the Truth, the One who comes to this seemingly God-forsaken place to save this remnant of humanity beset by a legion of demons.  My study bible notes that although the malice of the demons is great, they can do nothing against the will of God, and therefore can only enter the swine at Christ's command.  It adds that the immediate destruction of the herd shows humanity's protection by God's care, because even though so sorely afflicted, he nevertheless did not perish.  And so, we also persist even under affliction, beset by unnamed and irrational demons, and we look to the "stronger man" who can combat a legion of thousands and seeks only to protect us and heal us, and who comes as Liberator and Deliverer.  Let us look to Christ and all those saints and angels in the great cloud of witnesses who protect and defend, whom this healed man -- previously beset by a legion of demons -- now joins in testimony of the great things the compassionate Lord has done for him.  May we all be joined to this communion as was he.

What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?

 

 Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time.  And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me!"  For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was drive by the demon into the wilderness.  Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?"  And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.  And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.  Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain.  So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them.  And He permitted them.  Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.  

 

When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.  Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear.  And He got into the boat and returned.  Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

 

- Luke 8:26–39 

 

On Monday, we read that Jesus taught, "No one, when he has lit lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.  For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.  Therefore take heed how you hear.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him."  Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.  And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."  But He answered  and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."  Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples.  And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."  And they launched out.  But as they sailed He fell asleep.  And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.  And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water.  And they ceased, and there was a calm.  But He said to them, "Where is your faith?"  And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be?  For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!" 

 

  Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time.  And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me!"  For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was drive by the demon into the wilderness.  Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?"  And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.  And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.    My study bible comments that the demons recognize Jesus as the Son of the Most High God.  It says that although the malice of the demons is great, they can do nothing against the will of God.  Therefore, begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss, the place of total abolition or destruction of being.  Additionally, they may only enter the swine because Christ permitted them. 

 

Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain.  So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them.  And He permitted them.  Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned. My study bible comments that the immediate destruction of the herd shows that the man had been protected by God's care -- otherwise he would have perished under this destructive demonic influence.  It adds that some teach that the presence of swine indicates Gentile population.  However, since Christ forbade His disciples to go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5), and was also reluctant Himself to seek out the Gentiles (Matthew 15:24), these swineherders are more likely to be Jews engaged in a sinful occupation.  The destruction of the swine reveals that although animals are a venerable part of creation, human beings are of far great value.  Christ also removes a source of sin, as swine herding was an abomination to the Jews (Deuteronomy 14:8).

When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.  Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear.  And He got into the boat and returned.  The magnitude of their economic loss will remain as a sign for these people who fled and who are afraid because of the miraculous recovery of the formerly demon-possessed man.  They show their hardheartedness in their failure to rejoice over his recovery, but instead they beg Jesus to depart from them.

 

Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.  Let us note the healing and recovery of this man, who himself is given a great role to play in the salvation story of Christ.  He became an evangelist, as he proclaimed the good news of the great things Jesus had done for him.

This is one of my favorite stories in the Gospels.  I am intrigued by this hopeless man lost among the tombs, living among the dead, because he's not fit for civilization in the cities and towns.   In the grip of the demons, he's uncontrollable, constantly abusing and hurting himself, unable even to stay clothed.  For some of us, it is a reminder of facets of homelessness and mental illness among our own homeless populations.  But this stark picture in the Gospels of someone so lost and forsaken is hard to shake in spiritual terms.  One of the most striking aspects of the story is how Christ directed the apostles to set out overnight across the Sea of Galilee, through a terribly frightening storm, just to come to this particular forsaken place.  It's as if Jesus directed the disciples to pilot here specifically to save this man, or possibly to rebuke and destroy this hostel for a legion of demons.  The place is also forsaken as a home to Jews who raise swine, and who care so much more for their money-producing swine (to sell to Gentiles in this region) than for the holy healing action of Christ.  In this sense, Jesus is the picture of a type of warrior who goes abroad not with a sword and armaments, but with the spiritual power to reclaim territory for children of God who are occupied, abused, and subject to terrible tortures by a hostile enemy invader army.  This is a picture of a spiritual liberator, who comes to banish a cruelly uncivilized legion from those who would simply be at peace.  We can see the gratitude of the healed man, and his essential good character that it reflects.  Plus he clearly wants to come to be with Jesus.  But Jesus has a better assignment for him:  to spread the good news of God's work in him to his fellow townspeople, an evangelist and witness giving testimony.  Christ's saving work isn't just about the eternal life in the sense of what comes after life in this world; in this story it is a clear story about salvation and Resurrection impacting life as we live it in our present lives day to day, about bringing life to those in the tombs of this world who are lost or forsaken, seemingly hopeless, given up by others.  This is about the impact of Christ's abundant life that restores here and now and in the present, no matter what the problems are, and it is about being released from affliction that destroys on any level of the human soul.  The saving power of Christ works to protect and to heal; it's not an abstract and not a philosophy.  I always take this story to heart because there is more to find in it each time it is read and thought about.  The good news isn't just about what Christ said, it is about life and how it is lived and experienced, and witness testimony to the good things God has done -- for you, for me, for anybody who can testify about life as it is lived. 

What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?

Healing of the Demon Possessed (Mark 5), Ottheinrich Bible, 1425-30. Bavarian State Library, Munich, Germany

 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, on the same day Jesus had been 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.  Today's reading takes place across the Sea of Galilee, outside of the familiar territory of Jesus' disciples and His ministry.  This is still in Galilee, however, my study bible says, and it is a place where there are many Gentiles mixed midst with the Jewish population.

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.  The description of the plight of this man is always striking in my view.  He lives among the tombs, far away from life and community and a civilized kind of existence.  No one can bind him, or bring order to his life, although he has often been bound with shackles and chains.  Let us note the details of his life:  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."  The demons, according to my study bible, are surprised that their power is being terminated before the time of the last judgment (see Matthew 8:29).  We note the slavish understanding of these demons; while they use their power to torment and destroy this man, they fear only torment from Jesus.

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.   Many feel that this takes place in Gentile territory, due to the swine being raised in this area.  But still others comment that it indicates apostate Jews who raise swine for money, against the precepts of the Law (Deuteronomy 14:8), as lucrative commodity to sell to the Gentile population.  Living among Gentiles, they have taken on Gentile practices.  The demons essentially beg for mercy, which Christ grants them; but the swine are not protected by God in the same way that the tormented demoniac was, and the demons destroy them.

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.  Two different directions are apparent here.  In the first, those who were raising the swine see this formerly demon-possessed man, sitting and clothed and in his right mind, and it means nothing to them.  They care far more for the loss of their swine, and so they respond with fear and plead with Jesus to depart from their region.  And on the other hand, there is the healed man, who wishes only to get into the boat and go with Jesus, and begged Him that he might be with Him.  But instead, with his faith and his experience of healing, Jesus sends him out as a type of early evangelist and apostle, clearly preparing the way for the future Church:  "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."

One commentary on this story reminds us of Jesus' own journey to come, and how it is reflected in some way in today's reading.  St. Peter Chrysologus, a 5th century bishop known for his homilies, preached, "Behold where is he, who was promised all the glories of this world, found to dwell—where?—in the tombs! Compassed about with the putrid rottenness of dead bodies"  (Sermons 17).  In a certain sense, this man oppressed and driven mad by the demons dwells where Christ brings life, in the tombs.  It tells us about how infinitely and inexhaustibly resilient the human soul is, for even under such conditions, and apparently for a great length of time, he is still capable of running to Christ and recognizing his need of Him.  It also tells us about Jesus' mission, that it is indeed "to the ends of the earth" in this sense of coming to this forsaken place and this forsaken person, left to dwell wild among the tombs with no sense of life nor community nor hope -- until Jesus comes.  Let us also note how Christ Himself aims his journey directly toward this man on this foreign shore of the Sea of Galilee, and remember the storm through which the disciples have passed to get here.   All of this indicates it is deliberate, with Jesus' mission being to redeem this man, despite his circumstances, his history, and the place where he has lived and those among whom he has dwelt.  Nothing is hopeless.  This is our message.  The glory of humanity -- made in the image of God -- remains visible to our Creator, who seeks only to redeem those who still retain the capacity (however elusive) to desire that redemption.  In the light of this story, one must consider that Christ will Himself go into the tomb in order to secure this great depth of hope -- even among death -- for all of humanity, and not only for this poor and oppressed demoniac.  If the actions and conditions of the demoniac resemble what might seem modern-day sights of homelessness and those in need of mental health care, let us not lose sight of the message that "with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).  Speaking from this place, we may indeed consider that it makes little difference whether we are speaking of this abandoned man in the tombs or a wealthy man living in a palace and bound to wealth (as in Matthew 19).  There is always hope, for God has created us so, and Christ has come into the world to teach us so.  The one thing that can keep us from the love of Christ is our continued rejection of such love -- and even then, the depths of the human heart are not even fully known to ourselves, but only to God.  Let us consider the boundless hope expressed in today's reading, the infinite chances we have for redemption, how nothing is lost to God that is given to Christ (John 6:39).   Through all things, let us always remember that it is the slimmest of chances on which Christ stakes His ministry and bets on us, His effort for all of us.  It gives us the great message that we must never give up hope at any time, even against a sea of troubles or a legion of enemies.  There might be times when we also feel like asking, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?"  And the correct answer is, "Everything."

If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine

Ottheinreich Bible, c. 1425-30. Folio 18v (Matthew 8)

 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.

- Matthew 8:28-34

On Saturday, we read that when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."  Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.  But He was asleep.  Then his disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"  But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"

When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.  My study bible comments that the demons recognize Jesus as the Son of God, and they are surprised that their power is being terminated before the time of the last judgment.  Although their malice is so great, they can't do anything against the explicit will of God, and so therefore can only enter the swine at the command of Christ.  It notes that the immediate destruction of the herd shows that the men were protected by God; if it were not so, they would have perished under the demonic influence.  My study bible adds that moreover, this reinforces that swineherding wasn't a lawful occupation for the Jews, showing instead that the value of human beings is incomparable, their salvation worth all sacrifices. 

Some commentaries remark that these people must be Gentiles, non-Jews, as their raising of swine seem to indicate.  But the text, according to my study bible and many Fathers, seems to indicate that, on the contrary, these are Jews raising swine for marketing to Gentile populations, and doing so contrary to the Mosaic Law.  One indication of this is their preference for Jesus to leave them -- they begged Him to depart from their region.   This is done after they've seen the miraculous cure of the demon-possessed men.  The people here prefer their income from the swine, and are dismayed at what has happened, rather than joyful for the healing of the men.  What this indicates is not simply their material mindset, and not merely that their priorities are in the wrong place.  The fact that they care nothing for the Law given through Moses is coupled with their lack of care for the lives of these men, indicating that in fact these are people who care nothing for real justice.  They are fundamentally unjust in their outlook -- meaning they are unrighteous in a number of ways.  If it's going to cost them money, a loss of stock or inventory, they don't care at all and do not rejoice at the healing of the men.  Their fundamentally wrong-headed outlook renders them less than righteous or just, because their priorities are in the wrong place.  They are those who worship mammon rather than God (6:24).  Jesus' preaching in the Sermon on the Mount has addressed this concern and inward disposition in our lives; here the Gospel tells us a story that expresses such a problem and its outcome.  Jesus is rejected because He heals.  The swine, in the eyes of the Jews, are unclean animals, but these townspeople don't care.  They care about the income.  Moreover, if we look closely at the text, we may observe also that they are simply used to living with these demon-possessed men the way they are; this is something "normal" for their world.  It shows a disordered social construct, a world where priorities are out of whack, and true natural relations between people need restoration.  These violent, demon-possessed men do not dwell among the living but among the dead, midst the tombs.  They are exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  This is a disordered and unnatural (in the sense that what is truly natural is God's will for us) violence that lives among them, and counts for "normal."  It is what the townspeople and swineherds are used to, what they live with, their static state.  So let us take a look at what passes for "norms" here:  the unlawful breeding of unclean animals for the money, a repulsion to what happens when Jesus heals the men and the animals are destroyed (thus a loss of income source, however outside of the law), and their set of values -- such as it is -- means they beg Jesus to leave, apparently without caring at all for the healing of these extremely violent men.  It is, in some sense, a picture of our world, no matter how disordered it may seem in the text.  Violence is normal, no sacrifice is too great when it comes to wealth (even the sacrifice of any form of true health or real justice or righteousness), and that which would shake up the world and put it in right order -- a healed state --  is simply desired to be cast aside, gotten rid of, so that they beg Jesus to leave.  In fact, they can think of nothing else.  Imagine, in our world, forces that would prefer war and violence over peace as it may bring them income, a violence that results in great injustice and disorder and all sorts of human ailments, and can only see healing and the peace it would bring as a woeful loss of income.  This priority of mammon over God gives us a fundamental picture of disorder and injustice, as it is a willingness to forego the righteousness of God if it is going to change things and ask us to look for a better way to make our lives, our living, our way of life.  Is it so strange to us, or can we think of examples that might seem even just a little similar?  Perhaps we could think of relations in a family, in a neighborhood or town, or even on a greater scale.  Where does our picture of righteousness come into play?  Is a little violence acceptable?  What would we be willing to give up for peace and healing?  What takes top priority when it comes to human well-being?  Is righteousness worth our sacrifice or adjustment, even repentance?