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, when evening had come, Jesus said to the disciples, "Let us cross over to the other side."  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was.  And other little boats were also with Him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"

 

  Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  The country of the Gadarenes, according to my study Bible, was in Galilee, in an area with many Gentiles living among the Jews.  This man's behavior is the result of demonic influence and demon-possession; we observe that his life and his behavior exemplify chaos, delusion, and self-destruction.

 

 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.   The unclean spirit recognizes Christ, by now a familiar occurrence in St. Mark's Gospel.  Let us note that this comes in response to a command by Christ to come out of the man.  The pitiful state of the man is attributable to a Legion of demons.

 

 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 large herd of swine is more evidence of Gentile populations living among the Jews, as swine were considered unclean for Jews.  Once again we note the effect of the demons, to create violent and self-destructive behavior even collectively in the herd of about two thousand swine.  

 

 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 Gentile influence on the Jews caused many of them to take on Gentile practices, such as raising swine, which was forbidden by Law.  While there are those who say these people, who plead with Christ to depart from their region, are Gentiles, it's more likely they are apostate Jews engaged in a practice forbidden by the Law (see Deuteronomy 14:8).   Note that these people's response to the healing of this formerly demon-possessed man is similar to the cold hard-heartedness of the Pharisees at the healing of the man with the withered hand.  Their concern is with the swine, and the commercial value of what they have lost -- and they respond to the man's healing with fear.  

 

 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.  This shows Jesus' marvelous effect on our lives.  Not only does He heal the man, but because this man can no longer return to where he was, Jesus gives him a new mission in life, and equips him to go home to those who are his friends.  

 

Christ's effect of resurrection in our lives may not always be obvious to us, but it's important to  note and to understand the reality of it at work in today's reading.  If we note this terrible state of the man who is demon-possessed, we can hardly help but understand just how dismal a prospect he was.  Possessed by a self-professed Legion of demons, we might ask ourselves how on earth he would have survived such a predicament.  Indeed, one comment in my study Bible notes that his very survival shows God's care for human beings, as we can see by the death of the swine once the demons enter into them; the man was still in some way protected from such a fate.  According to commentary by Father Stephen De Young, to be demon-possessed in the sense of this man is only possible first through some sort of participation, a form of invitation to this activity, on the part of the man in the first place.  Given the pagan environment of the time and place in our reading, such participation (perhaps in pagan temple worship rituals) would not have been hard to come by.  But this backdrop to the story adds to our understanding of Christ and His mission, and the story of this demon-possessed man.  We might still presume him to be Jewish, and to have participated in things influenced by such practices, just as the raising of swine teaches us about these (presumed) Jews engaging in a practice forbidden by Law but for profit among the Gentiles.  Of course, if they had welcomed the liberation of this demon-possessed man from his Legion of demons, they, too, would be welcome among Christ's followers.  Today's reading foreshadows the coming into the Church of the Gentiles, but it tells us more about Christ's saving work.  We are saved by the power of Christ from what's not good for us, what is destructive and malicious.  But we, also, make choices as to whether or not we participate in the energies of those forces which would perpetuate evil, and be destructive to human beings and even to the life of creation, such as the swine.  We make choices as to what we allow, regarding the things in which we choose to participate, even what we welcome or reject (such as the healing of this man).  Our lives here in the world are in a sense "in the middle" of things we can't see, but among which we nevertheless choose.  Let us carefully align with the beautiful and healthful, and forego a short-term gain for the great things which God offers in their place.  For Christ's power of resurrection is at work in the life of this formerly demon-possessed man, and so it can be also in ours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you"

 

 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 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus taught (following the parable of the Sower), "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.  Jesus comes across a man who is entirely disordered:  he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but the tombs.  This is the work of the demons who oppress him; he lives among the dead and entirely outside of community.  He has been seized, and kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles.  These are human attempts at "order," but his bonds were broken,  and he was driven by the demon into the wilderness.   He is tormented by a Legion of demons.  The malice of the demons is important for us to notice; it is contradictory to the kingdom of God and Christ's gospel.  The demons recognize Christ, and fear Him, for He has power to command them.  They beg that He will not command them to go out into the abyss, the place of non-existence.

 

 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.  My study Bible has a very lengthy note on the story of the swine.  It says that while some teach the presence of the swine indicates a Gentile population, we know that Christ forbade His disciples to go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5) -- and He also was reluctant to seek out Gentiles (Matthew 15:24).  It's more likely that these are Jews who are raising swine for the Gentile market in this place of mixed population, and so are engaged in what for them is an sinful occupation.  According to my study Bible, the destruction of the herd of swine reveals several things.  First, animals are a venerable part of creation, but human beings are of far greater value.  Additionally, Christ removes a source of since, as swine herding was an abomination to the Jews (Deuteronomy 14:8).  Moreover, demons have no power over creation, but they are subject to the will of God.  They could only enter the swine at the command of Christ (and begged Him not to command them to go into the abyss).  Human beings are protected under the providence of God; for otherwise this demon-possessed man would have come to the same end as the swine.  For these hardhearted people who don't care about the healing of the man, the economic loss would remain as a sign for them who fled that region. 

It's important to look at the signs of what doesn't conform here to the kingdom of God which Jesus represents and seeks to bring into the world.  There is, first of all, the demonic influence of the afflicted demon-possessed man.  We don't know his name, but we know the name the demons give themselves:  "Legion," because many demons had entered him.  His life is entirely disordered, and the human efforts to give him boundaries and control don't work at all.  He's driven further and further away from human community by the demons, to the point where he lives now among the dead, in the tombs.  He doesn't even have clothes.  This is a human life that has been destroyed, and he is left entirely isolated and tormented.  We can see the true malice and destructive insanity of the demons when they enter the herd of swine, and the swine race to their deaths down a cliff into the lake (which is the Sea of Galilee).  A "steep place" like this often serves as a sign of sin, of danger, and we can see here the analogy.  Then there is another kind of evil influence in this picture, and that is of the people who are fearful of Christ and stonehearted regarding the healing of the formerly demon-possessed man.  They only care for the material value of the swine which they've lost.  It means nothing to them that Christ has cast out the demons.  Clearly they were contented the way that things were before, and the healing Christ has done has disturbed the order they lived with.  We see something similar happen within social systems where a person tries to get healing for what ails them, be it an addiction or some other problem.  There will be those who are happy with the way that things were under the old system, be it for monetary gain or some other type of currency that's valuable to them.  Healing, which can be akin to banishing or correcting some form of evil, can be disruptive.  When a person no longer settles for a dysfunctional way of being, no longer is content for not following the path that God may set forth for them of developing a skill, a talent, an intelligence, this can disrupt a system of relationships in which those who surround them are content with the way things were.  They benefit in some sense.  It's a kind of selfishness that doesn't see the bigger picture, can't be happy for the healing, and doesn't want to make an effort to do something better and cherish the higher values that may be introduced by the search for healing.  Christ offers a way out of chaos and destruction, but the material selfishness, closed-mindedness, and deliberate ignorance of these townspeople make it clear that the healed man cannot live among them, and they also demand that Jesus leave them as well.  When the healed man wants to come with Jesus and the disciples, Christ gives him a different solution for his life:  "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you." Jesus teaches him to return to the place that is home; that is, the place where there are those who will be glad to hear and to see "the great things God has done" for him, including a restoration of his right mind.  It suggests a kind of revolutionary importance of finding support for a life set on a right path, where the great things God has done for us, the healing we have experienced especially with help from our faith, can be shored up, set into a structure of community, find a home, and can be celebrated rather than feared or discouraged.  There is a lesson here for our own spiritual gains in our lives, the fruit of the spiritual life Christ brings us.  If there are those who don't like the change, it is important to find one's "house" where a positive change and institution of good order in life can be seen as the good thing it truly is, and one can testify to the great things Jesus has done for us.  We need those who will be happy for our good news.