7. and our Far from this, He had stormed the gates of Hell and prevailed. The house that is left swept and clean is a likely target for Satanic influence (cf. March 2018 And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another . Wikipedia states about it: In the second half of the 1st century AD, the city of Jerash achieved great prosperity.. Though Legion bowed before Jesus (verse 6), it was no act of worship (as the King James Version would seem to indicate). Romans 9:19-23). She is a graduate of the Divinity School at Wake Forest University and Chicago Theological Seminary. This incident in the Gerasenes requires some entry understanding. But, Im telling you. The Gadarenes was the place where Jesus confronted a man whose possession by demons gave him a level of superhuman strength like Samson (Mark 5:3 - 5, Luke 8:27). 123 1. The occult and every front for demonic influence and activity should be avoided like the plague. The particular focus of this mans testimony was the Decapolis region. Flavius Josephus and Steve Mason, Flavius Josephus: Life of Josephus (Boston; Leiden: Brill, 2003), 47. While he was once wild and uncontrollable, he was sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus. The demoniacs frightened the swine, and the transfer of demons from them to the swine was imagined. First let us see what the Sacred Texts says: The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. But, the pigs were a part of their economic wealth. recognizes the military background of the term, pointing out that in the imperial period a legion consisted of 6000 foot soldiers, 120 horsemen and technical personnel. 7 After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, b he entered Capernaum. xx. The demoniac was uncontrollable by any of the normal means of human confinement. From this it is clear that demon-possession is a phenomenon which occurred almost exclusively, but then to be sure on an amazing scale, during Jesus appearance on earth and to a lesser extent during the activity of the apostles. 18). Satan loves those Christians. Although his symptoms would have appeared to be those of an insane man,113 the Gospel writers inform us that he was demon-possessed.114. Why is that. Once naked, he is now clothed. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Mark and Luke, on the other hand, write to more general audiences, and Gerasa was the main Greek-Roman city of the area. His greatest impact would be on those who knew his former state. They were afraid and astonished, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the sea, and they obey Him?" . Is there any archaeological evidence for Joshua entering Israel and conquering cities in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age? In any event, I love defending the Bible and Christianity. Jesus asked some pretty crazy questions like What Things Happened? June 2022 I used to want the longest life, perfect health and happiness, but really it is that feeling that I am so glad that this isnt all there is and that we have heaven to wait for, and that well be with Jesus, and there will be no more tears Amber VanVickle (1982-2023), The headquarters of the charity, which serves as a consecrated family to 46 disabled children, were badly damaged in major flooding near Rio de Janeiro last year. Such was the case with this man (cf. EWTN News, Inc. is the worlds largest Catholic news organization, comprised of television, radio, Ridiculous? But from all of the Gospel accounts, I get the distinct impression that this mans eyes were riveted on Jesus. (2) Anti-social behavior. 127 The view of Greek philosophy was that these were the spirits of those who lived in the Golden Age. They found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. What scared them was a power so fierce it could free a man. Jesus did say to count the cost [Luke 14:28-33]. That is why he was living in the solitude of the tombs, away from civilization. It is noteworthy that Jesus nowhere speaks of forgiveness of sins or of purification-sacrifices, that have to be brought after His curing of such cases (as He did in some cases of physical illness). 112 Skeptics and liberals have made much of the differences between the Gospel writers as to the place Jesus landed with His disciples. 125 This is the position of Lane, Mark, p. 187. November 2014. What about us, as Christians, are we afraid of Jesus? Jesus had actually helped them. This name (Strong's #G3003) is a reference to a Roman military regiment that varied in soldier strength from 4,000 to 6,000. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.110. 118 H. I think that this story is a little bit of an Easter story. Bible scholar Gleason Archer (Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties) argues similarly, It is entirely possible that the political control of this region was centered in Gadara as the capital city. 2 Now a centurion had a servant 1 who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. It only takes a minute to sign up. The demonically possessed man who came to Jesus cried out his name was Legion. He was received into the Catholic Church in 1991. It is a violent tempest, that is, outside of the natural. December 2016 Hence there was demon-worship, the worship not necessarily of evil spirits; but of the spirits of those who had existed in the Golden Age. G. Campbell Morgan, The Gospel According to Mark (New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1927), p. 114. Other demoniacs described in Scripture were bent on self-destruction as well (cf. The drowning of the swine was an accident, possibly simultaneous with the healing, and report mixed up the two incidents. Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. At first we may deceive ourselves into thinking that we are controlling them, but the ultimate likelihood is that they will master us. For some people, the cost is too high. In Luke 2:8 it is applied to the city of Bethlehem; in Acts 18:23 to Galatia and Phrygia. The choice is to be free by submission to Christ (cf. to men facing fear and death. We are seeking a replacement and hope to have it in your newspaper soon. September 2018 Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023, Highlights in the Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ. There is no conflict, however, for Mark and Luke have apparently focused their attention on the most striking of the two. In all three instances the word is chra (Strongs word #5561). Vote Up September 2022 Men in their unbelief suppose that the choice is either to be free (independent of God) or to be the slaves of Christ. In any event, they were not Israelites, as indicated by the fact that a herd of swine was being kept nearby, which would have been forbidden by the Mosaic Law, since swine were unclean animals (Leviticus 11:7-8). 36 Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. Similar to the storm we see in the book of Job that killed Jobs sons - and Satan was the instigator of that as well. However, the point was clearly made; Jesus, the Son of God, has power over all things, including the powers of darkness. Is there a single-word adjective for "having exceptionally strong moral principles"? The conduct of this pathetic individual was obviously anti-social. The demoniac further evidenced demon activity by the depth of his spiritual insight. Rev. The reply Legion118 may be some kind of evasion, a reluctance on the part of the demons to individually identify themselves. For the Christian, there are two extremes which must be avoided with reference to Satanic activity. . ), you also need to understand the significance of this - to the people in Gerasene. And those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. . Just imagine, a man in a cinema, having bought popcorn and cola and watching an action movie, with a lot of violence and harsh language in it, and then he sees suddenly that a saintly bishop is sitting just next to his seat, not watching the movie, but reading silently psalms with a countenance radiating a deep contemplation; will not the first man be upset and lose all pleasure of watching the movie? Such seems to be a similar case with Judas (John 13:1-2). If an Israelite, why was he in Gerasene in the first place and why was he living so near a large herd of swine? September 2020 Jesus was saying, (demonstrating) that He had all authority, in any land. That would be a strong message, by allowing them to be possessed and then drowned. Jesus has lead me away from my old life. He who feared His arrival now dreaded His departure. What was it that caused these people to react in such a way? Instead, they reject Him because all they know is His power and purity. Mark 5:1And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. You might be thinking back to Easter and not recall very many hogs showing up except for at Easter supper. The difference between the phonemes /p/ and /b/ in Japanese, Is there a solutiuon to add special characters from software and how to do it. On the other hand, it may be correct to understand that although there were many demons, they had combined as one force to possess this man.119 While Mark records Legions request as one of not being sent out of the country (verse 10), Luke adds a significant explanation by interpreting the meaning behind this request: And they were entreating Him not to command them to depart into the abyss (Luke 8:31). seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Although the Gospels give us little information as to how individuals become targets of Satanic control, I would suggest for your consideration that they sometimes do so by leaving themselves open to Satanic influence. NET Bible Then all the people of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Jesus to leave them alone, for they were seized with great fear. NEW STAR WARS MERCH PAGE: https://bit.ly/3baWVZv For all sponsorship and business inquiries please contact: thestupendousscrub@gmail.com NEW CHANNEL: https:/. The miracle referred to took place, without doubt, near the town of Gergesa, the modern Kersa, close by the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and hence in the country of Gergesenes. Satans most effective tool is not the demoniac wandering about the desolate places. Now they would deal with this One greater than he by doing likewise. when He was the only One Who truly knew what had happened. They look forward to their future with great dread. And they were afraid. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. Another reason they may have been afraid of Jesus was the realization that if they accepted Him, it would mean a radical change of lifestyle. It is now called Jerash and is a deserted ruin. . We see people in other places where he worked miracles, endeavoring to make him their king (Jn 6:15) . There is the so-called demon of doubt, of anger, of overindulgence, of drunkenness, laziness and so on. 128 In most of the stories of possession what is at issue is not merely sickness but a destruction and distortion of the divine likeness of man according to creation. August 2021 Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. June 2017 To understand this event, you need consider the incident at Babel, and Deuteronomy. Although the manifestations of demonization vary widely, this man115 evidenced several of the classic symptoms. This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was better known.. When Jesus asked the demoniac his name, it was not without significance for He was, I believe, asking the demons to reveal their identity. John 8:32; Matthew 11:28-30), or to be the pawns of Satan (Ephesians 2:1-2). verse 5). When the townspeople arrived on the scene, they saw the formerly demon-possessed men, clothed, in their right mind and sitting at the feet of Jesus. Instead of opening themselves up to Jesus and receiving His love and forgiveness, they allowed fear to drive a wedge between them. 117 so that, by their own confession, a time is coming when there shall be an entire victory of the kingdom of light over that of darkness (Rev. Paul tells us that our struggle is, at bottom, a spiritual one (Ephesians 6:12). But for most of us, the world and the flesh are all that are necessary to cause us to stumble. Why as the question? By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Asked October 24 2014 Matthew 8:28 - 29, 31, 34And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. In this account we, by inference, learn much about the demonic spirits. iv. In Jewish thinking, spirit beings were assigned to certain geographical territories.120. As C. S. Lewis aptly put it: There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. January 2021 Also, frequently associated with demon possession was a super-human strength (cf. - And they came to the other side of the sea.The other side of the sea would be the south-east side of the sea. March 2015 They were instructed to keep quiet about what Jesus had done for them (cf. Jesus is conscious that He now breaks the power of the devil and his angels because He is the One in whom the dominion of God is present on behalf of humanity. W. Foerster, as quoted by Lane, Mark, fn. What purposes did Mark intend to achieve by the inclusion of this event? The time of this event was before Jesus' crucifixion, and before the gentiles were grafted in to the promise (Acts 10). Why did Jesus not allow demons to proclaim his name, Archaeological or Historical Support for the Gerasene Pigs. March 2021 The price tag of possession was high, for those who fell victim to the demons agonized in constant torment. 35Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. He was Someone Who could control the spirit realm. As always, we must begin with the principle: Interpretation is one, application is many. November 2017 Thus an economic lose of revenue was involved. HELPING CHRISTIANS BUILD POSITIVE, GODLY FAMILIES, CHURCHES, AND NATIONS, Follow us on social media for daily Scripture comments and more at. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 991. This story is a little bit of an Easter story. He shivered at the disturbing memory. The scene which Mark presents is deliberately dark. I will not ask him to leave. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Can devils entreat in such a manner any highest of angels, be he Michael, Gabriel or Raphael, or any greatest cherub or seraph? They had been unable to control these two men [Luke only mentions one man, but Matthew tells us there were two]. 5. The religious rulers hated Jesus for exposing their hypocrisy and feared the consequences His actions might have with Rome, but they were not afraid of Jesus as a Person. The spectrum ranges from those who seem to control the demonic powers to those who are utterly controlled by them. It is something like the behavior and personality change in a man who is totally intoxicated. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. Treasury of Scripture. Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. 115 While Mark and Luke describe only one demoniac, Matthew informs us that there were two. Gergesa, also Gergasa ( in Byzantine greek) or the Country of the Gergesenes, is a place on the eastern ( Golan Heights) side of the Sea of Galilee located at some distance to the ancient Decapolis cities of Gadara and Gerasa. Although Gadarenes and Gergesenes are derived from a different Greek word, they are essentially referring to the same area. and 1 Kings xxii. No matter what men attempted to bind him with, he broke loose. So much pain, so much sin. Sermon for July 26, 2020: Why Were They So Afraid: Mark 5:1-20. There probably were not many who had been told yet of the Messiah, and so were not yet believers. The people were afraid when they saw the possessed man healed. It is Geldenhuys who gives us the most concise description of demon-possession: in the New Testament demon-possession means that a person is dominated by the spirit of a demon and tormented by him. The demons in the man recognize Jesus and the man bows before him. Pigs were seen as unclean animals in the eyes of the people of Israel. The Politics of Luke 8:26-39. To date they have failed to respond in any way. They were not looked upon as necessarily evil in all cases. French Monastery Survives War and Famine After 885 Years, the Basilica of St. Ambrose in Milan, and More Great Links! 8ff.). Pig carcasses were washing ashore and drifting out to sea. The swine then immediately killed themselves by rushing off a cliff. As He had landed with His disciples He had been confronted with a demon-possessed man - a man that no one had been able to control. 120 The request is in both cases the same; for, according to Jewish notions, certain countries being assigned to evil as well as to good spirits, whose limits they were unable to overpass, to be sent out of their own country, no other being open to them, implied being sent into the abyss, or bottomless pit, since that remains for them alone. Trench, Miracles , p. 101. Life with him would be heaven on earth. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. The second question is an ethical one: What right had the Lord to inflict this loss on the owners of the swine?121 Put even more crassly, Huxley censored this act with these words: the wanton destruction of other peoples property is a misdemeanour of evil example.122. Why did the demon-possessed Gadarene bow down before Jesus? monetization of National Catholic Register RSS feeds is strictly prohibited. But notice, even though Jesus permitted them to enter the swine, they were unable to overcome their evil impulses and drove the swine over the cliff to their death. More than this, however, is the fact that the mans own identity and individuality were swallowed up by the demons with him. Have we stepped back, in effect asking Jesus to leave us alone, only to discover, as a Gentleman, He did? 184-185. Satans most useful instrument is the outstanding, outwardly moral and upright religious man, whose good deeds are done independently of God. November 2022 Why is there a voltage on my HDMI and coaxial cables? It is ironic that while the demons didnt want to leave the country, the dwellers of that land didnt want the Messiah to stay. Gadara, though not directly named in Scripture, was part of the Decapolis. Although it is likely that the larger towns of Galilee were predominantly Gentile, as was the Decapolis, the first-century civilian diet did not . Welcome to Biblical Hermeneutics! 22ff. Perhaps they clenched their fists or picked up driftwood with which to defend themselves. Like the Samaritans who followed the woman at the well to see this One who had told her all she had done, so these residents came to see for themselves what had happened. October 2015 How do I connect these two faces together? They are happy in their sin and the consequences seem far away. If it is a feminine spirit, the voice will be a feminine one, if masculine then very manly. Why is this even an issue, I wonder? 124 Augustine: The devils were driven out and permitted to go into the swine; and Aquinas: But that the swine were driven into the sea was no work of the divine miracle, but was the work of the devils by divine permission. Quoted by Trench, Miracles, fn. Having been properly warned of the demonic underworld, let us not fall into the opposite error of absolute paranoia. The nearby townspeople, upon hearing of the great miracle (and not wanting to suffer further economic loss), begged Christ to leave the Gadarenes and never come back! Matt. January 2023 This was a region east of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. In the King James Version it is called the country of the Gadarenes in Mark and Luke, and of the Gergesenes in Matthew. How to prove that the supernatural or paranormal doesn't exist? Into the country of the Gadarenes, or rather, Gera-senes, which is now generally admitted to be the true reading, from Gerasa, Gersa, or Kersa.There was another Gerasa, situated at some distance from the sea, on the borders of Arabia Petraea. Pigs were specifically set aside as the animal used in sacrifices to their god. in a crowd in a crowd where many people were bumping into Him? Then people came to see what it was that had happened. 40, vii. While the Jews had not denied the works of Jesus were supernatural, they had declined to admit they established His deity. Significantly, the demons are called unclean spirits (verse 2,9). Father Macaire, 33, who was ordained fewer than two years ago, was kidnapped the morning of Feb. 7 when he was on his way to his missionary community in Kazal, about 20 miles north of Port-au-Prince. 68f. Thus, it is not always used of one specific country (nation), but rather, usually to regions or areas of either small (Bethlehem) or large (Judaea and Samaria) size, including regions surrounding large cities. Matthew 9:2-8 Why was "This man is blaspheming" considered an evil thought without knowing Jesus' identity? For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. Christians are to be the answer, but often they are part of the problem. Jude 6), no longer to afflict men or resist God. Top Ten Reasons Why There Were Pigs In Gerasenes Remember the story of Jesus casting demons out of the crazy man in Luke 8? When addressed, the person was the mouthpiece of the demon (such as Legion, Mark 5:9).
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