The Day the Demons Ran...
In Mark 5:1-12, we read that Jesus and His disciples came to the other side of the sea by boat to the Gerasenes – a region that no respectable Jewish rabbi would go. After all, that was where the Gentiles, the unclean lived. In today’s language, that would be the equivalent of saying that they crossed the tracks to the other side of town. After finally reaching shore, Jesus stepped out of the boat and immediately met a man with an unclean spirit. His naked body was a combination of scars, scabs and fresh blood because he had cut himself with sharp stones. The local people had tried to restain him with rope, chains and iron shackles, but he had snapped through them all and could not be restrained. Furthermore, guttural and dissonant noises spewed from his mouth day and night (Mark 4:2-5). However, in the midst of this demonic den, Jesus’ voice cut through the chaos as he spoke the following: “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” (Mark 5:8). The man then fell down before Jesus and screamed “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me” (Mark 5:7). When Jesus asked the demon his name, the answer came out like gravel: “My name is Legion, for we are many" (Mark 5:9). The demons then begged Jesus to send them to the pigs instead of out of the country. Jesus consented, the demons left this man’s once tortured body, entered about 2,000 pigs that rushed into the sea and drowned (Mark 5:10-13).
When the townspeople came to see what had transpired, they found that this formerly crazed and naked man was seated, clothed and in his right mind; he was no longer terrorizing them as he had done for years (Mark 5:14-15). Terrified by the power that Jesus possessed, the townspeople begged Him to leave (Mark 5:17). But, as Jesus turned back toward his boat, this delivered man, once under demonic control, begged Jesus to stay (Mark 5:18). However, instead of remaining, Jesus told the man to “go home to your people. Tell them your story, what your Master did and how He had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19). The following verses tell us that this man did just as Jesus commanded which resulted in the Decapolis region being amazed (Mark 5:18-20). Undoubtedly, this event had a profound effect on this man and everyone who personally witnessed or heard about it. By studying this passage, we learn that there are three lessons from Jesus’ deliverance of this man (and us today) that Christians must embrace. The first lesson is…
There is no pursuit like Jesus’ pursuit for the unreached and unwanted
The story described above is our savior’s first public ministry to Gentile territory. For an observant Jew, touching a dead body meant ceremonial uncleanness. But here was a Gentile living among the dead. This man was doubly unclean and utterly unwanted. The demons got stronger over time as he could no longer be bound (Mark 5:3). Furthermore, as detailed above, the demons drove him to cut himself with sharp rocks as his oppressors tormented him night and day. Yet, as despicable as this man was perceived to be by others, Jesus leaves His own people and pursues a sheep outside of His fold (John 10:16). Why? Because Jesus saw a man everyone else had abandoned. Because of His great heart for others, Jesus crossed the physical waters of Galilee during a massive storm, crossed from heaven to earth and crossed the divide between holiness and sinfulness to set him free and made him His child. And, just as He pursued this man at this specific time, Jesus has relentlessly pursued the unreached and unwanted all throughout human history. Christian, before salvation and when your heart was far from God and His truths, Jesus was near. When your heart was cold and unbelieving, God granted faith. When your actions made you a spiritual outcast, God determined to adopt you. Grace Life, those whom we think are unreachable are the very ones Jesus pursues and delights to save. Brothers and sisters of the faith, are you allowing God to use you in His pursuit of saving the lost?...
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