[10], It has been widely accepted by scholars that several motifs throughout the account refer to the Roman legion. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. As C. S. Lewis aptly put it: There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. And, it can not be understood properly out of this context. This supposition would be further confirmed, if the evening when Jesus embarked was what the Jews were wont to call the first evening, that is, the time when the sun was declining in the heaven, but before it had actually set, the latter time being the second evening. For it seems most unlikely that multitudes would have resorted to Jesus at Capernaum after the second evening, or that either the disciples or other boats would have put to sea after nightfall. But Jesus was sleeping. Those who have witnessed demon possession tell us that each demon has its own distinct personality and that the individual possessed begins to manifest the distinct personality of the demon by which he is possessed. Horoscopes and astrological predictions are found in most major newspapers. And now here was someone even more powerful. What happened to the evil spirits Jesus cast out of the man named "Legion" after the swine drowned? There is the so-called demon of doubt, of anger, of overindulgence, of drunkenness, laziness and so on. What does 'They're at four. (1) Severe personality change. Sometimes to follow Jesus means being sent back to a place where we once knew desolation and indescribable pain. Coffman, James Burton (1975), Commentary on Mark (Abilene, TX: ACU Press). The forum, with a semicircle of columns still standing, was paved with large cut stones. 14:22-36. Do not be afraid. He had only known Jesus for a few hours, but had already determined to be Jesus' disciple for life. 5. This is just five miles from Capernaum, where Jesus had previously been, so it makes sense. It indicates full and permanent control. No one could restrain himhe couldn't be chained, couldn't be tied down. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. Even the demons confessed that He was the Son of the Most High (Mark 5:7). Let's open our Bibles to the 8th chapter of Luke's gospel. 10). There probably were not many who had been told yet of the Messiah, and so were not yet believers. The modern village Jarash is situated on the hillside above the ruins, built with stones from the ruins. 28); Mark the country of the Gerasenes (v. 1), and Luke, probably, the country of the Gergesenes (viii. They were sacrificed by being thrown off a cliff. What is this brick with a round back and a stud on the side used for? verse 5). My ways are subtler, and for this reason perhaps even more insidious. The story begins in the region of the Gerasenes on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. Two paved streets with double colonnades cut through the city at right angles, four massive pedestals still marking the point of intersection. And those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. (Cf. The gospels. Can you relate to the people who sent Jesus away? More than this, however, is the fact that the mans own identity and individuality were swallowed up by the demons with him. What does it mean that the name of the demon was Legion? Most scholars today would agree with Origen that near Gergesa was the precise site for the healing of Legion. It was a small village about midway along the E shore of the Sea of Galilee. At times, my honest prayer might be: Lord, yes, do in me the things I want you to do. Did the drapes in old theatres actually say "ASBESTOS" on them? Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. The possessed pigs plunged down a hillside into the lake, where they drowned. Paul tells us that our struggle is, at bottom, a spiritual one (Ephesians 6:12). 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. We don't want any more trouble here!" The precise place where the miracle occurred is not as essential to our understanding of the narrative as is the realization that Christ has control over the spiritual realm (Lenski, 1946, p. 205). Whenever a man, woman, or child surrenders control of himself either to fleshly desires (anger, lust, passion, etc.) That is not the choice at all. 8:28-29 but only one is Mk. Then the SPCA would have been up in arms over such cruelty to animals. The mountainside has caves and hewn tombs where, according to Mark and Luke, the demoniac had taken shelter. Jesus showed to the local population the inferiority of pagan life. It was on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and must have been a locality where the steep edges of the Bashan plateau drop close upon the brink of the lake. The fact that Matthew places the healing of Legion in the country of the Gadarenes whereas Mark and Luke place it in the country of the Gerasenes may be harmonized on the historical grounds that geographical boundaries overlapped, and on the exegetical consideration that country embraced a wide area around the cities. The whole story is a myth. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. 15; Mark ix. Jesus, Go Away! Home for him was not a warm place of sentimental memories. Son of God was their term. Pastor John gets to the heart and offers practical suggestions for growing in evangelism. As indicated in the textual note, the best Greek text reads Gerasenes in Mark and Luke, Gadarenes in Matthew. In this context, however, he insists that legion has nothing of its usual Roman military overtones, but is the designation of numerous powers which oppose themselves to Jesus as the embodiment of the power of God. Lane, Mark, fn. Matt 10:5-6; 15:24). 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. No, on the contrary, they begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them (8:37). For these demons to be sent out of the country would have meant that they would then be confined along with other fallen angels (cf. How do I stop the Flickering on Mode 13h? Jesus' power was clean, holy. Will a professing Christian go to hell if he never shares the gospel? Gerasa, Gerasenes - Encyclopedia of The Bible - Bible Gateway The Lord Jesus pointed out that "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." This response is probably an allusion to the rejection that occurred the night before by the Scribes and Pharisees and in preparation by the Gentiles of Gadara on the next day. And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to depart from them; for they were gripped with great fear; and He got into a boat, and returned (Luke 8:35-37). This was a region east of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus? In recent years the matter has been getting uncomfortably close to home. Although the manifestations of demonization vary widely, this man 115 evidenced several of the classic symptoms. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. The truth is that I am both drawn to you because of this and also a bit scared. But dont mess with my whole life. Image by There is, as we know, the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. It is ironic that while the demons didnt want to leave the country, the dwellers of that land didnt want the Messiah to stay. 13ff.). The Secret behind Jesus Healing the Gerasene Demoniac HDB, II, p. 158, 159 for a detailed description.). The man jumped up and said to him, "Sir, please, may I go with you? It became the seat of a bishopric, and one of its bishops attended the Council of Chalcedon. 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. There is no contradiction, therefore, in the evangelists. No torment. 4, p. 102. Cindee Snider Re The sultan of Damascus is said to have fortified it; but there is nothing to show that the Moslems occupied it for any length of time.3. No! And the people went out to see what happened; and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. 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. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. A contradiction occurs only when one statement makes the other impossible. Jewish theology, at least on this point, seems consistent with biblical revelation. Matthew, Mark, and Luke were writing of the same general area. A Summary and Analysis of Jesus and the Gadarene Swine
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