why were the gerasenes afraid why were the gerasenes afraid

As I have been studying this account through the week, it has seemed to me a rather bizarre and remote situation, the liberation of this Gerasene demoniac. In contrast, the people of Gerasene are asking him to leave their place. (5) What our Lord could have given the people of this territory was much greater than what He took away. October 2022 The demoniac further evidenced demon activity by the depth of his spiritual insight. In any event, I love defending the Bible and Christianity. It is not difficult to imagine what was going through the minds of the disciples as their ship landed and as these two demon possessed men rushed to them. In this story, we have a demon-possessed Gadarene who saw Jesus from a distance, and immediately he appeared to have felt a strong compulsion to run up to Jesus and bow down before him. Sign up for 6 Free IssuesTry us out with a free trial subscription. 8; Mark vi. When Jesus asked the demoniac his name, it was not without significance for He was, I believe, asking the demons to reveal their identity. The Truth is Jesus is a safe Person Who loves them, values them, wants their best and will never force Himself on them. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. Gergesa may have been a variant spelling of Gerasa. Ralph Earle, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1957), p. 70. That the unclean spirits were personal beings is evident from what is related about their leaving a possessed person, talking or crying out, possessing knowledge concerning Jesus, as well as other supernatural knowledgeshowing fear, and the like. 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. 3); they are reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day (Jude 6); and what the unclean spirits deprecate here, is the bringing in, by anticipation, of that final doom. R. C. Trench, Notes on the Miracles of Our Lord (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1949), p. 100. Christians are to be the answer, but often they are part of the problem. In that case, of course, it would be in the early morning that the Gerasenes afterwards resorted to Jesus and that He again returned to Capernaum. We dismiss it the more readily, that, in our view, it conveys a wrong impression. Jesus had been performing miracles in Gods nation - Israel. This was a federation of ten cities (deka = ten, polis = city). It is even possible that his request was to become one of our Lords disciples.125. For some people, the cost is too high. There seems to be no excuse here for the charge of contradiction. Although the manifestations of demonization vary widely, this man115 evidenced several of the classic symptoms. Demon possession, such as that of the Gerasene demoniac is the crudest and cruelest form of Satanic control, but by and large also one of the less common manifestations of Satans work in the world today. Why did the demons ask to be cast into the herd of pigs, and why did the pigs then run into the water to be drowned? January 2022 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. 61-62. You will receive a monthly newsletter with Scriptural teaching plus notifications of any new articles, courses or books. If it is a feminine spirit, the voice will be a feminine one, if masculine then very manly. Nor was it the Jewish population of Galilee. He was received into the Catholic Church in 1991. This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was better known.. Although demon-possession after that time no longer occurs on such a devastating and noticeable scale, the absolute form of demon-possession will appear at the end of the age in the Antichrist and in his followers (2 Thess. There probably were not many who had been told yet of the Messiah, and so were not yet believers. Ananias and Sapphira did so by allowing their greed to grip their hearts (cf. Winthrop Congregational Church, UCC No matter who you are. Like it or not, demons and demonic activity are likely to become much more of a concern to you in days to come. Then they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee. He had only known Jesus for a few hours, but had already determined to be Jesus' disciple for life. August 2018 She is a graduate of the Divinity School at Wake Forest University and Chicago Theological Seminary. Therefore, Jesus Christ for demons is God and thus even demons inadvertently reveal themselves as being better theologians than Arians and their modern day heirs - Jehovawitnesians and all different breeds of Unitarians - their name being legion! The word translated windstorm here, and storm in the KJ, is the word lailaps, which is more than just a storm. Gergesenes is also in some manuscripts (Khersa or Gersa was a town actually on the shore of the sea). The pig tenders reported it far and wide, in city and country (verse 14). I think the coup de grce is to look up the Greek word for country in these passages, to see what latitude of meaning it has. Where it falls apart for me is why the Bellonas, knowing that only one person is allowed to survive each duel, take the defeat so personally. So much pain, so much sin. Others are absolutely controlled (hooked) by the drug and totally dependent upon it. Acts 16:16), while others were the virtual pawns of these spirits, losing their own identity and autonomy. 8ff.). My office mate of several years back was interrupted by a young and very zealous new Christian teacher accompanied by a student from whom she wanted my friend to cast out a demon. He said unexpected things and lived by a high ethical standard. Unbelieving men may not rave and carry on like the Gerasene demoniac, but they are nevertheless under Satans control, doing his bidding. 125 This is the position of Lane, Mark, p. 187. 37Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. One is that he was a fascinating man. While he was once wild and uncontrollable, he was sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus. . 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). And those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. December 2021 The first two are in the Authorized Version. On several occasions, when Jesus forgave someone, He specifically said, Go and sin no more. That only works for people who are sick of their sin and want to change. And, Gerasene was one. Jesus asked some pretty crazy questions like What Things Happened? The conduct of this pathetic individual was obviously anti-social. Was it fear that a secret sin might be exposed? Then the SPCA would have been up in arms over such cruelty to animals. 22ff. 3 When the centurion 2 heard about Jesus, c he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his . to sign up for our free Water Of The Word newsletter at the top of any page! How ironic, as others have noted, that the tormentor pleads not to be tormented. 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. Yes, I know that Easter was weeks ago in April. John 8:32; Matthew 11:28-30), or to be the pawns of Satan (Ephesians 2:1-2). May 2020 This is when the storm arose which threatened to destroy the ship (Mark 4:35-41). In recent years the matter has been getting uncomfortably close to home. Matthew 9:2-8 Why was "This man is blaspheming" considered an evil thought without knowing Jesus' identity? And, yes, Dana did just read us something about a man possessed by a whole bunch of demons that later go and possess a bunch of hogs. The best human analogy might be in the area of drug abuse. July 2017 Gadara is about six miles from the sea. The ego is so impaired that the spirits speak through him. and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. It didnt take long for the word to spread quickly. Catholic Church. Norval Geldenhuys, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1951), p. 174. September 2018 Or they are too afraid of what the change might bring. Luke 8:37Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them: for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again. Give a Gift SubscriptionBless friends, family or clergy with a gift of the Register. Here is where Satan can use a man to influence scores of people, blinding minds and hearts to the truths of the Word of God (2 Corinthians 4:4). The price tag of possession was high, for those who fell victim to the demons agonized in constant torment. It became one of the proudest cities of Syria. It was situated some 30 miles southeast of Gadara, on the borders of Peraea and a little north of the river Jabbok. Preisker, TWNT IV (1942), pp. No matter where you are on life's journey. What were the women in Mark 16:8 afraid of? The choice is to be free by submission to Christ (cf. Such was the case with this man (cf. art thou come hither to torment us before the time? By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Copyright 2023 EWTN News, Inc. All rights reserved. March 2021 That is why the inhabitants of the area are referred to variously in different Bible manuscripts as Gergasenes, Gadarenes, or Gerasenes. Such an entreaty can be addressed by them to only God. July 2020 1, pp. The demoniacs frightened the swine, and the transfer of demons from them to the swine was imagined. No one was strong enough to subdue him (verses 3,4). A Jewish exorcist with such authority in the region, risked to damage the beliefs and reputation of the local pagan inhabitants. Why did Jesus allow the legion of demons to stay in the area when they begged him? 14). November 2022 Then all the people of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Jesus to leave them alone, for they were seized . There was no such danger in Perea, and thus the mercy of the Lord was to be heralded. The US Congress is currently debating whether TikTok should be banned for everyone in the US, not just government officials. Though Legion bowed before Jesus (verse 6), it was no act of worship (as the King James Version would seem to indicate). November 2020 The pleas of Legion were in response to the command of Jesus for the demons to come out of him (verse 8). This suggests that whoever was the customer for the swineherder in the "region of the Gerasenes", it was not the Roman army to any significant extent. 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. 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. Renew or manage your subscription here. Sometime after the Lord Jesus miraculously calmed the storm, the ship landed, perhaps late in the evening,111 on the other side of the lake in the country of the Gerasenes.112 If, indeed, it was late at night, the scene must have been an eerie one, with the nerves of the disciples already worn thin by the terrifying experience of the storm. and our You can like Jesus for two different reasons. I will not ask him to leave. April 2022 Cookie Notice When the Gadarenes saw what Christ was capable of, they panicked. . I think all these attempts to harmonize what may at first seem like a contradiction are plausible, respectable, and adequate. or by some form of self-emptying (such as various forms of eastern meditation) in my opinion, they are in a precarious position. They were content where they were. 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. All Scripture agrees with this, that the judgment of the angels is yet to come (1 Cor. (it should be added that Plummer himelf does not hold to any of these views.). Clarify Small sins lead to big sins, and big sins bring about a terrible spiritual darkness. 2ff., xvv. November 2016 The account occurs in all three Synoptic gospels; in Mark (the shortest gospel) the story is in the longest and most detailed version; Matthew 8.28-34 is the shortest, At their request, He left. 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. 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. Earles comments are helpful: The difference in names for the destination on the east side of the take has caused considerable comment. Pigs were specifically set aside as the animal used in sacrifices to their god. Horoscopes and astrological predictions are found in most major newspapers. Far from this, He had stormed the gates of Hell and prevailed. I would like to invite you to return to where we left off a few weeks ago in our studies in the gospel of Mark. Have you even been in a service where the Spirit of God was moving and felt fear? Jesus asked a sick man if he wanted to get well. Jude 6), no longer to afflict men or resist God. October 2015 Five squad cars converged on it. Dave Armstrong Dave Armstrong is a full-time Catholic author and apologist, who has been actively proclaiming and defending Christianity since 1981. As Jesus began to get back into the boat, the delivered demoniac pleaded with Him that he might accompany Him. April 2021 The conduct of this pathetic individual was obviously anti-social. Unfortunately, Christians [or those using the name] can be harsh, condemning and critical driving people further into sin and away from God. So he got into the boat and left. Pastor Chrissy is a native of East Tennessee. We owe it to Josephus, from whom it has passed into ecclesiastical language. Will they be rejected? 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. Second (and primarily), Mark employs this event to authenticate the claims of Jesus to be the Son of God and Israels Messiah. Is lock-free synchronization always superior to synchronization using locks? No! Your comment will be posted after it is approved. But, Im telling you. I will not look for a reason to return to it. Jesus never interacted with people as they were, but as He knew they were created to be. Why did the demon-possessed Gadarene bow down before Jesus? It is very appropriate that these two incidents . 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. May 2018 For more information about Glenn Davis see our About Glenn page and/or his Author's Page. Oh Hye-son recently published a Korean-language memoir on how she and her husband Thae Yong-ho, then deputy ambassador at North Korea's London embassy, defected in 2016. Order Bulk SubscriptionsGet a discount on 6 or more copies sent to your parish, organization November 2017 Do roots of these polynomials approach the negative of the Euler-Mascheroni constant? January 2017 Welcome to Biblical Hermeneutics! You can flip a coin hoping for heads, but you know that tails is a very real probability. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant. The demonically possessed man who came to Jesus cried out his name was Legion. Those demons were terrified of Him! Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. 116 As Lane observes this title Son of the Most High God, is not a messianic designation but a divine one. Lane, Mark, p. 133, cf. 2). Also, the wholesale slaughter of these pigs dramatically illustrated the destructive purposes of the demons. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. (5) Torment. On the other hand, the scene gains in grandeurhas, so to speak, a fitting backgroundif we suppose the Saviour and His disciples to have landed on the other side late in the evening, when perhaps the silvery moon was shedding her pale light on the weird scene, and laying her halo around the shadows cast upon the sea by the steep cliff down which the herd of swine hurried and fell. They all say country of (in the sense of region, not nation). As we pass from this section to the next, let us not end on the note of the death of the pigs, but on the deliverance of the demoniac. and thank you for your contribution. It was scary. Paul says of the former life of the Christian, And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 1:1-2). November 2021 Sign-up for E-NewsletterGet Register Updates sent daily or weeklyto your inbox. First let us see what the Sacred Texts says: The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Gadara, though not directly named in Scripture, was part of the Decapolis. February 2022 What they were not willing to accept was the frightening power that could cure him. September 2020 No! Now they would deal with this One greater than he by doing likewise. As has been said before, look for Satans man behind the pulpit. 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). It is in no way certain, however, that the pig raisers were Jews. Matthew is habitually more oriented to a Jewish readership, and so he refers to Gadarenes because Gadara was the most important Jewish city in the area. Ridiculous? The demoniac was uncontrollable by any of the normal means of human confinement. F. F. Bruce adds additional helpful insight: According to the best texts, Matthew calls it the country of the Gadarenes (viii. (2) Anti-social behavior. November 2014. In all three instances the word is chra (Strongs word #5561). of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were So he got into the boat and left. More from Medium Jameson Steward in. Not long after that, while I was still a student in seminary, there was a car parked by the seminary in a somewhat suspicious manner and I called the police to check it out.