At their request, He left. Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus among them? (London: InterVarsity Fellowship, 1950), fn. Jesus never interacted with people as they were, but as He knew they were created to be. Your comment will be posted after it is approved. The region was known also as the Decopolis because ten Greek cities were located in the region. Jesus had just performed an incredible miracleand one they desperately needed, at that! Was it fear that a secret sin might be exposed? 2. Instead, they reject Him because all they know is His power and purity. 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. The Lord refused this request and commissioned this delivered man to return to his own people and declare to them what God had done for him. The people were more terrified of Jesus and His authority than they were of this crazed and demonized man living among the tombs. 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. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. 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). 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. August 2018 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. 184-185. Since the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave in their fear, it seems that Jesus' ability to exorcise Legion was disturbing to the people. The man looked out on the Tiberius. Bill Maher says he's scared of former President Trump "on a very personal level" and "what he would do" to the comedian if he were to win the 2024 White House race. Or they are too afraid of what the change might bring. We are seeking a replacement and hope to have it in your newspaper soon. Why did Jesus allow the demons to enter the herd of pigs? The destructive desires of the demons were dramatically carried out in the drowning of the swine. Why would the Gerasene people beg Jesus to leave their region after He cast the demons into the pigs? December 2022 Like it or not, demons and demonic activity are likely to become much more of a concern to you in days to come. More than this, however, is the fact that the mans own identity and individuality were swallowed up by the demons with him. 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. Even the demons confessed that He was the Son of the Most High (Mark 5:7). All Scripture agrees with this, that the judgment of the angels is yet to come (1 Cor. Subscriber Service CenterAlready a subscriber? DEUT 32:8 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples, according to the number of the sons of God. February 2018 Clarify Why would Jesus ask, "Who touched Me?" And they were afraid. In recent years the matter has been getting uncomfortably close to home. 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?" . art thou come hither to torment us before the time? We dismiss it the more readily, that, in our view, it conveys a wrong impression. to men facing fear and death. Jesus deserves the benefit of the doubt even when we don't have all the facts. He did not appear to rush upon the small group of men to attack them (as he would normally have done), but rather to plead with Jesus. https://www.ncregister.com/blog/gerasene-or-gadarene-swine, What Archaeology Tells Us About Joshuas Conquest, 50 Verses to Help You Prepare for Pentecost, St. Polycarp, Who Learned the Faith From an Apostle, Did Not Believe in Faith Alone, The Three Kinds of Atheists, and How to Respond to Them, We Know That Hes in Heaven: Thousands Gather for Funeral of Bishop David OConnell in Los Angeles, Archbishop Naumann and Bishop Paprocki Speak Out in Support of Traditional Latin Massgoers in Their Dioceses, Survey: Decline in Vocations to the Priesthood Is Worse Where Priests Serve Larger Flocks, God Really Intervened: How a Catholic Priest Escaped From His Kidnappers in Haiti, Amber and Dave VanVickle on Finding God in the Midst of Suffering. What about us, as Christians, are we afraid of Jesus? February 2016 When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met Him a man from the city who had demons. The exercising of authority over demons, in the land under another god, was a message. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 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? Paul tells us that our struggle is, at bottom, a spiritual one (Ephesians 6:12). 2,8) who can possess men and animals. May the Spirit of God be so evident in us that men may see God in our lives. Once a menace to society, now a messenger with words of deliverance and healing. She is a graduate of the Divinity School at Wake Forest University and Chicago Theological Seminary. August 2022 The word translated windstorm here, and storm in the KJ, is the word lailaps, which is more than just a storm. Having been properly warned of the demonic underworld, let us not fall into the opposite error of absolute paranoia. Just as demons desire to possess persons through whom they can exhibit their personalities, so the Spirit of God indwells man, imparting new life, and progressively gaining control so that the character of God is exhibited, but not in such a way as to hinder our individuality and identity. verse 5). and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. This would also give time afterwards for the dispersion, not only into the city, but into the country of them who had fed the swine. Asked October 24 2014 Here is one of the few times that a miracle drove people away, rather than to draw them to Jesus. He shivered at the disturbing memory. November 2016 June 2022 This is when the storm arose which threatened to destroy the ship (Mark 4:35-41). French Monastery Survives War and Famine After 885 Years, the Basilica of St. Ambrose in Milan, and More Great Links! December 2017 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. It is noteworthy that it is distinguished (especially in the Gospel of the physician, Luke) from cases of ordinary sickness, insanity (lunacy), leprosy, blindness, lameness, deafness and other natural defects and diseases (cf. December 2020 It was opposite Galilee. How to show that an expression of a finite type must be one of the finitely many possible values? 13ff.). They had heard what had happened to the pigs and knew the Jews considered Gentiles unclean, too. Jesus had been performing miracles in Gods nation - Israel. Anonymous, October 25 2014 To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Acts 16:16), while others were the virtual pawns of these spirits, losing their own identity and autonomy. I will not ask him to leave. March 2016 Is there a single-word adjective for "having exceptionally strong moral principles"? Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. (3) Our Lord was moved with compassion by the torment of Legion and the loss of these pigs should in no way dim our view of the deliverance of the demoniac. We will examine two incidents -- the stilling of the storm on the sea of Galilee, and that which follows immediately, the healing of the demoniac. The sons of god ended up becoming the gods of these nations. 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. Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. Ouija boards are found in many American homes. This is probably the Gerasa of Mark and Luke. 18). As has been said before, look for Satans man behind the pulpit. Matthew 9:2-8 Why was "This man is blaspheming" considered an evil thought without knowing Jesus' identity? Ridiculous? Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. April 2020 Others are absolutely controlled (hooked) by the drug and totally dependent upon it. (3) Spiritual insight. August 2017 118 H. No! By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. But about a mile further south there is a fairly steep slope within forty yards from the shore, and about two miles from there cavern tombs are found which appear to have been used for dwellings. William L. Lane, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), p.181. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. (4) Our Lord did not command the demons to enter into the pigs and bring about their destruction; He only permitted it.124. They were instructed to keep quiet about what Jesus had done for them (cf. He obviously attracted crowds. The district of the Gerasenes probably included that of the Gadarenes; so that the demoniac of Gergesa belonged to the country of the Gadarenes and also to that of the Gerasenes, as the same person may, with equal truth, be said to live in the city or the state, or in the United States. Norval Geldenhuys, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1951), p. 174. Jewish theology, at least on this point, seems consistent with biblical revelation. It is very appropriate that these two incidents . It's a curious passage with many unanswered questions. Bible-believing Christians have always accepted the fact of demons and their activity in New Testament times, but most of us are inclined to relegate demonic activity in these days to pagan lands and missionary experiences. "The trains were . In the third chapter of Marks Gospel, our Lords miraculous works were attributed by His opponents to the power of Satan (verse 22). What they were not willing to accept was the frightening power that could cure him. Second (and primarily), Mark employs this event to authenticate the claims of Jesus to be the Son of God and Israels Messiah. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. Neither is it only a kind of physical disease, although spiritual and physical disease often accompany it (e.g. July 2017 Thus, all the circumstances lead us to regard the healing of the demonized at Gerasa as a night scene, immediately on Christs arrival from Capernaum, and after the calming of the storm at sea. Alford Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965), I, pp. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. The Lord granted the only request of these residents, which was for Him to leave. Thats just westernised interpretation which simply doesnt work when interpretating a Jewish book. Then the Livestock Association and consumer groups would have been greatly distressed over the sudden decrease in the pig population and the resulting impact on pork prices. No! 606-607. Lets learn why. His website/blog, Biblical Evidence for Catholicism, has been online since March 1997. of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were So he got into the boat and left. This was a region east of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? Thus an economic lose of revenue was involved. "The name "Gerasenes" is to be associated with the modern city of Jerash, located in Transjordan, 22 miles N of Amman." John McRay, "Gerasenes," ed. September 2016 If we put ourselves in their place, and use empathy to feel how we might have reacted if we were confronted with the loss of our next year's source of feeding our families, it will be easier to understand that they were afraid to suffer any other loss that might result if Jesus stayed in their area. Even in our sophisticated times, there is an intense interest in the supernatural and the occult. xvi. Then any greatest of men, like any prophet, hero or king? 28); Mark the country of the Gerasenes (v. 1), and Luke, probably, the country of the Gergesenes (viii. It is a violent tempest, that is, outside of the natural. They all say country of (in the sense of region, not nation). Perhaps they clenched their fists or picked up driftwood with which to defend themselves. Why was Jesus going to walk past the disciples as they were rowing on the Sea of Galilee? October 2015 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! ), you also need to understand the significance of this - to the people in Gerasene. Their first question is a rather pragmatic one, namely, How can demons possess animals? To this we must confess that we know too little to understand the mechanism of demon possession but the reality is very evident. Well, it is because atheists, in their zealous rush to make fun of Christians, Christianity, and the Bible, start to lose their logical rigor and rationality, leading them to contend for implausible things: as presently. 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. July 2022 8ff.). In the wake of new restrictions on the traditional Latin Mass, two American bishops spoke with EWTNs Raymond Arroyo Thursday about how their dioceses have responded. Now' as to the pigs (an unclean animal, so you know Jesus wasnt in Israel! The US Congress is currently debating whether TikTok should be banned for everyone in the US, not just government officials. 16, x. Gadara is about six miles from the sea. They look forward to their future with great dread. 0 Responses Follow Up: struct sockaddr storage initialization by network format-string, How do you get out of a corner when plotting yourself into a corner, Movie with vikings/warriors fighting an alien that looks like a wolf with tentacles. Spam. July 2021 Why is that. Today, it is identified with El-Koursi or Kursi. 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. The lose of the pigs meant loose of partial income in the area. Acts 19:16). Such was the case with this man (cf. He also maintains a popular Facebook page. Unfortunately, Christians [or those using the name] can be harsh, condemning and critical driving people further into sin and away from God. (1) As Lord of all, God has the right to make use of His creation any way that He deems best, and this includes not only pigs, but people (cf. Jesus had actually helped them. No matter what men attempted to bind him with, he broke loose. They would have to trust Jesus. Why are trials on "Law & Order" in the New York Supreme Court? You can like Jesus for two different reasons. In fact the region was known as the Gadarenes-Gerasenes region. So, they asked Him to leave. January 2023 ii. Why would God tell King David to take a census of the people in verses one through nine, and then cast judgment on him because he did what he told him to do? Sign up for 6 Free IssuesTry us out with a free trial subscription. Mark and Luke, on the other hand, write to more general audiences, and Gerasa was the main Greek-Roman city of the area. 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. The demons in the man recognize Jesus and the man bows before him. Sermon for July 26, 2020: Why Were They So Afraid: Mark 5:1-20. They greatly desire to enter and control a physical body, whereby they may reflect their character and attributes. Yet, conversely, the known can be just as scaryif not more. . When the Gadarenes saw what Christ was capable of, they panicked. Series NotesScripture references are based on the King James translation. Their influence and control leads to untold agony and destruction. The country of the Gadarenes (Gergesenes) is one of the few areas Jesus visited where Gentiles (non-Jews) composed the majority of the population. They became as afraid of Jesus as the demons were. In Luke 2:8 it is applied to the city of Bethlehem; in Acts 18:23 to Galatia and Phrygia. But the city of Gadara owned some territory round about Khersa, so that the district and the pigs could properly also be called Gadarene. F. F. Bruce, Are the New Testament Documents Reliable? Although the manifestations of demonization vary widely, this man115 evidenced several of the classic symptoms. People who have no appr (2) Pork was a food forbidden to Jews, and as such, those who raised these pigs may have done so knowingly in violation of divine injunction. The people (nations) were divided up, and boundaries allocated' and the sons of god were put over these nations. 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. print and digital media outlets, dedicated to reporting the truth in light of the Gospel and the When our Lord confronted the demons, they had to submit to His power and authority. (2) Anti-social behavior. April 2021 The region is located east of the Jordan River and southeast of the Sea of Galilee. "The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. NEW STAR WARS MERCH PAGE: https://bit.ly/3baWVZv For all sponsorship and business inquiries please contact: thestupendousscrub@gmail.com NEW CHANNEL: https:/. Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus? What was it that caused these people to react in such a way? 16ff., xix. At the conclusion of this day of teaching by parables, the Lord had instructed His disciples to cross over the Sea of Galilee to the other side. 15; Mark ix. Men and women (as well as children) were demonized in that they fell under the influence of these unclean spirits. 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. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. It is in no way certain, however, that the pig raisers were Jews. There is the so-called demon of doubt, of anger, of overindulgence, of drunkenness, laziness and so on. xiii. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.110. 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. Similar to the storm we see in the book of Job that killed Jobs sons - and Satan was the instigator of that as well. In the past several weeks, there has come to light the case of a man arrested for various crimes who has several of the symptoms of demon possession, including multiple personalities, even multiple IQs. May 2017 As these people began to piece together the previous events, not only of the destruction of the pigs, but also the deliverance of Legion, they began to sense that there was One far more awesome, much more to be feared, than Legion.
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