From Mark 4-5

Jesus stands up to demons. They run away in fear. Jesus heals a man and changes his life. But he is rejected by some. It certainly has its moments walking with Jesus. Q. Do you often get the chance to share your faith?

This post is part of my bible in a year series.

Passage and Comments

Jesus is about to fight it out with a demon. Okay, its not much of a contest. The demon surrenders as soon as it sees Jesus.

5 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. (Mk 5:1–5)

No one had the strength to subdue him. But now he has seen Jesus…

6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.  (Mk 5:6–13)

When Jesus sees it he immediately confronts it, rebukes it. I get the feeling Jesus would not simply pass by without doing anything, or letting this continue to happen. Incidentally the Jews probably didnt care so much the unclean animals all rushed to their deaths like that.

14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. (Mk 5:14–17)

They described what happened ‘… to the pigs’. So they asked Jesus to leave the region. These Gentiles cared more about their pigs than the man healed of the demon. They obviously didn’t recognise or care who Jesus was. Otherwise they wouldn’t have asked him to leave.

18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled. (Mk 5:18–20)

So we have a contrast in reactions to Jesus. Those who like unclean pigs ask him to leave. The one he heals wants to stay with him. When he can’t stay, he proclaims Jesus to everyone he can find. We should pray for opportunities to do the same.

About Jesus

Jesus stands up to demons. They run away in fear. Jesus heals a man and changes his life. But he is rejected by some. It certainly has its moments walking with Jesus.

Copyright © Joshua Washington and thescripturesays, 2014. All Rights Reserved.