why were the gerasenes afraid

4, p. 180. Our children would probably understand best if I said that his appearance must have been somewhat like that of the television creation, The Incredible Hulk. Acts 16:16), while others were the virtual pawns of these spirits, losing their own identity and autonomy. This was a region east of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. They had dealt with Legion (I suspect) by forcing him from their presence. Earles comments are helpful: The difference in names for the destination on the east side of the take has caused considerable comment. 3 When the centurion 2 heard about Jesus, c he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his . Anonymous, October 25 2014 September 2022 Nor was it the Jewish population of Galilee. Jesus deserves the benefit of the doubt even when we don't have all the facts. 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. Instead, they reject Him because all they know is His power and purity. 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. 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. It only takes a minute to sign up. 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. Even as the purpose of Roman legions was to enforce the will of the emperor, the goal of the multiple evil spirits was to carry out the devil's will of bringing pain, destruction and chaos to humans! In other words, Jesus had caused a loss to them of 2,000 swine already; what else would His presence cost? And, lastly, this would allow sufficient time for those miracles which took place on that second day in Capernaum after His return thither. Although it is often claimed that Christians were persecuted for their refusal to worship the emperor, general dislike for Christians likely arose from their refusal to worship the gods or take part in sacrifice, which was expected of those living in the Roman Empire. Satan loves those Christians. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear (Luke 8:35-37). The pigs had been driven mad and rushed down a steep slope plunging into the lake and drowning. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). It is even possible that his request was to become one of our Lords disciples.125. 122 Quoted by Alfred Plummer, The Gospel According to Saint Luke, (Edinburg: T. and T. Clark, 5th ed., 1969): p. 228. December 2020 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. 37Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. This was a federation of ten cities (deka = ten, polis = city). Until we decide on a new comic, you'll likely see a gray box where "Dilbert" had appeared. He said he had come to the house of Israel, not to the gentiles. Where did the demons go after they went into the pigs and caused them to jump to their death. Its important to note that this was the first demonstration of Jesuss authority outside of Canaan. Such must have been the response of those with our Lord. Mark 5:16 says the thoughts of the people were on the swine. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. Then they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee. Reproduction of material from this website without written permission, or unlicensed commercial use or Paul tells us that our struggle is, at bottom, a spiritual one (Ephesians 6:12). As indicated in the textual note, the best Greek text reads Gerasenes in Mark and Luke, Gadarenes in Matthew. Rev. The people who witnessed this are . The drowning of these pigs has caused a great deal of discussion amongst Bible students, for as a friend of mine once observed, Thats a lot of pork chops! Had our Lord achieved such a miracle today He would have been in deep trouble. Such was the case with this man (cf. Clarify 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. Textual variations have compounded the problem. Second, while the death of the pigs is clearly an economic loss for the owner, Jesus is illustrating the infinite value of human life. That is not the choice at all. Like the Samaritans who followed the woman at the well to see this One who had told her all she had done, so these residents came to see for themselves what had happened. The healing of the demoniacs and the repulse of the Healer by the inhabitants are historical, but the incident of the swine is a later figment. January 2021 "Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear." (Luke 8:37a) Fear plagues us. COMMENTARY: Atheism is generally the expression of a moral attitude more than a real intellectual conviction based on evidence thought through. March 2015 May 2016 The before and after descriptions of the demoniac reveal that he was a totally different person under demonic influence. 7. (4) Super-human strength. 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. In other words, even though he set the bar extremely high, he seemed to be a fascinating man. Jesus showed to the local population the inferiority of pagan life. All Scripture agrees with this, that the judgment of the angels is yet to come (1 Cor. The demoniac further evidenced demon activity by the depth of his spiritual insight. 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. Known as the Judas Iscariot of Gnosticism for revealing that which is not to be revealed. The confrontation between the powers of heaven and hell are nowhere seen in better perspective than in Marks account of the encounter of the Gerasene demoniac with our Lord Jesus Christ. 2). 2ff., xvv. It is amazing to think that people could be fearful of Jesus. Other demoniacs described in Scripture were bent on self-destruction as well (cf. For more information about Glenn Davis see our About Glenn page and/or his Author's Page. January 2022 He seemed to view Jesus approach as the launching of a direct attack on the demonic forces. Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus among them? Christians are to be the answer, but often they are part of the problem. It is in no way certain, however, that the pig raisers were Jews. These people from the region of the Gerasenes had undoubtedly felt the anger or disgust of Jews for making a career out of such unclean animals, but Jesus had not criticized them for their profession. What would happen to them? April 2020 It is very appropriate that these two incidents . Romans 9:19-23). Nevertheless, for consideration. He pleaded with Jesus not to be tormented. 5. 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. February 2017 We should know from other Scriptures that our present spiritual experience is one of spiritual warfare. In Galilee and Judea there were Messianic hopes which would have been quickly fanned into flames if the miracles of Jesus were too widely publicized. 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. 26). 1, pp. 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. There is no true freedom and fulfillment apart from Jesus Christ, the Creator and Redeemer of men. 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). I felt somewhat guilty, particularly fearing that I may have created an unintentional hardship for some classmate. The conduct of this pathetic individual was obviously anti-social. It's a curious passage with many unanswered questions. Preisker, TWNT IV (1942), pp. For some people, the cost is too high. Here in Mark, he purposely set out to travel into another land. First of all the Scriptures do not say that the local Pagans were afraid of Jesus, but that they merely begged him to leave their neighbourhood. December 2016 114 We are indebted to Edersheim, who reminds us that the expression demon possession never occurs in the New Testament: The term demoniacal possession occurs not in the New Testament. "The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. And, Gerasene was one. 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. A land that was essentially under another god (lower case g). Who do you care more about, people or pigs? Why were the Romans afraid of the Christians? What did Jesus do? And they were afraid. Jesus had freed the man and for a reason known only to Himself, He had granted the demons request to go into a nearby herd of pigs rather than go into the Abyss [bottomless pit]. We dismiss it the more readily, that, in our view, it conveys a wrong impression. 606-607. rev2023.3.3.43278. 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. Will they be rejected? Unfortunately, Christians [or those using the name] can be harsh, condemning and critical driving people further into sin and away from God. Fallen people reject God not because they do not know His power. This man demonstrated all four characteristics. Lane, Mark, p. 182, fn. where something similar occurs) is a demon-possession mentioned, and that outside the Gospels it is referred to only twice in the New Testament (Acts xvi. At their request, He left. Satans most effective tool is not the demoniac wandering about the desolate places. 3. November 2015 Our Lord responded sternly by calling this accusation blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and as such was the one unpardonable sin (verses 28-30).

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