[14][3] Such alternative readings include arguments that the swine were meant to represent the Roman army or "unclean and unfaithful" people because pigs were considered "unclean" for the Jews in this image, and the loss of these animals was not dangerous. 9. One problem was this man's racehe was a Gentile, whereas Jesus had been sent to the nation of Israel (cf. The simple fact is that Matthew mentions two of the demoniacs while Mark and Luke only mention one. That is why he was living in the solitude of the tombs, away from civilization. Normal relationships are reversed. And now, with the demons gone, nothing he had ever experienced came close to the safety and peace he felt simply being near Jesus. This request was granted and the entire herd rushed headlong to their own destruction. Jesus was potently kind. Daily Reflection / Produced by The High Calling, 10 Key Points About Work in the Bible Every Christian Should Know, Beyond Rank and Power: What Philemon Tells Us About Leadership, Learning From the Psalms How to Pray Through Your Work, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Matt. In my head, I know that your ways are always best. Description:Modern Jerash lies on both banks of Wady Jerash, about 6 miles from its confluence with Wady ez-Zerqa (the Jabbok). Jesus had been performing miracles in Gods nation - Israel. What was it that they saw? But let us return to the gist of the matter: if Christ showed them His Divinity through the reason given above, is it easy to be in the presence of God? But for most of us, the world and the flesh are all that are necessary to cause us to stumble. 16, x. Box 1353 |Nampa, ID 83653 USA1-800-803-8093, If you have any issues, please call the office at 385-246-1048 or email us at. 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. Such seems to be a similar case with Judas (John 13:1-2). And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. A Witness to the Decapolis | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at If it is a feminine spirit, the voice will be a feminine one, if masculine then very manly. What is the significance of the blind man seeing tree-like people walking in Mark 8:22-25? Because some confusion exists in the gospel MS evidence and perhaps in other source material, absolute certainty cannot be attained; but the following identification seems correct. The occult and every front for demonic influence and activity should be avoided like the plague. To the Other Side: Construction of Evil and Fear of Liberation in Mark 5.120., 164165. If he can break the death-grip Satan once had on us and set us free, then he can redeem the places of our former slavery and make them showcases of God's omnipotent grace. This describes the district in which Christ met and healed the demoniac from the tombs, where also took place the destruction of the swine. A lesson on evangelism from the Gadarene demoniac Life & Ministry of Jesus: Demoniacs of Gadara - Associates for Biblical He is the author of. REPRODUCTION & DISCLAIMERS: We are happy to grant permission for this article to be reproduced in part or in its entirety, as long as our stipulations are observed. Norval Geldenhuys, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1951), p. 174. It was Jesus they were afraid of. It appears that is because the CARM is a nonprofit, non-denominational, multi-staffed Christian Apologetics Ministry that supports evangelism, radio outreach, and provides full-time support for several foreign missionaries. Then any greatest of men, like any prophet, hero or king? Lane believes the modern Kersa is the most likely place: The point of arrival is indicated in a general way as the district of the Gerasenes, most probably in reference to a town whose name is preserved in the modern Kersa or Koursi. Although the manifestations of demonization vary widely, this man115 evidenced several of the classic symptoms. What is the significance of the Sea of Galilee in the Bible? When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Gerasa, Gadara, Gergesa - from where did the pigs stampede? Jesus, Demoniacs, and Public Authorities: A Socio-Historical Study. 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. McGarvey, J.W. For less than $5/mo. Journal of the American Academy of Religion, XLIX(4), 567588; Burdon, Christopher. 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. They include several splendid temples, theaters, basilica, palaces and baths, with hippodrome and naumachia. The gospels. Some illicitly use drugs, supposing that they have them completely under their control. Gerasa was rebuilt in splendor and remained prosperous for several centuries. In the 2nd cent. When the pigs were sent into the sea, the people of Gadara lost money. 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. And those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. This agrees with the general description of the site (Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26). Probably Capernaum . You should not suggest in any way that The High Calling or Theology of Work endorses you or your use of the work. The center of personality, the volitional and active ego, is impaired by alien powers which seek to ruin the man and sometimes drive him to self-destruction (Mk. War IV. 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). As if he is trying to avoid being expelled and stoned in reality, the possessed brings about his own expulsion and stoning; he provides a spectacular mime of all the stages of punishment that Middle Eastern societies inflict on criminals whom they consider completely defiled and irredeemable. As C. S. Lewis aptly put it: There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. It hit them hard in the pocketbook. T. H. Huxley, in his Essays upon some Controverted Questions (1892), made merry over the escapade of the Gadarene swine, running the seven miles between Gadar and the lake of Galilee, crossing the deep river Yarmuk en route. 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. The differing geographical references to Gadara and Gerasa can be understood in light of the social, economic, and political influence each city exerted over the region. Traces of ancient buildings in the vicinity show that there must have been a fairly numerous population in the district.2. The Matthew account mentions two demon-possessed men, while Mark and Luke only mention one. Pig carcasses were washing ashore and drifting out to sea. 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. He could think! 1, pp. The 'before' and 'after' descriptions of the demoniac reveal that he was a totally different person under demonic influence. 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. His greatest impact would be on those who knew his former state. Sometimes to follow Jesus means being sent back to a place where we once knew desolation and indescribable pain. Even the demons confessed that He was the Son of the Most High (Mark 5:7). Jesus' visits to the Decapolis can help us understand some aspects of his ministry that would not be as clear if they had occurred in Jerusalem, Capernaum, or some other "orthodox" Jewish site. In a cemetery on the eastern shore of the lake, He and the twelve meet a wild, dangerous man controlled by a ''legion'' of demons. Reland (Pal, II, 806) notes certain extant coins of Gerasa, from which it is clear that in the 2nd century it was a center of the worship of Artemis. v. 37) describe Jesus' healing of the demoniac "Legion" and . The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. Second (and primarily), Mark employs this event to authenticate the claims of Jesus to be the Son of God and Israels Messiah. The spectrum ranges from those who seem to control the demonic powers to those who are utterly controlled by them. May the Spirit of God be so evident in us that men may see God in our lives. 113 According to the Talmud there were four characteristics of madness: walking abroad at night; spending the night on a grave; tearing ones clothes and destroying what one was given. The lose of the pigs meant loose of partial income in the area. The Greeks were believers in the spirit world, but not necessarily convinced that demons were evil.127 As a result, Marks readers needed to be instructed as to the essential nature of demons and demon possession. 1. Did they bring their sick to Jesus so that he might heal them? Apologetics Press is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to the defense of New Testament Christianity. [10], It has been widely accepted by scholars that several motifs throughout the account refer to the Roman legion. Jude 6), no longer to afflict men or resist God. First, the man is hunted, then stoned, and finally he is killed; this is why the possessed lived among the tombs. Holiness hurts! No other place on the E side of the sea fits this requirement of the story. Another reason could be as Dr. R.C. The demoniacs were mere maniacs, whom Jesus cured by humouring their fancies; and His giving leave to imaginary demons to enter into the swine, produced the story of the disaster to the herd.All these explanations assume that the Gospel narratives are wholly or in part unhistorical. Plummer, Luke, p. 228. Ruins of the temple of Artemis, some columns still standing, are on another hillside above the ruins. Our Lord responded sternly by calling this accusation blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and as such was the one unpardonable sin (verses 28-30). 18). 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. The pig tenders reported it far and wide, in city and country (verse 14). Jesus was saying, (demonstrating) that He had all authority, in any land. It was greatly influenced by Greek culture.126. The second question is an ethical one: What right had the Lord to inflict this loss on the owners of the swine?121 Put even more crassly, Huxley censored this act with these words: the wanton destruction of other peoples property is a misdemeanour of evil example.122. xiii. The Cross And Separation From The World (1 Peter 4:1-6), 7. In the King James Version it is called the country of the Gadarenes in Mark and Luke, and of the Gergesenes in Matthew. As always, we must begin with the principle: Interpretation is one, application is many. The people (nations) were divided up, and boundaries allocated' and the sons of god were put over these nations. Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus among them? And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). On Girard's account, then, the uneasy truce that the Gaderenes and the demoniac had worked out was that the evil power in him was contained and thereby neutralized. The commission of our Lord is considerably different from His instructions to the Israelites whom He had delivered. . Can you relate to the people who sent Jesus away? Capernaum. Matthew recorded that Jesus commanded demons to come out of two men (8:29). Jon Bloom serves as teacher and cofounder of Desiring God. Demon-possession is, therefore, not merely a mental state in which someone suffers from a delusion or is subjected to some subjective disturbance of the world of ideas. This location agrees with the description given by the ancient writers. Such an entreaty can be addressed by them to only God. He lived there among the tombs and graves. We do not know why they chose to mention only one. In contrast, the people of Gerasene are asking him to leave their place. The longest and nearly detailed account of Jesus and the Gadarene swine is plant in the . It's not them. Luke 8:26-38 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (). Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man. The excavations uncovered what is to date the best preserved Rom. 4, p. 102. Although the manifestations of demonization vary widely, this man 115 evidenced several of the classic symptoms. Do not be afraid. Unbelieving men may not rave and carry on like the Gerasene demoniac, but they are nevertheless under Satans control, doing his bidding. Whenever a man, woman, or child surrenders control of himself either to fleshly desires (anger, lust, passion, etc.) Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus among them? The Good Shepherd will walk with you and protect you on the darkest road (Psalm 23:4). We don't want any more trouble here!" QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: How do you respond to this story in Luke? The presence of holiness and, moreover, the most intense divine holiness is undesirable; I mean, unless you are an angel or a saintly recluse in his ascetic toils in a cave or a top of a pillar. But Jesus motioned to Peter to ready the boat. 606-607. A small crowd of people was approaching, with the pig herdsmen leading the way. The man, who was naked when he saw Jesus, had the added ability of enduring both freezing and sweltering temperatures as well as pain he inflicted upon himself! 16K views, 545 likes, 471 loves, 3K comments, 251 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from EWTN: Starting at 8 a.m. But, the context is not going to be comfortable (accepted by) to some traditional understandings. There is a lot we do not know about the Decapolis, but we know enough to be enlightened concerning Jesus' visits to this Hellenistic area. At times, my honest prayer might be: Lord, yes, do in me the things I want you to do. Thats why also Peter having realized who Christ was, was dreaded and asked Him to leave him for he said to be a sinful man (Luke 5:8). Others are absolutely controlled (hooked) by the drug and totally dependent upon it. He had only known Jesus for a few hours, but had already determined to be Jesus' disciple for life. Vote Up If Mark or Luke said that only one demoniac came to Jesus while Matthew says that two came out, that would be a contradiction. As to the candidate for the location of the Gospel event, the most common consensus[weaselwords] is that the miracle took place near the town of Gergesa, the modern Kursi, close by the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and therefore in the country of Gergesenes. The Roman city Gerasa was a famous city that would have been familiar to a Gentile audience, but Gadara, as the capital city of the Roman province of Perea, was the chief of the ten cities in Decapolis (Lenski, 1946, p. 205; Coffman, 1975, p. 85; Youngblood, 1995, p. 468), so even those who lived in Gerasa could have been called Gadarenes. 115 While Mark and Luke describe only one demoniac, Matthew informs us that there were two. But Jesus told him to go back. The time of this event was before Jesus' crucifixion, and before the gentiles were grafted in to the promise (Acts 10). That the World May Know | A Far Country Decapolis A land that was essentially under another god (lower case g). All of us may be so concerned with our own livelihoods that we fail to serve other people and help those in desperat They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.110. Apparently Gerasa was rebuilt by the Romans before the revolt began, prob. Matthew 8:4; Luke 8:56). Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 1 Response The people were gentiles who had not yet any interest in the Messiah. The Syrians made reprisals, and took many prisoners. 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. May I open all that I am to you, boldly trusting you. Q. Its important to note that this was the first demonstration of Jesuss authority outside of Canaan. No! Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Everyone strained for a look at the tomb-man. ix. How Satan blinds our minds! Gerasa. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. He pleaded with Jesus not to be tormented. 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. To understand this event, you need consider the incident at Babel, and Deuteronomy. 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. Obviously the writer, Luke, is intending to write a history of Jesus Christ that proves that He . Declare how much God has done for you. The demoniac was uncontrollable by any of the normal means of human confinement. 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. Jesus allows the fleeing evil spirits to enter a herd of pigs which promptly run into the sea and drown. He had only known Jesus for a few hours, but had already determined to be Jesus' disciple for life. It is almost 20 miles from Amman (Philadelphia), and 22 from Fahil (Pella). Can devils entreat in such a manner any highest of angels, be he Michael, Gabriel or Raphael, or any greatest cherub or seraph? This condition is fulfilled only by the district immediately South of Wady Semak, North of Qal `at el-Chucn. When once he was an instrument of Satanic opposition against the Messiah, now he is a witness to His power. 84,145). ", Jesus looked hard at him without speaking. What is this brick with a round back and a stud on the side used for?
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