October 2017 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! Then the SPCA would have been up in arms over such cruelty to animals. "They sailed to the country of the Gerasenes which is opposite Galilee. 118 H. Jesus heals the Gerasene demoniac in Luke 8 | Psephizo February 2021 Fear that you would not be in control? Although it is likely that the larger towns of Galilee were predominantly Gentile, as was the Decapolis, the first-century civilian diet did not . 68f. For more information about Glenn Davis see our About Glenn page and/or his Author's Page. Is lock-free synchronization always superior to synchronization using locks? 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. Cookie Notice How Can a Person Get Rid of Evil Spirits. They had dealt with Legion (I suspect) by forcing him from their presence. May 2015 Far from this, He had stormed the gates of Hell and prevailed. 4. First let us see what the Sacred Texts says: The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. April 2022 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? They are unclean spirits, (vss. It is a violent tempest, that is, outside of the natural. 35Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. These men were a danger to themselves and others. May 2016 Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. If Jesus had that kind of power, then He could not be controlled. No! Privacy Policy. 0 Responses So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine . In any event, I love defending the Bible and Christianity. It is now called Jerash and is a deserted ruin. Smiths Bible Dictionary provides what I find to be a quite plausible explanation (not special pleading at all), and analogous to how we still use place names today: These three names are used indiscriminately to designate the place where Jesus healed two demoniacs. Who Were The Gerasenes In The Bible? - Mastery Wiki Second (and primarily), Mark employs this event to authenticate the claims of Jesus to be the Son of God and Israels Messiah. vi. 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. What about us, as Christians, are we afraid of Jesus? Other demoniacs described in Scripture were bent on self-destruction as well (cf. By His power, we, too, are able to overcome Satans treacheries. Another reason could be as Dr. R.C. 117 so that, by their own confession, a time is coming when there shall be an entire victory of the kingdom of light over that of darkness (Rev. He was also humorous in his answers. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. They had heard what had happened to the pigs and knew the Jews considered Gentiles unclean, too. It was not the loss of their property or investment that caused them to be afraid of Jesus. November 2022 Most people confessed to having the fear of things not working out, an inability to trust and others said they . 23, 24, viii. Why as the question? Lukes reading Gergesenes may represent even more accurately the ancient name of this place, as Origen knew of a Gergesa on the lake of Galilee. He brought up the story of Jesus casting out demons and sending them into pigs, which promptly ran over a cliff into the sea. It would seem that these people had no Messianic expectations, and therefore wanted nothing to do with One Who had such awesome power, a power over which they had no control. 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. As the world's top superpower, how unsure of itself can the US be to . 4 Reasons Jesus Cast Demons Into a Herd of Pigs We dismiss it the more readily, that, in our view, it conveys a wrong impression. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. Matthew 8:28 - 29, 31, 34And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. Thats just westernised interpretation which simply doesnt work when interpretating a Jewish book. Luke seems to base this fear solely upon what happened to the demoniac, not on the loss of their pigs. January 2023 The people of Gerasenes were willing to live with the devils they knew - quite literally. 61-62. April 2016 As an alternative to confinement, the demons posed the option of being permitted to enter the pigs, some 2,000 in number, feeding nearby. 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. And they were afraid. In both the accounts of Mark and Luke, the primary motivation is described as that of fear. 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. As the servant of Elisha was told, Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them (2 Kings 6:16). Flavius Josephus and Steve Mason, Flavius Josephus: Life of Josephus (Boston; Leiden: Brill, 2003), 47. He was a totally safe Person. 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). Both Gerasa and Gadara were cities to the east of the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan. Its important to note that this was the first demonstration of Jesuss authority outside of Canaan. Is there a single-word adjective for "having exceptionally strong moral principles"? Matthew 9:2-8 Why was "This man is blaspheming" considered an evil thought without knowing Jesus' identity? Note: 'had the legion', i.e., the many unclean spirits inhabiting him. (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. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. Gadara is about six miles from the sea. 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. 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. 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. Nevertheless, for consideration. These people did not want to change. Known as the Judas Iscariot of Gnosticism for revealing that which is not to be revealed. Why would the Gerasene people beg Jesus to leave their region after He cast the demons into the pigs? The ego is so impaired that the spirits speak through him. Like children convinced there are monsters under our beds, the unknown scares us. 2. They were willing to post guards and chain and shackle their neighbor to keep him from hurting someone. Why would Jesus ask, "Who touched Me?" The city of Gadara and its surrounding area are referred to as the Gadarenes. The Man from the Tombs: Christ Speaks to the Problem of Spiritual 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. This is when the storm arose which threatened to destroy the ship (Mark 4:35-41). In this account we, by inference, learn much about the demonic spirits. What they were not willing to accept was the frightening power that could cure him. (2) Anti-social behavior. He said he had come to the house of Israel, not to the gentiles. (4) Our Lord did not command the demons to enter into the pigs and bring about their destruction; He only permitted it.124. Luke 8:37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. 22ff. 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. 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. 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. xvii. While the Jews had not denied the works of Jesus were supernatural, they had declined to admit they established His deity. The region was not poor or economically depressed. Region of the Gerasenes - Fire and Light I will not look for a reason to return to it. Why Darth Sidious Was AFRAID of General Grievous - YouTube Your comment will be posted after it is approved. April 2015 Gadara, though not directly named in Scripture, was part of the Decapolis. 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. . 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. Finally, there is in demon possession a counterpart to the filling (or control) of the Holy Spirit. The subject of demons and demon possession has always seemed somewhat remote and academic to sophisticated 20th century Americans. February 2017 The spectrum ranges from those who seem to control the demonic powers to those who are utterly controlled by them. Mark 9:17-29). They are happy in their sin and the consequences seem far away. Jesus was saying, (demonstrating) that He had all authority, in any land. 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. November 2014. At first we may deceive ourselves into thinking that we are controlling them, but the ultimate likelihood is that they will master us. You might be thinking back to Easter and not recall very many hogs showing up except for at Easter supper. Verse 1. Lets face it, we all like to be in control. He was received into the Catholic Church in 1991. However, the point was clearly made; Jesus, the Son of God, has power over all things, including the powers of darkness. A land that was essentially under another god (lower case g). It is mentioned in some ancient manuscripts of the . In recent years the matter has been getting uncomfortably close to home. December 2021 The demoniac further evidenced demon activity by the depth of his spiritual insight. Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant. 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. February 2018 March 2015 art thou come hither to torment us before the time? And he said to them, Where is your faith? All Scripture agrees with this, that the judgment of the angels is yet to come (1 Cor. 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. Luke 8:26And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. Why would the Gerasene people beg Jesus to leave their region - EBible The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? 18). Definition of Gadarenes (Gergesenes) in the Bible - Bible Study To understand this event, you need consider the incident at Babel, and Deuteronomy. PDF A Legion of Fears Romans 9:19-23). But, the pigs were a part of their economic wealth. No! "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. Exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac - Wikipedia Then all the people of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Jesus to leave them alone, for they were seized . 40, vii. Asked October 24 2014 July 2015 The region was known also as the Decopolis because ten Greek cities were located in the region. 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). 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! The capital of the region was Gerasa, and the largest city in the region was Gadera. (5) What our Lord could have given the people of this territory was much greater than what He took away. Mark and Luke, on the other hand, write to more general audiences, and Gerasa was the main Greek-Roman city of the area. Let me say as graciously as I can, Satan does not need to work on us in those areas as we are doing very well without his exploitation. 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. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? August 2022 No one was strong enough to subdue him (verses 3,4). Renew or manage your subscription here. 14. Jesus is conscious that He now breaks the power of the devil and his angels because He is the One in whom the dominion of God is present on behalf of humanity. W. Foerster, as quoted by Lane, Mark, fn. They were among North Korea's elite, but they fled anyway. Here's why Why is there a voltage on my HDMI and coaxial cables? Wikipedia states about it: In the second half of the 1st century AD, the city of Jerash achieved great prosperity.. When the pigs were sent into the sea, the people of Gadara lost money. Exercising authority in the land allocated to Abraham, for Israel, the land set aside for God and his people. The demons freak out that Jesus is there because it's not time for them to be tormented by Him yet. July 2016 It only takes a minute to sign up. 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. For those who are shaken like leaves in the wind at the mention of demons, let us remember from this story that demons cannot even possess pigs without prior permission from our Lord. Now they would deal with this One greater than he by doing likewise. First of all, I believe Mark was attempting to warn his Gentile readers of the great danger of demonic influence and activity. August 2018 Jesus did say to count the cost [Luke 14:28-33]. Rev. October 2021 February 2015 in a crowd in a crowd where many people were bumping into Him? We should be warned that fooling with these Satanic fronts is like experimenting with drugs. There is, as we know, the world, the flesh, and the Devil. September 2015 And those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. No matter who you are. Swine were unclean animals according to the Torah. They look forward to their future with great dread. 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). Jesus never interacted with people as they were, but as He knew they were created to be. Even the demons confessed that He was the Son of the Most High (Mark 5:7). More from Medium Jameson Steward in. 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, What scared them was a power so fierce it could free a man. 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. 05 /5 Another theory. Where did the demons go after they went into the pigs and caused them to jump to their death. In fact the region was known as the Gadarenes-Gerasenes region. Pig carcasses were washing ashore and drifting out to sea. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. According to another theory, the Chapati movement of 1857 was an attempt to prevent a cholera outbreak in central India. The pig tenders reported it far and wide, in city and country (verse 14). But here we speak not about a bishop, but about Christ who made His Godhead revealed through devils beseeching Him not to cast them to hell but enter the swine. So much pain, so much sin. Since the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave in their fear, it seems that Jesus' ability to exorcise Legion was disturbing to the people. This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was better known. 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. Who Was Afraid Of Jesus And Why? 1, pp. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. The demoniac was uncontrollable by any of the normal means of human confinement. Once a menace to society, now a messenger with words of deliverance and healing. On the other hand, Gadara is only six miles from the southern tip of the lake and could easily have given its name to the district.