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. In any event, I love defending the Bible and Christianity. Gergesenes means "those who come from pilgrimage or fight.". Pope Francis Inexhaustible Font of Words: 10 Gems From the Heart Over 10 Years, Pope Francis, Biden Commend Peacemaker Bishop OConnell as Memorial Services Begin. The people were afraid when they saw the possessed man healed. (4) Super-human strength. December 2015 to sign up for our free Water Of The Word newsletter at the top of any page! Note: 'had the legion', i.e., the many unclean spirits inhabiting him. in a crowd in a crowd where many people were bumping into Him? The Gadarenes was the place where Jesus confronted a man whose possession by demons gave him a level of superhuman strength like Samson (Mark 5:3 - 5, Luke 8:27). He also maintains a popular Facebook page. The destructive desires of the demons were dramatically carried out in the drowning of the swine. Author of The Gnostic Notebook series, stand-up comedian, and Gnostic. Jude 6), no longer to afflict men or resist God. print and digital media outlets, dedicated to reporting the truth in light of the Gospel and the Jesus had actually helped them. Instead, they reject Him because all they know is His power and purity. 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. The word translated windstorm here, and storm in the KJ, is the word lailaps, which is more than just a storm. (5) What our Lord could have given the people of this territory was much greater than what He took away. The spectrum ranges from those who seem to control the demonic powers to those who are utterly controlled by them. When once he was an instrument of Satanic opposition against the Messiah, now he is a witness to His power. July 2021 Demonic influence further destroys mans reflection of God as originally designed.128 Demons have great spiritual insight and reluctantly submit to Jesus as Lord of all. Such an entreaty can be addressed by them to only God. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. Others are absolutely controlled (hooked) by the drug and totally dependent upon it. Series NotesScripture references are based on the King James translation. The exercising of authority over demons, in the land under another god, was a message. Textual variations have compounded the problem. SubscribeStart your Register subscription today. Most people confessed to having the fear of things not working out, an inability to trust and others said they . He who feared His arrival now dreaded His departure. They were instructed to keep quiet about what Jesus had done for them (cf. As Jesus began to get back into the boat, the delivered demoniac pleaded with Him that he might accompany Him. Anonymous, October 25 2014 Horoscopes and astrological predictions are found in most major newspapers. 3 When the centurion 2 heard about Jesus, c he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his . 120 The request is in both cases the same; for, according to Jewish notions, certain countries being assigned to evil as well as to good spirits, whose limits they were unable to overpass, to be sent out of their own country, no other being open to them, implied being sent into the abyss, or bottomless pit, since that remains for them alone. Trench, Miracles , p. 101. At first we may deceive ourselves into thinking that we are controlling them, but the ultimate likelihood is that they will master us. And, Gerasene was one. 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. Wasn't the answer obvious? (3) Spiritual insight. In Mark 1:5 it is used of the land of Judaea (KJV) and in Acts 10:39, to land of the Jews (KJV). 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. Why would Jesus ask, "Who touched Me?" 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. December 2016 You can flip a coin hoping for heads, but you know that tails is a very real probability. For many Christians today, the horrifying experience of Legion should be sufficient testimony of the reality of the Satanic underworld. Some today have given demons far more than their due by blaming demons for every malady of mankind. December 2020 As an alternative to confinement, the demons posed the option of being permitted to enter the pigs, some 2,000 in number, feeding nearby. Satan loves those Christians. 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? The best human analogy might be in the area of drug abuse. 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. Known as the Judas Iscariot of Gnosticism for revealing that which is not to be revealed. The pleas of Legion were in response to the command of Jesus for the demons to come out of him (verse 8). There is the so-called demon of doubt, of anger, of overindulgence, of drunkenness, laziness and so on. Was there some sort of unwritten rule that Darrow (or any non-Bellona) was supposed to throw the fight? Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant. She and her wife moved to Maine from Illinois. 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. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. The region is located east of the Jordan River and southeast of the Sea of Galilee. 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. While he was once wild and uncontrollable, he was sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus. 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. So who was afraid? No one was strong enough to subdue him (verses 3,4). Dave Armstrong Dave Armstrong is a full-time Catholic author and apologist, who has been actively proclaiming and defending Christianity since 1981. And Jesus, being a Gentleman, was not about to force Himself on them. And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts. April 2021 Do roots of these polynomials approach the negative of the Euler-Mascheroni constant? Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. It's a curious passage with many unanswered questions. What scared them was a power so fierce it could free a man. This was a region east of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. I think that this story is a little bit of an Easter story. Satans most useful instrument is the outstanding, outwardly moral and upright religious man, whose good deeds are done independently of God. That is why he was living in the solitude of the tombs, away from civilization. Also, the wholesale slaughter of these pigs dramatically illustrated the destructive purposes of the demons. The before and after descriptions of the demoniac reveal that he was a totally different person under demonic influence. The subject of demons and demon possession has always seemed somewhat remote and academic to sophisticated 20th century Americans. And they were afraid. It was like being attacked by two Hulks. They probably thought of quickly getting aboard ship and pushing off. January 2021 I have always wondered what my Christian brothers had to say to the police officers by way of explanation. 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. The best known Gerasa was a Greek city nearly forty miles southeast of the lake (modern village of Khersa, on the east shore of the lake. Daniel 10:13; Ephesians 6:12), whose leader and prince is Satan (Matthew 12:24). We see people in other places where he worked miracles, endeavoring to make him their king (Jn 6:15) . For example, He didnt condemn a prostitute for her actions, He saw a daughter of God who was valuable beyond measure and only needed genuine love and forgiveness. Preisker, TWNT IV (1942), pp. Nevertheless, for consideration. Reproduction of material from this website without written permission, or unlicensed commercial use or 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. Pastor Chrissy is a native of East Tennessee. 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. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. September 2020 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. 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! June 2021 So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine . 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. Life with him would be heaven on earth. Why did Jesus have the authority to forgive sins, why did the scribes take it as a blasphemy, and was this authority also given to men in general? March 2018 They were sacrificed by being thrown off a cliff. It was opposite Galilee. May 2017 He pleaded with Jesus not to be tormented. Accordingly this was not merely an ordinary form of mental disease as some writers have alleged, but a special phenomenon which was particularly frequent during Jesus earthly sojourn and thus was directly connected with His coming to destroy the power of darkness. At the side of Kersa the shore is level, and there are no tombs. To the evildoer, anonymity is always preferable to identification. The demoniac further evidenced demon activity by the depth of his spiritual insight. 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. February 2017 Luke 8:26And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. May 2021 June 2017 Acts 19:16). 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?" . Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. monetization of National Catholic Register RSS feeds is strictly prohibited. seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 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. to men facing fear and death. It is now called Jerash and is a deserted ruin. 22ff. Other demoniacs described in Scripture were bent on self-destruction as well (cf. 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. Why is this even an issue, I wonder? The religious rulers hated Jesus for exposing their hypocrisy and feared the consequences His actions might have with Rome, but they were not afraid of Jesus as a Person. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. It was greatly influenced by Greek culture.126. People who have no appr January 2022 Another reason they may have been afraid of Jesus was the realization that if they accepted Him, it would mean a radical change of lifestyle. ), you also need to understand the significance of this - to the people in Gerasene. It is even possible that his request was to become one of our Lords disciples.125. iv. or school. Why are trials on "Law & Order" in the New York Supreme Court? It should also be observed that nowhere in the Old Testament (except in I Sam. "They sailed to the country of the Gerasenes which is opposite Galilee. As He had landed with His disciples He had been confronted with a demon-possessed man - a man that no one had been able to control. Acts 16:16), while others were the virtual pawns of these spirits, losing their own identity and autonomy. Ouija boards are found in many American homes. That would be a strong message, by allowing them to be possessed and then drowned. April 2017 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). Like it or not, demons and demonic activity are likely to become much more of a concern to you in days to come. They became as afraid of Jesus as the demons were. or by some form of self-emptying (such as various forms of eastern meditation) in my opinion, they are in a precarious position. How ironic, as others have noted, that the tormentor pleads not to be tormented. Matthew 12:43-45). NEW STAR WARS MERCH PAGE: https://bit.ly/3baWVZv For all sponsorship and business inquiries please contact: thestupendousscrub@gmail.com NEW CHANNEL: https:/. Now they were delivered and ready to be productive members of society. 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. They greatly desire to enter and control a physical body, whereby they may reflect their character and attributes. Does a barbarian benefit from the fast movement ability while wearing medium armor? We see the first reaction to this in the storm MARK 4:7 And a great windstorm arose [snip]. 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). Acts 5:1-6). When Jesus asked the demoniac his name, it was not without significance for He was, I believe, asking the demons to reveal their identity. October 2015 How Can a Person Get Rid of Evil Spirits. Another reason could be as Dr. R.C. Demon possession, such as that of the Gerasene demoniac is the crudest and cruelest form of Satanic control, but by and large also one of the less common manifestations of Satans work in the world today. The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. 28); Mark the country of the Gerasenes (v. 1), and Luke, probably, the country of the Gergesenes (viii. 8ff.). What did Jesus do? Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. September 2015 We owe it to Josephus, from whom it has passed into ecclesiastical language. (6) Tendency towards self-destruction. Although the Gospels give us little information as to how individuals become targets of Satanic control, I would suggest for your consideration that they sometimes do so by leaving themselves open to Satanic influence. Men and women (as well as children) were demonized in that they fell under the influence of these unclean spirits. The people who witnessed this are . Evil is self-defeating in the end. 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. Earles comments are helpful: The difference in names for the destination on the east side of the take has caused considerable comment. Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus? Mark and Luke, on the other hand, write to more general audiences, and Gerasa was the main Greek-Roman city of the area. June 2015 When addressed, the person was the mouthpiece of the demon (such as Legion, Mark 5:9). Pig carcasses were washing ashore and drifting out to sea. I will not look for a reason to return to it. March 2020 They are happy in their sin and the consequences seem far away. Why is that. Its important to note that this was the first demonstration of Jesuss authority outside of Canaan. Why was Jesus going to walk past the disciples as they were rowing on the Sea of Galilee? To understand this event, you need consider the incident at Babel, and Deuteronomy. I understand why," the HBO "Real Time" host told Jake Tapper on Tuesday as part . 124 Augustine: The devils were driven out and permitted to go into the swine; and Aquinas: But that the swine were driven into the sea was no work of the divine miracle, but was the work of the devils by divine permission. Quoted by Trench, Miracles, fn. 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. And the people there were scared, they recognised this, but more, they realised the significance of this. 2). How much more sinful than Peter were the Geraseneans, who because of love of money did not shun even to engage in a non-Jew business of herding swine; how much more unbearable and dreadful must have been for them the Lords presence! Its ruins include two amphitheaters, a basilica, temple, a hippodrome, aqueducts and colonnades, showing its importance and stature. It was significant. . His teachings have inspired great moral reformations such as abolition of slavery and the Civil Rights movement. According to another theory, the Chapati movement of 1857 was an attempt to prevent a cholera outbreak in central India. Another indication of demonic control is the fact that this man was continually doing harm to himself by gashing himself with stones (verse 5). What would happen to them? This is probably the Gerasa of Mark and Luke. If it is a feminine spirit, the voice will be a feminine one, if masculine then very manly. 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. There is no true freedom and fulfillment apart from Jesus Christ, the Creator and Redeemer of men. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? August 2020 April 2018 One is that he was a fascinating man. In the form of tongues as of fire, the Holy Spirit rests on the disciples on the morning of Pentecost and fills them with himself. (CCC 696). Father Macaire, 33, who was ordained fewer than two years ago, was kidnapped the morning of Feb. 7 when he was on his way to his missionary community in Kazal, about 20 miles north of Port-au-Prince. Holiness hurts! 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. November 2014. Once a menace to society, now a messenger with words of deliverance and healing. 22, xvii. The demoniacs frightened the swine, and the transfer of demons from them to the swine was imagined. 26). (4) Our Lord did not command the demons to enter into the pigs and bring about their destruction; He only permitted it.124. Thayers Greek Lexicon defines it as the space lying between two places or limits region or country. The Sea of Galilee was clearly one of the limits. Some illicitly use drugs, supposing that they have them completely under their control. "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. First let us see what the Sacred Texts says: The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. There is no conflict, however, for Mark and Luke have apparently focused their attention on the most striking of the two. December 2017 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. The conduct of this pathetic individual was obviously anti-social. As has been said before, look for Satans man behind the pulpit. Clarify Here is one of the few times that a miracle drove people away, rather than to draw them to Jesus. Christians are to be a "safe" people - an expression of that love of God so people who do not know Him can be drawn to the Truth. 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. When our Lord confronted the demons, they had to submit to His power and authority. 112 Skeptics and liberals have made much of the differences between the Gospel writers as to the place Jesus landed with His disciples. The difference between the phonemes /p/ and /b/ in Japanese, Is there a solutiuon to add special characters from software and how to do it. By His power, we, too, are able to overcome Satans treacheries. 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. Brazilian Charity Caring for Children Who Survived Abortions Issues Urgent Appeal, Memento Mori: Remember You Are Going to Die, The Meat of the Matter: St. Patricks Day and the Lenten Fast. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. So, they asked Him to leave. What did Jesus mean when he said only prayer can cast out this demon? Gergesa, also Gergasa ( in Byzantine greek) or the Country of the Gergesenes, is a place on the eastern ( Golan Heights) side of the Sea of Galilee located at some distance to the ancient Decapolis cities of Gadara and Gerasa. Far from this, He had stormed the gates of Hell and prevailed. And those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. Cookie Notice March 2017 If they dare to open up their lives to Jesus what will happen? March 2021 No! Although it is likely that the larger towns of Galilee were predominantly Gentile, as was the Decapolis, the first-century civilian diet did not . The entrance of the term into colloquial speech indicates that the Roman occupation was a heavy burden. 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. Pigs were seen as unclean animals in the eyes of the people of Israel. . Asked October 24 2014 The swine then immediately killed themselves by rushing off a cliff. of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were So he got into the boat and left. He could just as easily commanded them to return to the deepest, darkest pit of Hell. More from Medium Jameson Steward in. 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. Exercising authority in the land allocated to Abraham, for Israel, the land set aside for God and his people. The scene which Mark presents is deliberately dark. Based on all the evidence we have seen over the past four months with regards to ChatGPT and how it can be manipulated or even how it will lie . Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. For some people, the cost is too high. The Gospels use different names for the place where this occurred: This is supposedly a contradiction. Gerasa is (as we know) some 30-35 miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee, but may have also been the name of the larger region. Non-Christians can often experience this fear of Jesus as well. Many times people - Non-Christians and Christians - push Jesus away because they do not want to change. Luke seems to base this fear solely upon what happened to the demoniac, not on the loss of their pigs. In this account we, by inference, learn much about the demonic spirits. 1) He Exposes Evil (v 28-30) . How do I connect these two faces together? They came face-to-face with the Son of God, the Being with the power to change their world forever, and they said, "Please leave." Why? The first two are in the Authorized Version. Is there any archaeological evidence for Joshua entering Israel and conquering cities in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age? The price tag of possession was high, for those who fell victim to the demons agonized in constant torment. 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. Instead, they reject Him because all they know is His power and purity. 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. His animal-like shrieks must have sent chills up the spines of any who were nearby. 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. He obviously attracted crowds. 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. 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. Jesus had just performed an incredible miracleand one they desperately needed, at that! Hence there was demon-worship, the worship not necessarily of evil spirits; but of the spirits of those who had existed in the Golden Age. G. Campbell Morgan, The Gospel According to Mark (New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1927), p. 114. What was it that caused these people to react in such a way? 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. ii. Men in their unbelief suppose that the choice is either to be free (independent of God) or to be the slaves of Christ. This was surely not so in every case, and perhaps in none. Another approach is to note the different intentions of the Gospel writers. A friend of mine told me later that two students were attempting to cast a demon out of a fellow. November 2015 It is a violent tempest, that is, outside of the natural. 122 Quoted by Alfred Plummer, The Gospel According to Saint Luke, (Edinburg: T. and T. Clark, 5th ed., 1969): p. 228. Significantly, the demons are called unclean spirits (verse 2,9). Matthew is habitually more oriented to a Jewish readership, and so he refers to Gadarenes because Gadara was the most important Jewish city in the area. 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. 16ff., xix. January 2018 Verse 1. Commentator R. C. H. Lenski states: The distance of these cities from the lake is immaterial for the narrative since this deals with the region that is near the lake and not with the vicinity of either of the cities to the lake.. The man looked out on the Tiberius. In the King James Version it is called the country of the Gadarenes in Mark and Luke, and of the Gergesenes in Matthew. We should be warned that fooling with these Satanic fronts is like experimenting with drugs. February 2018 Read the Scripture: Mark 4:35 - 5:20. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. And, it can not be understood properly out of this context. July 2016 All of us may be so concerned with our own livelihoods that we fail to serve other people and help those in desperat So who was afraid? 13; Luke iv. 123 1. 4. Jesus never interacted with people as they were, but as He knew they were created to be. 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.