61-62. It had nothing to do the farmers losing revenue - at all. Mark 3:14). And, Gerasene was one. The demoniacs frightened the swine, and the transfer of demons from them to the swine was imagined. No one was strong enough to subdue him (verses 3,4). The whole story is a myth. Five squad cars converged on it. Instantly he recognized the Lord Jesus to be the Son of God (verse 7).116 There was a source of spiritual insight beyond human capabilities here. January 2016 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. 0 Responses She is a graduate of the Divinity School at Wake Forest University and Chicago Theological Seminary. 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. Rev. September 2016 March 2017 seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. The people (nations) were divided up, and boundaries allocated' and the sons of god were put over these nations. Wasn't the answer obvious? All of this sure seems perfectly consistent with calling the same area the country (chra) of either the Gerasenes or the Gadarenes, after the two major cities. 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. Well, it is because atheists, in their zealous rush to make fun of Christians, Christianity, and the Bible, start to lose their logical rigor and rationality, leading them to contend for implausible things: as presently. Christians are to be the answer, but often they are part of the problem. This was a power far beyond anything they had seen or even imagined. There is no conflict, however, for Mark and Luke have apparently focused their attention on the most striking of the two. 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 . His greatest impact would be on those who knew his former state. and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. It is amazing to think that people could be fearful of Jesus. What did we miss because we allowed fear instead of faith to drive our lives? 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. 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. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. Even the demons confessed that He was the Son of the Most High (Mark 5:7). The pigs had been driven mad and rushed down a steep slope plunging into the lake and drowning. 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. The country of the Gadarenes (Gergesenes) is one of the few areas Jesus visited where Gentiles (non-Jews) composed the majority of the population. in 1971. May 2017 122 Quoted by Alfred Plummer, The Gospel According to Saint Luke, (Edinburg: T. and T. Clark, 5th ed., 1969): p. 228. 115 While Mark and Luke describe only one demoniac, Matthew informs us that there were two. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. 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. That is why the inhabitants of the area are referred to variously in different Bible manuscripts as Gergasenes, Gadarenes, or Gerasenes. In any event, I love defending the Bible and Christianity. October 2015 Other demoniacs described in Scripture were bent on self-destruction as well (cf. Holiness hurts! Similar to the storm we see in the book of Job that killed Jobs sons - and Satan was the instigator of that as well. August 2018 Both Gerasa and Gadara were cities to the east of the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan. For more information about Glenn Davis see our About Glenn page and/or his Author's Page. To understand this event, you need consider the incident at Babel, and Deuteronomy. They had dealt with Legion (I suspect) by forcing him from their presence. Top Ten Reasons Why There Were Pigs In Gerasenes Remember the story of Jesus casting demons out of the crazy man in Luke 8? Men and women (as well as children) were demonized in that they fell under the influence of these unclean spirits. 68f. Unfortunately, Christians [or those using the name] can be harsh, condemning and critical driving people further into sin and away from God. 14. They had been unable to control these two men [Luke only mentions one man, but Matthew tells us there were two]. All Scripture agrees with this, that the judgment of the angels is yet to come (1 Cor. It is ironic that while the demons didnt want to leave the country, the dwellers of that land didnt want the Messiah to stay. 2. Or they are too afraid of what the change might bring. How many demons possessed the man in Mark 5:6? 21,22). While he was once wild and uncontrollable, he was sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus. For some people, the cost is too high. While the Jews had not denied the works of Jesus were supernatural, they had declined to admit they established His deity. 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 entire population of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them because they were seized with great fear. For more information, please see our Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant. "They sailed to the country of the Gerasenes which is opposite Galilee. (it should be added that Plummer himelf does not hold to any of these views.). Another reason could be as Dr. R.C. They were not looked upon as necessarily evil in all cases. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Lets face it, we all like to be in control. They liked Him and wanted to be with Him. The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. The region is located east of the Jordan River and southeast of the Sea of Galilee. We should be warned that fooling with these Satanic fronts is like experimenting with drugs. rev2023.3.3.43278. 14ff. . Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. https://www.ncregister.com/blog/gerasene-or-gadarene-swine, What Archaeology Tells Us About Joshuas Conquest, 50 Verses to Help You Prepare for Pentecost, St. Polycarp, Who Learned the Faith From an Apostle, Did Not Believe in Faith Alone, The Three Kinds of Atheists, and How to Respond to Them, We Know That Hes in Heaven: Thousands Gather for Funeral of Bishop David OConnell in Los Angeles, Archbishop Naumann and Bishop Paprocki Speak Out in Support of Traditional Latin Massgoers in Their Dioceses, Survey: Decline in Vocations to the Priesthood Is Worse Where Priests Serve Larger Flocks, God Really Intervened: How a Catholic Priest Escaped From His Kidnappers in Haiti, Amber and Dave VanVickle on Finding God in the Midst of Suffering. 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. 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. The house that is left swept and clean is a likely target for Satanic influence (cf. Now' as to the pigs (an unclean animal, so you know Jesus wasnt in Israel! And, lastly, this would allow sufficient time for those miracles which took place on that second day in Capernaum after His return thither. They valued their pigs more than they valued salvation. As has been said before, look for Satans man behind the pulpit. So much pain, so much sin. 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. Now they would deal with this One greater than he by doing likewise. Just as demons desire to possess persons through whom they can exhibit their personalities, so the Spirit of God indwells man, imparting new life, and progressively gaining control so that the character of God is exhibited, but not in such a way as to hinder our individuality and identity. October 2021 Women, children and defenceless people all admired Him and felt comfortable in His presence. 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. 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. We are seeking a replacement and hope to have it in your newspaper soon. The demons freak out that Jesus is there because it's not time for them to be tormented by Him yet. In recent years the matter has been getting uncomfortably close to home. 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. Life with him would be heaven on earth. What were the women in Mark 16:8 afraid of? I understand why," the HBO "Real Time" host told Jake Tapper on Tuesday as part . For those near by the local name would be used; but in writing to a distant people, as the Greeks and Romans, the more comprehensive and general name would be given.. Even in our sophisticated times, there is an intense interest in the supernatural and the occult. Acts 5:1-6). He was also humorous in his answers. Why did the demon-possessed Gadarene bow down before Jesus? Although Gadarenes and Gergesenes are derived from a different Greek word, they are essentially referring to the same area. So who was afraid? December 2022 28); Mark the country of the Gerasenes (v. 1), and Luke, probably, the country of the Gergesenes (viii. COMMENTARY: Atheism is generally the expression of a moral attitude more than a real intellectual conviction based on evidence thought through. The first two are in the Authorized Version. Gergesenes is also in some manuscripts (Khersa or Gersa was a town actually on the shore of the sea). The region was not poor or economically depressed. The people of Gerasenes were willing to live with the devils they knew - quite literally. He was a totally safe Person. The conduct of this pathetic individual was obviously anti-social. Winthrop Congregational Church, UCC No matter who you are. Our Lord responded sternly by calling this accusation blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and as such was the one unpardonable sin (verses 28-30). Who was afraid of Jesus and why? As C. S. Lewis aptly put it: There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. Early Christians like St. Polycarp clearly held the Catholic view on salvation. 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. They greatly desire to enter and control a physical body, whereby they may reflect their character and attributes. We see the first reaction to this in the storm MARK 4:7 And a great windstorm arose [snip]. Into the country of the Gadarenes, or rather, Gera-senes, which is now generally admitted to be the true reading, from Gerasa, Gersa, or Kersa.There was another Gerasa, situated at some distance from the sea, on the borders of Arabia Petraea. Cookie Notice The sons of god ended up becoming the gods of these nations. Whenever a man, woman, or child surrenders control of himself either to fleshly desires (anger, lust, passion, etc.) They were instructed to keep quiet about what Jesus had done for them (cf. (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. In both the accounts of Mark and Luke, the primary motivation is described as that of fear. May 2022 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. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Having been properly warned of the demonic underworld, let us not fall into the opposite error of absolute paranoia. 7 After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, b he entered Capernaum. Now they were delivered and ready to be productive members of society. He was Someone Who could control the spirit realm. This man demonstrated all four characteristics. Lane, Mark, p. 182, fn. "And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes round about asked him to depart from them, for they were holden with great fear: and he entered into a bo." Slain Los Angeles auxiliary bishop was remembered at the Mass of Christian burial as friend of Jesus Christ and of Mary, our Blessed Mother.. A crowd had come to see what had happened for themselves. 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. The scene which Mark presents is deliberately dark. This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was better known. It is very appropriate that these two incidents . It became one of the proudest cities of Syria. It was situated some 30 miles southeast of Gadara, on the borders of Peraea and a little north of the river Jabbok. 2). 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. The swine then immediately killed themselves by rushing off a cliff. Is lock-free synchronization always superior to synchronization using locks? When once he was an instrument of Satanic opposition against the Messiah, now he is a witness to His power. 36Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. Confusion, fear in moments after crash "There were many big pieces of steel," said Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who said he was one of the first people on the scene. 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. Their first question is a rather pragmatic one, namely, How can demons possess animals? To this we must confess that we know too little to understand the mechanism of demon possession but the reality is very evident. It was scary. I am wondering if the demoniac was pagan or an Israelite. 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. 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. Jesus never interacted with people as they were, but as He knew they were created to be. This makes sense, I couldn't believe they asked Jesus to leave.
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