2. THE FIERCE Mark 5:1-20 (Matthew 8:28-34; Luke 8:26-40) 1 And they came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes.--The country of the Gerasenes, where this demoniac was healed, is called by Matthew (Matthew 8:28) "the country of the Gadarenes." Gadara, the city from which the latter name was derived, is situated on the southern bank of the river Yarmuk, a few miles south of the lake. Its territory extended to and included the place where this demoniac was found. Gerasa was a strongly fortified city east of the lake, and at a greater distance than Gadara. 2 And when he was come out of the boat, straightway there met him out of the tombs--There are still found in the neighborhood of the ancient Gadara (the present Ummkeis) many caves and chalk ranges which served as places of burial. The calcareous mountain on which Gadara was situated was specially suited for such sepulchers. The sepulchers of the Jews were generally cut out of the solid rock. Caves were also used for this purpose. They are now often resorted to for shelter during the night. Sometimes the wandering Arabs take up their winter abode in them. a man with an unclean spirit,--Matthew (Matthew 8:28) says "There met him two possessed with (lemons." Luke (Luke 8:26) says: "There met him a certain man out of the city." The reconciliation of Matthew's statement that "two met him" with that of Mark and Luke that "one met him" has originated many ingenious conjectures, and some foolish ones. There is no contradiction between the three writers for he who speaks of the two includes the one, and they who speak of the one do not deny that there were two. Mark and Luke report the more important one of the two. 3 who had his dwelling in the tombs:--He lived in the tombs. Although belonging to the city, he had forsaken the society of living men, which Luke (8:27) also states. "For a long time he had worn no clothes." and no man could any more bind him, no, not with a chain; --That is, to be of any permanent use. It had probably now been given up. He had been growing worse till he could be no longer confined, binding even with chains proving ineffectual. Here is described the most terrible case of demoniacal possession recorded in the gospels. 4 because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains,--More than once those who were interested in him had brought him back from the wilderness, and bound him securely, as they thought, but the demoniac possession gave him such enormous strength that the fetters snapped like the green withes on Samson. and the chains had been rent asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: and no man had strength to tame him. --Fetters and chains would not hold him, and all methods to coax, persuade or influence him had failed. The attempt to "tame him" seems to have been abandoned, and the poor wretch given up to his awful fate. All literature presents no more pitiable spectacle. Matthew (Matthew 8:28) supplies another point not mentioned by Mark, that he was "exceeding fierce, so that no man could pass by that way." A terror to the whole neighborhood. The history of the world is but a melancholy reiteration that fetters and chains upon evil will ever more be broken, which are not forged and placed by divine aid 5 And always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones.--This poor victim would rove in search of mischief, and, finding nothing upon which to spend his rage, would bruise and cut himself with sharp stones. These are all marks of a madman--a man bereft of all reason--wretched and outcast, strong and dangerous. Evil never rests. It works in the daylight and the darkness. It is ever dragging its victims lower. So the church must never rest. The warfare must be unending. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped him;--Jesus' confidence was vindicated. Something in the sweetness and majesty of Jesus' face brought him to his knees, or perhaps the clear recognition of divinity by the demons, who not only believe, but tremble as the demons recognized in Jesus the power of God, he became overawed, thinking he had come to consign him to the bottomless pit, and his actions were caused by fear, being incapable of worshiping Jesus in the true sense of worship, where it is done in spirit and in truth, with a loving and obedient disposition, demons believe and tremble. 7 and crying out with a loud voice, he saith, What have I to do with thee,--The pronoun "I" may indicate that the chief of these unclean spirits is speaking. Why interfere with me? (Ezra 4:3; Ch. 1:24.) What is there in common between us? Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God?--His divine nature is evidently recognized. Knowing the antagonism that existed between God and the devil, and God's power over demons, this was the language of fear and dread, as though the demon would say: "We have met, but I desire no conflict with you, thou mighty Son of God, and I earnestly beseech thee to drive me not now away to the abyss into which I know I must at some time go." I adjure thee by God,--An insolent appeal, but not at all surprising. A demon would hesitate at no means to accomplish his purpose. I most earnestly entreat thee in the name of God. torment me not.--Though their whole employment was tormenting the wretched demoniac, a premonition of coming vengeance aroused frenzied cries for their own escape. The request is essentially devilish. Here to be tormented meant to be prevented from tormenting another. It is worthy of notice how instantly the demons recognize that contact with Jesus means torment for devils. Matthew (Matthew 8:29) puts it in a question with an additional thought, "Art thou come hither to torment us before the time?" This seems to look to that final day of doom, when all their activities for evil among men are to be forever at an end. (Jude 1:6; 2 Peter 2:4; Matthew 25:41.) 8 For he said unto him, Come forth, thou unclean spirit, out of the man.--The opening words of the interview, alluded to in verse 7. Jesus had been moved with compassion at the miserable condition of the poor man, who was bruised and mangled by the power of the demon which possessed him, and had either already ordered the demon to come out, or the demon clearly anticipated that he would do so; hence all the beseeching of the demon was that they be not driven away into, as Luke (Luke 8:31) says, "the abyss," doubtless meaning the place of torment for demons. (Revelation 22:3.) 9 And he asked him, What is thy name?--Jesus did not ask this question for his own information, but to show the great combined power of demons, which he was about to overcome. And he saith unto him, My name is Legion; for we are many.--To whomsoever Jesus spoke, it is evident the demon answered. The name was very expressive. It was originally applied to a whole Roman army; then to a corps of, say, 6,000 men. It came to be a word commonly used, as expressive of any great multitude. Christ claims, in his last hours, that he could call for and receive twelve legions of angels. Nothing could be more expressive of the concentration of evil forces in this one man. The mixed reply is worthy of notice, "my name," "we are many." A constant shifting of identity from the man to the demons. In the next verse it again changes to the singular. That evil spirits go often in companies is to be inferred not only from this, but also from the case of Mary Magdalene, from whom were cast out seven demons. (Luke 8:2.) How many demons there were in this case we have no means of knowing; although the number of swine, into which the demons entered, were about two thousand (verse 13), which may be suggestive of the number of demons. If only one demon entered each swine then the man had about two thousand demons in him. No wonder he was in such a deplorable condition when Jesus found him. This may, in some way, account for the fierce and fiendish manner in which they had abused him. We are not informed how it was they obtained possession of him to this extent, but probably he had not been careful to guard himself against the return of one evil spirit, who brings, when he reenters a man, seven others more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there, making the last state worse than the first. (Matthew 12:45.) 10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.--The petition in the demon's prayer. He and his colleagues preferred staying where they had dwelt so long, and had exercised so much power. It seems to be a natural consequence of awful fear and dread that it manifested itself in the form of prayer. Here we have the singular truth brought to the surface that devils pray. James (2:19) says, "The demons also believe, and shudder." Faith that leads not to loving obedience is of no avail. Prayer that is wrung from terror-stricken beings lacking that true regard of an earnest worshiper, seeking the honor and glory of God, will he something like the prayers of demons. Your sins will always want to remain with you. They will put up the shutters and close the front door, and submit to some reasonable restrictions, but they want to stay. 11 Now there was there on the mountain side a great herd of swine feeding.--About two thousand. (Verse 13.) Something that by Jewish law had no business there. (Leviticus 11:7-8.) Only a recreant Jew could meddle with swine, and, if owned by Gentiles, their presence was but a symbol of the subjugation of the country by a foreign foe. A swineherd was the extremest idea a Jew could have of degradation, and therefore the prodigal son was represented as having reached the abyss of misery in this. 12 And they besought him, saying, Send us--The demons recognize the power of Jesus. Luke (Luke 8:32) puts it "leave," that is, permit us. into the swine, that we may enter into them.--These unclean swine were congenial with the unclean natures of the demons. How they could possess inferior animals is not difficult to imagine, since they so thoroughly possessed the lower and sensual nature of men. They could exert no moral and intellectual influence, as in man; but they could operate through the organs of their bodies, and through their animal and sensual natures. Why the request? Who knows? Perhaps with a malicious presence of the mischief they would do, and the hindrance it would prove to Christ's work there. Or, it may be that they must have a living body of some kind to get into in order to any degree of comfort. Matthew (Matthew 12:43) indicates this. Is it not a strange request, to be sent into swine? But is it any stranger than that a man made in the image of God should grovel in filthy lust? 13 And he gave them leave.--He did not send them as requested, but permitted them. He left them free to make their own choice. What they dreaded came from giving them permission to do what they requested, and it is certain that demons had no rights which Jesus was bound to respect. Nor was he liable for their want of foresight, if such it was. But what about the rights of the owners of the swine? What about the morality of interfering with and destroying the property of others? Since the demons had their own free choice in the matter, they, not Christ, are responsible for all evil results flowing therefrom. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered into the swine:--The poor demoniac was once more a free man, and we may imagine the joy of his heart as he realized that again the sweetnesses of life were possible for him, and who knows what hearts may have been waiting for him in Gadara. The demons had an answer to their prayer, but it is not always the best thing that can happen to a wicked spirit, in or out of the body, to have its prayer or dearest wish. and the herd rushed down the steep into the sea,--Even the swine must do evil to themselves when possessed by an evil spirit. Labored discussions have been held as to whether an unclean spirit can enter into swine. It is as well to discuss whether an unclean spirit can enter into a man. All we know is that the Bible says both occurred. We believe it. All attempts to explain the action of the swine by natural causes are needless. It needs no explanation or apology, only faith. in number about two thousand;--Only Mark indicates the number of swine. and they were drowned in the sea.--So the unclean beasts ceased to pollute the territory. But what became of the demons? We must not be wise above what is written. Let us live such circumspect lives that none of them may be able to possess us mentally or bodily! You choose your own destiny. Jesus will not deprive you of your gift of freedom of choice, but you must he prepared to take the consequences. (Joshua 24:15.) This miracle and that of the withered fig tree which Jesus cursed (Mark 11:12-14; Mark 11:20) are the only ones which resulted in any destruction of property. But Christ as the Son of God had a right to do as he pleased with both the hogs and the tree, since the earth and all therein are his. (Psalms 24:1; Psalms 50:12.) There is no more need of any special vindication here than in the case of far more serious inflictions of the same kind by disease or accident. Besides the permission was the Lord's; the destruction of the hogs, the work of demons. Christ was no more responsible for what the demons did than he is for what wicked men do now, whom he permits to live and to hold positions of power in the world. The swine owners may have showed contempt for the Mosaic law, and hence this judgment upon them. 14 And they that fed them fled, and told it in the city, and in the country.--They gave the report in the villages on their way to the city. And they came to see what it was that had come to pass.--The whole thing was new, so unparalleled that they could not understand the story of the swineherds. It was evident that something very important and startling had happened, but what it was they came to ascertain more clearly. So "all the city came out to meet Jesus." Luke (Luke 8:37) says: "All the people of the country." He includes both city and country. When an ungodly business is injured or destroyed what a hubbub it raises, even in our day! The salvation of men weighs nothing against the destruction of gain. 15 And they come to Jesus, and behold him that was possessed with demons sitting,--Luke (Luke 8:35) says he was "sitting . . . at the feet of Jesus." A position of humility, trust, and security. clothed--Luke (Luke 8:27) says: "For a long time he had worn no clothes, and abode not in any house." Where the clothing came from, we are not informed, but the twelve from among them could supply sufficient clothing to cover him in that land, where much clothing was not needed. and in his right mind,--All disturbing influences went with the demons, and as no other healing words are reported from Christ, the idea of a disease of lunacy is forbidden. even him that had the legion:--They identified him as the poor wretch they had known under that designation. There could be no doubt of the reality of this miracle. and they were afraid.--They were filled with wonder and awe over the manifestation of such miraculous power. Doubtless their own consciousness of sin caused them to fear that Jesus had come to punish all violators of the law, and they were not ready for judgment. What a delightful contrast to the poor demoniac the day before! Just as great a contrast to angelic eyes does the redeemed sinner present, sitting at the feet of Jesus. 16 And they that saw it declared unto them how it befell him that was possessed with demons, and concerning the swine.--They gave a detailed account of the three main facts of the miracle, namely, the healing of the demoniac, the destruction of the swine, and by whose power they occurred. What had before been told in haste and excitement, and only in bold, rude outline, was now recounted in all its details. 17 And they began to beseech him to depart from their borders.--This is the effect the miracle had upon the multitude. The people entreated Jesus to leave their section of country. Luke (Luke 8:37) gives the reason for this request, "For they were holden with great fear." Other owners of swine may have thought their traffic in danger. (Acts 19:24-31.) To what extremes do worldly interests excite men! Worldly gain is valued above the blessings of Jesus. Doubtless they considered the loss of the swine more than counterbalanced the cure of the demoniac. Jesus answered their prayer--he left their borders and as far as the records show never returned. A sad day when Jesus forsakes men and their country. Amazing stupidity! Salvation, blessing, right at their doors, and they sent it away! 18 And as he was entering into the boat, he that had been possessed with demons besought him that he might be with him.--It seems there is only one who was anxious for his company--the one that had been healed. He may have been afraid that the demons might return, and so wished to he near his deliverer; or, more probably, in his gratitude and love he wished to serve Christ. Doubtless, he felt ashamed at the behavior of his countrymen. Let us never forget the lesson that Jesus forces himself upon none. In your own hands is the choice of your own destiny. 19 And he suffered him not,--Note how the prayers of the three parties are considered by the Lord. The prayer of the demons is granted to their own discomfiture;the prayer of the Gerasenes is also granted by being left to their own destruction; the prayer of the man who had been healed is not granted, for it was not best, and he had a work at home to do. but saith unto him, Go to thy house unto thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and how he had mercy on thee.--Jesus had had pity and compassion on the healed man. He enjoyed a compassion freely bestowed. Dismissed from the country himself, he would leave behind him one who must ever be a commanding witness to the truth of his supernatural power, his complete mastery of the power of the invisible evil world. Such a story told must inevitably awaken interest and draw men (who had lost no swine) sooner or later to desire to know more of such a healer. There was a wide field of usefulness for this man. His countrymen and friends, who had known him in such a deplorable condition, could now see him restored. He now becomes the means of circulating the power and goodness of Jesus. This he could do better in his own country than any other. 20 And he went his way, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him:--In obedience to the command of Jesus, the healed man began to publish what Jesus had done for him, not only to those of his own home but, in that whole region lying east and southeast of the Sea of Galilee, called Decapolis. Jesus modestly ascribes the cure to God, but the grateful man to him, and both were right, for God was in Christ manifesting himself unto the world. and all men marvelled.--If any were led to believe on Christ or to glorify God, the record does not show it. His preaching excited wonder, but probably led not to faith and repentance. No doubt foundations were laid at that time for the subsequent and successful preaching of the gospel in that same region. As he went about preaching the power and mercy of Jesus, the people remembered what he had been and saw what he was then--a living monument of what he was proclaiming.