why were the gerasenes afraid30 Mar why were the gerasenes afraid
Acts 16:16), while others were the virtual pawns of these spirits, losing their own identity and autonomy. EWTN News, Inc. is the worlds largest Catholic news organization, comprised of television, radio, November 2015 They are happy in their sin and the consequences seem far away. The lose of the pigs meant loose of partial income in the area. Although Gadarenes and Gergesenes are derived from a different Greek word, they are essentially referring to the same area. When the Gadarenes saw what Christ was capable of, they panicked. 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). of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were So he got into the boat and left. So he got into a boat and returned. 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. 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, They look forward to their future with great dread. 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. xx. 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. 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). I think all these attempts to harmonize what may at first seem like a contradiction are plausible, respectable, and adequate. April 2022 In other words, even though he set the bar extremely high, he seemed to be a fascinating man. September 2022 September 2016 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. The sons of god ended up becoming the gods of these nations. Jesus had been performing miracles in Gods nation - Israel. No matter where you are on life's journey. Exercising authority in the land allocated to Abraham, for Israel, the land set aside for God and his people. 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. 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. Until we decide on a new comic, you'll likely see a gray box where "Dilbert" had appeared. As I have been studying this account through the week, it has seemed to me a rather bizarre and remote situation, the liberation of this Gerasene demoniac. The swine then immediately killed themselves by rushing off a cliff. If it is a feminine spirit, the voice will be a feminine one, if masculine then very manly. 37Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. The occult and every front for demonic influence and activity should be avoided like the plague. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. They found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. For more information, please see our and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. (it should be added that Plummer himelf does not hold to any of these views.). xiii. They greatly desire to enter and control a physical body, whereby they may reflect their character and attributes. Acts 19:16). Why would God tell King David to take a census of the people in verses one through nine, and then cast judgment on him because he did what he told him to do? December 2014 But, the context is not going to be comfortable (accepted by) to some traditional understandings. At the conclusion of this day of teaching by parables, the Lord had instructed His disciples to cross over the Sea of Galilee to the other side. What would happen to them? But, Im telling you. But about a mile further south there is a fairly steep slope within forty yards from the shore, and about two miles from there cavern tombs are found which appear to have been used for dwellings. William L. Lane, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), p.181. Jesus showed to the local population the inferiority of pagan life. March 2017 They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.110. November 2022 January 2023 It only takes a minute to sign up. 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. By His power, we, too, are able to overcome Satans treacheries. Luke 8:26-39 Mark 5:1-20 ESV - 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. The expression to be with Jesus is used particularly of His disciples (cf. Gergesenes means "those who come from pilgrimage or fight.". 22, xvii. In any event, they were not Israelites, as indicated by the fact that a herd of swine was being kept nearby, which would have been forbidden by the Mosaic Law, since swine were unclean animals (Leviticus 11:7-8). Then they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee. January 2017 In the third chapter of Marks Gospel, our Lords miraculous works were attributed by His opponents to the power of Satan (verse 22). The reference could hardly be to the better known Gerasa (Jerash) between thirty and forty miles southeast from the lake. 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. January 2015 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. 14ff. First of all, I believe Mark was attempting to warn his Gentile readers of the great danger of demonic influence and activity. And when the man spoke to Jesus, it looks like the demons inside the man were the ones doing the speaking. When you get a chance, please take the, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. May the Spirit of God be so evident in us that men may see God in our lives. Order Bulk SubscriptionsGet a discount on 6 or more copies sent to your parish, organization October 2020 122 Quoted by Alfred Plummer, The Gospel According to Saint Luke, (Edinburg: T. and T. Clark, 5th ed., 1969): p. 228. This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was better known.. John 8:32; Matthew 11:28-30), or to be the pawns of Satan (Ephesians 2:1-2). This makes sense, I couldn't believe they asked Jesus to leave. where something similar occurs) is a demon-possession mentioned, and that outside the Gospels it is referred to only twice in the New Testament (Acts xvi. August 2017 One is that he was a fascinating man. Yes, I know that Easter was weeks ago in April. 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 typical explanation for the petition of the residents that Christ leave their country is that they were motivated by materialistic considerations. The particular focus of this mans testimony was the Decapolis region. We see people in other places where he worked miracles, endeavoring to make him their king (Jn 6:15) . It was not the loss of their property or investment that caused them to be afraid of Jesus. "The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. It might be better to hide behind masks than risk being hurt again After all, if God rejects youwhere else can you go? 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. In fact the region was known as the Gadarenes-Gerasenes region. Today, it is identified with El-Koursi or Kursi. 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. What they were not willing to accept was the frightening power that could cure him. The Lord, in an act of great mercy, freed the Gadarenes' man by casting the demons out of him and allowing them to enter a nearby herd of pigs. 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. In the wake of new restrictions on the traditional Latin Mass, two American bishops spoke with EWTNs Raymond Arroyo Thursday about how their dioceses have responded. 34When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. And Jesus, being a Gentleman, was not about to force Himself on them. First let us see what the Sacred Texts says: The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. The people who witnessed this are . Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. 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. Once a menace to society, now a messenger with words of deliverance and healing. We dismiss it the more readily, that, in our view, it conveys a wrong impression. This was a power far beyond anything they had seen or even imagined. February 2015 (3) Our Lord was moved with compassion by the torment of Legion and the loss of these pigs should in no way dim our view of the deliverance of the demoniac. We should be warned that fooling with these Satanic fronts is like experimenting with drugs. The entire population of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them because they were seized with great fear. 05 /5 Another theory. Small sins lead to big sins, and big sins bring about a terrible spiritual darkness. 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. That is why he was living in the solitude of the tombs, away from civilization. In Luke 2:8 it is applied to the city of Bethlehem; in Acts 18:23 to Galatia and Phrygia. I understand why," the HBO "Real Time" host told Jake Tapper on Tuesday as part . And he said to them, Where is your faith? 5. . 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). 116 As Lane observes this title Son of the Most High God, is not a messianic designation but a divine one. Lane, Mark, p. 133, cf. In Galilee and Judea there were Messianic hopes which would have been quickly fanned into flames if the miracles of Jesus were too widely publicized. NET Bible Then all the people of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Jesus to leave them alone, for they were seized with great fear. We owe it to Josephus, from whom it has passed into ecclesiastical language. Gadara, though not directly named in Scripture, was part of the Decapolis. The best human analogy might be in the area of drug abuse. Or they are too afraid of what the change might bring. Those possessed are depicted throughout as unfortunate sufferers who by no fault of their own are dominated by evil spirits and who, when the spirits are cast out by Jesus, accept their deliverance with joy and gratitude (Mark v. 18-20, Luke viii. (London: InterVarsity Fellowship, 1950), fn. (1) Severe personality change. Give a Gift SubscriptionBless friends, family or clergy with a gift of the Register. Most people confessed to having the fear of things not working out, an inability to trust and others said they . But having recalled a passage in Ephesians, I realize now that this man is a reminder of the dilemma of every man, woman, and child who have not come to a saving dependence upon the work of Jesus Christ for sinners on the cross. May 2016 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. When the townspeople arrived on the scene, they saw the formerly demon-possessed men, clothed, in their right mind and sitting at the feet of Jesus. As C. S. Lewis aptly put it: There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. 3. What purposes did Mark intend to achieve by the inclusion of this event? Note that the texts dont say Gerasa or Gadara, so they arent necessarily referring just to one of the cities. Top Ten Reasons Why There Were Pigs In Gerasenes Remember the story of Jesus casting demons out of the crazy man in Luke 8? June 2022 The scene which Mark presents is deliberately dark. Although it is likely that the larger towns of Galilee were predominantly Gentile, as was the Decapolis, the first-century civilian diet did not . Welcome to Biblical Hermeneutics! This request was granted and the entire herd rushed headlong to their own destruction. She is a graduate of the Divinity School at Wake Forest University and Chicago Theological Seminary. It is ironic that while the demons didnt want to leave the country, the dwellers of that land didnt want the Messiah to stay. Early Christians like St. Polycarp clearly held the Catholic view on salvation. Does a barbarian benefit from the fast movement ability while wearing medium armor? We should know from other Scriptures that our present spiritual experience is one of spiritual warfare. The whole story is a myth. 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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. August 2016 A Jewish exorcist with such authority in the region, risked to damage the beliefs and reputation of the local pagan inhabitants. April 2021 The demonically possessed man who came to Jesus cried out his name was Legion. How Can a Person Get Rid of Evil Spirits. They had dealt with Legion (I suspect) by forcing him from their presence. Although demon-possession after that time no longer occurs on such a devastating and noticeable scale, the absolute form of demon-possession will appear at the end of the age in the Antichrist and in his followers (2 Thess. If we put ourselves in their place, and use empathy to feel how we might have reacted if we were confronted with the loss of our next year's source of feeding our families, it will be easier to understand that they were afraid to suffer any other loss that might result if Jesus stayed in their area. 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. Then the SPCA would have been up in arms over such cruelty to animals. While the Jews had not denied the works of Jesus were supernatural, they had declined to admit they established His deity. The people of Gerasenes were willing to live with the devils they knew - quite literally. October 2018 March 2015 Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. Having been properly warned of the demonic underworld, let us not fall into the opposite error of absolute paranoia. They had been unable to control these two men [Luke only mentions one man, but Matthew tells us there were two]. Only 30 of 175 dioceses ordained an average number of priests at or above replacement level over the five years from 2016 to 2021, according to the report. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? June 2017 Will they be condemned like unclean animals? They had heard what had happened to the pigs and knew the Jews considered Gentiles unclean, too. They liked Him and wanted to be with Him. Clarify 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? and 1 Kings xxii. Sproul says in his commentary on Mark, When the Holy One is manifest in the midst of unholy people, the only appropriate human response is dread.. 40, vii. 26). ESV - Jesus had simply sailed across the Lake of Galilee to the region of the Gerasenes. Then all the people of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Jesus to leave them alone, for they were seized . By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Subscriber Service CenterAlready a subscriber? November 2017 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. Why was Jesus going to walk past the disciples as they were rowing on the Sea of Galilee? Yet, conversely, the known can be just as scaryif not more. These men were a danger to themselves and others. 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). But the city of Gadara owned some territory round about Khersa, so that the district and the pigs could properly also be called Gadarene. F. F. Bruce, Are the New Testament Documents Reliable? (2) Anti-social behavior. HELPING CHRISTIANS BUILD POSITIVE, GODLY FAMILIES, CHURCHES, AND NATIONS, Follow us on social media for daily Scripture comments and more at. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. and our 16, x. Can devils entreat in such a manner any highest of angels, be he Michael, Gabriel or Raphael, or any greatest cherub or seraph? iv. No! "They sailed to the country of the Gerasenes which is opposite Galilee. Earles comments are helpful: The difference in names for the destination on the east side of the take has caused considerable comment. It's a curious passage with many unanswered questions. He pleaded with Jesus not to be tormented. Perhaps they clenched their fists or picked up driftwood with which to defend themselves. However, the point was clearly made; Jesus, the Son of God, has power over all things, including the powers of darkness. 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. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. There seems to be no excuse here for the charge of contradiction. Where it falls apart for me is why the Bellonas, knowing that only one person is allowed to survive each duel, take the defeat so personally. From this it is clear that demon-possession is a phenomenon which occurred almost exclusively, but then to be sure on an amazing scale, during Jesus appearance on earth and to a lesser extent during the activity of the apostles. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. It is very appropriate that these two incidents . Therefore, Jesus Christ for demons is God and thus even demons inadvertently reveal themselves as being better theologians than Arians and their modern day heirs - Jehovawitnesians and all different breeds of Unitarians - their name being legion! Your comment will be posted after it is approved. Ananias and Sapphira did so by allowing their greed to grip their hearts (cf. 36Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. xvii. February 2017 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. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. 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). How ironic, as others have noted, that the tormentor pleads not to be tormented. Since the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave in their fear, it seems that Jesus' ability to exorcise Legion was disturbing to the people. Its important to note that this was the first demonstration of Jesuss authority outside of Canaan. The time of this event was before Jesus' crucifixion, and before the gentiles were grafted in to the promise (Acts 10). 8; Mark vi. Men in their unbelief suppose that the choice is either to be free (independent of God) or to be the slaves of Christ. (2) Anti-social behavior. 13; Luke iv. Do roots of these polynomials approach the negative of the Euler-Mascheroni constant? No! Although God's word does not name which cities were considered part of this region, Pliny's Natural History (c. 77 A.D.) lists these cities as Gerasa, Scythopolis, Hippos, Gadara, Pella, Philadelphia, Capitolias (Dion), Canatha, Raphana and Damascus.
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