Series

They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. [2] When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. [3] This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. [4] For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. [5] Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

[6] When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. [7] He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" [8] For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"

"My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." [10] And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

[11] A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. [12] The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." [13] He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

[14] Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. [15] When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. [16] Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man--and told about the pigs as well. [17] Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

[18] As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. [19] Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." [20] So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

Most of us have lived pretty tame lives. We grew up in the middle class of America; we went to school, many of us went to college, some went on to graduate school. A lot of us grew up in Christian homes, or became Christians at a relatively early age, so we didn’t get into a lot of really bad stuff before we met Christ. We don’t even know very many people who experienced a major change in their lives when they became Christians. We hear stories of people who have come out of a lifestyle of drugs or crime or something, and we praise God for that, but in terms of our own experience, we don’t see that happening very much.

So when we see someone who is really lost, in the sense of lost in sin and destructive behaviors, we may wonder if God can really change that person. We know He can at one level, but we don’t see that on any kind of regular basis, so it may allow just a smidgen of doubt to creep into our minds.

Our story today reminds us in a powerful way that no one is beyond God’s reach; Jesus is the Savior of all.

Mark tells us that after teaching all day in the vicinity of Capernaum, and after surviving that terrible storm in the boat, Mark 5:1, “They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.” There are some variations in the manuscripts as to the name of this place, so we are not exactly sure of its location. We do know that it was on the south-eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, where most of the people were Gentiles. What was He doing there?

Jesus said He came primarily to minister to what He called “the lost sheep of Israel”, but there were some notable exceptions. This is one. If you think about it, this was the only man Jesus interacted with on that side of the lake. He didn’t preach to large crowds, He didn’t heal anyone else. You almost get the impression that He had them go all the way across the lake (maybe 8-10 miles, and through a terrible storm) just for this encounter with this one man.

Another example of Jesus’ efforts to reach Gentiles was the Samaritan woman. In describing that encounter, John says that Jesus “had to go through Samaria,” but that isn’t strictly true. In terms of the geography, and where the roads were, it was shorter to go through Samaria on the way from Judea in the south to Galilee in the north, but it wasn’t the only way, and it wasn’t the way the Jews normally took. Because the Jews hated the Samaritans so much, they usually went out of their way, east, then north, then back west into Galilee. But Jesus chose the route through Samaria in order to reach the woman, and through her, all the people of that region.

He did the same thing in order to heal the daughter of a SyroPhoenician woman. Jesus traveled 30 miles northwest of Capernaum to the Gentile city of Tyre (now called Sur) so He could meet that one woman and heal her daughter, and through her, to reach the Gentiles in that area.

In each case, Jesus made a point of going to those places where He intercepted those people. What does that tell you about Jesus? What does that say about His love for lost people, His passion to see them whole and forgiven, His compassion for people who are being tormented by the power of Satan, or who are lost in a false religion? He really is the Good Shepherd, who goes out into the wilderness to find the one lost sheep.

Mark 5:2, “When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. [3] This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. [4] For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. [5] Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.”

Verses 16 and 18 say he was “demon possessed”, but the Greek says literally, “demonized”.[1] In his case, the demons were pretty much in control. He lived in the tombs, which were probably caves that were used as tombs. How would you like to live in a place with human remains? He had preternatural physical strength, but wasn’t able to control himself enough to use it in a constructive way. His behavior had obviously alienated him from his family and the townspeople, because they had tried to control him with chains, but couldn’t. He was in such internal agony that he would frequently cry out, and cut himself with sharp stones. We hear today of teenagers especially, who are in internal torment cutting themselves, and this is not far from that kind of behavior. Luke tells us he was also naked, and Mark alludes to that when he says that after Jesus healed him, he was dressed.

People are created in the image of God; the more we display God’s image to the world, the more God is glorified. Jesus said, the devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy, and this is a perfect illustration of that. Satan hates God, so he does everything he can to destroy God’s image in us—including leading people into the most degrading lives imaginable. This man is pretty far gone; but He is not beyond the reach of Jesus’ authority.

III. The Authority of Jesus Mk 5:6-10; Ps 135:6; 1 John 4:4; Rev 20:1-3. cf. Mk 3:11; Luk 8:31

Mark 5:6, “When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. [7] He shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!’ [8] For Jesus had said to him, ‘Come out of this man, you evil spirit!’ [9] Then Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘My name is Legion,’ he replied, ‘for we are many.’ [10] And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.”

Can you imagine what the disciples thought when they saw this man running full tilt at them, naked, screaming at the top of his lungs, looking for all the world like a dangerous lunatic? I wonder if some of them weren’t getting ready to bolt if he got any closer, but Jesus just stood there, calmly waiting, until the man got right up to Him and fell at His feet.

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, the demons recognized Him for who He was (cf. Mk 3:11). There was something about Him that could be observed in the spiritual realm that was not obvious in the physical realm, something that identified Him as the Son of God. The moment this man laid eyes on Jesus, the demons knew who He was, and were terrified.

The man says his name is “Legion”, because there are many demons in him. A Roman legion consisted of 6,000 men, but the word is probably used figuratively here to mean there were a great many demons. But even so, all of them together are no match for Jesus alone. They plead with Him not to torture them, and not to send them “out of the area”. Luke reports that they begged Him not to send them into the Abyss (Luke 8:31). The Abyss in Revelation 20 (:1-3) seems to be a place of torment for Satan and his demons.

Jesus has absolute authority, not only over sickness, and disease, and over the forces of nature, but also over supernatural, spiritual beings who are opposed to Him. It could be said of Jesus what was said of God in the Old Testament: Psalm 135:6, “The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.” The encouragement for us is in 1 John 4:4, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” And we might add, He is greater than all of them together! Do not play games with Satan and the demons, but do not ever be afraid of them, either. You are safe in Jesus. That is the only ultimately safe place in the universe, but you are safe in Him.

Mark 5:11, “A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. [12] The demons begged Jesus, ‘Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.’ [13] He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.”

This raises the obvious question of why Jesus would destroy so many pigs, and in the process, cause such an economic disaster for the owners. I think the lesson here is that people are much more important to God than pigs. What price could you possibly put on this man’s mental, physical, and spiritual health? He is restored, whole, normal, healthy in a way he had not been for years. He has been delivered from the destructive power of Satan, set free by the power of God. If you compared that to the value of two thousand pigs, which is more important? Jesus did not destroy the pigs; the demons did that. But Jesus put such a high value on the man that He was willing to sacrifice the pigs, and their owners’ profit, to see him whole. People matter to God more than almost anything else.

So the people of the region come out, hear the story from the eyewitnesses, see the man sitting there clothed and in his right mind, and they beg Jesus to leave. Maybe that’s because they feared the loss of more of their possessions, or maybe it’s because they were terrified in the face of such spiritual power. But in any case, Jesus does not stay where He is not wanted. Mark 5:18, “As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. [19] Jesus did not let him, but said, ‘Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’ [20] So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.”

Jesus often told people not to tell anyone when He healed them, but in this case, He specifically tells the man to tell people. Why does He make an exception to the rule in this case?[2]

This is another illustration of Jesus’ concern for the Gentiles. He was somewhat limited while He was here, both by the amount of time He had, and how long it took to get places on foot, but more importantly, by His concern to control the exact date of His death. If word got out among the Jews that He was claiming to be the Messiah, the authorities would have moved to kill Him sooner. So when Jesus healed people and they wanted to blab it all over town, He exhorted them to be a little more discreet about it. They didn’t, usually, but that was their mistake. But this man was a Gentile, and all his relatives were Gentiles, and he lived in a part of the country that was somewhat removed from Galilee and Judea, so it was safer for Jesus to let him loose, so to speak. In fact, He encouraged him to tell his family, and Mark reports that he told anyone else who would listen all through the whole region of the Ten Cities.

This man’s life has been transformed by the power of God. Think of all the changes Jesus made in this man’s life, almost instantaneously:

· he will be restored to his family, who must have been distraught and helpless to know what to do for him.

No one is beyond the reach of God’s love and power. No one is too far gone, too hard, too apathetic to spiritual things, too bad. No one has sunk too low in human degradation for God to rescue them. Today we think of meth addicts, hardened criminals, child abusers, homosexuals, terrorists—and none of them are past the point of no return. Who do you know who seems very far from God? Maybe you have a relative, or there is someone at work, and you just think they are the last person who will ever come to Christ. Do not give up hope for them! If Jesus Christ can transform this man, He can change anyone!

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that it is important for us to notice how the gospel writers string their stories together, often to make a point. In this part of Mark, starting with chapter 4, we have four parables which all speak of the growth of the kingdom, and our responsibility in that to be sowing the seed and letting our light shine. Then there is the miracle of calming the storm, the point of which is to trust God and not be afraid. And then we have this miracle of casting demons out of the man with the admonition, “Go and tell.” Mark is building his case, stringing the stories together in such as way as to make a powerful point: we need to tell people about Christ, and we can trust God to help us as we do. Like this demonized man, we need to tell them what God has done for us, and how He has had mercy on us.

Let’s practice this. I’d like you to turn to the person or couple next to you and share with them something along these lines: What great things has God done for you, or how has He shown you mercy? For example, you might:

· briefly tell of when you were first saved and any changes you see that made in your life

· mention some things God has done recently that you are especially grateful for.

I recognize that some of you may not feel comfortable doing this, especially if you are sitting next to someone you don’t know very well, and you’re an introvert. But give it a try. Stretch yourself a little here. If you just don’t want to, we certainly don’t want to embarrass you; you can just tell the person next to you that you’d rather pass today, and ask them if they would be willing to share something with you.

One of the objections that I sometimes hear from people when I am encouraging them to “go and tell” others about Christ is,

Many people are insecure about sharing their faith because they don’t know the Bible as well as they would like, and they are afraid they’ll be embarrassed by their own ignorance. If that’s you, I have two things to say to you. First, study your Bible! Don’t be satisfied to continue in your ignorance of the most important book ever written, and the book that forms the foundation of your faith. Get in there and dig. Study a little bit every day, and you’ll be surprised by how much you can learn in a year.

Secondly, you don’t have to wait until you have earned a theological degree before you start talking about Christ. This formerly demonized man knows almost nothing about Jesus. As a Gentile, he knows virtually nothing about God, or the Torah, or anything. But he has his own experience. He can say with authority how Jesus had mercy on him, and tell in detail the changes that has made in his life. You can do the same thing. Even if you don’t know much about the Bible, you can talk about something you do know: your own life, and the changes God has brought to you.

This is especially powerful in our post-modern culture, because increasingly, people do not want to know why Christianity or the Bible is true; they don’t even believe there is any such thing as absolute truth. What they want is a faith that works, that makes a difference in their lives. So if we can tell them how God has worked in our lives, that will really make sense to them.

“I don’t have a dramatic before and after story to tell.” Many of you, I know, came to Christ at an early age, when you were children or teenagers. You may feel like your life didn’t change all that much, because God in His mercy intercepted you before you got into really bad sin. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have something to say. We sometimes feel like if we don’t have some really dramatic testimony—like this man did—that our story isn’t worth telling. But it is, because most of the people you know are folks like you—pretty decent people, just trying to get by, not really demonized, they are just floating along with the world’s values. And your story will connect with some of them.

So if your life didn’t have to change all that much when you became a Christian, then how do you talk about what “how much the Lord has done for you”? I think there are two ways to do that. One is to talk about your inner life. In the years that you have known Christ, has He made any changes in the way you respond to life, in your attitudes, or goals in life? Has He affected your values, or your inner thought life? You don’t have to be perfect to say the truth that Jesus is in the process of changing you for the better on the inside. For example, I can say that before Christ, I sought my personal worth in doing all the right things, keeping the rules, doing what others expected of me, and since I never did it all right, I had a terrible self-image. But Jesus has been teaching me that I don’t have to earn His approval, and that I am valuable just because He loves me.

The other way to share what Christ has done for you is to project where you would have been by now if He had not intercepted you and pointed you in a different direction. For example, I came to Christ when I was a junior in high school. At 16, I could already see that I was an angry, up tight, legalistic young man. A few years later, my buddies in college voted me the one with the worst temper in our little group of friends, and that was after Christ saved me! If I project that out, I can easily imagine that at least one marriage would not have survived, I would have probably bounced around from job to job because I would have alienated people wherever I went. As a natural introvert, I probably would have isolated myself from people, and been very lonely. I am prone to depression, and without the help of God’s Spirit and His Word and His people, I can well imagine myself wallowing in depression and engaging in lots of self-destructive behaviors. I am so grateful that Jesus rescued me from that! My life today is vastly different from what it would have been without Him.

So you can project where you would have been if God had not intercepted you, and talk about His influence from that angle.

Finally, notice that Jesus says to the man, Go and tell your family and friends. There are two basic models of how churches operate today, and we really need both, not just one or the other. One model is what is called the attractional approach: When Nathaniel asked if anything good could come from Nazareth, Philip said, “Come and see” for yourself. He invited him to come to a meeting with Jesus. This is what we do when we advertise our Christmas or Easter services in the paper. This is what we’re doing when we invite people to attend church with us, or to come to a special program like the church picnic in a month, or the Men’s Retreat coming up in October. This is not bad, but it is also not sufficient.

Jesus said to the man, Go. This is what is called the missional approach. In our context, this means don’t wait for them to come to you and ask you about your faith or your changed life. Don’t wait for them to come into the church—most people who need Jesus will never darken the door of a church. Go into the community and share the love and truth of Christ with people. Go find a need and help meet it. Take that United Way brochure I gave you and find something that fits with your interests and abilities. Go across the street, or across the room, and build a relationship of trust with someone. Go to lunch with someone who needs an encouraging word. Go on a short term mission trip. People who need Christ are everywhere: go where they are, and tell them about Him.

[1] The word “possessed” implies that the man had no control over his behavior at all, and in this case, that may have been true. But in other cases, people described as demonized were able to control their behavior somewhat, but the demons had greater or lesser influence on them.

[2] We see the same exception in the case of the Samaritan woman, who, though not healed of a physical illness, was nonetheless transformed by the grace of God. She takes off to tell the rest of the town, and Jesus lets her go without any restraints or warnings. We might guess the Syrophoenician woman whose daughter was healed did the same thing after Jesus left; He did not forbid her to tell anyone.