why were the gerasenes afraid

More than this, however, is the fact that the mans own identity and individuality were swallowed up by the demons with him. 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. This reveals to us that demons have an intuitive knowledge of their impending doom.117. Events that are important to our Church Community, Mark 5:1-20 Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac. The New Testament speaks of those who had a spirit, or a demon, or demons, or an unclean spirit, or the spirit of an unclean demon, but chiefly of persons who were demonised. Edersheim, Life and Times, I, p. 479. 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. All Scripture agrees with this, that the judgment of the angels is yet to come (1 Cor. 125 This is the position of Lane, Mark, p. 187. The country of the Gadarenes (Gergesenes) is one of the few areas Jesus visited where Gentiles (non-Jews) composed the majority of the population. 4. print and digital media outlets, dedicated to reporting the truth in light of the Gospel and the Cookie Notice December 2021 Since the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave in their fear, it seems that Jesus' ability to exorcise Legion was disturbing to the people. Others are absolutely controlled (hooked) by the drug and totally dependent upon it. October 2021 115 While Mark and Luke describe only one demoniac, Matthew informs us that there were two. When Jesus asked the demoniac his name, it was not without significance for He was, I believe, asking the demons to reveal their identity. The typical explanation for the petition of the residents that Christ leave their country is that they were motivated by materialistic considerations. Jesus had just performed an incredible miracleand one they desperately needed, at that! when He was the only One Who truly knew what had happened. Subscriber Service CenterAlready a subscriber? Order Bulk SubscriptionsGet a discount on 6 or more copies sent to your parish, organization 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 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! 123 1. March 2016 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). "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." Many New Testament manuscripts refer to the "Country of the Gadarenes" or "Gerasenes" rather than the Gergesenes. 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. Legion of Demons - NeverThirsty The pig tenders reported it far and wide, in city and country (verse 14). 18). Jewish theology, at least on this point, seems consistent with biblical revelation. For some people, the cost is too high. Mark 9:17-29). Gospel Parallels: The Gerasene Demoniac - READ-SCRIPTURE.COM Ananias and Sapphira did so by allowing their greed to grip their hearts (cf. 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. Earles comments are helpful: The difference in names for the destination on the east side of the take has caused considerable comment. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. 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. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. There is, as we know, the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Such was the case with this man (cf. You can flip a coin hoping for heads, but you know that tails is a very real probability. October 2022 Author of The Gnostic Notebook series, stand-up comedian, and Gnostic. 31. The Demonized Man of the Garasenes (Luke 8:26-39) - JesusWalk The US Congress is currently debating whether TikTok should be banned for everyone in the US, not just government officials. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. 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. Although the manifestations of demonization vary widely, this man115 evidenced several of the classic symptoms. "They sailed to the country of the Gerasenes which is opposite Galilee. Like children convinced there are monsters under our beds, the unknown scares us. Sign-up for E-NewsletterGet Register Updates sent daily or weeklyto your inbox. Instead of opening themselves up to Jesus and receiving His love and forgiveness, they allowed fear to drive a wedge between them. The before and after descriptions of the demoniac reveal that he was a totally different person under demonic influence. 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. What was the country of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes) and why is it Acts 16:16), while others were the virtual pawns of these spirits, losing their own identity and autonomy. It indicates full and permanent control. Why ChatGPT should be considered a malevolent AI - and be destroyed However, the point was clearly made; Jesus, the Son of God, has power over all things, including the powers of darkness. 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). As the world's top superpower, how unsure of itself can the US be to . This story is a little bit of an Easter story. Having been properly warned of the demonic underworld, let us not fall into the opposite error of absolute paranoia. Is it a bug? Luke 7 - And blessed is the one who is not offended by me." | ESV.org Yes, I know that Easter was weeks ago in April. Jesus is conscious that He now breaks the power of the devil and his angels because He is the One in whom the dominion of God is present on behalf of humanity. W. Foerster, as quoted by Lane, Mark, fn. 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). Men and women (as well as children) were demonized in that they fell under the influence of these unclean spirits. The subject of demons and demon possession has always seemed somewhat remote and academic to sophisticated 20th century Americans. 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. 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.. 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. January 2017 Pig carcasses were washing ashore and drifting out to sea. It should also be observed that nowhere in the Old Testament (except in I Sam. 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. 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). 2ff., xvv. It is ironic that while the demons didnt want to leave the country, the dwellers of that land didnt want the Messiah to stay. 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. 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! May 2016 The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. June 2020 December 2016 Jesus has lead me away from my old life. Why is Darrow's victory in the Passage taken so personally? 22, xvii. September 2022 But from all of the Gospel accounts, I get the distinct impression that this mans eyes were riveted on Jesus. I understand why," the HBO "Real Time" host told Jake Tapper on Tuesday as part . The demoniacs frightened the swine, and the transfer of demons from them to the swine was imagined. Norval Geldenhuys, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1951), p. 174. The Gadarenes' Rejection | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at The reference could hardly be to the better known Gerasa (Jerash) between thirty and forty miles southeast from the lake. So much pain, so much sin. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. But for most of us, the world and the flesh are all that are necessary to cause us to stumble. It is mentioned in some ancient manuscripts of the . In recent years the matter has been getting uncomfortably close to home. The price tag of possession was high, for those who fell victim to the demons agonized in constant torment. April 2022 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. 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. May 2015 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. Luke 8 Acts 5:1-6). 8; Mark vi. Its ruins include two amphitheaters, a basilica, temple, a hippodrome, aqueducts and colonnades, showing its importance and stature. A Lesson From the Gadarenes - Sabbath Thoughts Instead, they reject Him because all they know is His power and purity. Their influence and control leads to untold agony and destruction. So he got into the boat and left., Luke 8:37, NIV, great fear [KJV] thoroughly frightened [Phillips]gripped with great fear [NASB]. I would like to invite you to return to where we left off a few weeks ago in our studies in the gospel of Mark. Also, the wholesale slaughter of these pigs dramatically illustrated the destructive purposes of the demons. What Does Luke 8:37 Mean? "And all the people of the country of the If Jesus had that kind of power, then He could not be controlled. What about us, as Christians, are we afraid of Jesus? I think the coup de grce is to look up the Greek word for country in these passages, to see what latitude of meaning it has. 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.. 9. The Gerasene Demoniac (Mark 5:1-20) | Bible.org Luke 8:25 "Where is your faith?" He asked. Frightened and amazed, they October 2018 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. 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.. 17, pp. Gadara is about six miles from the sea. 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. Afraid of Jesus? | Sermons | College Park Church But, Im telling you. This would also give time afterwards for the dispersion, not only into the city, but into the country of them who had fed the swine. 7 After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, b he entered Capernaum. The expression to be with Jesus is used particularly of His disciples (cf. The destructive desires of the demons were dramatically carried out in the drowning of the swine. It's a curious passage with many unanswered questions. The house that is left swept and clean is a likely target for Satanic influence (cf. The presence of holiness and, moreover, the most intense divine holiness is undesirable; I mean, unless you are an angel or a saintly recluse in his ascetic toils in a cave or a top of a pillar. EIN 27-4581132 The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? 3); they are reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day (Jude 6); and what the unclean spirits deprecate here, is the bringing in, by anticipation, of that final doom. R. C. Trench, Notes on the Miracles of Our Lord (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1949), p. 100. 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). 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. It had nothing to do the farmers losing revenue - at all. They would have to trust Jesus. August 2017 The nearby townspeople, upon hearing of the great miracle (and not wanting to suffer further economic loss), begged Christ to leave the Gadarenes and never come back! Gerasa, Gadara, Gergesa - from where did the pigs stampede? Jesus asked a sick man if he wanted to get well. 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?" . Hence it would be called the land of the Gadarenes.. This was a power far beyond anything they had seen or even imagined. Some appeared not to be oppressed by them so much as exploiting their powers (cf. Christians are to be the answer, but often they are part of the problem. I have always wondered what my Christian brothers had to say to the police officers by way of explanation. (2) Pork was a food forbidden to Jews, and as such, those who raised these pigs may have done so knowingly in violation of divine injunction. 2). Nevertheless, for consideration. Was it fear that a secret sin might be exposed? Like it or not, demons and demonic activity are likely to become much more of a concern to you in days to come. 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. 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? January 2023 Lets learn why. And, lastly, this would allow sufficient time for those miracles which took place on that second day in Capernaum after His return thither. It is in no way certain, however, that the pig raisers were Jews. xvi. We will examine two incidents -- the stilling of the storm on the sea of Galilee, and that which follows immediately, the healing of the demoniac. November 2017 The time of this event was before Jesus' crucifixion, and before the gentiles were grafted in to the promise (Acts 10). Understand the meaning of Luke 8:37 using all available Bible versions and commentary. Should TikTok be banned? Your guide to understanding why the platform Archaeological or Historical Support for the Gerasene Pigs They look forward to their future with great dread. COMMENTARY: Atheism is generally the expression of a moral attitude more than a real intellectual conviction based on evidence thought through. You might be thinking back to Easter and not recall very many hogs showing up except for at Easter supper. Mark 5:1 On the other side of the sea, they arrived in the region of Is lock-free synchronization always superior to synchronization using locks? Privacy Policy. December 2020 DEUT 32:8 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples, according to the number of the sons of God. July 2020 Then they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee. Other demoniacs described in Scripture were bent on self-destruction as well (cf. Whereas he had been a slave, he was now delivered from demon possession. Ridiculous? The spectrum ranges from those who seem to control the demonic powers to those who are utterly controlled by them. Matthew 9:2-8 Why was "This man is blaspheming" considered an evil thought without knowing Jesus' identity? 13ff.). It was opposite Galilee. Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus among them? The Lord granted the only request of these residents, which was for Him to leave. In fact the region was known as the Gadarenes-Gerasenes region. The people were more terrified of Jesus and His authority than they were of this crazed and demonized man living among the tombs. Horoscopes and astrological predictions are found in most major newspapers. 15; Mark ix. Similar to the storm we see in the book of Job that killed Jobs sons - and Satan was the instigator of that as well. Jesus never interacted with people as they were, but as He knew they were created to be. Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. This was surely not so in every case, and perhaps in none. Gergesa may have been a variant spelling of Gerasa. Ralph Earle, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1957), p. 70. They had heard what had happened to the pigs and knew the Jews considered Gentiles unclean, too. It was like being attacked by two Hulks. They probably thought of quickly getting aboard ship and pushing off. Train crash in Greece: 43 dead, stationmaster arrested. Live updates. August 2021 xii. In contrast, the people of Gerasene are asking him to leave their place. 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.

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