It didnt take long for the word to spread quickly. 14. If there are two demoniacs, there is certainly at least one; therefore, there is no contradiction. No matter what men attempted to bind him with, he broke loose. So Jesus returned to the boat and left, crossing back to the other side of the lake. 1). . He had only known Jesus for a few hours, but had already determined to be Jesus' disciple for life. 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. 18). At first we may deceive ourselves into thinking that we are controlling them, but the ultimate likelihood is that they will master us. He is the author of. Neither is it only a kind of physical disease, although spiritual and physical disease often accompany it (e.g. (Cf. 9:10-17. 3. He pleaded with Jesus not to be tormented. The Gadarenes' Rejection | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at Jesus at the Sea of Galilee and Capernaum (Chart and Map - English And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to depart from them; for they were gripped with great fear; and He got into a boat, and returned (Luke 8:35-37). No! Where Did Jesus Miracle Occur? The Greek word in Matthew 8:28, however, reveals that Jesus went to the country of the Gadarenes (p. 23). 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore . For less than $5/mo. Asked December 18 2016 Such an entreaty can be addressed by them to only God. No! Spam, Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army, Raised Lutheran MD former Family Physician. No one was strong enough to subdue him (verses 3,4). Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! An inscr. Description:Modern Jerash lies on both banks of Wady Jerash, about 6 miles from its confluence with Wady ez-Zerqa (the Jabbok). Q. by Matt Slick | Mar 5, 2009 | Bible Difficulties, Matthew - Mark, The Bible. 2 And as soon as He got out of the boat, there met Him out of the tombs a man [under the power] of an unclean spirit. 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 words "return to your home" must have made this man's heart sink. (Jos. Like it or not, demons and demonic activity are likely to become much more of a concern to you in days to come. Were the writers of the synoptic gospel accounts confused about where Jesus was when He healed the men? 9. Horoscopes and astrological predictions are found in most major newspapers. 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? A miracle performed by Jesus according to the New Testament. He was sitting at Jesus feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane (8:35), thus serving as a vivid demonstration of the saving, healing power of Jesus. Here the slopes descend swiftly almost into the sea, and animals, once started on the downward run, could not avoid plunging into the depths. 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. Coffman, James Burton (1975), Commentary on Mark (Abilene, TX: ACU Press). A contradiction occurs only when one statement makes the other impossible. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. In contrast, the people of Gerasene are asking him to leave their place. The people were gentiles who had not yet any interest in the Messiah. This solution is as old as Origen (Commentary on John, VI, 24) who, faced with the textual problem, suggested that the precise site of the healing of Legion was Gergesa, the small town in the territory of Gadara, but hardly in the more remote territory of Gerasa. Jesus had been performing miracles in Gods nation - Israel. v. 37) describe Jesus healing of the demoniac Legion and the drowning of the swine in the Sea of Galilee (cf. Their mitigated violence is an ineffective protest. A lesson on evangelism from the Gadarene demoniac 114 We are indebted to Edersheim, who reminds us that the expression demon possession never occurs in the New Testament: The term demoniacal possession occurs not in the New Testament. Bible-believing Christians have always accepted the fact of demons and their activity in New Testament times, but most of us are inclined to relegate demonic activity in these days to pagan lands and missionary experiences. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome The whole story is a myth. John 8:32; Matthew 11:28-30), or to be the pawns of Satan (Ephesians 2:1-2). Jesus approaches and calls the demon to come out of the man, who replies "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? That would be a strong message, by allowing them to be possessed and then drowned. I have never actually begged Jesus to go away and leave me alone. Another reason could be as Dr. R.C. john kiuta masuka, December 19 2016 Gerasa, Gerasenes - Encyclopedia of The Bible - Bible Gateway 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. Jesus goes across the sea into the "region of the Gerasenes". 17, pp. 31. The Demonized Man of the Garasenes (Luke 8:26-39) - JesusWalk Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. If they would just listen to what he had to say. Luke seems to base this fear solely upon what happened to the demoniac, not on the loss of their pigs. The crowd should remain on top of the cliff and the victim fall over; instead, in this case, the crowd plunges and the victim is saved. "[15], The story is the origin of the English proverbial adjective Gadarene, meaning "involving or engaged in a headlong or potentially disastrous rush to do something".[16]. Proof of their awareness of their own contradiction lies in the fact that the chains are never strong enough to convince their victim of their good intentions toward him."[15]. Image by Other textual variations include "Gadarenes" and "Gergesenes". McClintock, John and James Strong (1969 reprint), Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker). Classical theological commentary cited this story to argue that animals have no moral importance in Christianity. The demoniac further evidenced demon activity by the depth of his spiritual insight. It hit them hard in the pocketbook. History:The great and splendid city in the Decapolis is first mentioned as taken after a siege by Alexander Janneus, 85 B.C. Jesus wasn't anything like the demons. What is the significance of the Sea of Galilee in the Bible? I know this, yet, like the people in the story, I can hesitate. Gerasa itself is probably represented by the ruins of Kurseh on the South side of Wady Semak, just where it opens on the seashore. Demonized individuals are not to be viewed so much as a pigeon hole category, as they are a continuem. 1 Response 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. 127 The view of Greek philosophy was that these were the spirits of those who lived in the Golden Age. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More. Ruins of the temple of Artemis, some columns still standing, are on another hillside above the ruins. What is the 'age of accountability' and is it Biblical. How Many Times Did Jesus Go To Gerasenes. At Luke 8:27, the gospel writer notes that the demoniac wore no clothes. On Girard's account, then, the uneasy truce that the Gaderenes and the demoniac had worked out was that the evil power in him was contained and thereby neutralized. For years the tomb-man, this one-man barracks of a thousand devils, had terrorized them. They are unclean spirits, (vss. Yet, on a deeper level, they we afraid of how Jesus might impact their lives. 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. This reversal of the scapegoat mechanism by Jesus is central to Girard's entire reading of Christianity, and this reversal is on display in this story as well. (1995), New Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Nelson). QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: How do you respond to this story in Luke? (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. Vote Up The miracle of Gerasa reverses the universal schema of violence fundamental to all societies of the world. [5] One detail that is unique to Luke's version is a reference to both the demoniacs nakedness and his subsequent clothing. Thank you for setting the demoniac free. Life & Ministry of Jesus: Demoniacs of Gadara - Associates for Biblical Jesus Heals Two Gergesene Demoniacs. - Bible Study Tools Everyone strained for a look at the tomb-man. Until then, we have been commissioned to preach the gospel and declare God's saving gr While the Jews had not denied the works of Jesus were supernatural, they had declined to admit they established His deity. (1) Severe personality change. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Joseph blessed his 12 sons and prophesied over each. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Moreover, this story challenges us to examine our own reaction to Jesus. It is a violent tempest, that is, outside of the natural. 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.. Are we welcoming him into our lives? It's not them. More than this, however, is the fact that the mans own identity and individuality were swallowed up by the demons with him. [2] It has been a point of contention in discussions of Christianity and animal rights. New International Version (NIV), Encyclopedia of The Bible Gerasa, Gerasenes. vi. No rage. The forum, with a semicircle of columns still standing, was paved with large cut stones. Jesus permitted the *demons to do this. These ruins date from the 2nd to the 7th centuries and show that the city flourished during this period as a center for religion, culture, and commerce. With your gift of any size, youll enable us to continue equipping Christians with high-quality biblically-based content. Then he put his reassuring hand on the man's shoulder again and said, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.". Origen says this is a good example of how Biblical writers simply were not concerned to precisely identify certain sites. Once naked, he is now clothed. The stamp of a ship on Gadarene coins suggests that the region called Gadara probably extended to Galilee (McGarvey, n.d., p. 344; McClintock and Strong, 1969, 3: 706). If we had a video livestream of a clock being sent to Mars, what would we see? He could just as easily commanded them to return to the deepest, darkest pit of Hell. Ananias and Sapphira did so by allowing their greed to grip their hearts (cf. 15; Mark ix. A Jewish exorcist with such authority in the region, risked to damage the beliefs and reputation of the local pagan inhabitants. We dismiss it the more readily, that, in our view, it conveys a wrong impression. Theologian Tom Wright calls him "the first apostle to the gentiles". The tomb-man felt confusion and grief. This agrees with the general description of the site (Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26). ger'-a-sa, ger'-a-senz (Gerasa; Gerasenon): 1. Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus? When our Lord confronted the demons, they had to submit to His power and authority. Lenski, Robert C.H. It was conquered by the Moslems in the time of Omar (Guy le Strange, Palestine under the Moslems, 462). 4. Then the SPCA would have been up in arms over such cruelty to animals. People had tried to tie him down but he was too strong to be bound, even with chains, for he would always break out of them; night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. Mark 3:14). The pleas of Legion were in response to the command of Jesus for the demons to come out of him (verse 8). The story appears to be set close to the Sea of Galilee, since it takes place as soon as Jesus gets out of the boat, but neither Gadara nor Gerasa is nearby; both cities are southeast of the lake, Gadara 10km away or a two-hour walking distance, and Gerasa well over twice as far. The reference could hardly be to the better known Gerasa (Jerash) between thirty and forty miles southeast from the lake. On one level, they may have been afraid that Jesus would send their herds into the sea. The exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac (Matthew 8.28-34; Mark 5.1-20; Luke 8.26-39), frequently known as the Miracle of the (Gadarene) Swine and the exorcism of Legion, is one of the miracles performed by Jesus according to the New Testament. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. v. 37) describe Jesus' healing of the demoniac "Legion" and . 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. The Gospel of Luke's version (Luke 8:2639) is shorter than Mark's, but agrees with most of its details. Because some confusion exists in the gospel MS evidence and perhaps in other source material, absolute certainty cannot be attained; but the following identification seems correct. The disciples went and woke him, saying, 'Lord, save us! 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. Were on a mission to change that. For those who are shaken like leaves in the wind at the mention of demons, let us remember from this story that demons cannot even possess pigs without prior permission from our Lord. Modern Jerash lies on both banks of Wady Jerash, about 6 miles from its confluence with Wady ez-Zerqa (the Jabbok). Immediately, the pigs ran into the lake. A friend of mine told me later that two students were attempting to cast a demon out of a fellow. Exercising authority in the land allocated to Abraham, for Israel, the land set aside for God and his people. They asked Jesus to leave that place. This condition is fulfilled only by the district immediately South of Wady Semak, North of Qal `at el-Chucn. If Mark or Luke said that only one demoniac came to Jesus while Matthew says that two came out, that would be a contradiction. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. This location agrees with the description given by the ancient writers. 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. First of all, I believe Mark was attempting to warn his Gentile readers of the great danger of demonic influence and activity. The particular focus of this mans testimony was the Decapolis region. The Gerasenes must have had some understanding of why they are reproached or they would not respond as they do. The passage in Daniel especially suggests specific geographical boundaries within which spirit beings must abide. Two paved streets with double colonnades cut through the city at right angles, four massive pedestals still marking the point of intersection. (London: InterVarsity Fellowship, 1950), fn. (no date), The Fourfold Gospel (Cincinnati, OH: Standard). 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. Afterwards, the man Jesus had rescued from the demons wanted to go with Him, but Jesus sent him to share the good news of the gospel with his own people: "Return to your house, and declare what great things God has done for you." He went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. Here in Mark, he purposely set out to travel into another land. Another indication of demonic control is the fact that this man was continually doing harm to himself by gashing himself with stones (verse 5). Jesus was potently kind. But I know there are ways I do this all the time. 16ff., xix. This was a region east of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. The Cross And Unjust Suffering (1 Peter 2:19-25), Highlights in the Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ. Gerasa is identified from various sources as a city in Arabia, Decapolis, Gilead, or Perea. [3] However, other commentators have attempted to make the story consistent with a Jesus who shows "care and concern for animals," as John Austin Baker wrote. It would be hard to imagine a more horrible state] c and for a long time he had worn no clothes, 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. The demoniac was uncontrollable by any of the normal means of human confinement. 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 this immediate area, steep hills come down to the shoreline and fit the story of the swine rushing headlong into the sea. 3. Published iv. Why does Jesus tell several people that He heals not to tell anyone, but in John 8:39 He tells the man healed of a legion to go and tell everyone? The ruins are wide and imposing and are better preserved than any others on the East of Jordan. The story appears in the three Synoptic Gospels, but not the Gospel of John. Gerasa; Gerasenes - Meaning and Verses in Bible Encyclopedia [10], It has been widely accepted by scholars that several motifs throughout the account refer to the Roman legion. 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. Vote Up e.g., Matt. The choice is to be free by submission to Christ (cf. Are there things that perplex you? This account is recorded in all three of the synoptic gospel accounts, but with two different renderings of the name of the place where the miracles occurred. What Jesus wants us to know is that his salvation and his protection extend to those old, horrible haunts. Even the demons confessed that He was the Son of the Most High (Mark 5:7). There was no such danger in Perea, and thus the mercy of the Lord was to be heralded. And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs.