Look at what he first says when Jesus meets him in verse 28 What do you have to do with me, Jesus? This is clearly an extraordinary event. But this is not the full explanation or the main one. When they ask Jesus to leave, he does so without any objection; Jesus ministry will not be imposed on those unwilling to receive it. But Christians miss the joke and think he was being serious. (, Its not clear exactly who is doing more killings, the LORD or Melchizedek, but the picture overall fits the image of Son of God cleaning the land of swine. I would, however, be a little skeptical of stories about Jesus Himself visiting Spain. Can we really point the finger at him? 3). And it is reveals a great deal comparing the reactions of the Gentiles in the two towns. Echoes of Exodus in the Land of the Gerasenes | Mitchell Lewis He was no longer naked and he was no longer babbling and he was no longer living amongst the tombs, but when they came, he was clothed and in his right mind and sitting at the Savior's feet. Its one thing to understand that He personally never changes. And Tolkien puts it this way The Lieutenant of the Tower of Barad-dr he was, and his name is remembered in no tale for he himself had forgotten it and said only, I am the mouth of Sauron.. He loves our souls. God never said dont touch. She added that bit. It's this man who doesn't even remember his name who's possessed by a host of demons. Well pretend with him that the folks in Gerasenes were placid Gentile farmers happily raising their gentle Gentile pigs. Since demons are by most accounts fallen angels to begin with, they already know to Whom they are ultimately accountable. Last Update: Jan 03, 2023 Also, any every person who wants to please God is forbidden the heartless act of boiling a calf in its mothers milk (Exodus 23:19; Exodus 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21), as well as the abominable practice of cutting and eating the leg of a live animal, only to leave the poor creature hobbling around with its three remaining legs (Deuteronomy 12:23; explanation). He is a billionaire, he is about to break Jack Nicklaus record, he's married to a model, he has two beautiful children, he has everything that anybody in the world could possibly want to have. So He gave them permission. He also makes excursions into Gentile territory, such as when he exorcizes the Gerasene/Gadarene demoniac (Mark 5:1-20). The fact anyone dreamed up dispensationalism, They say, None, but Jesus, kept the Law perfectly. Every creature on land, or in the water, or in the air is classified by either the Hebrew term, (tahor), meaning ritually clean/pure, or by the term, (tameh), unclean/defiling. Before the war it was a Gentile settlement. WebGenesis 10:5 Context. WebGERASA, GERASENES (, ). Legion probably comes from the fact that Roman legions had four to six thousand men in them and this name, Legion, indicates that he is possessed by a host of demons. display: none !important; Seven facts why Jesus cast the demons to the pigs in Mark 5, but pastors still miss the point, We usually think of Jesus as the loving, forgiving guy from Galilee, right? He wrote under his own name, and also as John Oxenham for his poetry, hymn-writing, and novels. The Gadarenes Rejection | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals WebThey land in the country of the Gadarenes which is on the North-east shore of the Sea of Galilee about 6 miles southeast across the sea from Capernaum. WebThe name Gergesa has led to the supposition that the Girgashites, one of the seven Canaanitish nations, originally occupied this territory. p. 102. But let me just suggest that one thing that might be happening here is a picture of Jesus future judgment on the demonic forces that are arrayed against God. Kursi - The Gerasene Site of Jesus' Miracle on the East Side of Lake Go be a witness to Me. I beg you, do not torment me. And then the demons beg not to be cast into the abyss. At the end of the gospel, however, Jesus tactic changes. In his description of the boundaries of Perea, Josephus mentions Gerasa as one of the cities on the eastern boundary between Perea and Arabia, the other border cities being Philadelphia and Sebonitus (Jos. Knowing the correct genre of what you are studying is a major step toward getting a correct message or interpretation. (But that may sadly describe a good number of Christians.) As well, every place the Master went on his travels was inside of the Land of Israel; he never went to Gentile territory. *sigh*). He is the strong man who binds Satan and plunders his house. WebHealing of a Demoniac. I think Jesus was trying to give to all the sight to see the wrong things in this world we can overcome by walking with Him and His Way of life. Many of the events are corroborated by other authors. Christians never finish reading the chapter. But it struck me as interesting that Bertrand Russell had the exact same reaction to this miracle that the people of the Gerasenes had. The pagan religions continued among the Gentile population as is evidenced by the ruins of the temple of Artemis. WebHe calls the inhabitants Syrians, when, at the beginning of the Jewish revolt, the district round Gerasa was laid waste. How and why did this happen in the first place? And repeatedly, these miracles will focus us in on Who is Jesus? and What do His deeds tell us about what He has come to do and the power that He has? And so this passage helps us in this way. The action is no different than, Lets return again to when Jesus cleaned up the Temple courtyard of merchants and merchandise. Were in the same story. Show us the sins of our hearts that we are captive to. This, by the way, is The Messiah has the same nature and character was the Father, as discussed in the Fourth Fact above. Almost there. Working with the Law, and not against it, Jesus is shown to be completely in character and not out of his mind. Ill take Mark at his word; hes thinking of an army of demons, not an army of human soldiers. WebApparently Gerasa was rebuilt by the Romans before the revolt began, prob. Two thousand pigs together is quiet unimaginable. And Jews are forbidden by God and His eternal commands to own pigs. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. He should know that centuries before the prophet Isaiah spoke against Jews eating pork and hanging around in tombs. Perhaps even ask who might that future group of individuals be to whom Jesus will say, Depart, I never knew you (Matthew 7:22) because even though they called him, Lord, Lord [and had gone to seminary and made dispensational charts] they somehow were on the wrong path. ; Mark v.; Luke viii.) 1. May God grant us the liberation through Jesus Christ to become what that nameless man became. biblegateway.com Them there pigs were going to try to hog the limelightthat Jesus was famous for but ended up being lost in more ways than one! And Luke intends this to be a display of an extraordinary case. Surely He could have demonstrated real power over real demons, right? Jesus was wise to use what God gives us, for a teachable moment. This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was better known. That's what disciples do, they sit at their master's feet. Are we with a man, liberated, who trusted Jesus, who begged to be with Jesus and sought to be a disciple at His feet? 1), and apparently occupied these cities with Jewish patriots. Even so, the Bible never puts the worth of animals on the same level as the worth of humanity. Kursi - The Gerasene Site of Jesus' Miracle on the East Side of Lake If you eat a swine/hog that has killed eaten a poisonous snake and you eat that hog, you will be poisoned and die. Scripture makes it clear that Ashers tribal land-boundary ended around the coastal city of Tyre (Joshua 19:29). And what about trees or rocks? The miracles that are recorded here, just like the one that we saw last week, are seen by that small circle of disciples that is following Jesus around. Is there actually a real reason why the Gospel accounts shouldnt be taken as factual history? The other part of the eastern shoreline was controlled by Og, king of Bashan, but it and sixty walled cities were taken from them by Moses and given to the tribes of Israel (Deuteronomy 3:1-7, 16; compare with 1 Kings 4:13). ), his power over blindness (John 9:32) and even over death, as in the case of a three-days dead Lazarus (John 11:1-44). He wouldnt have lived long enough to get to a cross to die. Thats really why they were sent. Racism: Not a modern invention . Its a weird story, but its in the Gospels a couple of times, so we have to accept it as truth. 7). * And if one doesnt believe demons exist ..same question: why invent a false story to make the point that Jesus has power over demonic creatures that dont exist? Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! David did the same to a bear that took a sheep. The distinction between the two is clear (now). And Jews are forbidden by God and His eternal commands to own pigs. evidence), Ye know that when ye were Gentiles ye were, &c. In this and the following verse the Apostle reminds his readers that so far from regarding the marvellous manifestations of the Spirit, such as speaking with tongues and prophesying, as the most wonderful miracles, the His fellow citizens tried to restrain him in chains a horrible way to treat mental illness, by the way but he always broke free. Every creature on land, or in the water, or in the air is classified by either the Hebrew term, (, The main reason God limits righteous people to a select group of clean/pure animals is for, Gods altar was also separate and distinct and holy. Years earlier, when the ancient Israelis came to the border of the Promised Land, part of the eastern shore was controlled by the Geshurites (and the Maakathites) but Joshua told Israel to possess their land (, Last Fact: The coming Judgement Jews First, We have seen that God Almighty loves animals as much as humans, so Jesus randomly killing two thousand swine seems senseless, unless we remember God has commanded righteous people to avoid defiling food, such as pork. Nothing we have belongs to us. I dont know of any illness that can do that. Webwere the gerasenes gentiles. Heavenly Father, we thank You that the name of Jesus is sweet in the ears of believers, but we know, O Lord, that those who love this world do not know the sweetness of the sound of His name. It's just 8 or 9 verses before this passage. War II. Interested in joining the Ligonier team? He is the freest man in the world. But today, if you said to anybody, Tiger Woods is a slave to his desires, they would recognize it. He was getting everyone on board with what was started at Sinai. Luke means it to be an extraordinary event. (For many a time it had seized him. Also, Johns emphasis do not take away from the words is stronger than Mosess original statement. By Your Holy Spirit, show us our need of grace. He dispatched Lucius Annius with a force of cavalry and an army of foot soldiers, who took the city on the first attack, slaughtering a thousand young men, taking their families captive, plundering and burning the city and the surrounding towns (Jos. (photo by Jean Pierre, Pexels), Reading the Word of God is wonderful. Their dead bodies you must not touch. B. vii. Thus, in him, God found a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14 and 1 Samuel 16:1). They do not bother mentioning Scriptures emphasis on being holy before God. The Garasenes were not Jewish but the country was close to Galilee and Jesus had been to that side of the sea before. Furthermore, the play-by-play presents no reason to be judged as a parable or an allegory. All we know now is that the demoniac could have been either: Jew or Gentile. Instead of Jesus turning water into wine. Let's pray. Why do I say that book? Gods Word has to agree with Gods Word. The Greek clause literally says, End of law is Christ but why bother finishing the sentence? And her addition to Gods commandment led to her disobedience and to Adams, and then God added some amazing plagues to mankind, just as John says (Revelation 22:18) will happen to those who add to His Word (and not just the book of Revelation). That is, they appear contrary, except for one thing: Gods Law forbids righteous people from eating pork. 8 ) Their pork was kosher, kept out of the camp for 7 days, and circumcised. In a recent online essay on the Gospel of Mark, Peter Leithart wrote. But what does Leviticus says about ham? Power over Demons: The Gerasene Demoniac Matthew She needs someone strong enough to cast a legion of demons into the sea, like Pharaoh and his hosts. I love irritating those charlatans who pretend the Law of God is somehow different than the Law of Moses. In some of your Bibles, it may say Gergesenes or Gadarenes in the parallel passages in the gospels. We ask this in Jesus' name. They ask Him if they can enter some nearby pigs, and He lets them. Yet they tried to throw one of their own off a cliff (Luke 4:29). They had rather have their swine than their Saviour, and so, though they saw the demoniac sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, at the feet of Jesus, they in turn beseech that He should take Himself away. Was it correct to destroy so many for just one (or two men). When Jesus said, A new commandment I give unto you (John 13:34), he instantly had the undivided attention of the Tedious Twelve disciples because they knew changing the Law was forbidden. This was the authentic Messiah that the Jews were waiting for. Now that's interesting isn't it? (, But MacArthurs logical is funny for another reason. He was incapable of changing his circumstances. Additionally, the encounter takes place among the tombs, an earthly realm of the dead, so to speak. If Jesus had done anything less, he could not have been the Messiah. One Bible expositor said the pigs the demons sought refuge in were black. Wnsche, Neue Beitrge zur Erluterung der Evangelien aus Talmud und Midrasch, p. 119. So these four miracles show Jesus reaching out to Gentiles, either in Galilee or even in even more Gentile territory across the river. Such a statement is irresponsible because the Law was not written for a single person. Jesus helped a Syrophoenician woman and commended her faith ( Matthew 15:2128 ). Therefore they should be taken as such. So instead of working or hammering away at the embarrassing elephant in the room, the good pastors spoon out interpretations to us that are not biblical, or dish up corny one-liners, all in the hope that well swallow them or be too busy laughing to connect the dots ourselves. The concept of Gentiles is found in the Old Testament. A main street with columns on both sides leads out of the forum. Also, Orthodox Jews see a clear connection between Deuteronomy 12:32, do not add, and what happened in the Garden of Eden. This picking and choosing is completely unbiblical. Just as God defeated Pharaohs army at the Red Sea, so Jesus defeats Satans army in the land of the Gerasenes. The story is about the power of Jesus and, even his name, to rid humans of demons and also to show that his power was for Gentiles as well. The next allusion to Gerasa concerns its capture during Vespasians campaign. Since these events were supposedly witnessed by hundreds (and even thousands of people), it would have been very easy for 1st century critics to debunk it as non-historical. He has authored, co-authored, edited, or contributed to numerous books. When people start putting a value on animal life equal to or higher than the value they put on human life, something is seriously wrong with the culture. So why did the meek n merciful Son of Man cast countless defiling demons into two thousand piglets, sows and boars? Swine there because they could eat pork, just not while it is representing a clean sacrifice, which would be representing Jesus as the real sacrifice not yet available until Jesus actually came and died for all of our sins naturally. It isnt a long list. Sadly, our two good pastors seem oblivious to the fact that under the Law of Moses, animals have benefits too, and this fact should have bearing on any interpretation of Mark 5. Also in a side note theres a rock with what looks like a human footprint in it, it is said this is Christs footprint. The Law of God states that the Sabbath is a day of rest for all livestock (Deuteronomy 5:14). So now they don't even bother to read it.]. In the story of the Gerasene demoniac, Jesus invades enemy territory and defeats a powerful army to deliver people from bondage. In fact, they are afraid of him and beg him to leave. They could, at least, admit to the possibility of what has been discussed here and about the other facts. That is, they appear contrary, except for one thing: Gods Law forbids righteous people from eating pork. What is the significance of Decapolis in the Bible? You don't have to look very far. Please note how John repeats the commands, adding a zinger curse to both. Both of our good pastors assume that the people in Gerasene (Gadarene or Gergesene) were Gentiles in Gentile territory, partially because of the pigs, partially because of the demoniacs and partially because it fits their bias. But there are many reasons why Im not keen on the idea of the Gospels as non-historical. All in all, after Jesus had trashed the livelihood of so many, we have to agree that they were more than gentle to let him off the hook and just asking him to leave town asap. Amen. Sproul writes in his commentary Mark that the compassion of Jesus "drove Him to destroy the pigs for the sake of one human life. Again, Gods anointed one faces down an army, one man against thousands. So why did the meek n merciful Son of Man cast countless defiling demons into two thousand piglets, sows and boars? One unambiguous (but hotly debated) verse that supports this doctrine is, 1 John 5:7: For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. So if we agree Messiah is part of the Godhead, then logically we agree Messiah also co-authored, with the Father, the Law of God. Is John really referring to just the plagues of the book of Revelation, or could his words also include other books and plagues? By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. Playing with the plain truths of Gods eternal Scriptures means one is playing with fire and such actions will bring unfortunate consequences. were the gerasenes To feed the spectators who came there purposely to see those crazy chain braking tomb dwelling lunatics! SO Jesu said later in the NT, that meats going in the mouth does not defile because we excrete it out in the draught, solid and liquids, so physically our body cleans itself if there were toxins, and It is whatever comes out of the mind, is what taints a person, whatever he or she thinks. Also, Demetrius only needed to speak a few choice words against the Jew (compare with Act 19:34), to get the crowd all worked up the silversmith didnt have any real evidence that Pauls preaching was going to slow sales. A city in Transjordania, situated about thirty-five m. SE of the S end of the Sea of Galilee, one of the cities of the Decapolis; the inhabitants of the city. When this passage begins, we have a man who is possessed by demons who had gone about naked, who had lived in the tombs, who was out of his mind, and who did not even know his name. Sadly, Luther and other Reformed theologians repeat the same theological rubbish, despite Jesus saying he did not come to destroy the Law. Do you see how Jesuss Gentiles dont act like Gentiles! He prefers we stay laughing so no one can reflect on this coincidence. If pigs were considered unclean then would the demons not wanted unclean to possess. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, Isaiah 44:9; Isaiah 44:19 Pigs were the required sacrifice on the altar in the temples of Zeus Olympus (Greek) or Jupiter Capitolinus (Roman), the same supreme god of all Hellenic theology known as the "king of Executive Committee of the Editorial Board.
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