why were the gerasenes afraid why were the gerasenes afraid

At the side of Kersa the shore is level, and there are no tombs. October 2021 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? March 2020 Although the manifestations of demonization vary widely, this man115 evidenced several of the classic symptoms. 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. 5. (3) Spiritual insight. The entrance of the term into colloquial speech indicates that the Roman occupation was a heavy burden. And when the man spoke to Jesus, it looks like the demons inside the man were the ones doing the speaking. "I am afraid of Trump on a very personal level because I don't think he likes me. 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. Then the SPCA would have been up in arms over such cruelty to animals. August 2016 They became as afraid of Jesus as the demons were. At first we may deceive ourselves into thinking that we are controlling them, but the ultimate likelihood is that they will master us. The demons freak out that Jesus is there because it's not time for them to be tormented by Him yet. in a crowd in a crowd where many people were bumping into Him? June 2017 He said unexpected things and lived by a high ethical standard. March 2022 Horoscopes and astrological predictions are found in most major newspapers. Then all the people of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Jesus to leave them alone, for they were seized . (2) Anti-social behavior. Thus, it is not always used of one specific country (nation), but rather, usually to regions or areas of either small (Bethlehem) or large (Judaea and Samaria) size, including regions surrounding large cities. Demon-possession is, therefore, not merely a mental state in which someone suffers from a delusion or is subjected to some subjective disturbance of the world of ideas. There seems to be no excuse here for the charge of contradiction. On the other hand, Gadara is only six miles from the southern tip of the lake and could easily have given its name to the district. But from all of the Gospel accounts, I get the distinct impression that this mans eyes were riveted on Jesus. xvi. This was a power far beyond anything they had seen or even imagined. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. May 2021 Jesus did say to count the cost [Luke 14:28-33]. 14ff. art thou come hither to torment us before the time? The miracle referred to took place, without doubt, near the town of Gergesa, the modern Kersa, close by the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and hence in the country of Gergesenes. Verse 1. It is Geldenhuys who gives us the most concise description of demon-possession: in the New Testament demon-possession means that a person is dominated by the spirit of a demon and tormented by him. With a little knowledge of the geography of the region, this apparent contradiction can be resolved. He brought up the story of Jesus casting out demons and sending them into pigs, which promptly ran over a cliff into the sea. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. For some people, the cost is too high. But then also Christ will triumph, and finally put an end to the evil one and all his powers of darkness (Rev. He said he had come to the house of Israel, not to the gentiles. 68f. Why as the question? For more information about Glenn Davis see our About Glenn page and/or his Author's Page. Some today have given demons far more than their due by blaming demons for every malady of mankind. When you get a chance, please take the, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. 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. 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. 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. 22ff. The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. May 2020 In any event, I love defending the Bible and Christianity. 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. The region was known also as the Decopolis because ten Greek cities were located in the region. Like children convinced there are monsters under our beds, the unknown scares us. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Reproduction of material from this website without written permission, or unlicensed commercial use or ii. 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. March 2021 Most people confessed to having the fear of things not working out, an inability to trust and others said they . Holy Communion From the Chalice Reintroduced in the UK: What About the US? Why would the Gerasene people beg Jesus to leave their region after He cast the demons into the pigs? 14). There probably were not many who had been told yet of the Messiah, and so were not yet believers. His animal-like shrieks must have sent chills up the spines of any who were nearby. 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). Demon possession, such as that of the Gerasene demoniac is the crudest and cruelest form of Satanic control, but by and large also one of the less common manifestations of Satans work in the world today. Jesus asked some crazy questions like "Why are you afraid?" The drowning of the swine was an accident, possibly simultaneous with the healing, and report mixed up the two incidents. (Matthew 8:28; Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26) In Gerasenes in place of Gadarenes. This was surely not so in every case, and perhaps in none. 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. Early Christians like St. Polycarp clearly held the Catholic view on salvation. I am wondering if the demoniac was pagan or an Israelite. When Jesus and his disciples come to the mostly-Gentile region of the Gerasenes, they are met by a man whose life has been destroyed by demonic infestation. Asked October 24 2014 Acts 19:16). February 2016 It didnt take long for the word to spread quickly. Hence it would be called the land of the Gadarenes.. A crowd had come to see what had happened for themselves. 23, 24, viii. So they refer to Gerasenes. If he was a pagan, why did Jesus cast out his demons? As C. S. Lewis aptly put it: There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. You can flip a coin hoping for heads, but you know that tails is a very real probability. But, the context is not going to be comfortable (accepted by) to some traditional understandings. 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. Their influence and control leads to untold agony and destruction. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. 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! Far from this, He had stormed the gates of Hell and prevailed. In recent years the matter has been getting uncomfortably close to home. Luke 8:26And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. I will not ask him to leave. This request was granted and the entire herd rushed headlong to their own destruction. The reply Legion118 may be some kind of evasion, a reluctance on the part of the demons to individually identify themselves. 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. Brazilian Charity Caring for Children Who Survived Abortions Issues Urgent Appeal, Memento Mori: Remember You Are Going to Die, The Meat of the Matter: St. Patricks Day and the Lenten Fast. My office mate of several years back was interrupted by a young and very zealous new Christian teacher accompanied by a student from whom she wanted my friend to cast out a demon. ESV - 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. The conduct of this pathetic individual was obviously anti-social. Many New Testament manuscripts refer to the "Country of the Gadarenes" or "Gerasenes" rather than the Gergesenes. Such an entreaty can be addressed by them to only God. It is not difficult to imagine what was going through the minds of the disciples as their ship landed and as these two demon possessed men rushed to them. The Truth is Jesus is a safe Person Who loves them, values them, wants their best and will never force Himself on them. Crazy question or.? Catholic Church. Although his symptoms would have appeared to be those of an insane man,113 the Gospel writers inform us that he was demon-possessed.114. Welcome to Biblical Hermeneutics! Finally, there is in demon possession a counterpart to the filling (or control) of the Holy Spirit. Is there a single-word adjective for "having exceptionally strong moral principles"? I think all these attempts to harmonize what may at first seem like a contradiction are plausible, respectable, and adequate. Demonized individuals are not to be viewed so much as a pigeon hole category, as they are a continuem. The occult and every front for demonic influence and activity should be avoided like the plague. Mark and Luke, on the other hand, write to more general audiences, and Gerasa was the main Greek-Roman city of the area. 2,8) who can possess men and animals. Evil is self-defeating in the end. Some illicitly use drugs, supposing that they have them completely under their control. 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. Read the Scripture: Mark 4:35 - 5:20. February 2015 monetization of National Catholic Register RSS feeds is strictly prohibited. The difference between the phonemes /p/ and /b/ in Japanese, Is there a solutiuon to add special characters from software and how to do it. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. April 2018 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. Unbelieving men may not rave and carry on like the Gerasene demoniac, but they are nevertheless under Satans control, doing his bidding. It is something like the behavior and personality change in a man who is totally intoxicated. Subscriber Service CenterAlready a subscriber? His website/blog, Biblical Evidence for Catholicism, has been online since March 1997. While the Jews had not denied the works of Jesus were supernatural, they had declined to admit they established His deity. (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. Today, it is identified with El-Koursi or Kursi. August 2020 seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 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. January 2018 It is very appropriate that these two incidents . Spam. Jesus asked a sick man if he wanted to get well. Fallen people reject God not because they do not know His power. In this account we, by inference, learn much about the demonic spirits. Lets learn why. January 2017 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. Why are trials on "Law & Order" in the New York Supreme Court? More than this, however, is the fact that the mans own identity and individuality were swallowed up by the demons with him. Luke 8 Those who have witnessed demon possession tell us that each demon has its own distinct personality and that the individual possessed begins to manifest the distinct personality of the demon by which he is possessed. She is a graduate of the Divinity School at Wake Forest University and Chicago Theological Seminary. 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. iv. Jesus had just performed an incredible miracleand one they desperately needed, at that! 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. Although the Gospels give us little information as to how individuals become targets of Satanic control, I would suggest for your consideration that they sometimes do so by leaving themselves open to Satanic influence. Paul tells us that our struggle is, at bottom, a spiritual one (Ephesians 6:12). (4) Our Lord did not command the demons to enter into the pigs and bring about their destruction; He only permitted it.124. Men in their unbelief suppose that the choice is either to be free (independent of God) or to be the slaves of Christ. Textual variations have compounded the problem. The Politics of Luke 8:26-39. It is a violent tempest, that is, outside of the natural. 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 drowning of these pigs has caused a great deal of discussion amongst Bible students, for as a friend of mine once observed, Thats a lot of pork chops! Had our Lord achieved such a miracle today He would have been in deep trouble. But as Gergesa was a small village, and little known, the evangelists, who wrote for more distant readers, spoke of the event as taking place in the country of the Gadarenes, so named from its largest city, Gadara; and this country included the country of the Gergesenes as a state includes a county. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 991. Our children would probably understand best if I said that his appearance must have been somewhat like that of the television creation, The Incredible Hulk. Pope Francis Inexhaustible Font of Words: 10 Gems From the Heart Over 10 Years, Pope Francis, Biden Commend Peacemaker Bishop OConnell as Memorial Services Begin. His teachings have inspired great moral reformations such as abolition of slavery and the Civil Rights movement. Ouija boards are found in many American homes. December 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. March 2016 September 2021 127 The view of Greek philosophy was that these were the spirits of those who lived in the Golden Age. July 2022 If it is a feminine spirit, the voice will be a feminine one, if masculine then very manly. Rather, they attributed the power of Jesus to Satan (Mark 3:22). The subject of demons and demon possession has always seemed somewhat remote and academic to sophisticated 20th century Americans. When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met Him a man from the city who had demons. Why did Jesus allow the demons to enter the herd of pigs? We dismiss it the more readily, that, in our view, it conveys a wrong impression. This is probably the Gerasa of Mark and Luke. First of all the Scriptures do not say that the local Pagans were afraid of Jesus, but that they merely begged him to leave their neighbourhood. Hence there was demon-worship, the worship not necessarily of evil spirits; but of the spirits of those who had existed in the Golden Age. G. Campbell Morgan, The Gospel According to Mark (New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1927), p. 114. These, however, are not the problem raised by Bible students. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Well, it is because atheists, in their zealous rush to make fun of Christians, Christianity, and the Bible, start to lose their logical rigor and rationality, leading them to contend for implausible things: as presently. As the servant of Elisha was told, Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them (2 Kings 6:16). 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! It was scary. The most likely answer is to the country of the Gerasenes: i.e., Gerasa, a Greek town thought to be the same as the similarly-named Kersa on the east shore of Lake Tiberias. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. 37Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. Into the country of the Gadarenes, or rather, Gera-senes, which is now generally admitted to be the true reading, from Gerasa, Gersa, or Kersa.There was another Gerasa, situated at some distance from the sea, on the borders of Arabia Petraea. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. 34When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. A word of clarification is in order here for we must recognize that in this account the dark side of Satan is exposed, but this is perhaps the more unusual side of Satan. Events that are important to our Church Community, Mark 5:1-20 Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac. As the world's top superpower, how unsure of itself can the US be to . According to another theory, the Chapati movement of 1857 was an attempt to prevent a cholera outbreak in central India. This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was better known.. 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. The pleas of Legion were in response to the command of Jesus for the demons to come out of him (verse 8). Why is that. of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were So he got into the boat and left. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. Luke 8:37Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them: for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again. For many Christians today, the horrifying experience of Legion should be sufficient testimony of the reality of the Satanic underworld. 2). The lose of the pigs meant loose of partial income in the area. But notice, even though Jesus permitted them to enter the swine, they were unable to overcome their evil impulses and drove the swine over the cliff to their death. The region is located east of the Jordan River and southeast of the Sea of Galilee. Preisker, TWNT IV (1942), pp. No matter where you are on life's journey you are welcome here! The country of the Gadarenes (Gergesenes) is one of the few areas Jesus visited where Gentiles (non-Jews) composed the majority of the population. September 2015 Both Gerasa and Gadara were cities to the east of the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan. (6) Tendency towards self-destruction. How Satan blinds our minds! The spread of cholera was linked to the movements of . They are unclean spirits, (vss. The people (nations) were divided up, and boundaries allocated' and the sons of god were put over these nations. Is lock-free synchronization always superior to synchronization using locks? or by some form of self-emptying (such as various forms of eastern meditation) in my opinion, they are in a precarious position. 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. January 2015 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). "Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear." (Luke 8:37a) Fear plagues us. And, yes, Dana did just read us something about a man possessed by a whole bunch of demons that later go and possess a bunch of hogs. Acts 5:1-6). So much pain, so much sin. Fear that you would not be in control? Lukes reading Gergesenes may represent even more accurately the ancient name of this place, as Origen knew of a Gergesa on the lake of Galilee. "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." The exercising of authority over demons, in the land under another god, was a message. And they were afraid. Series NotesScripture references are based on the King James translation. She and her wife moved to Maine from Illinois. Slain Los Angeles auxiliary bishop was remembered at the Mass of Christian burial as friend of Jesus Christ and of Mary, our Blessed Mother.. The district of the Gerasenes probably included that of the Gadarenes; so that the demoniac of Gergesa belonged to the country of the Gadarenes and also to that of the Gerasenes, as the same person may, with equal truth, be said to live in the city or the state, or in the United States. The choice is to be free by submission to Christ (cf. Like it or not, demons and demonic activity are likely to become much more of a concern to you in days to come. This name (Strong's #G3003) is a reference to a Roman military regiment that varied in soldier strength from 4,000 to 6,000. 36Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. September 2020 10). 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! Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. To the evildoer, anonymity is always preferable to identification. 184-185. 118 H. Mark 9:17-29). Smiths Bible Dictionary provides what I find to be a quite plausible explanation (not special pleading at all), and analogous to how we still use place names today: These three names are used indiscriminately to designate the place where Jesus healed two demoniacs. Pigs were seen as unclean animals in the eyes of the people of Israel. xx. 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. Instead of opening themselves up to Jesus and receiving His love and forgiveness, they allowed fear to drive a wedge between them. One is that he was a fascinating man. Jesus has lead me away from my old life. They would have to trust Jesus. 0 Responses We owe it to Josephus, from whom it has passed into ecclesiastical language. 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. Gergesenes is also in some manuscripts (Khersa or Gersa was a town actually on the shore of the sea). We should be warned that fooling with these Satanic fronts is like experimenting with drugs. First of all, I believe Mark was attempting to warn his Gentile readers of the great danger of demonic influence and activity. However, the point was clearly made; Jesus, the Son of God, has power over all things, including the powers of darkness. Sometime after the Lord Jesus miraculously calmed the storm, the ship landed, perhaps late in the evening,111 on the other side of the lake in the country of the Gerasenes.112 If, indeed, it was late at night, the scene must have been an eerie one, with the nerves of the disciples already worn thin by the terrifying experience of the storm. September 2022 xiii. He was also humorous in his answers. Those demons were terrified of Him! Gadara, though not directly named in Scripture, was part of the Decapolis. Jesus asked Mary why she was crying at the grave site. 122 Quoted by Alfred Plummer, The Gospel According to Saint Luke, (Edinburg: T. and T. Clark, 5th ed., 1969): p. 228. (4) Super-human strength. The US Congress is currently debating whether TikTok should be banned for everyone in the US, not just government officials. Give a Gift SubscriptionBless friends, family or clergy with a gift of the Register. How many demons possessed the man in Mark 5:6? If they dare to open up their lives to Jesus what will happen? Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. 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. verse 5). 16, x. 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.. In contrast, the people of Gerasene are asking him to leave their place. Why would Jesus ask, "Who touched Me?" He was a totally safe Person. Fear that you might do something that would embarrass you? This was a region east of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. They all say country of (in the sense of region, not nation). Demons are highly organized (cf. Why is this even an issue, I wonder? 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). "They sailed to the country of the Gerasenes which is opposite Galilee. Was it fear that a secret sin might be exposed? 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? 40, vii. We see the first reaction to this in the storm MARK 4:7 And a great windstorm arose [snip]. 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 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. Daniel 10:13; Ephesians 6:12), whose leader and prince is Satan (Matthew 12:24). Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus? Or they are too afraid of what the change might bring. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).