First of all, the EPA would have been investigating the pollution of Lake Galilee with decaying pigs. Paul tells us that our struggle is, at bottom, a spiritual one (Ephesians 6:12). The word translated windstorm here, and storm in the KJ, is the word lailaps, which is more than just a storm. EWTN News, Inc. is the worlds largest Catholic news organization, comprised of television, radio, 3 When the centurion 2 heard about Jesus, c he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his . 8; Mark vi. 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. Why is this even an issue, I wonder? 122 Quoted by Alfred Plummer, The Gospel According to Saint Luke, (Edinburg: T. and T. Clark, 5th ed., 1969): p. 228. 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. (Matthew 8:28; Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26) In Gerasenes in place of Gadarenes. The reply Legion118 may be some kind of evasion, a reluctance on the part of the demons to individually identify themselves. What scared them was a power so fierce it could free a man. Jesus never interacted with people as they were, but as He knew they were created to be. Until we decide on a new comic, you'll likely see a gray box where "Dilbert" had appeared. 26). It is noteworthy that it is distinguished (especially in the Gospel of the physician, Luke) from cases of ordinary sickness, insanity (lunacy), leprosy, blindness, lameness, deafness and other natural defects and diseases (cf. This is probably the Gerasa of Mark and Luke. We are seeking a replacement and hope to have it in your newspaper soon. That is not the choice at all. 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. Christians are to be a "safe" people - an expression of that love of God so people who do not know Him can be drawn to the Truth. Dave Armstrong Dave Armstrong is a full-time Catholic author and apologist, who has been actively proclaiming and defending Christianity since 1981. The occult and every front for demonic influence and activity should be avoided like the plague. Today, it is identified with El-Koursi or Kursi. Just as demons desire to possess persons through whom they can exhibit their personalities, so the Spirit of God indwells man, imparting new life, and progressively gaining control so that the character of God is exhibited, but not in such a way as to hinder our individuality and identity. (3) Spiritual insight. Sermon for July 26, 2020: Why Were They So Afraid: Mark 5:1-20. You can flip a coin hoping for heads, but you know that tails is a very real probability. Crazy question or.? November 2015 December 2014 Gergesa, also Gergasa ( in Byzantine greek) or the Country of the Gergesenes, is a place on the eastern ( Golan Heights) side of the Sea of Galilee located at some distance to the ancient Decapolis cities of Gadara and Gerasa. 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. The people were afraid when they saw the possessed man healed. The Lord, in an act of great mercy, freed the Gadarenes' man by casting the demons out of him and allowing them to enter a nearby herd of pigs. Both Gerasa and Gadara were cities to the east of the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan. He was also humorous in his answers. If they dare to open up their lives to Jesus what will happen? 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. He was a totally safe Person. xvi. monetization of National Catholic Register RSS feeds is strictly prohibited. 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. I felt somewhat guilty, particularly fearing that I may have created an unintentional hardship for some classmate. 118 H. Having been properly warned of the demonic underworld, let us not fall into the opposite error of absolute paranoia. April 2017 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. Treasury of Scripture. In this account we, by inference, learn much about the demonic spirits. 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. The drowning of the swine was an accident, possibly simultaneous with the healing, and report mixed up the two incidents. No matter where you are on life's journey. One is that he was a fascinating man. This supposition would be further confirmed, if the evening when Jesus embarked was what the Jews were wont to call the first evening, that is, the time when the sun was declining in the heaven, but before it had actually set, the latter time being the second evening. For it seems most unlikely that multitudes would have resorted to Jesus at Capernaum after the second evening, or that either the disciples or other boats would have put to sea after nightfall. This is when the storm arose which threatened to destroy the ship (Mark 4:35-41). We see the first reaction to this in the storm MARK 4:7 And a great windstorm arose [snip]. You might be thinking back to Easter and not recall very many hogs showing up except for at Easter supper. December 2016 Fallen people reject God not because they do not know His power. July 2017 1, pp. The pleas of Legion were in response to the command of Jesus for the demons to come out of him (verse 8). 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. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. 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. This incident in the Gerasenes requires some entry understanding. Nevertheless, for consideration. It was scary. This request was granted and the entire herd rushed headlong to their own destruction. Unfortunately, Christians [or those using the name] can be harsh, condemning and critical driving people further into sin and away from God. The scene which Mark presents is deliberately dark. Neither is it only a kind of physical disease, although spiritual and physical disease often accompany it (e.g. 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. Rather, they attributed the power of Jesus to Satan (Mark 3:22). One is to disbelieve in their existence. Finally, there is in demon possession a counterpart to the filling (or control) of the Holy Spirit. I was in a dialogue with an atheist regarding what he believes is one of many so-called biblical contradictions. Odd guy that I am, I actually find this sort of thing fun. It's a curious passage with many unanswered questions. The story shows Jesus exorcising a demon or demons out of a man and into a herd of swine, causing the swine to run down a hill into a lake and drown . Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. Why is this sentence from The Great Gatsby grammatical? You will receive a monthly newsletter with Scriptural teaching plus notifications of any new articles, courses or books. Winthrop Congregational Church, UCC No matter who you are. (it should be added that Plummer himelf does not hold to any of these views.). I used to want the longest life, perfect health and happiness, but really it is that feeling that I am so glad that this isnt all there is and that we have heaven to wait for, and that well be with Jesus, and there will be no more tears Amber VanVickle (1982-2023), The headquarters of the charity, which serves as a consecrated family to 46 disabled children, were badly damaged in major flooding near Rio de Janeiro last year. The lectionary reading for Trinity 1, Year C, is Luke's version of Jesus meeting and healing the demon-possessed man in the 'region of the Gerasenes' (Luke 8.26-39). xii. In addition, Matthew includes the comment, Have You come here to torment us before the time? (Matthew 8:29). 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. The choice is to be free by submission to Christ (cf. He had only known Jesus for a few hours, but had already determined to be Jesus' disciple for life. He also maintains a popular Facebook page. Luke 8:26-39 Mark 5:1-20 ESV - 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. Though Legion bowed before Jesus (verse 6), it was no act of worship (as the King James Version would seem to indicate). These men were a danger to themselves and others. That is why he was living in the solitude of the tombs, away from civilization. (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. What sort of strategies would a medieval military use against a fantasy giant? The entire population of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them because they were seized with great fear. 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. Unbelieving men may not rave and carry on like the Gerasene demoniac, but they are nevertheless under Satans control, doing his bidding. August 2022 Why did Jesus allow the demons to enter the herd of pigs? In other words, even though he set the bar extremely high, he seemed to be a fascinating man. It should also be observed that nowhere in the Old Testament (except in I Sam. In Galilee and Judea there were Messianic hopes which would have been quickly fanned into flames if the miracles of Jesus were too widely publicized. It is very appropriate that these two incidents . John 8:32; Matthew 11:28-30), or to be the pawns of Satan (Ephesians 2:1-2). The people were gentiles who had not yet any interest in the Messiah. 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. Vote Up The time of this event was before Jesus' crucifixion, and before the gentiles were grafted in to the promise (Acts 10). Although God's word does not name which cities were considered part of this region, Pliny's Natural History (c. 77 A.D.) lists these cities as Gerasa, Scythopolis, Hippos, Gadara, Pella, Philadelphia, Capitolias (Dion), Canatha, Raphana and Damascus. 127 The view of Greek philosophy was that these were the spirits of those who lived in the Golden Age. The region was not poor or economically depressed. Why did Jesus not allow demons to proclaim his name, Archaeological or Historical Support for the Gerasene Pigs. to men facing fear and death. They likely were Gentiles and had been under the influence of the demonic principality of the region their whole life. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Where did the demons go after they went into the pigs and caused them to jump to their death. The second question is an ethical one: What right had the Lord to inflict this loss on the owners of the swine?121 Put even more crassly, Huxley censored this act with these words: the wanton destruction of other peoples property is a misdemeanour of evil example.122. Why did the demon-possessed Gadarene bow down before Jesus? The people who witnessed this are . April 2020 That is why he was living in the solitude of the tombs, away from civilization. Gadara is about six miles from the sea. 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. Exercising authority in the land allocated to Abraham, for Israel, the land set aside for God and his people. 21,22). Thats just westernised interpretation which simply doesnt work when interpretating a Jewish book. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. How to prove that the supernatural or paranormal doesn't exist? That is why the inhabitants of the area are referred to variously in different Bible manuscripts as Gergasenes, Gadarenes, or Gerasenes. There seems to be no excuse here for the charge of contradiction. So, they asked Him to leave. 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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