Why is this even an issue, I wonder? Spam. There probably were not many who had been told yet of the Messiah, and so were not yet believers. In contrast, the people of Gerasene are asking him to leave their place. December 2022 Nor was it the Jewish population of Galilee. It had nothing to do the farmers losing revenue - at all. The pigs had been driven mad and rushed down a steep slope plunging into the lake and drowning. Accordingly this was not merely an ordinary form of mental disease as some writers have alleged, but a special phenomenon which was particularly frequent during Jesus earthly sojourn and thus was directly connected with His coming to destroy the power of darkness. Mark 3:14). December 2015 Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. Demonized individuals are not to be viewed so much as a pigeon hole category, as they are a continuem. 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. Such an entreaty can be addressed by them to only God. 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. They liked Him and wanted to be with Him. Gospel Parallels: The Gerasene Demoniac - READ-SCRIPTURE.COM This name (Strong's #G3003) is a reference to a Roman military regiment that varied in soldier strength from 4,000 to 6,000. Top Ten Reasons Why There Were Pigs In Gerasenes Remember the story of Jesus casting demons out of the crazy man in Luke 8? (London: InterVarsity Fellowship, 1950), fn. 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. Why would God tell King David to take a census of the people in verses one through nine, and then cast judgment on him because he did what he told him to do? He obviously attracted crowds. That is why he was living in the solitude of the tombs, away from civilization. Such was the case with this man (cf. August 2015 They had dealt with Legion (I suspect) by forcing him from their presence. By His power, we, too, are able to overcome Satans treacheries. Gergesa - Wikipedia (5) Torment. Is it a bug? Pastor Chrissy is a native of East Tennessee. What did Jesus mean when he said only prayer can cast out this demon? Definition of Gadarenes (Gergesenes) in the Bible - Bible Study There was no such danger in Perea, and thus the mercy of the Lord was to be heralded. 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. Immediately, as this weary group disembarked from the ship, they were met by what appeared to be a madman. I felt somewhat guilty, particularly fearing that I may have created an unintentional hardship for some classmate. So who was afraid? to sign up for our free Water Of The Word newsletter at the top of any page! By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. 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. 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. 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). If we put ourselves in their place, and use empathy to feel how we might have reacted if we were confronted with the loss of our next year's source of feeding our families, it will be easier to understand that they were afraid to suffer any other loss that might result if Jesus stayed in their area. March 2017 Another indication of demonic control is the fact that this man was continually doing harm to himself by gashing himself with stones (verse 5). If Jesus had that kind of power, then He could not be controlled. So much pain, so much sin. in a crowd in a crowd where many people were bumping into Him? February 2022 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). Matthew 12:43-45). 115 While Mark and Luke describe only one demoniac, Matthew informs us that there were two. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Pig carcasses were washing ashore and drifting out to sea. What was the country of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes) and why is it The drowning of the swine was an accident, possibly simultaneous with the healing, and report mixed up the two incidents. He said unexpected things and lived by a high ethical standard. It might be better to hide behind masks than risk being hurt again After all, if God rejects youwhere else can you go? Gergesenes is also in some manuscripts (Khersa or Gersa was a town actually on the shore of the sea). Perhaps they clenched their fists or picked up driftwood with which to defend themselves. The spread of cholera was linked to the movements of . A crowd had come to see what had happened for themselves. Daniel 10:13; Ephesians 6:12), whose leader and prince is Satan (Matthew 12:24). From this point on, Jesus began to speak to the crowds in parables in order to veil or conceal the gospel from those who had blasphemed the Holy Spirit (Mark 4:lff). In addition, Matthew includes the comment, Have You come here to torment us before the time? (Matthew 8:29). Why was Jesus going to walk past the disciples as they were rowing on the Sea of Galilee? 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. In both the accounts of Mark and Luke, the primary motivation is described as that of fear. 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! Crazy question or.? Asked October 24 2014 Acts 19:16). John 8:32; Matthew 11:28-30), or to be the pawns of Satan (Ephesians 2:1-2). 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. The Man from the Tombs: Christ Speaks to the Problem of Spiritual What were the women in Mark 16:8 afraid of? Lane believes the modern Kersa is the most likely place: The point of arrival is indicated in a general way as the district of the Gerasenes, most probably in reference to a town whose name is preserved in the modern Kersa or Koursi. Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus? June 2020 Then people came to see what it was that had happened. When addressed, the person was the mouthpiece of the demon (such as Legion, Mark 5:9). The best human analogy might be in the area of drug abuse. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. "The trains were . There is, as we know, the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Matthew 8:4; Luke 8:56). (2) Anti-social behavior. This is probably the Gerasa of Mark and Luke. The swine then immediately killed themselves by rushing off a cliff. For the Christian, there are two extremes which must be avoided with reference to Satanic activity. xvii. The people of Gerasenes were willing to live with the devils they knew - quite literally. 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). Jesus asked a sick man if he wanted to get well. The US Congress is currently debating whether TikTok should be banned for everyone in the US, not just government officials. 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! seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. For the reason why this is so we refer the reader to the introduction preceding the exposition of verses 33-7. The best known Gerasa was a Greek city nearly forty miles southeast of the lake (modern village of Khersa, on the east shore of the lake. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023, Highlights in the Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ. Some today have given demons far more than their due by blaming demons for every malady of mankind. As has been said before, look for Satans man behind the pulpit. 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. March 2018 Where did the demons go after they went into the pigs and caused them to jump to their death. 122 Quoted by Alfred Plummer, The Gospel According to Saint Luke, (Edinburg: T. and T. Clark, 5th ed., 1969): p. 228. May 2017 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. When the pigs were sent into the sea, the people of Gadara lost money. (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. . Neither is it only a kind of physical disease, although spiritual and physical disease often accompany it (e.g. Slain Los Angeles auxiliary bishop was remembered at the Mass of Christian burial as friend of Jesus Christ and of Mary, our Blessed Mother.. September 2020 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. 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. The particular focus of this mans testimony was the Decapolis region. 184-185. November 2021 Jesus asked some crazy questions like "Why are you afraid?" Why is there a voltage on my HDMI and coaxial cables? EIN 27-4581132 He who feared His arrival now dreaded His departure. Here in Mark, he purposely set out to travel into another land. The region is located east of the Jordan River and southeast of the Sea of Galilee. The demoniac was uncontrollable by any of the normal means of human confinement. Afraid of Jesus? | Sermons | College Park Church 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. Gerasa, Gadara, Gergesa - from where did the pigs stampede? His greatest impact would be on those who knew his former state. Luke 8:25 "Where is your faith?" He asked. Frightened and amazed, they 68f. monetization of National Catholic Register RSS feeds is strictly prohibited. We are seeking a replacement and hope to have it in your newspaper soon. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. The subject of demons and demon possession has always seemed somewhat remote and academic to sophisticated 20th century Americans. The pig tenders reported it far and wide, in city and country (verse 14). January 2018 Also, frequently associated with demon possession was a super-human strength (cf. Give a Gift SubscriptionBless friends, family or clergy with a gift of the Register. (3) Spiritual insight. 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. There is no conflict, however, for Mark and Luke have apparently focused their attention on the most striking of the two. Significantly, the demons are called unclean spirits (verse 2,9). 125 This is the position of Lane, Mark, p. 187. December 2017 He was also humorous in his answers. Now they were delivered and ready to be productive members of society. Jesus has lead me away from my old life. 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. And they were afraid. Swine were unclean animals according to the Torah. The passage in Daniel especially suggests specific geographical boundaries within which spirit beings must abide. It was scary. Matthew 8:28 - 29, 31, 34And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. The house that is left swept and clean is a likely target for Satanic influence (cf. And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another . Why do people like Jesus a lot? 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! 2,8) who can possess men and animals. What they were not willing to accept was the frightening power that could cure him. Region of the Gerasenes - Fire and Light The first two are in the Authorized Version. 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. September 2022 The region and polygon don't match. 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 name "Gerasenes" is to be associated with the modern city of Jerash, located in Transjordan, 22 miles N of Amman." John McRay, "Gerasenes," ed. 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. 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. 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.