"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. Copyright 2023 EWTN News, Inc. All rights reserved. It had nothing to do the farmers losing revenue - at all. In recent years the matter has been getting uncomfortably close to home. 14. They were not looked upon as necessarily evil in all cases. The word translated windstorm here, and storm in the KJ, is the word lailaps, which is more than just a storm. Reproduction of material from this website without written permission, or unlicensed commercial use or 9. What did we miss because we allowed fear instead of faith to drive our lives? Although Gadarenes and Gergesenes are derived from a different Greek word, they are essentially referring to the same area. The people of Gerasenes were willing to live with the devils they knew - quite literally. 111 Edersheim maintains that it must have been late the same night of the storm: Most writers have, indeed, suggested, that the healing of the demonized on the other side took place at early dawn of the day following the storm on the lake. They have three sons and a daughter (all homeschooled) and reside in southeast Michigan. Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. 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. It should also be observed that nowhere in the Old Testament (except in I Sam. 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. And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts. Why did the demons ask to be cast into the herd of pigs, and why did the pigs then run into the water to be drowned? Once a menace to society, now a messenger with words of deliverance and healing. 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. They were content where they were. The particular focus of this mans testimony was the Decapolis region. 0 Responses The lose of the pigs meant loose of partial income in the area. 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. "I am afraid of Trump on a very personal level because I don't think he likes me. The people were more terrified of Jesus and His authority than they were of this crazed and demonized man living among the tombs. 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. The account occurs in all three Synoptic gospels; in Mark (the shortest gospel) the story is in the longest and most detailed version; Matthew 8.28-34 is the shortest, Catholic Church. There is no true freedom and fulfillment apart from Jesus Christ, the Creator and Redeemer of men. April 2016 April 2022 Rev. Their influence and control leads to untold agony and destruction. June 2015 The occult and every front for demonic influence and activity should be avoided like the plague. 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. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. 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! monetization of National Catholic Register RSS feeds is strictly prohibited. As C. S. Lewis aptly put it: There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. Its ruins include two amphitheaters, a basilica, temple, a hippodrome, aqueducts and colonnades, showing its importance and stature. For some people, the cost is too high. 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. Life with him would be heaven on earth. The people were gentiles who had not yet any interest in the Messiah. The ego is so impaired that the spirits speak through him. Men and women (as well as children) were demonized in that they fell under the influence of these unclean spirits. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. The entrance of the term into colloquial speech indicates that the Roman occupation was a heavy burden. 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). Another reason could be as Dr. R.C. and our Did Jesus command the demon before he fell on his knees in Mark 5:6? And, lastly, this would allow sufficient time for those miracles which took place on that second day in Capernaum after His return thither. (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. 8ff.). How Satan blinds our minds! Will they be rejected? 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. 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. The confrontation of Jesus and the Gerasene demoniac made it clear that Jesus was no servant of Satan. Acts 19:16). Today, it is identified with El-Koursi or Kursi. 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. We are seeking a replacement and hope to have it in your newspaper soon. Such was the case with this man (cf. 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! The demoniac further evidenced demon activity by the depth of his spiritual insight. or by some form of self-emptying (such as various forms of eastern meditation) in my opinion, they are in a precarious position. Having been properly warned of the demonic underworld, let us not fall into the opposite error of absolute paranoia. Note: 'had the legion', i.e., the many unclean spirits inhabiting him. 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. Renew or manage your subscription here. 110 C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (New York: The Macmillan Co., 1971), p. 3. In addition, Matthew includes the comment, Have You come here to torment us before the time? (Matthew 8:29). Jesus had actually helped them. The typical explanation for the petition of the residents that Christ leave their country is that they were motivated by materialistic considerations. There was no such danger in Perea, and thus the mercy of the Lord was to be heralded. In this story, we have a demon-possessed Gadarene who saw Jesus from a distance, and immediately he appeared to have felt a strong compulsion to run up to Jesus and bow down before him. 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. Jesus had simply sailed across the Lake of Galilee to the region of the Gerasenes. It is in no way certain, however, that the pig raisers were Jews. Evil is self-defeating in the end. . Although it is likely that the larger towns of Galilee were predominantly Gentile, as was the Decapolis, the first-century civilian diet did not . Norval Geldenhuys, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1951), p. 174. Jesus had freed the man and for a reason known only to Himself, He had granted the demons request to go into a nearby herd of pigs rather than go into the Abyss [bottomless pit]. December 2017 and thank you for your contribution. These men were a danger to themselves and others. Whenever a man, woman, or child surrenders control of himself either to fleshly desires (anger, lust, passion, etc.) The Lord granted the only request of these residents, which was for Him to leave. Based on all the evidence we have seen over the past four months with regards to ChatGPT and how it can be manipulated or even how it will lie . You can flip a coin hoping for heads, but you know that tails is a very real probability. Christians are to be the answer, but often they are part of the problem. The region was known also as the Decopolis because ten Greek cities were located in the region. 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. But for most of us, the world and the flesh are all that are necessary to cause us to stumble. September 2018 Instead of opening themselves up to Jesus and receiving His love and forgiveness, they allowed fear to drive a wedge between them. You will receive a monthly newsletter with Scriptural teaching plus notifications of any new articles, courses or books. Who do you care more about, people or pigs? October 2017 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. He said unexpected things and lived by a high ethical standard. This story is a little bit of an Easter story. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 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). This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was better known.. Vote Up For many Christians today, the horrifying experience of Legion should be sufficient testimony of the reality of the Satanic underworld. Such must have been the response of those with our Lord. The US Congress is currently debating whether TikTok should be banned for everyone in the US, not just government officials. I will not ask him to leave. 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. Immediately, as this weary group disembarked from the ship, they were met by what appeared to be a madman. No matter who you are. 26). I think all these attempts to harmonize what may at first seem like a contradiction are plausible, respectable, and adequate. 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. April 2021 123 1. Rather, they attributed the power of Jesus to Satan (Mark 3:22). 61-62. (2) Anti-social behavior. 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. 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. They are happy in their sin and the consequences seem far away. 2,8) who can possess men and animals. 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. Such seems to be a similar case with Judas (John 13:1-2). So he got into a boat and returned. Even in our sophisticated times, there is an intense interest in the supernatural and the occult. 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. He obviously attracted crowds. 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). September 2016 Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. In Jewish thinking, spirit beings were assigned to certain geographical territories.120. While the Jews had not denied the works of Jesus were supernatural, they had declined to admit they established His deity. But, the context is not going to be comfortable (accepted by) to some traditional understandings. January 2016 Only 30 of 175 dioceses ordained an average number of priests at or above replacement level over the five years from 2016 to 2021, according to the report. 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. Not long after that, while I was still a student in seminary, there was a car parked by the seminary in a somewhat suspicious manner and I called the police to check it out. 184-185. You might be thinking back to Easter and not recall very many hogs showing up except for at Easter supper. 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. ), you also need to understand the significance of this - to the people in Gerasene. How do I connect these two faces together? 4. (4) Super-human strength. The subject of demons and demon possession has always seemed somewhat remote and academic to sophisticated 20th century Americans. Though Legion bowed before Jesus (verse 6), it was no act of worship (as the King James Version would seem to indicate). It is ironic that while the demons didnt want to leave the country, the dwellers of that land didnt want the Messiah to stay. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Then the SPCA would have been up in arms over such cruelty to animals. 2ff., xvv. Luke seems to base this fear solely upon what happened to the demoniac, not on the loss of their pigs.

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