The Gospel of Mark: The Gerasene Demoniac, Pt. I

They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; and he shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; and the unclean spirits begged him, “Send us into the swine; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea. ~ Mark 5:1-13



Mark is generally speaking not one to go into too much description. He likes to keep things moving.

So that makes this scene all the most stark for me. This image of a man, living among tombs: howling and hurting himself with the chains that can't keep him bound. It is such a vivid picture. And a healing Mark spends time on.

As with other times, these unclean spirits, like others before them, know who Jesus is. They call out his name before he even has a chance to speak. 

What strikes me this time when I read it - and I always love when I notice something again as if for the first time - that the man, possessed as he is, runs to Jesus and bows before him.

There are two ways to take this. First, it could be the demons themselves who know they've met the one who will defeat them, and the bow in submission.

Or, this man, who is possessed, is able enough to find Jesus and stoop down at his feet, before the spirits again take hold of him and cause him to yell out.

Either way, it's a powerful image. The supernatural forces already know that Jesus is not one they can stand against.

And this man, though he isn't able to ask with his own words for healing, is nevertheless brought down to the one who is the ultimate healer.

How often is it, I wonder, when our bodies know what we need even before we do? Even before we've been able to form words to ask for help, or even before our brain has processed it?

And the Creator of all, the One who formed those bodies, knows as well what healing we need, even before we know it ourselves.


Holy God, thank you for the gospel - the good news - of your Son. Open my mind and heart to this good news and enliven me with your Spirit of servanthood that I might share this good news with a world in need. Amen


Engagement Question:

When has God known what healing you needed before you knew yourself?


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