How many men came out to meet Jesus in Gerasene? How ironic, as others have noted, that the tormentor pleads not to be tormented. He was sitting at Jesus feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane (8:35), thus serving as a vivid demonstration of the saving, healing power of Jesus. The Gospel of Luke's version (Luke 8:2639) is shorter than Mark's, but agrees with most of its details. And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. John imagines what the back-story of this man might have been and explores themes of redemption and reconciliation. But sometimes, like the man in Luke 8:26-39, the more difficult call is to go back home. The New Testament writers chose to refer to the area in different ways. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Some illicitly use drugs, supposing that they have them completely under their control. 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. The passage in Daniel especially suggests specific geographical boundaries within which spirit beings must abide. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. They include several splendid temples, theaters, basilica, palaces and baths, with hippodrome and naumachia. This was a federation of ten cities (deka = ten, polis = city). The lesson of this passage is that Satan is a defeated foe. The possessed pigs plunged down a hillside into the lake, where they drowned. Such seems to be a similar case with Judas (John 13:1-2). And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them. Jesus was saying, (demonstrating) that He had all authority, in any land. The gospels. A few men went on to survey the dead floating herd. Men and women (as well as children) were demonized in that they fell under the influence of these unclean spirits. The words "return to your home" must have made this man's heart sink. And now, with the demons gone, nothing he had ever experienced came close to the safety and peace he felt simply being near Jesus. There seems to be no excuse here for the charge of contradiction. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Welcome to Biblical Hermeneutics! As indicated in the textual note, the best Greek text reads Gerasenes in Mark and Luke, Gadarenes in Matthew. No torment. What is this brick with a round back and a stud on the side used for? Gerasa was a city situated near the Jabbok River about eighteen m. E of the Jordan, about twenty m. SE of Pella, and twenty m. N of Philadelphia. As these people began to piece together the previous events, not only of the destruction of the pigs, but also the deliverance of Legion, they began to sense that there was One far more awesome, much more to be feared, than Legion. The story of the Gerasene demoniac is surely one of the strangest in the Gospels. When you get a chance, please take the, New blog post from our CEO Prashanth: Community is the future of AI, Improving the copy in the close modal and post notices - 2023 edition, Does Jesus show compassion to demons in Mark 5:12-13. They look forward to their future with great dread. We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe. about a.d. 65. Even the demons confessed that He was the Son of the Most High (Mark 5:7). [The natural spirit of the man seeking to throw off the dominion of the demons would cry out in agony, and the demons themselves, in their own misery, would use him as a vehicle to express their own grief. The ruins of the town are not considerable; but there are remains of a strong wall which must have surrounded the place. Now he knew better. This is when the storm arose which threatened to destroy the ship (Mark 4:35-41). The drowning of the swine was an accident, possibly simultaneous with the healing, and report mixed up the two incidents. Second (and primarily), Mark employs this event to authenticate the claims of Jesus to be the Son of God and Israels Messiah. A land that was essentially under another god (lower case g). The story begins in the region of the Gerasenes on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. Thank you for all of the ways you have delivered meand still are delivering me. Thus an economic lose of revenue was involved. Jesus, Demoniacs, and Public Authorities: A Socio-Historical Study. War III. Because some confusion exists in the gospel MS evidence and perhaps in other source material, absolute certainty cannot be attained; but the following identification seems correct. In this account we, by inference, learn much about the demonic spirits. 14:22-36. It is also a possibility that in the handing down of New Testament manuscripts over many years, slightly different readings of the same word have developed. You are free to share (to copy, distribute and transmit the work), and remix (to adapt the work), under the condition that you must give appropriate credit to The High Calling, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. The Syrians made reprisals, and took many prisoners. I have always wondered what my Christian brothers had to say to the police officers by way of explanation. The reference could hardly be to the better known Gerasa (Jerash) between thirty and forty miles southeast from the lake. It is a violent tempest, that is, outside of the natural. Gergesa [probably a variation of GerasaCC] was a city about 12 miles to the south-east of Gadara, and about 20 miles to the east of the Jordan. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. Whenever a man, woman, or child surrenders control of himself either to fleshly desires (anger, lust, passion, etc.) The Cross And Unjust Suffering (1 Peter 2:19-25), Highlights in the Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ. (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. Romans 9:19-23). November's featured resource is an Advent poem that John Piper delivered in 1993 at Bethlehem titled "The Gadarene." First of all, the EPA would have been investigating the pollution of Lake Galilee with decaying pigs. What was the country of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes) and why - eBible What does it mean that the name of the demon was Legion? Some appeared not to be oppressed by them so much as exploiting their powers (cf. and thank you for your contribution. Jesus has lead me away from my old life. Then he notes that he was clothed and in his own mind (Luke 8:35). Men in their unbelief suppose that the choice is either to be free (independent of God) or to be the slaves of Christ. Who would have thought that the Son of God looked so much like other Jewish men? 184-185. The textual evidence shows that the MSS preserve three variant spellings of the name in each gospel. A Witness to the Decapolis | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at A miracle performed by Jesus according to the New Testament. Exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac - Wikipedia The story of Jesus casting out the demons from a human and into a herd of swine is well-known, but where it happened, and what it means, are more contentious questions and deserve fuller analysis and discussion. Soon, they gathered around Jesus and the man who had been set free from the demons. Luke 8:26 They arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. 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. This solution is as old as Origen (Commentary on John, VI, 24) who, faced with the textual problem, suggested that the precise site of the healing of Legion was Gergesa, the small town in the territory of Gadara, but hardly in the more remote territory of Gerasa. 5:2-3? Jesus is conscious that He now breaks the power of the devil and his angels because He is the One in whom the dominion of God is present on behalf of humanity. W. Foerster, as quoted by Lane, Mark, fn. 14. 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. 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 . HDB, II, p. 158, 159 for a detailed description.). The entrance of the term into colloquial speech indicates that the Roman occupation was a heavy burden. Bibliography W. A. Thomson, The Land and the Book (1882), 333-338, 353, 359; C. H. Kraeling, Gerasa, City of the Decapolis (1938); The Westminster Historical Atlas to the Bible (1946), 64, 117; M. F. Unger, Archaeology and the NT (1962), 139-141; E. Lohmeyer, Das Evangelium des Markus (1963), 93f; C. F. Pfeiffer, The Biblical World (1966), 252-254. But Jesus had other plans. Those demons were terrified of Him! By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. The truth is that I am both drawn to you because of this and also a bit scared. That would be a strong message, by allowing them to be possessed and then drowned. 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 Response of the People - Mt. 8:28, "And when He had come to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs; they were so exceedingly violent that no one could pass by that road.". Yet how did the Gerasene people respond? May I never send you away from me, even in small things. Capernaum. They asked Jesus to leave that place. However, the point was clearly made; Jesus, the Son of God, has power over all things, including the powers of darkness. (3) Spiritual insight. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. And that Jesus did not actually "send" the devils into the pigs, He merely allowed the demons to go where they themselves chose to go.[3][13][14]. 122 Quoted by Alfred Plummer, The Gospel According to Saint Luke, (Edinburg: T. and T. Clark, 5th ed., 1969): p. 228. One man: Mark 5:1-2, "And they came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the . The stamp of a ship on Gadarene coins suggests that the region called Gadara probably extended to Galilee (McGarvey, n.d., p. 344; McClintock and Strong, 1969, 3: 706). Mark 9:17-29). xvii. The best human analogy might be in the area of drug abuse. (London: InterVarsity Fellowship, 1950), fn. CARM |P.O. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore . 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. At first we may deceive ourselves into thinking that we are controlling them, but the ultimate likelihood is that they will master us. They valued their pigs more than they valued salvation. Gergesa is located, with relative certainty, midway along the E bank of the Sea of Galilee; Gadara is six m. SE from the S end of the Sea of Galilee; and Gerasa is some thirty-five m. SE. 6:30-44. Gerasa; Gerasenes - Meaning and Verses in Bible Encyclopedia Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Our Lord responded sternly by calling this accusation blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and as such was the one unpardonable sin (verses 28-30). verse 5). We see people in other places where he worked miracles, endeavoring to make him their king (Jn 6:15) . Does a password policy with a restriction of repeated characters increase security? In other words, Jesus had caused a loss to them of 2,000 swine already; what else would His presence cost? This location agrees with the description given by the ancient writers. Pigs were seen as unclean animals in the eyes of the people of Israel. This man demonstrated all four characteristics. Lane, Mark, p. 182, fn. 32, after Passover. The forum, with a semicircle of columns still standing, was paved with large cut stones. Probably Capernaum . Afterwards, the man Jesus had rescued from the demons wanted to go with Him, but Jesus sent him to share the good news of the gospel with his own people: "Return to your house, and declare what great things God has done for you." He went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. First let us see what the Sacred Texts says: The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. The Greek word in Matthew 8:28, however, reveals that Jesus went to the country of the Gadarenes (p. 23). Or are we saying, in effect, Jesus, go away!? Home was a place of memories so dark and pain-filled that he likely just wanted to escape them and never go back. [9], The revealing of the demon's name has parallels with other examples in Jewish exorcism lore in the Second Temple period. 9. 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. Was Aristarchus the first to propose heliocentrism? Were the writers of the synoptic gospel accounts confused about where Jesus was when He healed the men? We don't want any more trouble here!" 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. 8:28-29 but only one is Mk. He wasn't very big. While the Jews had not denied the works of Jesus were supernatural, they had declined to admit they established His deity. Theologian Tom Wright calls him "the first apostle to the gentiles". [ a] 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. (6) Tendency towards self-destruction. Let's open our Bibles to the 8th chapter of Luke's gospel. But I know there are ways I do this all the time. Traces of ancient buildings in the vicinity show that there must have been a fairly numerous population in the district.2. (BJ, I, iv, 8). He shivered at the disturbing memory. 124 Augustine: The devils were driven out and permitted to go into the swine; and Aquinas: But that the swine were driven into the sea was no work of the divine miracle, but was the work of the devils by divine permission. Quoted by Trench, Miracles, fn. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Whatever witchcraft Jesus possessed, they wanted it far away from them. Rev. Thank you for giving him new hope. led to the substitute reading Gergesenes, a reading that was suggested by a study of the geography of the area. 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. Excavations at the modern Jarash (by the British and American Schools of Oriental Research and Yale University) clearly show that Gerasa was a large and important city already in Jesus time. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. When addressed, the person was the mouthpiece of the demon (such as Legion, Mark 5:9). His lucid mind mulled over the words, "Son of the Most High God.". Everyone strained for a look at the tomb-man. If an Israelite, why was he in Gerasene in the first place and why was he living so near a large herd of swine? But the people in the town preferred their pigs to Jesus. 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. History:The great and splendid city in the Decapolis is first mentioned as taken after a siege by Alexander Janneus, 85 B.C. It's not them. Reland (Pal, II, 806) notes certain extant coins of Gerasa, from which it is clear that in the 2nd century it was a center of the worship of Artemis. The Good Shepherd will walk with you and protect you on the darkest road (Psalm 23:4). When Jesus asked the demoniac his name, it was not without significance for He was, I believe, asking the demons to reveal their identity. Did the drapes in old theatres actually say "ASBESTOS" on them? He who feared His arrival now dreaded His departure. The best text in Matthew reads Gadarenes, in Mark and Luke it reads Gerasenes, whereas some MSS preserve Gergesenes and Gergustenes (cf. Albert Barnes explained the difference between Gadara and Gerasa: Gadara was a city not far from the Lake Gennesareth, one of the ten cities that were called Decapolis. It was a leading city of Syria in commerce, culture, and religion. He seemed to view Jesus approach as the launching of a direct attack on the demonic forces. The excavations uncovered what is to date the best preserved Rom. There is the so-called demon of doubt, of anger, of overindulgence, of drunkenness, laziness and so on. tar command with and without --absolute-names option. Luke 4:29), Girard comments: "But in these cases, it is not the scapegoat who goes over the cliff, neither is it a single victim nor a small number of victims, but a whole crowd of demons, two thousand swine possessed by demons. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. For those who are shaken like leaves in the wind at the mention of demons, let us remember from this story that demons cannot even possess pigs without prior permission from our Lord. Why are there two demon-possessed men in the Gerasene tombs in Matthew Once a menace to society, now a messenger with words of deliverance and healing. Jerash, ancient Gerasa Where Did Jesus Miracle Occur? He was leaving! His animal-like shrieks must have sent chills up the spines of any who were nearby. This episode plays a key role in the literary critic Ren Girard's theory of the Scapegoat. 13ff.). Matt 10:5-6; 15:24). 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. That is not the choice at all. Fellowship is an irreplaceable means of grace in the Christian life and offers us two priceless joys: receiving Gods grace through the helping words of others and giving his grace to others through our own. Now they would deal with this One greater than he by doing likewise. 1 Response Cindee Snider Re
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