Mark 5 Devotional

Intro/Reading

Mark 5:1–20 NIV

They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

The Power’s at Play

The Demonic Powers. This is an impure Spirit later we find out its actually many impure spirits that call themselves legion.

Lets talk about the power that they hold. They torment a man. Who is cast off from Society. Compelled to cry out and hurt himself.

No one can stop this Power. The poor man is forced to live among the dead in chains. No one can control him and He seems to no longer control himself. Until another power steps on the scene in Verse 7.

Jesus: the demon rightly identify Jesus as the Son of the Most High God. Even the demons acknowlege his power to command even what men cannot tame.

I think there is a key lesson we can glean here. In the text there is a problem. Demon’s, sin, evil whatever you want to call it.

The people cannot overcome it, but they still try to manage it, by tying up this man and forcing him to live among the tombs. It makes me wonder how often we try to manage evil and even sin in our own lives instead of coming to a higher power for freedom and relief.

Jesus speaks with the demon and sends the demons into a herd of pigs and they dive into a the sea.

Now, we must understand that the Pigs going into the sea is very cultural. The sea was known in that cultural as a place of both chaos and death. In short the demons are bing sent where they belong. Not in a man, but in Chaos and Death.

What do we take from this?

Jesus has power and authority overall all. His reign is absolute.

We also see How much God values human life. 2000 pigs are lost in this deliverance. Even by today’s standards that is a significant investment. It wouldve certainly disrupted the Local power. But, here we see that to Jesus the value of one man’s freedom and health is far more valuable than thousands in investments.

It makes me wonder, are there things that we value more than the well being of other humans? This makes us question what we put value on? How much would we be willing to give up to bring freedom to another human?

This Event brings another Power to the Forefront of the Story: The People.

The Power of the People

Think about the power that the people have in this story. The people have forced this man into chains. The people have forced him to live among the tombs. We see that fear is the driving force behind the people. They see that there pigs are lost and the man that was previously possessed has been healed and their response is not praise, but fear.

They were comfortable when this man was possessed. They were comfortable when they had their pigs. Now that the situation has changed and they are no longer in control of the man or the pigs. They are afraid. They can’t cope and they push Jesus out.

In the Story, God’s power challenges the demonic, but it also challenges the comfortable. It makes me wonder, if these powers of fear and comfortably have control over our lives? We have to ask ourselves, Do we want what God wants or our comfort, control and possessions?

The people dont want Jesus, they dont want his power and it even seems that they dont want the healed man as the man asks to Go with Jesus. Jesus tells him since He has been redeemed and transformed, He now has a mission. a Task a Testimony. Which leads us to the final power in this Text. The power of Testimony.

The Power of Testimony. Jesus tells the man, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

When we think about sharing testimony we think its not worth sharing unless its a big story or big transformation. But look at what Jesus says to the man. Jesus doesnt say, Go share your huge story of deliverance and transformation.

Jesus says, Go share the people what the Lord has done and how the Lord has had mercy on you.

The subject of Both sentences is the Lord not the man. Testimony isnt about us or what we can say, but God and What He has done for us and the mercy that He has shown us.