Blaming of the Pigs

Mark 5:6-20

Mark 5:6–20 (CSB)

6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and knelt down before him. 7 And he cried out with a loud voice, “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you before God, don’t torment me!” 8 For he had told him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”

9 “What is your name?” he asked him.

“My name is Legion,” he answered him, “because we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the region.

11 A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside. 12 The demons begged him, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned there.

14 The men who tended them ran off and reported it in the town and the countryside, and people went to see what had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and told about the pigs. 17 Then they began to beg him to leave their region.

18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him earnestly that he might remain with him. 19 Jesus did not let him but told him, “Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So he went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.

Here we read that the demons consisting of this “Legion” wanted to stay. The begged the Lord not to torment them, or to send them OUT of the region.

But then, after the people of this region saw the miracle of a man released from the grip of a legion of terrifying spirits, they were amazed at the miraculous transformation and work that Jesus did among them in this man,

They begged Jesus, the Waymaker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, the liberator, the healer to leave the region.

This tells us that the people of the region in this case, preferred to have the demons rule there instead of being liberated by Jesus.

We aren’t told why, but we can logically assume its because they were more comfortable with the demonic presence there than in the influence of the Holy Spirits influence in their lives.

-Jesus, please leave?

Does this story sound familiar?

Since 1962, the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that school-mandated prayers in public schools are unconstitutional.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_prayer_in_the_United_States#:~:text=Since%201962%2C%20the%20

Supreme%20Court,in%20public%20schools%20are%20unconstitutional.)

Jesus was already in our schools. The Holy Spirit’s influence was there among them. But, the peoples of the region wanted Him to leave the region.

Now, this generation have to deal with another legion of demons who have taken over the region and refuse to leave.

We don’t know why He allowed them to enter into the swine. We do know that the swine are unclean to the Jews.

So, we can assume the region he was in, was a gentile area.

Neither do we know for sure why the pigs ran straight for the cliffs.

Some say it was the demons did it so the loss of profit from the swine would anger the people into running Jesus off.

They can try blaming the pigs, but its deeper than that.

Regardless, these people saw the miracle and the power of Jesus to change lives, and it scared them.

They ran Him off.

-Quenching the Holy Spirit

While pastoring in Rural Missouri quite a few years back, we were praying for healings.

There quite a few ill people in that church.

To which, one older woman stood up in the middle of the prayer, picked up her walker and threw it into the isle.

Then she began walking down the isle unaided with her hands lifted high praising Jesus.

I had never experienced anything like that before.

Of course I knew how the lady walked. She needed the walker.

I was elated and caught up in the moment.

But, from the corner of my eye, I plainly saw one of the other ladies there roll her eyes as if in disgust.

Here was the same scenario,

Jesus showed up, healed this woman of her difficulty in walking, them some of the people in that region asked Him to leave.

I was so despondent, I could not believe this.

The church never recovered from that day.

Both women have since gone on to be with the Lord, and the church has since closed its doors.

The rest of the story in the Bible, just as Jesus granted the demons to enter into the heard of pigs when asked of Him,

He also granted the request of the people of the region, and He left.

But something interesting happened.

-Please Jesus, if you wont stay, take me with you

The man who was healed, he recognized the blessing, and begged Jesus to take him with.

Mark 5:18 (CSB)

18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him earnestly that he might remain with him.

You see, it was he had who recieved the miracle, wanted Jesus to stay with him. When he saw Jesus leaving, he begged to go with.

He took it personally, he knew the value of having been hopelessly tormented by a legion of things in his life that were all together out of his control,

And then all of the sudden, Jesus shows up, and liberates him.

He had the right idea didn’t he?

What about us?

How do we react to the saving grace of Jesus?

Many may think to themselves,

well, I haven’t really needed to be saved in a such a way.

I would never put myself in a position of risks.

I am responsible,

I am careful, etc.

Let me tell you something, even with all of

your money,

Your success,

your education

You upbringing

Your own wisdom and genius

-Without Jesus, we are nothing but sinners

Without the saving grace of Jesus, you and all of your accomplishments are nothing but a filthy rag before the Lord.

Isaiah 64:6 (CSB)

6 All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment; all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

No, I think this generation may more like the nine Lepers that Jesus healed of Leprosy.

There were ten of them the Bible tells us, but only one gave thanks to Jesus and praised Him for it.

Luke 17:15-17 (CSB)

15 But one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. 16 He fell facedown at his feet, thanking him. And he was a Samaritan.

17 Then Jesus said, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Didn’t any return to give glory to God except this foreigner?”

The day that you recieved the Lord as your Lord and Savior, He healed you of a disease too.

The disease He healed you from is called “Sin”

But, unfortunately like many so called devout serious Christians, or like that the older woman who rolled her eyes at a miraculous healing,

Once we see the power of Jesus truly moving in our lives we get scared.

Things about us start changing, or we get uncomfortable with Him,

Instead of you calling the shots in your life,

Do you ask Jesus to leave?

No! He just got there. Why on earth would you ask him to leave?

When I see the things happening in the church, with so many people being baptized and the membership growing,

It tells me that Jesus came back into the region. Amen!

This is not a time to get uncomfortable with the changes He makes,

This is not a time to grip about problems in the past.

This is not a time to try to regain human control of the influence of the Holy Spirit,

Its time to beg Jesus to stay.

Its time to bring everyone else in the community and tell them Jesus is here again.

Its not a time to roll your eyes in disgust, quenching the Spirit.

Don’t you realize, If you are not Him, you are against Him?

-Jesus, come back

At the first sign that people who love the Lord, and know the value of His presence, see that others are wanting Jesus to leave,

Then as for me I will be like the healed man running after Jesus begging Him to take me with Him where ever He goes next.

See, the Bible tells us that Jesus knows which of us really want to be with Him.

Sure, of course every one is amazed at the supernatural.

Just as everyone is happy when they face a need in their lives, and Jesus comes to save the day.

But, its a different story when they don’t seem to want the rest of Jesus.

Many don’t understand that the miracles and the saving you from a dark place or circumstance isn’t designed for you to just be freed from your torment

But for you to follow after Him.

This is why many upon receiving Jesus their lives seem to be heading in the right direction, then something happens, and they start stumbling along the way.

This friends is when Jesus gets in His boat, and leaves, or as John tells us

John 2:23–25 (CSB)

23 While he was in Jerusalem during the Passover Festival, many believed in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. 24 Jesus, however, would not entrust himself to them, since he knew them all 25 and because he did not need anyone to testify about man; for he himself knew what was in man.

You see, many of us want Jesus as our Savior. No one really wants to go to hell.

But it is obvious in our churches, families, communities, etc, that not all want Jesus as their Lord.

He is our Lord. We should act like it.

I rememeber explaining the gospel the a younger brother. In this conversation he got irritated by asking, “So what, are we supposed to be in constant praise all time?”

I looked at him and said, “Bingo, now you’ve got it!”

-Nine Lepers

Listen, to not live according to the gospel as a Christian is no different than the nine lepers who were healed alright but never returned to thank the healer.

How are we supposed to live as Christians then?

-Honor Him by serving Him

By serving Him!

How?

By what ever means He has called you too.

If you don’t know what He has called you too, spend more time with Him.

Trust the scripture, because He will reveal it to you.

To some it may be serving in the church, to others serving out side of church.

Regardless, you will be honoring Him.

Ask the Lord to have Him reveal to you how He would like you to serve.

Even when you don’t feel like it.

The more time you spend with Jesus, the more you will want.

The more you will appreciate and value what He did for you on that cross.

Once when our kids were little, we took the kids to the Holy Land Experience in Orlando Florida.

While there we planned to go to Daytona Beach, and to spend the day at the ocean.

My Jacob was adamant that he wasn’t going to swim in the ocean. He, like his dad, was afraid of sharks and jellyfish, or whatever lurks under the water,

But, once he got there, inched his way little by little, he finally realized he really enjoyed swimming in the ocean.

It’s the same way with serving.

It may not be something you absolutely enjoy doing but once you get started, you end up being blessed because of it.

And not only that, you will end up being a blessing to some one else.