The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. The time of this event was before Jesus' crucifixion, and before the gentiles were grafted in to the promise (Acts 10). They found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. Matthew 8:28 - 29, 31, 34And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. Why did Jesus allow the demons to enter the herd of pigs? 3 When the centurion 2 heard about Jesus, c he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his . The Lord refused this request and commissioned this delivered man to return to his own people and declare to them what God had done for him. June 2017 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear (Luke 8:35-37). David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 991. 127 The view of Greek philosophy was that these were the spirits of those who lived in the Golden Age. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Such was the case with this man (cf. Unfortunately, Christians [or those using the name] can be harsh, condemning and critical driving people further into sin and away from God. The people who witnessed this are . Pigs were specifically set aside as the animal used in sacrifices to their god. August 2015 Gadara, though not directly named in Scripture, was part of the Decapolis. They liked Him and wanted to be with Him. We dismiss it the more readily, that, in our view, it conveys a wrong impression. Whereas he had been a slave, he was now delivered from demon possession. 2,8) who can possess men and animals. Demonic influence further destroys mans reflection of God as originally designed.128 Demons have great spiritual insight and reluctantly submit to Jesus as Lord of all. Nor was it the Jewish population of Galilee. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. April 2022 Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. He who feared His arrival now dreaded His departure. Privacy Policy. 606-607. Bill Maher says he's scared of former President Trump "on a very personal level" and "what he would do" to the comedian if he were to win the 2024 White House race. The particular focus of this mans testimony was the Decapolis region. Cookie Notice rev2023.3.3.43278. where something similar occurs) is a demon-possession mentioned, and that outside the Gospels it is referred to only twice in the New Testament (Acts xvi. Luke 8:26And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. Life with him would be heaven on earth. March 2021 A word of clarification is in order here for we must recognize that in this account the dark side of Satan is exposed, but this is perhaps the more unusual side of Satan. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. This supposition would be further confirmed, if the evening when Jesus embarked was what the Jews were wont to call the first evening, that is, the time when the sun was declining in the heaven, but before it had actually set, the latter time being the second evening. For it seems most unlikely that multitudes would have resorted to Jesus at Capernaum after the second evening, or that either the disciples or other boats would have put to sea after nightfall. In other words, even though he set the bar extremely high, he seemed to be a fascinating man. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. It was opposite Galilee. Smiths Bible Dictionary provides what I find to be a quite plausible explanation (not special pleading at all), and analogous to how we still use place names today: These three names are used indiscriminately to designate the place where Jesus healed two demoniacs. 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. August 2018 French Monastery Survives War and Famine After 885 Years, the Basilica of St. Ambrose in Milan, and More Great Links! 7. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. As always, we must begin with the principle: Interpretation is one, application is many. He was also humorous in his answers. September 2018 Jesus did say to count the cost [Luke 14:28-33]. A Jewish exorcist with such authority in the region, risked to damage the beliefs and reputation of the local pagan inhabitants. The price tag of possession was high, for those who fell victim to the demons agonized in constant torment. His website/blog, Biblical Evidence for Catholicism, has been online since March 1997. 68f. And when the man spoke to Jesus, it looks like the demons inside the man were the ones doing the speaking. 18). This incident in the Gerasenes requires some entry understanding. Many New Testament manuscripts refer to the "Country of the Gadarenes" or "Gerasenes" rather than the Gergesenes. Matthew is habitually more oriented to a Jewish readership, and so he refers to Gadarenes because Gadara was the most important Jewish city in the area. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine . If anything, that would have made them angry. The nearby townspeople, upon hearing of the great miracle (and not wanting to suffer further economic loss), begged Christ to leave the Gadarenes and never come back! In fact the region was known as the Gadarenes-Gerasenes region. Into the country of the Gadarenes, or rather, Gera-senes, which is now generally admitted to be the true reading, from Gerasa, Gersa, or Kersa.There was another Gerasa, situated at some distance from the sea, on the borders of Arabia Petraea. Early Christians like St. Polycarp clearly held the Catholic view on salvation. August 2016 Lets learn why. March 2020 December 2016 Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. More from Medium Jameson Steward in. But, Im telling you. In the form of tongues as of fire, the Holy Spirit rests on the disciples on the morning of Pentecost and fills them with himself. (CCC 696). December 2021 (2) Anti-social behavior. 28); Mark the country of the Gerasenes (v. 1), and Luke, probably, the country of the Gergesenes (viii. Why is that. Lets face it, we all like to be in control. 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, July 2022 Jesus never interacted with people as they were, but as He knew they were created to be. Can devils entreat in such a manner any highest of angels, be he Michael, Gabriel or Raphael, or any greatest cherub or seraph? Where it falls apart for me is why the Bellonas, knowing that only one person is allowed to survive each duel, take the defeat so personally. I understand why," the HBO "Real Time" host told Jake Tapper on Tuesday as part . They were not looked upon as necessarily evil in all cases. I would like to invite you to return to where we left off a few weeks ago in our studies in the gospel of Mark. 184-185. In Mark 1:5 it is used of the land of Judaea (KJV) and in Acts 10:39, to land of the Jews (KJV). 10). They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. And, Gerasene was one. Copyright 2023 EWTN News, Inc. All rights reserved. Jewish theology, at least on this point, seems consistent with biblical revelation. 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. Now they would deal with this One greater than he by doing likewise. of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were So he got into the boat and left. The country of the Gadarenes (Gergesenes) is one of the few areas Jesus visited where Gentiles (non-Jews) composed the majority of the population. In addition, Matthew includes the comment, Have You come here to torment us before the time? (Matthew 8:29). Bible-believing Christians have always accepted the fact of demons and their activity in New Testament times, but most of us are inclined to relegate demonic activity in these days to pagan lands and missionary experiences. 13; Luke iv. Instead, they reject Him because all they know is His power and purity. November 2020 When addressed, the person was the mouthpiece of the demon (such as Legion, Mark 5:9). Just as demons desire to possess persons through whom they can exhibit their personalities, so the Spirit of God indwells man, imparting new life, and progressively gaining control so that the character of God is exhibited, but not in such a way as to hinder our individuality and identity. Luke 8:26-39 Mark 5:1-20 ESV - 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. A land that was essentially under another god (lower case g). Jesus showed to the local population the inferiority of pagan life. Just imagine, a man in a cinema, having bought popcorn and cola and watching an action movie, with a lot of violence and harsh language in it, and then he sees suddenly that a saintly bishop is sitting just next to his seat, not watching the movie, but reading silently psalms with a countenance radiating a deep contemplation; will not the first man be upset and lose all pleasure of watching the movie? Romans 9:19-23). Confusion, fear in moments after crash "There were many big pieces of steel," said Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who said he was one of the first people on the scene. Wikipedia states about it: In the second half of the 1st century AD, the city of Jerash achieved great prosperity.. In Jewish thinking, spirit beings were assigned to certain geographical territories.120. 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? By His power, we, too, are able to overcome Satans treacheries. Those who have witnessed demon possession tell us that each demon has its own distinct personality and that the individual possessed begins to manifest the distinct personality of the demon by which he is possessed. Nevertheless, for consideration. Even in our sophisticated times, there is an intense interest in the supernatural and the occult. 37Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. March 2017 HELPING CHRISTIANS BUILD POSITIVE, GODLY FAMILIES, CHURCHES, AND NATIONS, Follow us on social media for daily Scripture comments and more at. https://www.ncregister.com/blog/gerasene-or-gadarene-swine, What Archaeology Tells Us About Joshuas Conquest, 50 Verses to Help You Prepare for Pentecost, St. Polycarp, Who Learned the Faith From an Apostle, Did Not Believe in Faith Alone, The Three Kinds of Atheists, and How to Respond to Them, We Know That Hes in Heaven: Thousands Gather for Funeral of Bishop David OConnell in Los Angeles, Archbishop Naumann and Bishop Paprocki Speak Out in Support of Traditional Latin Massgoers in Their Dioceses, Survey: Decline in Vocations to the Priesthood Is Worse Where Priests Serve Larger Flocks, God Really Intervened: How a Catholic Priest Escaped From His Kidnappers in Haiti, Amber and Dave VanVickle on Finding God in the Midst of Suffering. Mark 5:16 says the thoughts of the people were on the swine. 4, p. 180. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Is it a bug? And they were afraid. This was a federation of ten cities (deka = ten, polis = city). 3. November 2016 No matter where you are on life's journey you are welcome here! No matter who you are. January 2016 Horoscopes and astrological predictions are found in most major newspapers. What sort of strategies would a medieval military use against a fantasy giant? . Some today have given demons far more than their due by blaming demons for every malady of mankind. Now they were delivered and ready to be productive members of society. The healing of the demoniacs and the repulse of the Healer by the inhabitants are historical, but the incident of the swine is a later figment. The spectrum ranges from those who seem to control the demonic powers to those who are utterly controlled by them. Matthew 9:2-8 Why was "This man is blaspheming" considered an evil thought without knowing Jesus' identity? Others are absolutely controlled (hooked) by the drug and totally dependent upon it. For example, He didnt condemn a prostitute for her actions, He saw a daughter of God who was valuable beyond measure and only needed genuine love and forgiveness. The pigs had been driven mad and rushed down a steep slope plunging into the lake and drowning. April 2021 May 2017 What they were not willing to accept was the frightening power that could cure him. Perhaps they clenched their fists or picked up driftwood with which to defend themselves. xx. Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus? But let us return to the gist of the matter: if Christ showed them His Divinity through the reason given above, is it easy to be in the presence of God? 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). . Another reason they may have been afraid of Jesus was the realization that if they accepted Him, it would mean a radical change of lifestyle. April 2018 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). So he got into a boat and returned. Asked October 24 2014 (3) Spiritual insight. There is the so-called demon of doubt, of anger, of overindulgence, of drunkenness, laziness and so on. The Politics of Luke 8:26-39. A crowd had come to see what had happened for themselves. 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 . 36 Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. Is there a single-word adjective for "having exceptionally strong moral principles"? How ironic, as others have noted, that the tormentor pleads not to be tormented. As we pass from this section to the next, let us not end on the note of the death of the pigs, but on the deliverance of the demoniac. March 2022 Other demoniacs described in Scripture were bent on self-destruction as well (cf. Why would God tell King David to take a census of the people in verses one through nine, and then cast judgment on him because he did what he told him to do? They would have to trust Jesus. June 2020 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! This was surely not so in every case, and perhaps in none. The people (nations) were divided up, and boundaries allocated' and the sons of god were put over these nations. August 2017 8ff.). It is a violent tempest, that is, outside of the natural. It indicates full and permanent control. 2 Now a centurion had a servant 1 who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 'Return home and tell how much God has done for you.' So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus (Luke 8:26-39, NIV) Sometime after the Lord Jesus miraculously calmed the storm, the ship landed, perhaps late in the evening,111 on the other side of the lake in the country of the Gerasenes.112 If, indeed, it was late at night, the scene must have been an eerie one, with the nerves of the disciples already worn thin by the terrifying experience of the storm. Ridiculous? January 2021 Our children would probably understand best if I said that his appearance must have been somewhat like that of the television creation, The Incredible Hulk. The best human analogy might be in the area of drug abuse. It became one of the proudest cities of Syria. It was situated some 30 miles southeast of Gadara, on the borders of Peraea and a little north of the river Jabbok. 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. 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 . These people did not want to change. When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met Him a man from the city who had demons. Mark 5:1And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. What did Jesus mean when he said only prayer can cast out this demon? 4, p. 102. 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. The people were afraid when they saw the possessed man healed. Rather, they attributed the power of Jesus to Satan (Mark 3:22). 2. It should also be observed that nowhere in the Old Testament (except in I Sam. First of all the Scriptures do not say that the local Pagans were afraid of Jesus, but that they merely begged him to leave their neighbourhood. (4) Our Lord did not command the demons to enter into the pigs and bring about their destruction; He only permitted it.124. This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was better known.. She is a graduate of the Divinity School at Wake Forest University and Chicago Theological Seminary. April 2020 The district of the Gerasenes probably included that of the Gadarenes; so that the demoniac of Gergesa belonged to the country of the Gadarenes and also to that of the Gerasenes, as the same person may, with equal truth, be said to live in the city or the state, or in the United States. Thus, all the circumstances lead us to regard the healing of the demonized at Gerasa as a night scene, immediately on Christs arrival from Capernaum, and after the calming of the storm at sea. Alford Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965), I, pp. 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. The commission of our Lord is considerably different from His instructions to the Israelites whom He had delivered. We will examine two incidents -- the stilling of the storm on the sea of Galilee, and that which follows immediately, the healing of the demoniac. 117 so that, by their own confession, a time is coming when there shall be an entire victory of the kingdom of light over that of darkness (Rev. And, it can not be understood properly out of this context. How much more sinful than Peter were the Geraseneans, who because of love of money did not shun even to engage in a non-Jew business of herding swine; how much more unbearable and dreadful must have been for them the Lords presence! And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). It's a curious passage with many unanswered questions. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Demon-possession is, therefore, not merely a mental state in which someone suffers from a delusion or is subjected to some subjective disturbance of the world of ideas. 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. How Can a Person Get Rid of Evil Spirits. Another reason could be as Dr. R.C. Small sins lead to big sins, and big sins bring about a terrible spiritual darkness. The swine then immediately killed themselves by rushing off a cliff. 2). EWTN News, Inc. is the worlds largest Catholic news organization, comprised of television, radio, Catholic Church. To understand this event, you need consider the incident at Babel, and Deuteronomy. Since the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave in their fear, it seems that Jesus' ability to exorcise Legion was disturbing to the people. They have three sons and a daughter (all homeschooled) and reside in southeast Michigan. Have you even been in a service where the Spirit of God was moving and felt fear? April 2017 They were instructed to keep quiet about what Jesus had done for them (cf. The demons freak out that Jesus is there because it's not time for them to be tormented by Him yet. The whole story is a myth. 123 1. I was in a dialogue with an atheist regarding what he believes is one of many so-called biblical contradictions. Odd guy that I am, I actually find this sort of thing fun. He had only known Jesus for a few hours, but had already determined to be Jesus' disciple for life. (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. 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. . Matt. April 2015 Fear that you would not be in control? to sign up for our free Water Of The Word newsletter at the top of any page! You can like Jesus for two different reasons. Your comment will be posted after it is approved. Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant. The people were gentiles who had not yet any interest in the Messiah. The capital of the region was Gerasa, and the largest city in the region was Gadera. Also, the wholesale slaughter of these pigs dramatically illustrated the destructive purposes of the demons. As He had landed with His disciples He had been confronted with a demon-possessed man - a man that no one had been able to control. Why is this sentence from The Great Gatsby grammatical? Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. For some people, the cost is too high. Today, it is identified with El-Koursi or Kursi. He could just as easily commanded them to return to the deepest, darkest pit of Hell. The entrance of the term into colloquial speech indicates that the Roman occupation was a heavy burden. There seems to be no excuse here for the charge of contradiction. March 2018 For more information, please see our He said unexpected things and lived by a high ethical standard. Do roots of these polynomials approach the negative of the Euler-Mascheroni constant? What purposes did Mark intend to achieve by the inclusion of this event? There is no true freedom and fulfillment apart from Jesus Christ, the Creator and Redeemer of men. Father Macaire, 33, who was ordained fewer than two years ago, was kidnapped the morning of Feb. 7 when he was on his way to his missionary community in Kazal, about 20 miles north of Port-au-Prince. This is when the storm arose which threatened to destroy the ship (Mark 4:35-41). Our Lord responded sternly by calling this accusation blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and as such was the one unpardonable sin (verses 28-30). All of this sure seems perfectly consistent with calling the same area the country (chra) of either the Gerasenes or the Gadarenes, after the two major cities. 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. Evil is self-defeating in the end. Why do people like Jesus a lot? 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. It was significant. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. November 2014. December 2017 Daniel 10:13; Ephesians 6:12), whose leader and prince is Satan (Matthew 12:24). Jesus asked some pretty crazy questions like What Things Happened? The reply Legion118 may be some kind of evasion, a reluctance on the part of the demons to individually identify themselves. I will not look for a reason to return to it. Their influence and control leads to untold agony and destruction. Yet, conversely, the known can be just as scaryif not more. Why as the question? in 1971. xvi. The US Congress is currently debating whether TikTok should be banned for everyone in the US, not just government officials. NEW STAR WARS MERCH PAGE: https://bit.ly/3baWVZv For all sponsorship and business inquiries please contact: [email protected] NEW CHANNEL: https:/. Author of The Gnostic Notebook series, stand-up comedian, and Gnostic. Also, frequently associated with demon possession was a super-human strength (cf. But the city of Gadara owned some territory round about Khersa, so that the district and the pigs could properly also be called Gadarene. F. F. Bruce, Are the New Testament Documents Reliable? 114 We are indebted to Edersheim, who reminds us that the expression demon possession never occurs in the New Testament: The term demoniacal possession occurs not in the New Testament. Let me say as graciously as I can, Satan does not need to work on us in those areas as we are doing very well without his exploitation. So they refer to Gerasenes. May 2021 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 pleaded with Jesus not to be tormented. This reveals to us that demons have an intuitive knowledge of their impending doom.117. They are happy in their sin and the consequences seem far away. At the conclusion of this day of teaching by parables, the Lord had instructed His disciples to cross over the Sea of Galilee to the other side. Oh Hye-son recently published a Korean-language memoir on how she and her husband Thae Yong-ho, then deputy ambassador at North Korea's London embassy, defected in 2016. Earles comments are helpful: The difference in names for the destination on the east side of the take has caused considerable comment. Then any greatest of men, like any prophet, hero or king? 13ff.). They all say country of (in the sense of region, not nation). Thus, it is not always used of one specific country (nation), but rather, usually to regions or areas of either small (Bethlehem) or large (Judaea and Samaria) size, including regions surrounding large cities. Ananias and Sapphira did so by allowing their greed to grip their hearts (cf.