Are you seeing this? And lastly, because the herd was within the Land of Israel and owned by Jews (the joke about Gentiles owning them is cleared up below), the unclean swine had to go and the unclean demons did the work. The forum, with a semicircle of columns still standing, was paved with large cut stones. * If one believes demons exists, why invent a false story to make the point that Jesus has power over demons? The Law of God states that the Sabbath is a day of rest for all livestock (Deuteronomy 5:14). WebGerasa, Gadara or Gergesa (Luke 8;26, 37) As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet Him. As I hear, I judge and My judgment is righteous because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. "It became one of the proudest cities of Syria." Incredible. David was a good example of what Jesus meant by the shepherd gives his life for the sheep. Compared to this, Jesuss behaviour toward the pigs appears extremely callous: giving vile demons permission to slaughter swine is not exactly compassionate. Did Jesus really sacrifice the swine for the man? Therefore, when it came to sacrifices on it, the menu was even shorter. Any other conclusion, in light of the seven facts just presented, is breathtakingly irresponsible, and we should just laugh it off. borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin galilea, probably after Galilea, Galilaea galilee, from a monastic and clerical comparison of the church porch, where the laity gathered, to biblical Galilee, regarded, in opposition to Judaea, as a country of Gentiles (as in Matthew 4:15) III. It's just 8 or 9 verses before this passage. 7). But if one cared to examine all of Gods Word, the only possible reason for Jesus to destroy the pigs in the exorcism seems to be connected to Gods opinion about ham. If Jesus had done anything less, he could not have been the Messiah. I want you to see a person in the thrall of sin. What do you have that youre captive to, that youre enslaved to? How and why did this happen in the first place? Here, then, Jesus faced two of Gods enemies: hostile spiritual powers and death itself. And repeatedly, these miracles will focus us in on Who is Jesus? and What do His deeds tell us about what He has come to do and the power that He has? And so this passage helps us in this way. He was possessed of extraordinary strength but he was aware that there was a man of God in his presence. to biblical Galilee, regarded, in opposition to Judaea, as a country of Gentiles (as in Matthew 4:15) What was Jairus occupation? The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with Him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you. And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.. The Greeks were believers in the spirit Many of you have seen, maybe fewer of you have read, a book by the famous British philosopher and skeptic, Bertrand Russell. Unsurprisingly in such a place, Jesus finds a man possessed by unclean spirits. The prophet Jonah is held up as the merciless messenger of God; not a great title. Amen. For these reasons, the writers of the gospels gave no explanation and the Twelve asked no question about why Jesus destroyed all the swine. display: none !important; He made a covenant with them and revealed His commandments to them, which they were to live according to. And so the demons call out His name Jesus, the Son of the Most High God and it has no effect on Him. Playing with the plain truths of Gods eternal Scriptures means one is playing with fire and such actions will bring unfortunate consequences. What care we for his soul?What good to us that Thou hast made him whole,Since we have lost our swine? He's set free. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of any other person, religious organization or governmental entity. biblegateway.com So you not only see the power of Christ over Satan in this passage in the miracle that He performs in casting these demons out of this man, but you also see Jesus compassion towards sinners. (. 9 ) They were wild Ferrel hogs feeding near the cliffs. He also said after much work with people that was possess that most of them dealt in occult practices. To top it off, Jesuss farmers see Jesus and see their property floating belly up in the surf, but they dont throw him after them! But the Jews were promised and re-promised their land by God throughout the Law: Genesis 15:7, Leviticus 20:24, Numbers 33:52-53, Deuteronomy 1:8 are just a few examples. Instead of Jesus turning water into wine. Jesus enters enemy territory in two ways. We usually think of Jesus as the loving, forgiving guy from Galilee, right? The Catholic Church's interpretation of this verse is sheer nonsense, because the weight of Scripture contradicts it, so true Reformers need to re-read their Bibles. In light of these facts, Jesus' ministry in the Gerasenes reveals the Lord's remarkable concern not only for the Jews but also for the Gentiles. I say that Christians have turned Jews off because church-goers claim Jesus destroyed the Law and that Jews are blind for following the Law of Moses still. Those people were Jews in Nazareth. Last week we said the focus was on the power and the person of Jesus Christ. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, Isaiah 44:9; Isaiah 44:19 Pigs were the required sacrifice on the altar in the temples of Zeus Olympus (Greek) or Jupiter Capitolinus (Roman), the same supreme god of all Hellenic theology known as the "king of The following Scripture wont disprove Gods love for all animals, deny the Almightys unalterable character, declare the commandments null and void, nor claim all meats clean (kosher). Ill take Mark at his word; hes thinking of an army of demons, not an army of human soldiers. And you can ask yourself a lot of questions Why did Jesus do that? If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. The mountainside has caves and hewn tombs where, according to Mark and Luke, the demoniac had taken shelter. Money Maker Software may be used on two systems alternately on 3 months, 6 months, 1 year or more subscriptions. Secondly, I want you to look at the Lord Jesus Christ Himself because His power over Satan is on display full force in this passage. Gergesa - Wikipedia At the beginning of the gospel, he wins these victories with acts of visible, recognizable power. WebGadarenes. That's why Jesus's motivation to kill the herd was more than obvious to the Tedious Twelve and the gospel writers. Is there actually a real reason why the Gospel accounts shouldnt be taken as factual history? Don't they know their Bibles? And so this man comes to Jesus, he seeks Him out, and Jesus says to him, What is your name? And the man doesn't know his name. Gerasa. Why did these people respond to Jesus this way? From Jesus's own mouth, we are informed of Gods special love and attention for defenseless animals and we know Jesus has the same heart for the weak. Diana (Artemis) of Ephesuslovely without a nose! Can we really point the finger at him? Go be a witness to Me. Origen says this is a good example of how Biblical writers simply were not concerned to precisely identify certain sites. WebThey land in the country of the Gadarenes which is on the North-east shore of the Sea of Galilee about 6 miles southeast across the sea from Capernaum. Its kinda like the difference between a Disney movie, a TV documentary and/or an infomercial; normally each is dissimilar from the other. Im not saying I totally believed the stories, but I cannot believe that a single other place could not be found to send the legion. This kind of inter-ethnic scenario normally spells d.i.s.a.s.t.e.r. The shortest distance between two thoughts. Despite all the dangers to himself, David wouldnt allow any to be hurt. Or, what if Paul had knocked two thousand dolls into the drink would he have written as many epistles as he did, while having to dogpaddle? Such alternative readings include arguments that the swine were meant to represent the Roman army or "unclean and unfaithful" people; that pigs were considered "unclean", so destroying them might be consistent with care for other animals; and that Jesus did not actually "send" the devils into the pigs. End of story. Ruins of the temple of Artemis, some columns still standing, are on another hillside above the ruins. He prefers we stay laughing so no one can reflect on this coincidence. I beg you, do not torment me. And then the demons beg not to be cast into the abyss. The good pastor basically believes that in Jesuss mind, one mans peace, preservation and freedom from unclean spirits is worth the sacrifice of a couple thousand pigs. (So much for those latter revelations or new religions arriving centuries later.). His actions now make sense in this new light. There are echoes of exodus in Marks story, and echoes of Davids battle with Goliath. And that permanence of the Law matches well with the fact that the first time, and the second, He wrote the Ten Commandments in stone: Exodus 31:18 and again, Exodus 34:1. Try Bible Gateway Plus free today. Something else to ponder about the Son of God is his other title, I am the good shepherd. The apostle had been busy preaching in Demetriuss hometown of Ephesus and Pauls message about the one true God was catching on. Most Christians believe Messiah is the Second Person of the Trinity. when hes rolling around with a thousand killer-demons inside. As regards the first question, it would appear that that section of the country was chiefly inhabited by pagans in the first century, and Gerasa is at any rate included by Schrer among the Hellenistic cities ("Geschichte," ii. What are you doing here, man of God? And then he attempted to intimidate him. Gadarenes, Girgesenes, Gerasenes: (These three names are used indiscriminately to designate the place where Jesus healed two demoniacs. He was Jewish and tragically lost. And what about trees or rocks? There is no captivity that you can be captive to that is not captive to Jesus Christ for He has ascended on high and led captivity captive and He makes a sport and a spoil of the forces of darkness which are arrayed against God and against heaven. Was it correct to destroy so many for just one (or two men). One can only imagine the insanity the demoniac suffered at the hands of these evil forces. Knowing the correct genre of what you are studying is a major step toward getting a correct message or interpretation. But the Almighty said it so many times. (This sad fact may have something to do with Christians telling Jews to junk the Law which they love and to just believe and receive.) Dedicated Online Support through Live Chat & Customer Care contact nos. Because they cared more about what they had lost than what that man had gained or what they could gain in Jesus themselves. Additionally, it would have been foolish for the Apostles to claim hundreds and thousands of witnesses (1 Cor 15:1-6). One moose, two moose. So why did the meek n merciful Son of Man cast countless defiling demons into two thousand piglets, sows and boars? (, Therefore you should understand that the LORD your God, Because God is so steady, and doesnt reverse or repeal, He can be trusted to do what He promises; good or, If the Eternal One, blessed be He, had said just, But the Almighty said it so many times. Again, these classifications come from God, not man, and show up in Scripture as early as Genesis 7:1-9. The ruins also show evidence of a dozen churches, dating in the Byzantine period (4th-7th centuries) indicating that this once was a large Christian community. Since demons are by most accounts fallen angels to begin with, they already know to Whom they are ultimately accountable. The real irritation is people saying the Law was impossible to obey, when Scripture says the opposite it true. It deeply disturbed Bertrand Russell that Jesus allowed a herd of two thousand pigs to be destroyed. Jesus ministered to and did miracles for the Gentiles there. And it's very clear that theyre in Gentile territory because they find themselves in a country where there is a huge, huge herd of pigs. Yet a number of objections immediately spring to mind. There's a total change of nature in this man. But when Jesus explained that the commandment was the old one from Leviticus, Love one another, they signed with relief, seeing how he was just underscoring the command that God already gave (Leviticus 19:18). Is John really referring to just the plagues of the book of Revelation, or could his words also include other books and plagues? There's nothing that they can do to restrain His mighty arm. We use cookies to provide you with a great user experience. WebThe meaning of GENTILE is a person of a non-Jewish nation or of non-Jewish faith; especially : a Christian as distinguished from a Jew. Now what happens in this passage? And you know what the most frightening thing of all is? Therefore we know that when Jesus helped the Syrophoenician woman (not a Jewess, but she came to him), he and the woman were both in Israeli territory. She suffers a more oppressive slavery than ever before not to human rulers but to demons, who are bold enough to enter synagogues on the Sabbat. Only this interpretation explains the farmers restrained reaction over the slaughter of the swine, and their tremendous terror of the Messiah. The text of Mark 5 says pigs were nearby, but it doesnt say they were the only things nearby. Admittedly the whole event with the demon-crazed pigs is odd you dont see it every day but the writer wanted us to believe it genuinely happened. Cute little silver goddess dolls would have sold for the same price as a full-grown boar or sow in those days. When Jesus healed the possessed man, He allowed Legion to possess the nearby herd of swine. This, by the way, is 8 ) Their pork was kosher, kept out of the camp for 7 days, and circumcised. Matthew 12:43 and Luke 11:24 mention demons going to a dry place. And what about just sending the killers into the air (Ephesians 2:2)? (, Still, Jesus was not in Gadarenes for judging; he was there, Not contrary, but consistent with Christs Character, Here is a prophesy that Christians love to quote: , The LORD has sworn it and He will not change his mind: You are a priest forever, after the nature of Melchizedek. The LORD is upon your right hand. founders day speech by students were the gerasenes gentiles. The normally merciful Messiah destroyed the pigs in accordance with Gods Law about clean and unclean meat. Demons, Jesus, and the Pigs The Outlaw Bible Student, http://www.linearconcepts.com/archives/2011. Looking back over the entirety of Gods Word, we do indeed notice many plagues rained down on the wicked in other books. Pork is the most infamous of all-things-not-Jewish and the bad press that pigs receive in Scripture, and in contemporary Western society, is another reason why I accuse both pastors of being less than honest in their explanations about Mark 5. were the gerasenes This made them fit for consumption. Gods Law has a law that you cannot change Gods Law. Racism: Not a modern invention . take a dump and be cleaned.lol. The nearby shepherds were sheep shepherds, not hog herders. WebWhy were there pigs in gerasenes? While animal-abuse cases arent normally rampant among church-goers, its no thanks to this bishops official policy. Therefore, if Jesus gave no commandment (singular), what is he referring to when he talks about commandments (plural) in the following: The answer: when he says, keep my commandments he means the ones he and the Father gave Israel at Sinai. Without a doubt, its only and exactly the Creators negative view of swine that properly spells out to us why Jesus destroyed an entire herd of swine in Mark 5. Well this is a taste of the profound arguments that you will find in that book. Its all a matter of being logical. 2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. Other than that my friends, I don't know. And there's a lesson in each of these things for all of us. He is more open with Gentiles because it fits His purpose about revelation to the Gentiles and the new inclusion in the kingdom. Also, any every person who wants to please God is forbidden the heartless act of boiling a calf in its mothers milk (Exodus 23:19; Exodus 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21), as well as the abominable practice of cutting and eating the leg of a live animal, only to leave the poor creature hobbling around with its three remaining legs (Deuteronomy 12:23; explanation). Later, Leviticus 11 explains to His Chosen People that He had chosen only ritually clean/pure animals for them to eat.