Scripture
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man
1So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes.[1] 2When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil[2] spirit came out from the tombs to meet him. 3This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. 4Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.
6When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. 7With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” 8For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”
9Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name?”
And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.” 10Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.
11There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. 12“Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.”
13So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.
14The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. 15A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. 16Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. 17And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.
18As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. 19But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” 20So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns[3] of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.
Translation notes (3)
- 5:1 Other manuscripts read Gadarenes; still others read Gergesenes. See Matt 8:28; Luke 8:26.
- 5:2 Greek unclean; also in 5:8, 13.
- 5:20 Greek Decapolis.
So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them. Mark 5:20
Scripture says that God calls us to share our faith with those around us. The question is, will we obey? Will we go out and tell others about Jesus and what He has done, or will we stay put, keep to ourselves, and stay silent? One thing is certain when we choose obedience: God works when we take steps of obedience and tell other people about Him. The previously demon-possessed man saw it in Mark 5, and we see it too when we choose obedience.
Throughout the week, we have looked at Luke's account of Jesus healing a man who was possessed by many demons. Today, we will look at Mark's account of this miraculous healing and what happened as a result. Mark tells us that Jesus and His disciples met a demon-possessed man when they arrived at a new region (verse 1). Ultimately, Jesus commanded the many demons who had destroyed this man's life to come out of him. After they left, this man's sanity returned, and he wanted to go with Jesus when Jesus left the region. Jesus told him to return home instead and tell the story of what Jesus had done for him (verse 19). This man chose obedience. He visited the "Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him" (verse 20). He could not have known how people could have responded. They could have refused to believe his story. Instead, Scripture tells us that "everyone was amazed at what he told them" (verse 20). Don't miss the result of his obedience. Because he chose to obey, others learned of His power and greatness. He obeyed and shared his story, and as a result, God worked in the lives of the people whom this man interacted with.
My friend, God works when we share our faith in Christ with others around us. He reveals Himself to the people we share with. They may not immediately respond with belief, but that does not mean He is not working. If we are faithful to share our faith, we can trust God to be faithful with the results. May we never stop sharing the good news of the hope that Jesus offers.
Moving toward action
One great tool we have to share our faith is inviting others to come to church with us. Who can you invite with you to church this weekend? Reach out to them today and invite them. Remember to pray for the people you invite. Pray that they would be receptive to your invitation and encounter God as a result.
Going Deeper
Mark 5:1-20
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