Mark wrote how Jesus and His disciples, “came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes, And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains. Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshiped him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the most high God? I adjure you by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, you unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is your name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there near unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done”, and in chapter five and verse fifteen of his book, Mark shares how the people saw, “him that was possessed with the devil … sitting, clothed and in his right mind” where we read:
And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil,
and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
The verse reads, “And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, ...” Mark began with the words, “and they come to Jesus” or “and the people from the city and country approached Jesus who is the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate whose name means God is Salvation”, “and see him” which means “and perceived, noticed, discerned and discovered the man” “that was possessed” or “who was under the power and vexed” “with the devil” or “with the unclean spirits, demons and evil ones”. Mark shared how the people who came from the city and country where the feeders of the swine reported the event noticed the man who was formerly possessed with “demons”.
The verse continues, “... and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.” Mark added the words, “and had the legion” which means “and owned, held and possessed within the over six thousand demons who revealed their name was Legion”, “sitting” which means “seated, fixed and established”, “and clothed” which means “and dressed with clothing”, “and in his right mind” or “and sober minded”: “and they were afraid” which means “and the people who observed the man were fearful, put to flight, struck with fear and seized with alarm”. Mark shared how the people knew this was the man who was filled with “Legion”, and he was now “seated, dressed in clothes and sober minded” which caused the people to be greatly “seized with alarm”.
When we think through Mark's words in this verse, we can imagine the shock and awe that was upon the people's faces as they knew this was the wild man who was possessed with so many demons that no man could “bind or tame” him. No one before this time was able to control this man, and yet, there he was “sitting” beside Jesus. He had clothes on, and his mind was in tact. This is because Jesus took care of all the onslaughts from the “evil world” that had come upon Him, and Jesus set him free. Jesus was more powerful than over six thousand “demons”, and regardless of how many “unclean spirits” a person has, He is able to set them completely free. So many people are “out of their minds” because of the influence of “Satan” and his demonic cohorts, and if they will only encounter the powerful and “Almighty” Messiah and Christ Jesus, they not only will see the “demons have to flee”, but also know the power of having Jesus set them free.
Next time Mark shares how people, “told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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