At the Country of the Gadarenes - Luke 8:26

Luke the beloved physician wrote concerning Jesus, “Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commands even the winds and water, and they obey him”, and in chapter eight and verse twenty-six of his book Luke shared how Jesus and His disciples, “arrived at the country of the Gadarenes” where we read:

And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.

The verse reads, “And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, ...” Luke began with the words, “and they arrived” or “and Jesus and His disciples sailed down to the place and appeared”, “at the country” which means “at the space lying between two places or limits, the region, territory, village and cultivated ground” “of the Gadarenes” or “belonging to the Gadarenes which means reward at the end and was also called Gergesenes, the capital of Peraea and situated opposite the south extremity of the Lake of Gennesaret to the south-east but at some distance from the lake on the banks of the river Hieromax”. Luke shared how Jesus and His disciples “made it” to the “territory” which belonged to the “Gadarenes” which means “reward at the end”.

The verse continues, “... which is over against Galilee.” Luke added the words “which is over against” which means “that exists on the opposite shore or other side of” “Galilee” which means “circuit and was the name of a region of northern Palestine, bounded on the north by Syria, on the west by Sidon, Tyre, Ptolemais and their territories and the promontory of Carmel, on the south by Samaria and on the east by the Jordan”. Luke shared how the land of the “Gadarenes” was on the opposite shore of the lake from the area of “Galilee”.

When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we see how Jesus and His disciples “arrived” at their destination which was the “village of the Gadarenes”, and because Jesus desired to carry His “gospel” to people everywhere, He sailed across the “Sea of Galilee” to the other side. God's desire is to reach people everywhere with His “good news” of salvation from sins through His Son Jesus Christ, and as Jesus traveled in His physical body, so travels the “word of God” by His Holy Spirit today. Those who are wise will understand God's desire to have a personal relationship with them through His Son Jesus and yield their lives to Him as their personal “Savior and Lord” today.

Next time Luke shares how, “there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time”, 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".