Mark 5
Gerasenes was a roman "Country", and would have been full of Roman Helinsts. (Wikipedia). The heavliy greek influnced culture was situated in the middle of a otherwise strong Jewish corner of the Roman empire. It was one of the "Ten cities" and the location has been pretty well detertemined to be a real place. I would like to note here that the bible sets itself apart... the places mentioned are real places, and the places arent discribed in flowery detail making them seem as if they are more than they are. I love this story because it comes after he has been just bombarded with thousands and thousands of people pushing for him and now there is just one guy. I can see it now it is a colllision, Dark and Light, a contrast Death and Life. This man is over taken by evil spirits, people chained him like a dog, and now he would even break them. He was so dead he walked and lived in the tombs. Since this was a helinistic greek socity it should be noted that they probably would have a stable political system basied on Greek thought. This would mean a police force, a way of saying this could be , maybe that even the prisions couldnt hold him. This guy would hurt himself cutting himself with stones.... I cant imagine what this would look like but Im sure it wasnt good. It seems as if this would be the scene that Jesus would be walking up to, a guy tortouring himself with stones. When he sees Jesus he runs to him and falls on his knees. In very close awkward proximity he shouts as load as he can "What do you...don't torture me". Ok imagine a guy hurting himself saying to someone else don't hurt me, a guy that has never displayed fear of anyone or anything fearing a man without military stature or weapon. If anyone were to hear this they might consider taking a second look.
Jesus opens with the comand, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!" --- Maybe one spirit did leave but Jesus goes in for the follow up question "So dude what is your name?" and they repliy "Legion" which would have meant just an incalculable number. They are afixed on this area and dont want to leave??? I dont know why. I also dont under stand why they would want to be sent into a large heard of pigs. It is intresting that these pigs were most likely grazing to be sacrificed to Demeter the greek godess of the harvest.(Wikipeidia and A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities) She was popular in the region having at least 2 temples that I could find in the Decapolis. The pigs were most likely viewed as a source of life for the area and probably belived to be important to the success of the region. It is intresting that the demons would choose them as a home but the destruction of them would make Jesus seem the enemy of the region. . . .I think I get it, this was a sure fire way to get rid of Jesus. Jesus says ok feel free go ahead. The entire herd numbering 2000, run off a steep bank and into the lake. This would have been seen as a very bad omin of things to come. People would be thinking destruction was upon them. So the whole town comes, this isnt likley to be a small group its also not likely to be everyone in the town. They show up and see the crazy guy sitting down and talking to this guy about sane things, wearing clothes and they were afraid. Jesus just broke their box, they had no sacrifice to demeter and the guy that they probably justfied themselves with saying if Im this way Im at least not like that guy was now normal. In verse 16 one vail is lifted people did see it. In verse 17 the people freak out, and ask Jesus to go. Jesus is getting in the boat and the man who was healed comes to him and asks him to go he says go be in the culture and does something he almost never does... tell people what happened. That is what the man does, and Jesus goes back to the Jewish side of the lake and gets surronded. That is when a "Synagogue leader" fell at Jesus feet because his daughter was sick. It deserves to be noted that Jesus was with Gentiles in the Decapolis, people that are unclean. He says you need to go quickly and heal her she is dying. As he is walking with this dad that is probably frantic another unclean woman touches his cloak (which fufills a prophecy in Malachi) and he stops. This unclean woman touches him and is healed. .. Jesus despite the crowd stops. People matter so much to Jesus that he stops no matter how urgent a situation is if they need something. It should be noted that the guy who is "in" doesn't get to go ahead of the woman that is out. It is apparent contextually that Jesus talks to this lady for some time because Mark knows her story. Again people matter and Jesus takes time to deal with her heart condition. Her Faith has healed her. In this moment where Jesus stopped people bust in and say that the "church Guys" daughter had died. The crowd proabably would be offended, he goes to the decapolis than heals a women of bleeding (gross) than he talks for a while... and his daughter dies. You can almost hear the mockery, "why bother the teacher anymore?" This guy who may have been the Savor failed moving on. . . He put sinners and unclean people in front of you, why waste your time with that guy. Jesus says to the "church leader" ignore them, you believe what you know to be true. He kicks the rest of the crowd away and comes up with three guys. Jesus comes into this crazy scene and rightly so comes in with only a few so that the family isnt pulled in more directions. I love what Jesus does "Why is everyone freaking out?" look shes not even dead just sleeping relax. This seems like a joke, of course she is dead how could they get that wrong, so he kicks everyone out but the father and mother and his friends, and tells the little girl to get up. and She did. He tells them to keep it quite, and to give her food .
Jesus opens with the comand, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!" --- Maybe one spirit did leave but Jesus goes in for the follow up question "So dude what is your name?" and they repliy "Legion" which would have meant just an incalculable number. They are afixed on this area and dont want to leave??? I dont know why. I also dont under stand why they would want to be sent into a large heard of pigs. It is intresting that these pigs were most likely grazing to be sacrificed to Demeter the greek godess of the harvest.(Wikipeidia and A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities) She was popular in the region having at least 2 temples that I could find in the Decapolis. The pigs were most likely viewed as a source of life for the area and probably belived to be important to the success of the region. It is intresting that the demons would choose them as a home but the destruction of them would make Jesus seem the enemy of the region. . . .I think I get it, this was a sure fire way to get rid of Jesus. Jesus says ok feel free go ahead. The entire herd numbering 2000, run off a steep bank and into the lake. This would have been seen as a very bad omin of things to come. People would be thinking destruction was upon them. So the whole town comes, this isnt likley to be a small group its also not likely to be everyone in the town. They show up and see the crazy guy sitting down and talking to this guy about sane things, wearing clothes and they were afraid. Jesus just broke their box, they had no sacrifice to demeter and the guy that they probably justfied themselves with saying if Im this way Im at least not like that guy was now normal. In verse 16 one vail is lifted people did see it. In verse 17 the people freak out, and ask Jesus to go. Jesus is getting in the boat and the man who was healed comes to him and asks him to go he says go be in the culture and does something he almost never does... tell people what happened. That is what the man does, and Jesus goes back to the Jewish side of the lake and gets surronded. That is when a "Synagogue leader" fell at Jesus feet because his daughter was sick. It deserves to be noted that Jesus was with Gentiles in the Decapolis, people that are unclean. He says you need to go quickly and heal her she is dying. As he is walking with this dad that is probably frantic another unclean woman touches his cloak (which fufills a prophecy in Malachi) and he stops. This unclean woman touches him and is healed. .. Jesus despite the crowd stops. People matter so much to Jesus that he stops no matter how urgent a situation is if they need something. It should be noted that the guy who is "in" doesn't get to go ahead of the woman that is out. It is apparent contextually that Jesus talks to this lady for some time because Mark knows her story. Again people matter and Jesus takes time to deal with her heart condition. Her Faith has healed her. In this moment where Jesus stopped people bust in and say that the "church Guys" daughter had died. The crowd proabably would be offended, he goes to the decapolis than heals a women of bleeding (gross) than he talks for a while... and his daughter dies. You can almost hear the mockery, "why bother the teacher anymore?" This guy who may have been the Savor failed moving on. . . He put sinners and unclean people in front of you, why waste your time with that guy. Jesus says to the "church leader" ignore them, you believe what you know to be true. He kicks the rest of the crowd away and comes up with three guys. Jesus comes into this crazy scene and rightly so comes in with only a few so that the family isnt pulled in more directions. I love what Jesus does "Why is everyone freaking out?" look shes not even dead just sleeping relax. This seems like a joke, of course she is dead how could they get that wrong, so he kicks everyone out but the father and mother and his friends, and tells the little girl to get up. and She did. He tells them to keep it quite, and to give her food .
