From A Maniac To A Missionary Series

From a Maniac to a Missionary

Mark 5: 1-20

Our text follows the great miracle Jesus performed as He calmed the raging sea that arose while they sailed upon the Sea of Galilee. As we come to Chapter 5, we encounter several more miracles Jesus performed as He walked among men. We will find Him casting out demons, healing a dreadful disease, and raising a young girl from the dead.

This chapter emphasizes the great power and compassion Jesus had as He ministered in various places around Capernaum. There was no need too great or too small. Everywhere Jesus went He transformed lives. For the believer, each of the accounts recorded in Mark 5 paint a beautiful picture of the transformation that has taken place in us. We have been set free from the bonds of sin, healed of the dreaded infirmity of our iniquity, and delivered from eternal death and condemnation.

As we begin this wonderful chapter, I want to examine the details described in the text and consider the thought: From a Maniac to a Missionary. As we do, I hope these verses will encourage us to look to Jesus for the varied needs in our lives.

I. Consider the Maniac – Our text reveals a man in need of Jesus. Notice:

A. His Dwelling (3) – Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains. We find that he lived among the tombs. We must understand that this wasn’t just a place he spent some time, but this was his dwelling. He spent his days among the dead.

His life pictures those separated from God in sin. They are spiritually dead and have no fellowship with those who are alive in Christ. They are literally dwelling among the dead in a spiritual sense. Praise God I no longer live among the dead, but dwell in the land of the living.

B. His Desperation (4-5) – 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. [5] And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. He lived a life that was out of control. Others had tried to help him, but could not. His life was dominated by the influence of Satan. He had been bound with chains, but couldn’t be tamed.

No doubt he lived a life of despair – sad, lonely, rejected, and totally avoided by society. The torments of life never ceased, V.5. Day and night the pain and misery of life was upon him. He found no comfort or peace, only despair and desolation.

Many around us today are in the same desperate situation. I don’t know any who dwell in the cemetery, but they live in despair. Their lives are dominated by sin – drugs, alcohol, sexual addiction, etc. Every day begins the same as the day before – in despair. They find no way of escape and continue to live in defeat. This man lived a tragic life, as many do today. They have no hope, joy, peace, or comfort, constantly searching for a way to escape the pain and suffering.

C. His Desire (2, 6) – And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, [6] But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him. He dealt with circumstances beyond his control, (we can’t handle sin in ourselves), but he must’ve longed for the day that the suffering would end. There was a day that he caught a glimpse of hope; he saw Jesus!

Can you imagine the scene? He has lived in torment among the tombs, but one day a small boat arrives. Something within him knew Jesus was his only hope. I don’t know if the man knew Jesus, but the demons inside certainly did. James 2:19 – the devils also believe, and tremble. Whatever the case, he is found at the feet of Jesus, worshipping Him.

Our world is filled with those who are in pain. We may never see or know, but their pain is real. They long for a means to escape their desperation. Jesus is the way! Do you desire to meet the Lord?

II. Consider the Master – The text reveals much about Jesus. Notice:

A. His Presence (1) – And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. Jesus came to where the demonic man was. Jesus knew his condition and where to find him. It wasn’t coincidence or luck; it was by divine appointment!

It’s interesting to note that Jesus did nothing else while in Gadara. We don’t find Him teaching in the synagogue, feeding multitudes, or healing their sick. He came through the storm on Galilee to reach this lost sinner. That one lost, wretched soul needed a Savior and Jesus showed up in his hour of need.