“They sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.’ For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Legion,’ for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So, he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
“When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So, he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’ And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.”
Who would ever listen to a maniac? Would you? I believe the answer to that question should be, “That depends!” Of course, if we were talking about a real maniac, a raving lunatic who was obviously unhinged, few of us would give heed to what the person said. Someone who stripped naked and howled at the moon would not be a fit candidate for us to listen to, whatever that person might be saying.
I suppose that it is possible we might listen to someone that was called a maniac, under specific conditions. For instance, if we knew that the person indeed had been a raving lunatic, but suddenly the individual was transformed and speaking rationally, we might just pause to consider what was being said. It is likely the case that we would definitely listen to someone known to be a maniac if we knew them to be violent and destructive, but unexplainedly they were serene and reasonable, speaking in a calm and intelligent fashion. The point is, people can change. Maniacs can become people of character. And though we may be cautious in giving them our full attention, we can be induced to at least hear what they are saying.
In Luke’s Gospel, we meet a man who was a maniac. He was transformed by the Word of the Master. When that man wanted to follow Jesus closely, standing with Him as He returned to His home base, Jesus wouldn’t permit the man to follow. In fact, Jesus indicated that He had a more important role for that man to fulfill. The transformation from maniac to messenger is the focus of our study today.
IN THE COUNTRY OF THE GERASENES — “[Jesus and His disciples] sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee” [LUKE 8:26]. Some older translations, following a few more recent New Testament manuscripts, indicate that the boat in which Jesus rode landed in the region of Gadara. Most older manuscripts, and consequently, newer translations that are based on these older manuscripts, recognise that the boat landed in the region of the Gerasenes. The region of Gadara was located at the south end of the Sea of Galilee. The Region of Galilee, however, was located at the northern end of the Lake, and this region was the area where Jesus focused most of His ministry.
Though Jesus did minister in other areas nearer to his home base, He appears to have been in the Country of the Gerasenes almost by accident. Nothing is truly accidental with Jesus, however. He had been teaching all day. Standing in a boat and speaking to those on the shore, He had at one point told a parable about a sower [see MARK 4:1-9]. The disciples didn’t really understand the parable, so Jesus was forced to explain the parable to them in considerable detail [see MARK 4:10-34]. Exhausted from teaching the entire live-long day, Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us go across to the other side” [MARK 4:35b]. It would appear that Jesus and His disciples were travelling from Capernaum to the Plain of Bethsaida on the eastern shore of the lake.
As the boat sliced through the water, Jesus fell asleep, no doubt lulled into a state of somnolence by the motion of boat passing over the waves. While He slept, the skies darkened, and the wind began to blow—a storm was brewing. As a storm grew in intensity, waves began to beat against the little barque in which the disciples were gathered. The waves wouldn’t have been all that great, no more than five feet or so at the most; however, the boat lay low in the water, and because of the low freeboard, the waves threatened to swamp the boat. At one moment, both the Master and His disciples could have been dumped into the water, all of them drowned. At least, this was the very real fear expressed by the disciples.
Still some distance from land and fearful of drowning, the disciples were terrified, so terrified that they cried out to waken Jesus. “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing” [MARK 4:38]. Having been roused from His sleep, Jesus rebuked the wind and spoke to the sea, “Quiet! Settle down” [MARK 4:39b THE MESSAGE]. One word was all that was necessary for the Master to quiet the storm: “Hush!” Now, even greater fear gripped the disciples. What else could we call it other than sheer awe. The realisation swept over them that they had witnessed something, or someone, divine. “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him” [MARK 4:41b]?
Are you tempted to feel somewhat smug as you read of the disciples’ fear? If we do not hold the Saviour in holy awe, perhaps it is because we haven’t actually witnessed His mighty power. If we have never witnessed a storm pass by harmlessly at the prayer of a little child, perhaps we hesitate to speak of the power of the Master. Have you ever seen a man threatening to beat you down suddenly fall to his knees and ask you to pray for him? Have you seen an enraged man driven to ask you to pray that God will save him because you rebuked him in the Name of the Risen Son of God? When you have witnessed that power, you will know what it is to be seized by holy awe. Have you ever seen a tormented soul suddenly calmed and crying out for mercy at the mention of Jesus’ Name? Witnessing such power in the Name of the Risen Lord of Glory will instill holy awe in your heart. Until we have witnessed His power, we should be cautious not to feel superior to these disciples. They had just witnessed power that could not be explained, though each of them had experienced it. When we witness that power—power that each child of God can witness, we will discover what it is to be in awe of the glorious Saviour.
The ship had been blown off course during the struggle against the storm; according to the text, they actually landed in “the country of the Gerasenes.” The country of the Gerasenes likely refers to the region near the village of Gergesa, or the ancient town known as Kursi, situated on the Golan Heights. This area is south and east of Capernaum; it was situated in the region known as the Decapolis. This area, if not heavily populated with Gentiles was assuredly influenced by Gentiles. The Jews that did live in this region don’t appear to have been particularly concerned about keeping the minute tenets of the Law; they were, by modern standards, culturally Jewish without being burdened by the religious demands of their religion.
Some vital thoughts are raised as I consider Jesus’ presence within the Region of the Gerasenes as recorded in our text. First, while Jesus did not make it a practise to go beyond the region of Galilee and Judea, He did venture beyond this narrow area from time-to-time. You may recall that He did travel into the region of Tyre and Sidon on one occasion, but that journey appears to have been an aberration, a one-off. You will recall the account as it is given in Mark’s Gospel. “[Jesus] arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, ‘Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.’ But she answered him, ‘Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’ And he said to her, ‘For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.’ And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone” [MARK 7:24-30].
Of course, we will all recall the time that Jesus travelled through Samaria in order to reach Galilee in timely fashion. There, in Samaria, He encountered a woman at Jacob’s well. There followed the justly famous exchange as Jesus revealed His knowledge of this woman and identified Himself as the Messiah of whom Moses had written. The woman was transformed as she believed what He said. We read, “The woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?’ They went out of the town and were coming to him” [JOHN 4:28-30].
As result of this woman’s testimony, many Samaritans came out of the town to see for themselves whether Jesus could, indeed, be the Messiah. We read the rest of this account, which informs us, “Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me all that I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world’” [JOHN 4:39-42].
I’m so glad that Jesus was more than a Jewish Saviour. Challenged by religious leaders on one occasion, Jesus spoke of the breadth of His mission, a breadth they could not imagine. Jesus said, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd” [JOHN 10:16].
After He was raised from the tomb and preparing to ascend into the heavens, Jesus instructed His disciples to carry the message of life throughout the world. What is fascinating is the emphasis on the inclusive nature of the Gospel. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” [MATTHEW 28:19-20]. Make disciples of all nations. This is our mandate for missions!
This same command is stated elsewhere. “[Jesus] said to [His disciples], ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned’” [MARK 16:15-16]. We who follow the Master are charged with carrying the message of grace to all creation; we are to evangelise the entire world.
Again, as He prepared to ascend into the heavens, we read the final words that the Risen Saviour delivered to His disciples. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth’” [ACTS 1:8]. How far shall believers trumpet the knowledge of Christ the Lord? To the end of the earth! There is no place on this planet that is excluded from this mandate. All peoples are to hear the message of life in Christ the Lord.
Indeed, the Master loves the Jewish people—Jesus was a Jew! However, we must never forget that Jesus came to be the Saviour of the world. As early as the days in which He was in the flesh, Jesus taught that He was sent to redeem fallen mankind. Even the villagers from Sychar recognised who He was. They testified to the woman who first spoke to the Master, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world” [JOHN 4:42].
As he wrote his first letter that would be included among the General Epistles, John testified, “We have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world” [1 JOHN 4:14].
Another thought that arises from Jesus’ presence in the region of the Gerasenes is that wherever He happened to be, Jesus was serving. This is but an acknowledgement of Jesus’ testimony to His disciples. “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” [MARK 10:45]. We are talking about Jesus, the Lord of Glory. He is the Messiah, the Anointed One of God whom the Jews anticipated throughout long centuries. Jesus came as a servant and not as a ruler.
Flowing out of this knowledge is the understanding that Jesus is not to be identified as a Jewish Saviour. I iterate—Jesus is the Saviour of the world, God’s sacrificial Lamb given for all people. When He ministered to those who were not Jewish or who were not as narrowly defined by their Jewish heritage as Jewish leaders would have preferred, Jesus did not ask them to leave their own family or the culture in which they were raised in order to believe. Jesus did not ask anyone to become Jewish in order to be saved; rather, He urged those who believed to minister where they were.
I AM LEGION — “When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.’ For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Legion,’ for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So, he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned” [LUKE 8:27-33].
People tending pigs? They must not have been Jews. At the very least, they weren’t terribly concerned about offending Jewish sensibilities. However, we must remember that this was the region of the Decapolis; this was the region where Gentile influence had fully permeated the culture. People living here weren’t overly fussy about keeping kosher. According to one scholar, “A plausible candidate for [‘the hillside’ on which these pigs were feeding] lies about a mile to the south of the ruins of the ancient village at Kursi, opposite the town’s fields.” [2] The residents living in this area had few scruples about raising swine, about providing pork to the Gentiles living among them.
When the boat carrying Jesus and the disciples landed, we are told that a demonised man came running toward them. This man had been driven from all human interaction by an unruly gang of demons. This man was a human haunted house. He was a walking Holiday Inn with six thousand evil tenants living in him. This was a man who was once fully integrated into village life, but now he was driven out and forced to live in the tombs of the dead. How he must have terrified the villagers whenever they were forced to place one of their loved ones in a tomb. Did they hire armed guards to hold this man at bay whenever they came to the tombs? Did he desecrate the tombs after they had lovingly laid their loved ones in the tomb? His unearthly howls, uncontrollably baying throughout the dark nights and guttural growls during the day, now haunted the region. This is the man, a man who tormented both himself and all who came near him, was the one who was running to Jesus.
When questioned by Jesus, the man said his name was “Legion.” His life was fractured by these foul demons. Perhaps not even his family knew who he was anymore. His wife and his children were confused, never knowing who would speak or what he might do next. His mother who gave him life must have been traumatised at the thought of the little boy she had once held becoming so wild. His father was likely at his wit’s end, not knowing how to respond. “Legion” would seem to indicate that there were at least five thousand to six thousand demons, though as many as twelve thousand demonic beings was possible in a legion.
Modern Christians seemingly struggle with the idea of demonised people. We have been thoroughly versed in contemporary concepts of psychological aberrations; so, we find it difficult to believe in demons. In order to explain what we witness, we try to come up with another answer. We appeal to physical deficits in brain chemistry, thinking we can mask the behaviour we find abnormal through a medication that sedates the individual. We imagine that we can “treat” aberrant behaviour through therapy. Every time there is a major tragedy, we rush in troops of “counsellors” to talk the wounded souls through their trauma. We’ll assist them to “accept” what has happened. What we don’t want to do is acknowledge demonic powers!
If we acknowledge the devil is real, then it follows that we are effectively powerless to stand against such power. If we admit the reality of demonic powers, it means that we are not sufficient to handle the maladies that contaminate the race. If we accept that fallen angels can and do infest people, then we are driven to seek the intervention of God, whom so many in this day want to exclude from the public square. There is a legitimate place for psychiatry; however, we need to be cautious in recognising that psychiatry is not the answer to every emotional and mental aberration. The fact that people exhibiting such mental aberrations as schizophrenia so often appeal to distortions of the Faith should be a clue that there must be something that is far more malignant than mere physical imbalance at work in the life of such traumatised people. Chemical imbalances would not frequently lead to distortions of the Christian Faith.
Even before I had been set apart as a pastor, I encountered individuals whom I recognised to be demonised. I recall a young man who fixed me with a cold stare, his eyes revealing a deep pit where life should have been. When I invited him to consider Jesus as Master over his life, he coldly responded, “I know your Master; He is a good Master. But I have a master.” And with that he turned and walked away purposefully.
I recall a family that attempted to send me and a fellow follower of the Master back to our “former life.” As I spoke of Christ, the evil of tampering with demonic powers and how the Word condemns necromancy, the entire family—father, mother and two little children—began to literally scream, “Don’t say that Name. Don’t speak of Him. We can’t stand hearing that Name.” The young man who was with me that evening was so shaken by what he had witnessed that some thirty minutes after going to my home he was unable to hold a cup of tea without trembling. I am certain that there are people who are plagued by demonic powers. Let me say that I am not afraid of grizzly bears, but I do respect them. I am not afraid of demonic powers, but I do respect them. Satan does not want to hurt you—he wants to kill you. Remember the Master’s warning, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” [JOHN 10:10a]. Again, Jesus cautioned the religious leadership standing in opposition to Him, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning” [JOHN 8:44a].
Praise God, I am equally certain that the Risen Son of God, the Master of all who are twice-born, has authority over the wicked one and authority over those demonic powers that torment mankind. Just as Jesus gave the twelve “authority over all demons” when He “sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God” [see LUKE 9:1], so He has given those who follow Him in this day “authority … over all the power of the enemy” [see LUKE 10:19]. Knowing this, we must not allow our position in Him to become the basis for acting arrogantly. Nevertheless, it does mean that we need not be fearful of the power of the enemy. Satan is a defeated foe, though for a brief while the Living God has permitted him to roam throughout the earth. We are kept safe so long as we stand in Christ the Lord.
HOGACIDE — “When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear” [LUKE 8:34-37a].
It is astonishing for us to realise that hogs demonstrate more sense than many people. When the hogs that fed nearby were demonised, they rushed into the sea and killed themselves rather than allow themselves to be thus sullied! That is amazing! People would rather strip off their clothes and howl at the moon. Jesus commanded that the demons that seized this soul go into a herd of pigs feeding nearby; they promptly drowned themselves in the sea, returning to the watery cosmic abyss from which they had come. This is the way in which Mark describes what happened: “Jesus asked [the demon speaking through the man], ‘What is your name?’ He replied, ‘My name is Legion, for we are many.’ And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, ‘Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.’ So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea” [MARK 5:9-13].
While we cannot be dogmatic about drawing specific conclusions, the events as recorded do suggest some characteristics of demonic powers when they inhabit a person’s life. It is abundantly obvious, according to this pericope and other incidents, that the demons know Jesus—they recognise His authority, they know Who He is, and they fear Him. James provides insight into the terror demons experience when they think of Jesus. The brother of our Lord informs us, “Even the demons believe—and shudder” [JAMES 2:19b]!
At other times throughout Scripture we witness demonic powers speaking to Him and admitting they know Him and admitting His power over them. Perhaps you will recall one incident that occurred near the beginning of Jesus’ ministry? On this particular occasion, Jesus was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum when unexpectedly, a demonised man disturbed the assembly by crying out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God” [MARK 1:24].
I find it amazing that this tormented man appears to have participated in the synagogue services for some time without incident. The presence of Jesus, however, exposed the demon! Undoubtedly, demonised people have participated in the services of churches, perhaps even providing leadership within churches, even to this day. Demonised people will not be uncomfortable in many of the churches of this day, until Jesus shows up. Tragically, people can attend religious services and never be confronted by the call to righteousness. Professed Christians are silent, refusing to ask the simple question, “Do you know Christ as Master?”
We also read of an incident when some Jewish exorcists attempted to appropriate the Name of Jesus to cast out some demons. The account is recorded in the Book of Acts. “Some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ‘I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.’ Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?’ And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded” [ACTS 19:13-16]. The answer of the demon must surely have terrified these men.
Not only do the demons know who Jesus is, but they appear to fear being disembodied; they appear to want to inhabit a body. If the demons can’t occupy the body of a human, they will infest the bodies of animals! The demons that had occupied this man in the region of the Gerasene were reduced to begging Jesus to permit them to go into a herd of swine. The movie trope of demons is ugly spirits flitting about to frighten innocent people. The reality is far different, and far worse than any Hollywood writer could ever imagine. These are powerful angels who are fallen from their position among the heavenly hosts who now seek to inhabit the body of anyone foolish enough to yield to their efforts.
Early in the history of Israel’s formation as a people, the LORD God warned Israel to avoid certain practises that would expose the people to demonic torment and bring down upon them the wrath of God. The LORD charged Israel, “When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the LORD your God, for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do this” [DEUTERONOMY 18:9-14].
Speaking on behalf of the Living God, Moses presented a dark list of wicked sins that believers must avoid if they will honour the Living God—idolatry, which was tantamount to the practise of sacrificing to demons, divination, fortune-telling, reading omens, sorcery, white magic (so-called), communicating with the dead. These are all practises that have continued to this day—and they are still under divine condemnation! People living in the western world must surely realise that such popular activities as casting your horoscope, playing with a Ouija board or even watching a show that exalts mediums dishonours God. We look to Him and confess,
“I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, ‘You are my God.’
My times are in your hand;
rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!”
[PSALM 31:14-15]
To resort to these practises that rely on dark powers dishonours God. To attempt to discover secret knowledge that can be conveyed by the spirits is to deny the truth that God is our Protector, that the Lord guides our life, that the Risen Saviour directs our paths. Anyone who resorts to practises such as these is exposing himself or herself to demonic torment. Followers of the Saviour will do well to remember the admonition delivered to Israel through Moses. “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever” [DEUTERONOMY 29:29a].
I recall a woman who had been saved during an earlier pastorate. This dear woman had a winsome personality and a burning desire to tell other women of the Saviour. Several women had come to faith through this gracious woman’s testimony when she phoned one day in tears. She was obviously distressed as she asked if I could help her. She was being terrified at night by a presence she could not explain. She spoke of this as an entity that rapped on the walls of her house to waken her and to leave her with a sense of terror; she had the distinct impression that this entity wanted to harm her children, if possible.
I endeavoured to learn more about what she was experiencing by asking about past occult practises. When I questioned her, her testimony was that she had indeed believed in the Son of God; however, before her conversion, she had amused herself with a Ouija board. She admitted that the board seemed to have a mind of its own, astonishing her and amusing her by giving answers to the questions she asked. She had been especially fascinated with life beyond the grave. Since she had been born again, she had put aside such activities and no longer consulted the board, looking instead to what was written in the Word of God.
Now, several years after coming to faith, she was being terrified by an evil presence, and she recognised that it stemmed from her earlier practise of consulting the Ouija board. She was delivered from the night terrors through prayer and seizing upon the promises of the Word. Nevertheless, it was a lesson for her that practises which dishonour the Lord do not always have immediate consequences. Sometimes, the wicked one will wait until an opportune time for him to knock us off our stride just as we are beginning to serve the Living God.
I relate this story to emphasise the importance of keeping oneself from those practises that are condemned by the Living God. I relate this story because we face a foe who deceives through lies and distortion of the truth, and we must be warned. I relate this tory because I would spare you the heartache of being tormented by the evil one and His dark minions. The dark arts are not innocuous—they are monstrous and detrimental to the welfare of mankind.
YOU ARE NEEDED AT HOME — “[Jesus] got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’ And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him” [LUKE 8:37b-39].
The man who had been demonised was now healed—restored to his right mind and in control of his faculties. Quite naturally, now that he was healed, he wanted to accompany the disciples back to Capernaum. There was the desire to be in the presence of good people, the longing to learn from the One who had set him free. He had to have been embarrassed by the knowledge of what he had done when tormented by the demonic powers. He had to have realised the disgrace he had brought on himself, on his family and on his friends. Many of them would have attempted to stand by him, until reality set in and they knew they could no longer support what they witnessed him doing.
In the same situation, any one of us would want the same thing this man wanted; we would want to accompany Jesus—in fact, we did want to stay near Jesus when we were saved. New Christians do the same as did this man, and the churches encourage that response. We bring people into the Faith and immediately teach them to sit among us and learn. Perhaps that is natural, but if we are true to the Great Commission, we will encourage new believers to go into the world and tell others of what God has done for them for them.
The man who had once been demonised had been set free from a horrible bondage. Naturally, he wanted to be with the One who had broken the bonds that once held him in thralldom. Interestingly enough, Jesus refused his request, instead giving him back to what he needed most—his own family. Besides, his mission field was his own homeland, as is evident from reading of his request and Jesus’ refusal as given in Mark’s Gospel. “[The townspeople] began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, ‘Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’ And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled” [MARK 5:17-20].
This man must have been very successful at doing what Jesus commanded him to do. We read that the next time Jesus came to the Decapolis he was met by a large crowd of people who were eagerly awaiting his return. This is Mark’s account of that return to the Decapolis. “[Jesus] returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak’” [MARK 7:31-37]. Pay particular attention to their comment! “[Jesus] has done all things well!” Though they were Gentiles, or at the least heavily influenced by Gentile culture, these people did recognise Jesus and His power. [3] This was the result of one man telling his society what Jesus had done. One man testifying of Christ’s power prepared an entire region for transformation when Jesus would come again into that area.
What would happen if we urged those coming into the Faith to go first to their own family, to their friends and colleagues, witnessing to the power of Jesus to transform? It is my ardent belief that we would experience revival. People would be convicted by the Spirit of God working in the life of the new believers. They would see the transformation that had taken place. They would be forced to admit that Jesus alone can change an individual, giving them new life as evidenced by what they see before their eyes.
Is that not what we do when we present the biblical expectation of public testimony through baptism of those coming to faith in the Son of God. We are taught in Scripture, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ” [ACTS 2:38a]. If we confess Christ as Master over life, there should be a coronation ceremony. Indeed, the Master has appointed just such a ceremony in the act of baptism. Receiving baptism as a believer, the child of God openly confesses his faith in Christ and his commitment to Christ as Master over life.
Since you’ve been saved, have you bought into the world’s view of how a Christian should conduct her or his life? Have you been taught to be quiet, to let your witness be your manner of life? Or are you obedient to the command of the Master, given to all who would follow Him? “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” [MATTHEW 28:19]. Did you go first to your home, declaring how much God had done for you?
Perhaps I’m speaking to someone today who has no message to deliver. Perhaps you are one who is religious, though you know you are lost. Has the evil one deceived you into thinking that if you are religious, doing the activities associated with the Faith, that everything will be okay for you? Hear this as essential to your eternal well-being. Christ died because of your sin. He was buried and rose from the dead on the third day. He ascended into the heavens and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. From there, He will come again to receive to Himself those who are saved.
If you will be saved, you must receive Him as Master over your life. The Word declares, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household” [ACTS 16:31]. We are promised, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” [ROMANS 10:9-10]. The Apostle concludes that passage by citing the words penned long before by the Prophet Joel, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [ROMANS 10:13].
This is our message—receive Christ as Master over your life and be set free. Believe in Him and be saved. When you are set free, go to your own family. Tell them what great things the Lord has done for you. Tell them of His mercy; tell them of His grace. When you have done this, then spread the knowledge of Christ throughout your world. He will be honoured, and you will be blessed. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] Paul H. Wright, Rose Then and Now Bible Map Atlas with Biblical Background and Culture (Rose Publishing, Torrance, CA 2012) 196–197
[3] Adapted from Paul H. Wright, ibid.
