Belonging - Day 26
13 So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.
14 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. 15 A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. 16 Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. 17 And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.
Jesus heard the demons’ plea to be put in the herd. He let them go there. This was a physical manifestation of his power. However, the pigs then ran to the water and drowned themselves. The herdsman ran to the town to let people know what happened. The narrative the herdsman may have given might not have been the best thing. Remember, there are some significant financial implications for what just happened. 2,000 pigs is a huge herd, even by today’s standards, and it would have shocked that area economically for years!
Also, the author would not have had the same sort of empathy that the modern reader might have for livestock and their fate. The treatment of the animals was not the point for Mark; rather, the incredible demonstration of the power of Jesus over a spiritual entity that, until that point, had not been managed, contained, or controlled.
And did you notice everyone’s response? They were “all afraid.” As so often is the case, and was certainly the case in the story of Jesus calming the storm, when his power is truly expressed, people don’t know how to react. The real and true power of God, when experienced, is nothing short of overwhelming, and this has not changed even up until today. When we experience the true power of God’s grace in our lives, we are overcome and our life trajectories experience a change!
However, for these people, the change they saw in this man’s life — now sane, clothed, and in his right mind—was too much for them to handle. Jesus became an unsettling presence in their midst, and rather than accept him, they asked him to leave.
I have often wondered what we would do if Jesus came to church with us today? Would we sense his disturbing presence and want him to leave, as well? Would Jesus be comfortable in our church, in our lives, and would we be able to conform our lives to his presence? For those in the Decapolis, his presence was unsettling because it did not conform to what they expected from their gods. His presence was disturbing because to be in proximity to that much real and palpable power could only remind them of their humanity, their brokenness, and their weakness. No one likes to be reminded of this, especially without the understanding that Jesus could have fixed all of that for them. He was outside of a salvation schema for them; he was not a savior, he was a disturber of the peace and order of things.
14 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. 15 A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. 16 Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. 17 And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.
Jesus heard the demons’ plea to be put in the herd. He let them go there. This was a physical manifestation of his power. However, the pigs then ran to the water and drowned themselves. The herdsman ran to the town to let people know what happened. The narrative the herdsman may have given might not have been the best thing. Remember, there are some significant financial implications for what just happened. 2,000 pigs is a huge herd, even by today’s standards, and it would have shocked that area economically for years!
Also, the author would not have had the same sort of empathy that the modern reader might have for livestock and their fate. The treatment of the animals was not the point for Mark; rather, the incredible demonstration of the power of Jesus over a spiritual entity that, until that point, had not been managed, contained, or controlled.
And did you notice everyone’s response? They were “all afraid.” As so often is the case, and was certainly the case in the story of Jesus calming the storm, when his power is truly expressed, people don’t know how to react. The real and true power of God, when experienced, is nothing short of overwhelming, and this has not changed even up until today. When we experience the true power of God’s grace in our lives, we are overcome and our life trajectories experience a change!
However, for these people, the change they saw in this man’s life — now sane, clothed, and in his right mind—was too much for them to handle. Jesus became an unsettling presence in their midst, and rather than accept him, they asked him to leave.
I have often wondered what we would do if Jesus came to church with us today? Would we sense his disturbing presence and want him to leave, as well? Would Jesus be comfortable in our church, in our lives, and would we be able to conform our lives to his presence? For those in the Decapolis, his presence was unsettling because it did not conform to what they expected from their gods. His presence was disturbing because to be in proximity to that much real and palpable power could only remind them of their humanity, their brokenness, and their weakness. No one likes to be reminded of this, especially without the understanding that Jesus could have fixed all of that for them. He was outside of a salvation schema for them; he was not a savior, he was a disturber of the peace and order of things.
- Have you ever thought it would be better if Jesus just went away and let you alone?
- Have you ever asked him to leave? (Because he will honor that request.)
- Should Jesus have tried to explain to them what had just happened?
- How can we seek to strengthen the presence of Jesus in our lives, not diminish it?
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