Mark 5

In verse 2 we meet a demon posses ed man that lived in the "tombs" of Gerasenes. My commentary, "The 'tombs' - common dwelling places for the demented of that day - were burial chambers carved out of rock hillsides on the outskirts of town. If the man and his possible companion were Jews, for whom touching dead bodies was a great defilement, living inn such an area was an added torment." Interesting.

I don't know about you, but every time I read in the Bible about the demon-possessed, I think of the exorcist! LOL Well, Jesus was the best because He healed these people for real. This particular man had a 'legion' of demons in him. Imagine how much more awful he must have been if you picture Linda Blair that had only one. Jesus sends this legion into the near-by swine and they ran into the sea and drowned.

It was a great miracle because it really showed a stark contrast between the way the man was before and then after therefore, showing Christ's deity. "They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the "legion"; and they became frightened." v. 15 "He said to him, 'Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you." v. 19

Some people don't believe in demons or evil spirits. But to me if there is good there is the unlikeness, evil; if there is excellence there will be horror. I don't believe we see the demons today like they did back in Biblical times, but then again we don't need to, do we? The world, especially America and No. Europe, Japan, etc., is so deeply involved with themselves and their own egos that they never even look to the spiritual, let alone, Jesus. So Satan doesn't have to work very hard.

The second part of this chapter is about physical healing, again. Mark spends a lot of time on Jesus' miracles and less on His teaching. What caught my attention here is the people's complete faith that if they asked or touched Jesus, they would be healed. I wish I could have that kind of faith. When something goes wrong with my body I pray, but honestly I only half believe I can be "supernaturally" healed; I wish I could believe more wholly, without any doubting. Or even to go deeper, maybe I believe that Jesus can heal, just that He won't heal me. I'm not worthy. Hmm