how many times did jesus go to gerasenes how many times did jesus go to gerasenes
I will not ask him to leave. He lived there among the tombs and graves. The story of the Gerasene demoniac is surely one of the strangest in the Gospels. If they would just listen to what he had to say. Gerasa is identified from various sources as a city in Arabia, Decapolis, Gilead, or Perea. As these people began to piece together the previous events, not only of the destruction of the pigs, but also the deliverance of Legion, they began to sense that there was One far more awesome, much more to be feared, than Legion. Earles comments are helpful: The difference in names for the destination on the east side of the take has caused considerable comment. The reference could hardly be to the better known Gerasa (Jerash) between thirty and forty miles southeast from the lake. Barnes, Albert (1949), Notes on the New Testament: Matthew and Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker). Did the scribes realize that God gave Jesus the authority in Mark 11:33? The tomb-man from Gadara looked up at Jesus again. And the people there were scared, they recognised this, but more, they realised the significance of this. He could just as easily commanded them to return to the deepest, darkest pit of Hell. Initially, the possessed man has been expelled from the human racethat is, he is no better off than an animal without clothingbut, after his exorcism, his humanity is fully restored and he rejoins the human race, clothed and in his right mind (Luke 8:35). 3); they are reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day (Jude 6); and what the unclean spirits deprecate here, is the bringing in, by anticipation, of that final doom. R. C. Trench, Notes on the Miracles of Our Lord (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1949), p. 100. Start for FREE. Does a password policy with a restriction of repeated characters increase security? How ironic, as others have noted, that the tormentor pleads not to be tormented. vi. We should be warned that fooling with these Satanic fronts is like experimenting with drugs. Jesus was saying, (demonstrating) that He had all authority, in any land. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. He himself earnestly desired to stay with Jesus, knowing that Jesus had saved him an otherwise completely hopeless and unremediable condition. The herd, about two thousand in number, rush down the steep bank into the sea and are drowned. He felt Jesus' reassuring hand on his shoulder. How much more sinful than Peter were the Geraseneans, who because of love of money did not shun even to engage in a non-Jew business of herding swine; how much more unbearable and dreadful must have been for them the Lords presence! Mark 3:14). Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More. Many ancient tombs are to be seen in the face of the hills. We don't want any more trouble here!" We greatly appreciate your consideration! Vote Up A friend of mine told me later that two students were attempting to cast a demon out of a fellow. [9], The revealing of the demon's name has parallels with other examples in Jewish exorcism lore in the Second Temple period. I beg you in the name of God never to torment me!". As we pass from this section to the next, let us not end on the note of the death of the pigs, but on the deliverance of the demoniac. A spiritual battle ensued, which ended with Jesus casting a whole legion of demons out of the man and sending them into a herd of pigs. Our Lord responded sternly by calling this accusation blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and as such was the one unpardonable sin (verses 28-30). First, the man is hunted, then stoned, and finally he is killed; this is why the possessed lived among the tombs. (it should be added that Plummer himelf does not hold to any of these views.). Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. There seems to be no excuse here for the charge of contradiction. Romans 9:19-23). Jesus, Go Away! This was a region east of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. Sometime after the Lord Jesus miraculously calmed the storm, the ship landed, perhaps late in the evening,111 on the other side of the lake in the country of the Gerasenes.112 If, indeed, it was late at night, the scene must have been an eerie one, with the nerves of the disciples already worn thin by the terrifying experience of the storm. But notice, even though Jesus permitted them to enter the swine, they were unable to overcome their evil impulses and drove the swine over the cliff to their death. Finally, there is in demon possession a counterpart to the filling (or control) of the Holy Spirit. You are being sent because there are other tomb-people to free. Though Legion bowed before Jesus (verse 6), it was no act of worship (as the King James Version would seem to indicate). This and hundreds of other resources are available free on our site due to the Lord's provision of generous financial supporters. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. This location agrees with the description given by the ancient writers. . (1) Severe personality change. It is noteworthy that Jesus nowhere speaks of forgiveness of sins or of purification-sacrifices, that have to be brought after His curing of such cases (as He did in some cases of physical illness). But about a mile further south there is a fairly steep slope within forty yards from the shore, and about two miles from there cavern tombs are found which appear to have been used for dwellings. William L. Lane, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), p.181. This makes sense, I couldn't believe they asked Jesus to leave. Matthew recorded that Jesus commanded demons to come out of two men (8:29). The presence of a copious spring of sweet water makes it probable that the site has been occupied from olden time; but no trace remains of any ancient city. And, Gerasene was one. No torment. The Cross And Separation From The World (1 Peter 4:1-6), 7. There is, as we know, the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Origen (Commentary on John 6:24 41 [on John 1:28]) cited a local tradition that there had been a town called "Gergasa" on the lake shore.[7]. They asked Jesus to leave that place. On the other hand, Gadara is only six miles from the southern tip of the lake and could easily have given its name to the district. Short story about swapping bodies as a job; the person who hires the main character misuses his body, English version of Russian proverb "The hedgehogs got pricked, cried, but continued to eat the cactus". The story appears to be set close to the Sea of Galilee, since it takes place as soon as Jesus gets out of the boat, but neither Gadara nor Gerasa is nearby; both cities are southeast of the lake, Gadara 10km away or a two-hour walking distance, and Gerasa well over twice as far. The fact that Matthew places the healing of Legion in the country of the Gadarenes whereas Mark and Luke place it in the country of the Gerasenes may be harmonized on the historical grounds that geographical boundaries overlapped, and on the exegetical consideration that country embraced a wide area around the cities. Most scholars today would agree with Origen that near Gergesa was the precise site for the healing of Legion. It was a small village about midway along the E shore of the Sea of Galilee. Vote Up The best text in Matthew reads Gadarenes, in Mark and Luke it reads Gerasenes, whereas some MSS preserve Gergesenes and Gergustenes (cf. It was, in fact, his demons that had recognized Jesus. At the side of Kersa the shore is level, and there are no tombs. 606-607. ), you also need to understand the significance of this - to the people in Gerasene. The ruins are wide and imposing and are better preserved than any others on the East of Jordan. He seemed to view Jesus approach as the launching of a direct attack on the demonic forces. The story shows Jesus exorcising a demon or demons out of a man and into a herd of swine, causing the swine to run down a hill into a lake and drown . Jesus asks the demon for his name and is told "My name is Legion, for we are many". Lucius Annius, at the instance of Vespasian, sacked and burned the city, with much slaughter (BJ, IV, ix, 1). Were the writers of the synoptic gospel accounts confused about where Jesus was when He healed the men? Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. It only takes a minute to sign up. There is the so-called demon of doubt, of anger, of overindulgence, of drunkenness, laziness and so on. What does 'They're at four. Used with Permission. The Lord refused this request and commissioned this delivered man to return to his own people and declare to them what God had done for him. In my head, I know that your ways are always best. Ananias and Sapphira did so by allowing their greed to grip their hearts (cf. The lose of the pigs meant loose of partial income in the area. Holiness hurts! At this distance from the Sea of Galilee, Gerasa could not have been the site of the healing of Legion. It is doubtful that Jesus ever visited it. The ruins are wide and imposing and are better preserved than any others on the East of Jordan. It was a leading city of Syria in commerce, culture, and religion. This solution is as old as Origen (Commentary on John, VI, 24) who, faced with the textual problem, suggested that the precise site of the healing of Legion was Gergesa, the small town in the territory of Gadara, but hardly in the more remote territory of Gerasa. Although demon-possession after that time no longer occurs on such a devastating and noticeable scale, the absolute form of demon-possession will appear at the end of the age in the Antichrist and in his followers (2 Thess. [1] The story shows Jesus exorcising a demon or demons out of a man and into a herd of swine, causing the swine to run down a hill into a lake and drown themselves. The story begins in the region of the Gerasenes on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. Gerasa was rebuilt in splendor and remained prosperous for several centuries. Yet how did the Gerasene people respond? This fact probably accounts for the presence of a large herd of swine near Gadara when Jesus visited that region to heal the demon-possessed men (Matthew 8:30-33; Mark 5:1-17). 0 Responses Ewing. He did not appear to rush upon the small group of men to attack them (as he would normally have done), but rather to plead with Jesus. 14:22-36. 113 According to the Talmud there were four characteristics of madness: walking abroad at night; spending the night on a grave; tearing ones clothes and destroying what one was given. (1946), The Interpretation of St. Marks Gospel (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg). Archeologists identify it with the modern Jarash. Ched Myers, Binding the Strong Man: A Political Reading of Marks Story of Jesus (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1988) p. 192; Richard A. Horsley, Hearing the Whole Story: The Politics of Plot in Marks Gospel (Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox, 2001); Gerd Thiessen, Miracle Stories of the Early Christian Tradition (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1983); Hollenbach, P. W. (1981). It was on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and must have been a locality where the steep edges of the Bashan plateau drop close upon the brink of the lake. If you are able tosupport usthis month we will invest your gift in making the hope of the gospel freely available to others who are wandering in the tombs of despair. Says he is "the bread of life"; many are stumbled and leave 6:22-71. The crowd should remain on top of the cliff and the victim fall over; instead, in this case, the crowd plunges and the victim is saved. The exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac (Matthew 8.28-34; Mark 5.1-20; Luke 8.26-39), frequently known as the Miracle of the (Gadarene) Swine and the exorcism of Legion, is one of the miracles performed by Jesus according to the New Testament. The site is identified today with the town of Kersa, or Gersa, just below Wadi es-Samak. It's a curious passage with many unanswered questions. That the unclean spirits were personal beings is evident from what is related about their leaving a possessed person, talking or crying out, possessing knowledge concerning Jesus, as well as other supernatural knowledgeshowing fear, and the like. Accordingly this was not merely an ordinary form of mental disease as some writers have alleged, but a special phenomenon which was particularly frequent during Jesus earthly sojourn and thus was directly connected with His coming to destroy the power of darkness. (BJ, I, iv, 8). 6:1-13. We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe. War II. At the conclusion of this day of teaching by parables, the Lord had instructed His disciples to cross over the Sea of Galilee to the other side. In Galilee and Judea there were Messianic hopes which would have been quickly fanned into flames if the miracles of Jesus were too widely publicized. 8; Mark vi. As Jesus got out of the boat, a madman from the cemetery came up to him. No matter what men attempted to bind him with, he broke loose. As Christians we believe that the Old Testament is constantly foreshadowing Jesus. The story was interpreted by Saints Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas to mean that Christians have no duties to animals. is there such a thing as "right to be heard"? F. F. Bruce adds additional helpful insight: According to the best texts, Matthew calls it the country of the Gadarenes (viii. 8ff.). The drowning of the swine was an accident, possibly simultaneous with the healing, and report mixed up the two incidents. What is the significance of the blind man seeing tree-like people walking in Mark 8:22-25? Matthew 8:4; Luke 8:56). It had nothing to do the farmers losing revenue - at all. 2. Gerasa is mentioned next by Josephus in connection with the Jewish rebellion against the Romans in a.d. 70. 1. By your Spirit, help me to welcome you into my life, all of you. The ruins also show evidence of a dozen churches, dating in the Byzantine period (4th-7th centuries) indicating that this once was a large Christian community. The distance is about 19 miles from the river. First of all, the EPA would have been investigating the pollution of Lake Galilee with decaying pigs. We do not know why they chose to mention only one. 124 Augustine: The devils were driven out and permitted to go into the swine; and Aquinas: But that the swine were driven into the sea was no work of the divine miracle, but was the work of the devils by divine permission. Quoted by Trench, Miracles, fn. No one could restrain himhe couldn't be chained, couldn't be tied down. The Response of the People - Mt. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Origen says this is a good example of how Biblical writers simply were not concerned to precisely identify certain sites. We see people in other places where he worked miracles, endeavoring to make him their king (Jn 6:15) . Once naked, he is now clothed. While he was once wild and uncontrollable, he was sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus. But Jesus was sleeping. This is just five miles from Capernaum, where Jesus had previously been, so it makes sense. The Syrians made reprisals, and took many prisoners. A noise made them all turn back toward the hill. But the city of Gadara owned some territory round about Khersa, so that the district and the pigs could properly also be called Gadarene. F. F. Bruce, Are the New Testament Documents Reliable? But it was different this time. 8). about a.d. 65. [ a] 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. For less than $5/mo. It is in no way certain, however, that the pig raisers were Jews. He who feared His arrival now dreaded His departure. 5. Let me say as graciously as I can, Satan does not need to work on us in those areas as we are doing very well without his exploitation. You should not suggest in any way that The High Calling or Theology of Work endorses you or your use of the work. 84,145). ger'-a-sa, ger'-a-senz (Gerasa; Gerasenon):1. We'd love to keep you up to date with what is happening at CARM. God has commisioned us to work and create, to develop the resources he has given us and share with those in need. The Greek word in Matthew 8:28, however, reveals that Jesus went to the country of the Gadarenes (p. 23). They look forward to their future with great dread. No rage. Classical theological commentary cited this story to argue that animals have no moral importance in Christianity. 26). But having recalled a passage in Ephesians, I realize now that this man is a reminder of the dilemma of every man, woman, and child who have not come to a saving dependence upon the work of Jesus Christ for sinners on the cross. Jude 6), no longer to afflict men or resist God. Pigs were specifically set aside as the animal used in sacrifices to their god. The ego is so impaired that the spirits speak through him. That would be a strong message, by allowing them to be possessed and then drowned. Why would God condemn Balaam for doing what God told him to do with the Moabites? It is almost 20 miles from Amman (Philadelphia), and 22 from Fahil (Pella). Thank you for setting the demoniac free. Significantly, the demons are called unclean spirits (verse 2,9). Here is one of the few times that a miracle drove people away, rather than to draw them to Jesus. 6:30-44. Gadara). Their answer is: 'No, we do not want to stone you because we want to keep you near us. What is the 'age of accountability' and is it Biblical. It is noteworthy that it is distinguished (especially in the Gospel of the physician, Luke) from cases of ordinary sickness, insanity (lunacy), leprosy, blindness, lameness, deafness and other natural defects and diseases (cf. Evil is self-defeating in the end. Unfortunately, like anyone who feels wrongfully yet feasibly accused, the Gerasenes protest violently, they protest their good faith with violence, thereby reinforcing the terror of the possessed. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one . Over his son GAD he said: "Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last." Now WHERE in the New Testament do you remember hearing about something like a 'troop'? The pig tenders reported it far and wide, in city and country (verse 14). Then people came to see what it was that had happened. Jesus, Demoniacs, and Public Authorities: A Socio-Historical Study. Here the slopes descend swiftly almost into the sea, and animals, once started on the downward run, could not avoid plunging into the depths. Textual variations have compounded the problem. [a] There, a man "possessed by a demon" comes from the caves to meet him. Here in Mark, he purposely set out to travel into another land. The disciples went and woke him, saying, 'Lord, save us! No! The NT references (Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26; cf. 14). What does it mean that the name of the demon was Legion? Matt. As the servant of Elisha was told, Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them (2 Kings 6:16). Matt. Hence there was demon-worship, the worship not necessarily of evil spirits; but of the spirits of those who had existed in the Golden Age. G. Campbell Morgan, The Gospel According to Mark (New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1927), p. 114. How many men came out to meet Jesus in Gerasene? BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. Apologetics Press is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to the defense of New Testament Christianity. He dispatched Lucius Annius with a force of cavalry and an army of foot soldiers, who took the city on the first attack, slaughtering a thousand young men, taking their families captive, plundering and burning the city and the surrounding towns (Jos. Daniel 10:13; Ephesians 6:12), whose leader and prince is Satan (Matthew 12:24). Was Aristarchus the first to propose heliocentrism? Now he knew better. In this instance, each writer intended to draw attention to an area close to the Sea of Galilee. The possessed pigs plunged down a hillside into the lake, where they drowned. 4. 1). Image by Lane believes the modern Kersa is the most likely place: The point of arrival is indicated in a general way as the district of the Gerasenes, most probably in reference to a town whose name is preserved in the modern Kersa or Koursi. While the Jews had not denied the works of Jesus were supernatural, they had declined to admit they established His deity. We see the first reaction to this in the storm MARK 4:7 And a great windstorm arose [snip]. He was used to seeing fear in their eyes. Thats why also Peter having realized who Christ was, was dreaded and asked Him to leave him for he said to be a sinful man (Luke 5:8). The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. GERASA, GERASENES ( , ). Gerasa itself is probably represented by the ruins of Kurseh on the South side of Wady Semak, just where it opens on the seashore. 16ff., xix. Their first question is a rather pragmatic one, namely, How can demons possess animals? To this we must confess that we know too little to understand the mechanism of demon possession but the reality is very evident. The next allusion to Gerasa concerns its capture during Vespasians campaign. It is not difficult to imagine what was going through the minds of the disciples as their ship landed and as these two demon possessed men rushed to them. The Maniac Who Became a Missionary, Part 1. The Matthew account mentions two demon-possessed men, while Mark and Luke only mention one. Who would have thought that the Son of God looked so much like other Jewish men? Archeology. It should also be observed that nowhere in the Old Testament (except in I Sam. Men in their unbelief suppose that the choice is either to be free (independent of God) or to be the slaves of Christ. William of Tyre calls the city Jarras, and places it 16 miles East of Jordan (Hist, xii, 16). It was besieged by Baldwin II, in 1121 A.D. Demons are highly organized (cf. city in Pal. Life with him would be heaven on earth. Are we welcoming him into our lives? If we put ourselves in their place, and use empathy to feel how we might have reacted if we were confronted with the loss of our next year's source of feeding our families, it will be easier to understand that they were afraid to suffer any other loss that might result if Jesus stayed in their area. In contrast, the people of Gerasene are asking him to leave their place. Perhaps they clenched their fists or picked up driftwood with which to defend themselves. What Jesus wants us to know is that his salvation and his protection extend to those old, horrible haunts. On one level, they may have been afraid that Jesus would send their herds into the sea. 1, pp. Neither is it only a kind of physical disease, although spiritual and physical disease often accompany it (e.g. [3] This interpretation has been shared by a long line of commentators up to the present day, including I. Howard Marshall and Mark Driscoll. ix. He had thought he'd been living in hell already. Moreover, this story challenges us to examine our own reaction to Jesus. Then the SPCA would have been up in arms over such cruelty to animals. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. [2] It has been a point of contention in discussions of Christianity and animal rights. I will not look for a reason to return to it. Romans Bible Study, Chapter 5 Romans 5 speaks about justification and our relationship to Adam. 68f. 128 In most of the stories of possession what is at issue is not merely sickness but a destruction and distortion of the divine likeness of man according to creation. We come to a riveting, compelling, fascinating, gripping story, an incident in the life of our Lord which introduces us again to His divine power. 28); Mark the country of the Gerasenes (v. 1), and Luke, probably, the country of the Gergesenes (viii. xviii. Jesus allows the fleeing evil spirits to enter a herd of pigs which promptly run into the sea and drown. 21,22). Now' as to the pigs (an unclean animal, so you know Jesus wasnt in Israel! They valued their pigs more than they valued salvation. The presence of holiness and, moreover, the most intense divine holiness is undesirable; I mean, unless you are an angel or a saintly recluse in his ascetic toils in a cave or a top of a pillar. Journal of the American Academy of Religion, XLIX(4), 567588; Burdon, Christopher. Country of the Gerasenes:The town itself is not named in Scripture, and is referred to only in the expression, "country of the Gerasenes" (Mark 5:1 Luke 8:26, 37; see Westcott and Hort, The New Testament in Greek, Appendix, 11). The pagan religions continued among the Gentile population as is evidenced by the ruins of the temple of Artemis. If there are two demoniacs, there is certainly at least one; therefore, there is no contradiction.
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