TEXT: Mark 5:1-20

SUBJECT: Meeting the Lord #5: Gadarene Demoniac

The story begins with our Lord and the disciples coming ashore near Gadara. This was an unclean place to the observant Jew, for its people were mostly Gentile, and its leading industry was pork. It's no wonder, then, that the first person to greet our Lord there was "a man with an unclean spirit".

There is unclean and there is unclean. This fellow is "the uncleanest of them all". He wore no clothes, slept on dead bodies, and howled at the moon. The people tried to chain him down, but to no effect, for his madness gave him a superhuman power.

What's wrong with the man? He is possessed by the devil, who makes his life so horrid that he keeps mutilating himself with sharp rocks. He may be seeking the relief that suicide promises.

We've all seen mentally ill people, some of whom are quite disturbing. But no one like this man; he's something like a werewolf.

When the wild man sees our Lord, he charges Him, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore you by God that you do not torment me". He is enraged at the Lord, but also afraid. He hates Him with a bitter hatred, but admits to His Divine Sovereignty.

"What is your name?" our Lord asks. "Legion" is the reply, "for we are many". He is possessed by multiple demons-- thousands may well reside in his tortured soul.

The demons know they're finished, but ask one favor of our Lord, "Instead of sending us to hell, how about into those pigs?" He agrees, and off they go. No sooner do they possess their new hosts than the pigs stampede into the sea and drown themselves.

The people are stunned at the almighty power of Christ; the news spreads quickly. Soon everyone knows what He has done. Naturally, they come out to thank Him. Or do they? No, they don't. What they want is for Him to leave.

And off He goes. "A Prophet without honor".

What happened to the man? He is found "sitting, clothed and in his right mind". When the Lord leaves, he begs to go with Him, but, no, that isn't what Christ wants. What He wants is for the man to go home and tell everyone "What the Lord has done for you and how He has had compassion on you".

The man bows to His Lordship, and "Proclaims in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled".

That's the story.

The Meaning.

What does it mean? This is the second exorcism our Lord performs in this Gospel. In the first, 1:21-28, Mark emphasizes the power of Christ's word. "What new doctrine is this?--the people want to know--"for with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him".

This is also true in today's story. But it doesn't seem to be Mark's "big idea". How do the stories differ? In the first, he says almost nothing about the man with the "unclean spirit". But here, he provides a detailed description.

He pictures him "Before Christ". He is naked, wild, unchained, bloody, noisy, and furious.

Then he gives the "After Christ" picture. Clothed, sane, quiet, and devout.

Why did he do this? He did it to make his point. What's that? Jesus Christ changes people.

The Gadarene's change was spectacular. In a few minutes, he goes from Satan to saint! Not everyone is changed so visibly, so quickly. But make no mistake about it: Jesus Christ changes people. All believers are "Delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of His dear Son".

The Bible gives many examples of the change.

To generalize, "If anyone is in Christ Jesus, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new".

This is the meaning of our passage: Jesus Christ changes people. He not only does something for us; He does something in us.

What does this say to us? Four things come to mind.

Firstly, it gives hope to people who have tried to change on their own, but failed. We all know some things are bad, hurtful, and ought be gotten rid of. A drug habit, a bad work ethic, out-of-control anger, gambling, and so on. There are books written on how to kick these habits, and well as recovery groups to help you do it. These things are not wrong; some people they've helped.

But they are not the answer! The reason is: drugs and alcohol, wife-beating or promiscuity are not the problem. They are symptoms, not the disease itself. What's the disease? The Bible says "sin". The symptoms will clear up only after the disease has been treated. Who can do that? Only Christ. For only He can take away the guilt you're carrying on your shoulders right now. Only He can bring you back to God--where you belong. When He does that, change will occur. It may not be as spectacular as the man of Gadara, but it will be every bit as real. There are people here who can testify to that. People entangled in pornography are now free! People who drank themselves to sleep every night are now free! People who lived for money and prestige are now free! People who hated others are now free! They're not perfect--they'd be the first to tell you that. But they're not demoniacs either! Christ has come into their lives, and changed them forever.

Good news for the despairing, for people about to give up. There is hope...in Christ.

Secondly, it gives hope to us as we evangelize bad people. You know people who seem hopeless, people who couldn't possibly give up their evil ways for Christ. They seem so hardened that you haven't spoken to them about the Lord; or you have, but not in a long time. "You don't know how bad-off they are" you say. You're right, I don't. But, I suspect they're not as bad-off as the man in today's story ! They wear clothes, don't they? They don't live in tombs? They aren't chained down? They don't terrorize whole counties? They're not possessed by a legion, I suspect?

Can these people be helped? If the demoniac could be, I think they can, too. How? By the Word of Christ which we would speak to them, if only we believed in its power!

Good news for our witnessing. There is hope...in Christ.

Thirdly, it gives us the patience to wait for our brothers and sisters in Christ to change. Not every believer is equally mature; some remain childish for way too long. The temptation is to give up on them! To bawl them out for their faults or to ignore them. This is easy to do. Paul knew it and warned Timothy to "Not strive, but be gentle to all, apt to teach, patient..." Why? Because Jesus Christ can change them for the better. What's more, He will do just that. But on His schedule, not yours.

Good news for impatient saints. There is hope...in Christ.

Lastly, it reminds us that the work of Christ is one work. Some people think otherwise. Pardon of sin? They want that; but holiness? That they could do without. A free pass on hell? Yes, but a narrow gate and a steep road? Well...

These "items are not sold separately". The Savior who removes my guilt, is also the Lord who says, "Go and sin no more". Casting the devil out of that fellow made him a "new man", a man who wanted no part of his old life. A man who wanted Christ and longed to serve Him and make Him known to others.

The Gospel offers One Jesus--both Lord and Savior. This sounds harsh to some. But those who know Him would have it no other way. We love His Lordship no less than His Atonement, His will no less than His blood.

What has Christ done for you? What has Christ done in you? The latter will make the former plain. God give you an answer of peace. And me too.

How blessed we are that Christ changed us! How blessed that He is changing us! How blessed that He will one day complete the change! "We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is".

God make it so, for Christ's sake. Amen.