The Gadarene Demoniac

Christ Church, Sunday 21 Sep 2003
6.00pm
Luke 5:1-17

. Bible-believing Christians have always accepted the fact of demons and their activity in New Testament times, but nowadays most of us are inclined to relegate demonic activity in these days to pagan lands and missionary experiences, or maybe to byegone and less 'enlightened ages'.
Like it or not, demons and demonic activity are likely to become much more of a concern to you in days to come. Paul tells us that our struggle is, at bottom, a spiritual one
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
(Ephesians 6:12)
Even in our sophisticated times, there is an intense interest in the supernatural and the occult.. Horoscopes and astrological predictions are found in most major newspapers.
For the Christian, there are two extremes which must be avoided with reference to Satanic activity. As C. S. Lewis aptly put it:

There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.

The confrontation between the powers of heaven and hell are nowhere seen in better perspective than in Mark’s account of the encounter of the Gerasene demoniac with our Lord Jesus Christ.

In the third chapter of Mark’s Gospel, our Lord’s miraculous works were attributed by His opponents to the power of Satan. Our Lord responded sternly by calling this accusation blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and as such was the one unpardonable sin. From this point on, Jesus began to speak to the crowds in parables in order to veil or conceal the gospel from those who had blasphemed the Holy Spirit. 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. This is when the storm arose which threatened to destroy the ship. Sometime after the Lord Jesus miraculously calmed the storm, the ship landed, perhaps late in the evening, on the other side of the lake in the country of the Gerasenes. 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.

Immediately, as this weary group disembarked from the ship, they were met by what appeared to be a madman. Although his symptoms would have appeared to be those of an insane man, the Gospel writers inform us that he was demon-possessed.
We may take note of several common symptoms of demon-possession:

Severe personality change. The ‘before’ and ‘after’ descriptions of the demoniac reveal that he was a totally different person under demonic influence. It is something like the behavior and personality change in a man who is totally intoxicated. More than this, however, is the fact that the man’s own identity and individuality were swallowed up by the demons with him. When Jesus asked his name the man answered, Legion, for we are many. Those who have witnessed demon possession tell us that each demon has its own distinct personality and that the individual possessed begins to manifest the distinct personality of the demon by which he is possessed. I had one experience during aq prayer-ministry. The possessed men spoke with a different voice, and when commanded, the demon gave its name.
Spiritual insight. The demoniac further evidenced demon activity by the depth of his spiritual insight. Instantly he recognized the Lord Jesus to be the Son of God . There was a source of spiritual insight beyond human capabilities here. In hus account Matthew includes the question, Have You come here to torment us before the time? (Matthew 8:29). This reveals to us that demons have an intuitive knowledge of their impending doom.
Torment. The price tag of possession was high, for those who fell victim to the demons agonized in constant torment. Such was the case with this man . His animal-like shrieks must have sent chills up the spines of any who were nearby.

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. They probably thought of quickly getting aboard ship and pushing off. Perhaps they clenched their fists or picked up driftwood with which to defend themselves.
Such must have been the response of those with our Lord. But this man’s eyes were riveted on Jesus. 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. Though Legion bowed before Jesus,.He seemed to view Jesus’ approach as the launching of a direct attack on the demonic forces. He pleaded with Jesus not to be tormented. How ironic, as others have noted, that the tormentor pleads not to be tormented.
The pleas of Legion were in response to the command of Jesus for the demons to come out of him. Significantly, the demons are called ‘unclean spirits’. When Jesus asked the demoniac his name, it was not without significance for He was, I believe, asking the demons to reveal their identity. The reply ‘Legion’ may be some kind of evasion, a reluctance on the part of the demons to individually identify themselves.

The drowning of the pigs has caused a great deal of discussion amongst Bible students. 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 second question is an ethical one: “What right had the Lord to inflict this loss on the owners of the swine?”
Some possible answers are:

Our Lord was moved with compassion by the torment of Legion and the loss of these pigs should in no way dim our view of the deliverance of the demoniac. Also, the wholesale slaughter of these pigs dramatically illustrated the destructive purposes of the demons.
Our Lord did not command the demons to enter into the pigs and bring about their destruction; He only permitted it.

.
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. Whereas he had been a slave, he was now delivered from demon possession. While he was once wild and uncontrollable, he was sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus. When once he was an instrument of Satanic opposition against the Messiah, now he is a witness to His power. Once naked, he is now clothed. Once a menace to society, now a messenger with words of deliverance and healing.

It didn’t take long for the word to spread quickly. The pig tenders reported it far and wide, in city and country (verse 14). Like the Samaritans who followed the woman at the well to see this One who had ‘told her all she had done,’ so these residents came to see for themselves what had happened.
The typical explanation for the petition of the residents that Christ leave their country is that they were motivated by materialistic considerations. In other words, Jesus had caused a loss to them of 2,000 swine already; what else would His presence cost?
In both the accounts of Mark and Luke, the primary motivation is described as that of fear. Luke seems to base this fear solely upon what happened to the demoniac, not on the loss of their pigs.

Let us bring all this to a conclusion by noting our Lord's words in John 10:10
The theif (and here this would mean the Devil) comes only to steal and destroy and kill. I am come that they might have life and have it to the full How clearly we see this in thr life of Legion! But the villagers are gripped with fear, and cannot receive that full life Jesus came to bring. Let's pray that fear does not bar or hinder us from that fulness of life in Jesus.

Return<