Mark 5: 1-20

Read:

Mark 5:1-20

They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. 3He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; 4for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. 5Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. 6When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; 7and he shouted at the top of his voice, 'What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.' 8For he had said to him, 'Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!' 9Then Jesus asked him, 'What is your name?' He replied, 'My name is Legion; for we are many.' 10He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; 12and the unclean spirits begged him, 'Send us into the swine; let us enter them.' 13So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.
14 The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. 15They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. 16Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. 17Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. 18As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. 19But Jesus refused, and said to him, 'Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.' 20And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.

Think:

This is a difficult gospel passage to understand in the 21st century.  Because as soon as I read about this obviously ill man living in tombs, being so strong that chains can't restrain him and the demons possessing him being "Legion" I automatically think of mental illness, I think of Bedlam and other asylums and locking people who are ill away because we don't want to deal with them.  I think of how horrible it feels to be left out never the less locked out of normal life experiences.  I think of what it must have been like to be suffering so and not know why and not be in control of your own body. 

This passage is a difficult passage because it makes me feel bad.  Sorry, its true. This man with the legion within him is someone I walked away from on the streets of manhattan, and someone I don't want to be sitting in the church when I am preaching- I don't want someone screaming bloody murder and hurting themselves in my social circle, and I'm not proud of that, but its true.  I'm not sure I am any better than the people who sent this man away in the 1st century.

This passage is also difficult because I don't understand why God would let this happen- why would God let a man be possessed, or mentally ill to the point of hurting himself, or hurting others?  I think of the Newtown shooter (who I have intentionally not learned his name for many reasons) I think of people who suffer with multiple personality disorder, or schizophrenia, or manic depression and I know that God doesn't want them to suffer any more than he wants me to suffer with depression, or anxiety, or the flu- but I cannot help but question why he lets these things happen.  I know its not for me to understand, but still I struggle.

Pray:

God help me to understand to struggle and come to peace with your word.  There is something to be learned here, but I am afraid I am missing the point.   I'm too angry with myself and the world.  Help me to be at peace and see the world as you see it in this context.  Amen

Contemplation:

20 minutes centering prayer