Talk 14 Mark 5:1-20 Legion
Welcome to Talk 14 in our series on Mark’s Gospel. Today we’ll be looking at Mark 5:1-20 where Jesus casts demons out of a man who was inhabited by a legion of them. As the story is well known I’ll not take time to read through the passage in advance, but take it a verse or two at a time, beginning with verses 1-2:
They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came from the tombs to meet him.
1 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.
In our last talk we saw how Jesus calmed the storm on the Sea (or lake) of Galilee and how the disciples were overawed, asking the question, Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him. They had left from Capernaum at the northern end of the lake and this verse tells us that they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes which is south-east of the lake, so their crossing would have been about ten to fifteen miles. The region was largely inhabited by Gentiles and was part of a larger area known as the Decapolis (or Ten Cities) which is referred to in verse 20. It’s clear that Jesus had a definite purpose in going there (4:35) and this becomes evident in what happens next.
2 When Jesus got out of the boat
Literally, immediately Jesus got out of the boat. Students of Mark’s Gospel will know that one of the characteristics of his writing is the frequent use of the Greek word euthus (immediately). Its significance here may well be to underline that Jesus’ sole purpose in crossing the lake was to meet the desperate need of the demon possessed man. This is confirmed by the fact that in verse 21, as soon as he has dealt with the man’s need, Jesus returns to the other side of the lake.
a man with an unclean spirit came from the tombs to meet him
Literally: …there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit (ESV).
Interestingly, in their accounts of the same story Matthew describes him as demonized (8:28) and Luke says that the man had demons (8:27). This shows that the gospel writers use different expressions to refer to the same man and the same condition. And elsewhere Mark himself uses these alternative expressions too. He refers to a person:
Having an unclean spirit (Mark 1:26)
Being demonized (Mark 1:32)
Having a demon (Mark 3:30)
So these different expressions are used interchangeably and it would be a mistake to try to differentiate between them. It’s clear that an unclean spirit is a demon and that a person with an unclean spirit may be said to be demonized or to have a demon. And any of these expressions can be used to refer a variety of different conditions caused by demonic activity. Perhaps that’s why Mark says here with an unclean spirit, when it’s clear from the story that he was controlled by many demons.
But now verses 3-5.
3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
These verses reveal the desperate condition of the man. There was a supernatural force within him that neither he nor anyone else could control. This was no mental illness, though people today might describe it that way. This was demonic power which no amount of medical or psychiatric treatment could have cured. Matthew 4:24 distinguishes between mental illness and demon possession, and it’s vital that we discern the difference, especially as some of the symptoms can be very similar.
But let’s take note of what the demons were doing to him:
· This man lived in the tombs – he was cut off from society.
· …no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain – he was beyond human help. Cf. v. 4 No one was strong enough to subdue him.
· For he had often been chained hand and foot – despite repeated efforts, nothing could be done for him.
· … he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet – the demonic forces within him gave him supernatural strength (but only to harm himself further).
· Night and day among the tombs and in the hills… – there was no relief from his torment
· … he would cry out and cut himself with stones – he was bent on self-destruction. In John 10:10 Jesus told us that the work of the devil was to steal and to kill and to destroy. And that’s what Satan’s forces do. But Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) and to give us life to the full. That was the reason he came from Heaven and that was the reason he crossed the lake.
But that brings us to verses 6-10:
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!” 9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.
It’s clear from the passage we’ve just read that everything the man says is inspired by the demons. He seems to be completely under their control. But if he is completely under their control, how is it that he comes to Jesus? The answer must surely lie in the fact that the demons were completely under the control of Jesus. Remember what we said when we were considering Mark 3:23. Jesus has already bound the strong man (Satan). In conquering Satan during his temptation in the desert and by his continued submission to his heavenly Father Jesus had complete authority over all Satan’s forces.
The man comes to Jesus because Jesus has come to him, and for him. There was no way the demons could stop him. All they could do was beg. The verb translated fell on his knees frequently mean worship, but that is not its meaning here. It comes from a verb depicting a dog crouching before its master and licking his hand. The demons cower before Jesus and pay reluctant homage.
7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!”
Two things are clear here. First, what the man said was in fact the demons speaking through him as they had through the man in the synagogue in Capernaum (1:24). They knew who he was. They knew he had power over them. In fact, Mark 3:11 tells us that
Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, You are the Son of God.
And, according to Matthew 8:29, they pleaded that Jesus would not punish them before the appointed time. The day is coming when at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow… (Philippians 2).
And secondly, the response of the demons was a direct result of Jesus saying, Come out of this man… On seeing the man Jesus immediately commands the demon to come out of him. He does not enter into a lengthy discussion about the man’s problem. He does not ask what the man might have done that could have caused the problem. He knows the root cause and he deals with it.
9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”
Jesus asks the man his name. Note, he does not ask the demon its name. There is no sound basis here for asking demons to name themselves, as some have taught. In the Greek text the word for him is masculine. If Jesus had been speaking to the unclean spirit it would have been neuter. So the man replies – but it’s clear from what he says that it’s the demons who are speaking through him – My name is Legion, for we are many. Of course, Legion was not his real name. It’s typical of Satan to try to rob a person of their true identity. To say this is not to suggest that every person with an identity crisis has a demon, but there can be no doubt that the rapid spread of this problem in recent years is of Satanic origin.
The number of demons need not concern us, but in the Roman army a legion would have numbered anything between 3000-6000 men, and verse 13 tells us that there were about 2000 pigs that were drowned in the sea after the demons had entered them. But what’s important here is that the number of the enemy is of no concern to Jesus. No problem is too difficult for him to solve. No enemy too numerous for him to conquer.
10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
No doubt the man himself, his judgment clouded by demonic influence, would be reluctant to leave the area. The tombs, after all, had afforded him a measure of security. One thinks of prisoners who do not want to be released because they’ve become used to the security of prison or of the addict who, despite the dreadful side-effects, is frightened to kick the habit because of the sense of security it gives him.
But it’s clear from the next few verses that the demons are speaking through him too. And they do so repeatedly. They don’t want to leave, but they know that they must because Jesus has told them to. So they ask him not to send them out of the area for fear, Luke tells us, that he might send them into the Abyss (Luke 8:31) the place of confinement for Satan and his minions (Revelation 9:1, 20:1-3).
11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
Why did Jesus give them permission to go into the pigs? The demons were a highly destructive force and one suggestion is that it was better that they use it on pigs than on people. Others have concluded that it was to demonstrate his superior authority over the demons and to convince the people that the demons really had come out of the man. But we simply do not know. The one thing we can be sure of is that Jesus knew what he was doing. He knew that the time would come for Satan and his forces to be confined to the Abyss, and that time had not yet come. Perhaps we can all learn from this that when it’s unclear to us why God is allowing things to happen that we do not understand, he knows what he is doing. He knows the end from the beginning, and he is working all things together for our good because we are called according to his purpose.
14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man – and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
In these verses we see the reaction of the people to this amazing miracle:
· Those who witnessed it were quick to tell others about it (v14, 16). This is not surprising. People are usually eager to talk about anything out of the ordinary.
· Those who heard about it went to see what happened (v14). This is not surprising either. People want to see for themselves. It’s just natural curiosity.
· When they saw the evidence for themselves they were afraid (v15). The reason for this is not so obvious. But people often instinctively fear anything they don’t understand, especially if it’s clearly supernatural. Even some Christians are afraid when the Holy Spirit is at work in a supernatural way. But we have no need to fear anything God does, because he loves us.
· They pleaded with Jesus to leave their region (v17). Despite the beneficial outcome for the man, and potentially for the whole region, they ask Jesus to leave. Who can understand the motivation behind people’s decision to reject Jesus? Perhaps they were not ready to face up to the implication for their own lives of Jesus’ lordship so clearly demonstrated by his supreme authority over the demonic powers.
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
The people plead with Jesus to leave their region and Jesus gets into the boat. He does not stay where he is not welcome. But clearly the man he has delivered from demons wants to remain in his company, so he asks to go with him. No doubt he wanted to learn more from Jesus, and he certainly felt safe in his company. But Jesus says no. The miracle Jesus has performed is sufficient. The demons will not be back. And the man already knows enough to be able to tell others what the Lord has done for him. (Note the reference to Jesus’ deity here – compare how much the Lord has done for you with how much Jesus had done for him). He knows that Jesus is the Lord. He knows what he has done for him. He knows that he has had mercy on him. And that’s all we need to know to start to tell those nearest to about Jesus. Let’s boldly proclaim the lordship of Jesus, how much he has done for us, and the mercy he has shown us.