Traditionally there have been three thoughts regarding Biblical miracles. The first, is that it happened then but it doesn’t happen now as these miracles were characteristic of the ministry of Jesus and the apostles. This was a majority opinion among Protestants (including people such as John Calvin, Martin Luther and Alexander Campbell) until the 1960’s. The second approach is that these stories didn’t really happen but were created by the authors to craft a spiritual truth. These stories help relate how important Jesus is but on the other hand, one needs to maintain a scientific worldview. This argument sounded persuasive in the 1930’s but with the rise of the new physics, this modern position now has to be called into question.
There are limits as to what science can explain and stay within the confines of scientific thought. N.T. Wright has written that one-time historical events, such as the Resurrection, are outside the scope of science as science and the scientific method deal with the repeatable. Beyond that, it becomes mere opinion. Note that the first two approaches (one more than the other) limit themselves to the physical world and deny the reality of anything spiritual. The third approach that is rapidly moving up the charts is that miracles happened then and they happen now.
Of all of the miracles Jesus performed, recorded and unrecorded, Mark has chosen four to relate to us in this section. While normally brief, Mark gives considerably more detail here so that should grab our attention. For the most part, the people involved recognize who Jesus is but there is a group in this miracle story who despite the evidence, reject Jesus and even ask Him to leave!
We touched on this previously but if you look at the apocryphal Gospels, they are chock full of bizarre Jesus stories (unlike the miracles in the four Gospels where Jesus is reluctant to perform them).
Mark 5:1 So they came to the other side of the lake, to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 Just as Jesus was getting out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came from the tombs and met him. 3 He lived among the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For his hands and feet had often been bound with chains and shackles, but he had torn the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Each night and every day among the tombs and in the mountains, he would cry out and cut himself with stones. 6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him. 7 Then he cried out with a loud voice, “Leave me alone, Jesus, Son of the Most High God! I implore you by God – do not torment me!” 8 (For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of that man, you unclean spirit!”) 9 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 He begged Jesus repeatedly not to send them out of the region. 11There on the hillside, a great herd of pigs was feeding. 12 And the demonic spirits begged him, “Send us into the pigs. Let us enter them.” 13 Jesus gave them permission. So the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake, and about two thousand were drowned in the lake. NET
The demoniac implores Jesus not to destroy him not knowing that Jesus has come instead to heal him. In Luke’s version of this story, he explains that what the demons fear is being thrown into the abyss by Jesus.
2Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to the lower parts of hell, and committed them to chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; NHEB
Jude 1:6 You also know that the angels who did not keep within their proper domain but abandoned their own place of residence, he has kept in eternal chains in utter darkness, locked up for the judgment of the great Day. NET
We typically think of Satan and the rest of the fallen angels who went with him (see Revelation) as demons yet within these demons is a group of angels who were so bad that they were cast into the abyss.
NET Genesis 6:1 When humankind began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of humankind were beautiful. Thus they took wives for themselves from any they chose…..4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days (and also after this) when the sons of God were having sexual relations with the daughters of humankind, who gave birth to their children.
The “sons of God” is a reference to angels. The actions of these fallen angels by having children with human women is the final straw before Noah and the flood. The traditional argument is that Peter and Jude are talking about these specific angels from Genesis as being bound in the pit rather than meaning that all of the fallen angels/demons have been taken out and are no longer on the loose.
Mark 5:14 Now the herdsmen ran off and spread the news in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind – the one who had the “Legion” – and they were afraid. 16Those who had seen what had happened to the demon-possessed man reported it, and they also told about the pigs. 17 Then they asked Jesus to leave their region. NET
The herd of swine indicates that we are in Gentile country. When the townspeople arrive, they don’t see the difference that has come about in the demoniac (even though they have likely been told about it) but focus instead on the economic loss of the pigs. If you focus on the pigs you are missing the point as there is something more valuable to be learned here than the deaths of a couple thousand pigs. The point of evil is to steal, kill and destroy whether it is the destruction of the herd of swine or something more close to home that could involve us.
People are afraid when they see the man even though this man was the son/husband/brother/friend of people in the city. Rather than being grateful or amazed, the people are fearful and don’t want anything to do with Jesus. The townspeople care more about pigs than the man so it isn’t surprising that they want Jesus and company to leave. From our perspective, this is similar to story of the rich young ruler in terms of it being a sad story. Once again, this is pointing to the parable of the soils – the seed is good but the soil varies.
The characteristics and behavior of the demon possessed man (prior to Jesus’ intervention) shows the strong man from Mark chapter 3 at work. After he has been cured and in his right mind, his story is reminiscent of the prodigal son who is feeding pigs when he returns to his right mind.
Mark 5:18 As he was getting into the boat the man who had been demon-possessed asked if he could go with him. 19 But Jesus did not permit him to do so. Instead, he said to him, “Go to your home and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done for you, that he had mercy on you.” 20 So he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him, and all were amazed. NET
The demoniac becomes an apostle to the Gentiles before Paul. The parallel is the Samaritan woman at the well in John, chapter 4. After her encounter, she goes into town and tells everyone about Jesus.