Isolated

“And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.”—Mark 5:15

Sin isolates us from God and from one another. But it is only through Christ that we are brought near to God and others. Consider our passage in Mark 5:1-20, the story of the demoniac from the country of the Gerasenes. Jesus had just arrived by boat at the shore of the region.

No sooner had He stepped out of the boat than He is met by a man “out of the tombs” who had an “unclean spirit” (v. 2). He was demonized—i.e., possessed by demons, living among the dead, and isolated from the living. He was violent, in great misery, and spent his days and nights wandering among the tombs on the mountains crying out in agony, cutting himself with stones (v. 2-6). That’s what sin does to us. It isolates us, hurts us, causes us pain, makes a companion of death, and alienates us from others. And the longer we continue in sin the worse we become. We don’t know how this man got the way he was, but we do see how bad it had become. He was tortured, in pain, violent, uncontrollable, and trying to harm himself. No sooner did the demoniac see Jesus from afar than “he ran and fell down before Him” (v. 6). Demons cannot stand in the presence of Jesus. They are subject to Him and fearful of His coming judgment. There are no schemes, strategies, excuses or escape when the Son of God is involved. They recognize the real deal when they see it, and there was no attempt to lie, escape, or duck Jesus’ presence.

In fear the man bows down and cries out in a loud voice, “What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure You by God, do not torment me” (v. 7). Jesus had already rebuked the demon when He said, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” (v. 8). But the demon hadn’t left yet, probably because there wasn’t just one demon in the man, but many, thus prompting Jesus’ question, “What is your name?” Demons always fled at Jesus’ command, but because of the degree to which the man was possessed, Jesus needed to accurately assess whom He was dealing with. The demoniac responds, “My name is Legion, for we are many” (v. 9). The name is taken from a Roman legion, which typically consisted of several thousand soldiers. This man didn’t just have one demon, but many.

The demons, acting as one unit, begged Jesus not to send them out of the country, but into a great herd of pigs, numbering two thousand. Jesus granted them permission, and then all two thousand pigs rushed down the steep bank and into the water below to drown. The herdsmen of the pigs, terrified at what had just happened, fled into the city and into the country, telling everyone about what they just saw. Curious themselves, all of those around rushed to the scene and found the man they feared and loathed, clothed and in his right mind.

It was truly unbelievable. This was the man who ran naked around the cemetery terrifying everyone—the man they had warned their children to stay away from. This was the man who struck fear into everybody who saw or heard him, and caused them to bar their doors at night. This was the man whom they could hear night after night crying out in pain and agony, who had scars all over his body from numerous suicide attempts. This was the man whom they had vainly tried to subdue with shackles and chains, with no success. Yet here he was, clothed, in his right mind. Not only was it beyond belief, but it was utterly terrifying. If a power could defeat the powers that controlled him, then what could it do to them? If Jesus could transform the crazy naked demoniac, and cause a herd of two thousand pigs to drown in the sea, then what could He do to them? Their response was not one of faith, but even greater fear, and they begged Him to leave their region (v. 17).

As Jesus started to leave and get into the boat, the now former demoniac begged to go with Him (v. 18). But Jesus wouldn’t let him. He had another purpose: “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord had done for you, and how He has had mercy on you” (v. 19). The former demoniac obeyed and “went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled” (v. 20).

Sin destroys lives, but Christ gives life. Jesus transformed the demoniac’s life by freeing him from the demonic hold that sought to destroy him. Jesus transformed him, clothed him, and gave him a right mind. And if that weren’t enough, He gave him a purpose to go and tell how much God had done for him, how He had mercy on him, and how He wanted him to bring God glory. Jesus’ salvific and transforming power is still as readily available today as it was then. He is still transforming lives, setting captives free, and commissioning us to tell others about what He has done in our lives. He takes us from the tombs of death, the violence, nudity, and pains of our past and sets us on the course for His glory so that others too may know His saving and transforming power.

May God give us the strength, courage, grit, and determination to tell others about Him so that they may experience the joy and peace of knowing Him who not only gives us life, but is life Himself. Amen.