Mark 5:1-5 NIV:
They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4For 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. 5Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
The first verse reads as, “On the other side of the sea, they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes.” (Berean Study Bible). The region called Gerasenes was across the lake/sea indicates that the people of Gerasenes kept to themselves and were not open to receiving from others. Gerasenes appears to be a city walled in with steep mountains and hills filled with ancient tombs. This indicates that the people were steeped in their own ideologies and kept to themselves. This man who lived there was possessed by an evil (or unclean) spirit.
We read in Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.”
Living in the tombs indicates that he followed the hollow and deceptive traditions of men and was held captive to them. He lived among the dead (tombs) and the spirit of death was lurking in his midst. We read in Mat 24:28: “Wherever there is a dead body, the vultures will gather.” Unclean spirits like vultures feed on decaying flesh. The people there raised pigs (unclean animals). So they were not a covenant-keeping people.
Mat 12:43-45 KJV
43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
He was taught human traditions (empty house) and raised on the elemental spiritual forces of this world—examples being rituals and sacrifices including shedding innocent blood, praying to idols or false gods (house swept and garnished)—so that his final state was much worse than before.
Thus this man had become possessed by unclean spirits (2000 of them) and was held hostage to them. To tear chains apart and break irons indicates rebellion and lawlessness (ungodliness). The demons incinerated him with their lies and compounded his grief making him so violent and aggressive that he could not be restrained by anyone.
He has such a violent impetus to sin that no one could even pass by that area. In fact, he was experiencing trauma from all the 2000 demons dwelling in him. He wants to break free but is held captive by his erroneous belief system that does not allow him to be free. So this man cries out in desperation. He desires freedom but he cannot become free on his own. He needs a deliverer to set him free.
God warns Cain before he murders Abel: “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”
He cuts himself with stones indicates that he hurts himself with his insensibility and hardness. [See 1 Samuel 25:37: Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone.]
The Root Cause of Demonic Possession
God made Himself plain to all (Rom 1:19). But men did not glorify God nor give thanks to Him (Rom 1:21). As a result, their thinking became futile and their foolish heart was darkened. Thus, God gave them over to the sinful desires of their hearts (vs. 24). They became so depraved that they were constantly inventing ways of doing evil. (Rom 1:29-31).
Even before this man was possessed, he was already unclean—because Jesus said that what comes out of our heart makes us unclean. Mark 7:20-23 NIV: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” We can thus deduce that he was already unclean for he had given his heart over to depravity. He did not glorify God nor give thanks to Him though God had made Himself plain to him (Rom 1:21, 19).
Isaiah 64:6 - For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
But being demon-possessed made matters much worse because these demons constantly taught him things that made him wild and violent and led him astray.
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. – 1 Timothy 4:1
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. – 2 Corinthians 4:4
The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. – 2 Cor 10:4-5
Demons have terrible ways of deceiving men and once a person is possessed, he or she can only be delivered by the divine Hand of Jesus / knowledge of Jesus Christ. The demons fear the Lord and acknowledge He is all-powerful. They cannot stay in His presence and must obey.
19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. – James 2:19
9Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.… – Phil 2:9-11
Continuing from the Sixth Verse
6When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!”
9Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
11A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13He 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.
When the man sees Jesus afar, he senses that this man is here to help him. God makes Himself plain to him again. This time he recognizes his Maker…(He came to that which was His own – John 1:11) So he runs to Him and worships Him. He acknowledges Him this time because he longs to receive help. Jesus is here to answer the cry of his heart. He is greatly tormented and in deep pain.
God’s word says in Rom 2:9 ESV: “There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil.” He has suffered enough to deeply want to be delivered from his spiritual penury and lonely, sad and cold life. He needs help. He needs to be delivered. He needs an answer to his desolation and depravity and extends his hands out to Jesus to pull him out of his pit of self-affliction. So Jesus sends out the legion of evil spirits into the pigs.
Pigs are considered unclean because though their hoofs are divided, they do not chew the cud (Leviticus 11:7). When Jesus sends the evil spirits into the swine, they rush down and are drowned because Jesus said when the blind lead the blind, both end up in a pit. – Mat 15:14
Continuing from the Fourteenth Verse
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.
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 own people 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 who saw all this happen brought the rest of the people to see the change in the man and the damages caused as a result. When they see the man sitting (at peace with himself), dressed (not ashamed anymore) and in his right mind (conducting himself appropriately) much like the prodigal son enjoying his father’s feast, they become afraid because they had never seen anything like this before. They are amazed at the extremity of the result of the man—this man who was beyond recovery was now fully recovered and reformed. All their vain philosophies had failed to restore him but Jesus restored him in an instant. They must have been taken in by God’s power to redeem the irredeemable!
Despite the miracle of restoration they see with their eyes, they are still not able to truly see. They are blind to their depravity, or they would not have asked Jesus to leave. They too were in need of Him but they failed to acknowledge it. Due to the hardness of their heart and the barrenness of their soul, they reject Jesus. They are bound and not free to do as they want for fear of others’ disapproval and they decide to continue to live as usual. They don’t want to rock their boat and wish to keep the status quo and stay in their prison of unbelief and lead a reckless life on account of it.
Moreover, they are greatly concerned that letting Jesus stay will result in greater material losses because “no one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” – Matthew 6:24
Jesus is happy that the man wants to go with him but Jesus doesn’t let him join Him because he has purpose and destiny now—to bring his people also to Him. So He asks him to tell his family all the wonderful things He had done for him and all the mercy He had had on Him as a bait to lead them also to Him. He sends him back to do the work of ministering to his people and bring them also to the foot of the cross.
His testimony has a powerful impact on them because they are amazed at seeing all the changes he incurred from one short meeting with the Lord of the universe. He goes into a league of ten cities including Damascus to preach the Gospel and win people over. We see remarkable change in the man as he is now glorifying God and giving thanks to Him because God had made Himself plain to him! I believe that the entire demonic region was unearthed and made into a beautiful mountain for the Lord. Glory be to the Eternal One.
Additional Scriptures
You shall surely destroy all the places in which the nations that you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains, and on the hills, and under every green tree: – Deuteronomy 12:2
He stood, and shook the earth. He looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains were crumbled. The age-old hills collapsed. His ways are eternal. – Habakkuk 3:6
therefore, you mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord the LORD: Thus says the Lord the LORD to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are forsaken, which are become a prey and derision to the residue of the nations that are all around; Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and tell the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, Thus says the Lord the LORD: Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my wrath, because you have borne the shame of the nations: – Ezekiel 36:4, 6
The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed. The thorn and the thistle will come up on their altars. They will tell the mountains, “Cover us!” and the hills, “Fall on us!” – Hosea 10:8
It shall happen in the latter days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. – Isaiah 2:2
Behold, I have made you into a new sharp threshing instrument with teeth. You will thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and will make the hills like chaff. – Isaiah 41:15
For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed; but my loving kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD who has mercy on you. – Isaiah 54:10
For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands. – Isaiah 55:12
O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. – Psalm 95:6
By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will swear allegiance. – Isaiah 45:23
It is written: “As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God.” – Romans 14:11
as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ. – Ephesians 1:10
He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. – Ecclesiastes 5:10 ESV
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. – 1 Timothy 6:17-19 ESV
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” – Romans 1:16-17 ESV
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 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. – Eph 6:10-12
And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever!” – Revelation 5:13