This week's readings are all from Mark chapters 5. Click here to see a list of each day's readings. Each day's segments of the readings will be posted on this site during the week.
Today's Reading:
So they came to the other side of the lake, to the region of the Gerasenes.[1] Just as Jesus was getting out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came from the tombs and met him. He lived among the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain.[2] 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. Each night and every day among the tombs and in the mountains, he would cry out and cut himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him. 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!” For Jesus had said[3] to him, “Come out of that man, you unclean spirit!”) Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” He begged Jesus repeatedly not to send them out of the region. There on the hillside, a great herd of pigs was feeding. And the demonic spirits begged him, “Send us into the pigs. Let us enter them.” 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 2,000 were drowned in the lake. (Mark 5.1–13 NET)
The previous translation is from the NET Bible translation. Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Resources for the Reading
- Podcast(s) for this Reading
- Parallel passages in the other Gospels.
If it helps anyone to watch or listen, here is the LUMO video for Mark 5. It is narrated in the ESV.
I wonder why Legion was concerned about being cast out of the region. Makes me wonder where these evil spirits go when they are cast out, except for the pigs this time, of course 😅
@shelley-johnson Shelley, you wrote:
The demon possessed man, and I assume it is the demons talking, says “…I implore you by God…”. Is this significant? What god is he talking about?
Jesus seems to indicate that when unclean spirits are thrown out of a dwelling they wander around looking for a new one:
“When an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it passes through waterless places looking for rest but does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ When it returns, it finds the house empty, swept clean, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so the last state of that person is worse than the first. It will be that way for this evil generation as well!” (Matthew 12.43–45 NET, cf Luke 11:24-26)
In a first-century Jewish context, the understanding of evil and unclean spirits was complex. One popular understanding was that evil spirits were the result of the 'sons of God' having relations with the daughters of men in Genesis 6:1-4. This was against God's will, and, according to this view, once their children (the Nephilim) died, they became evil spirits which continually plagued the earth until the time of judgment.
“But now the giants who are born from the (union of) the spirits and the flesh shall be called evil spirits upon the earth, because their dwelling shall be upon the earth and inside the earth.Evil spirits have come out of their bodies...They will become evil upon the earth and shall be called evil spirits.The dwelling of the spiritual beings of heaven is heaven; but the dwelling of the spirits of the earth, which are born upon the earth, is in the earth.The spirits of the giants oppress each other; they will corrupt, fall, be excited, and fall upon the earth, and cause sorrow. They eat no food, nor become thirsty, nor find obstacles.And these spirits shall rise up against the children of the people and against the women, because they have proceeded forth (from them). (1Enoch 15.8–12 PSEUD-CW)
According to this view, these beings can be cast out, but they continue upon the earth and oppose humanity.
The demon possessed man, and I assume it is the demons talking, says “…I implore you by God…”. Is this significant? What god is he talking about?
@fandrewstx Frank you wrote:
The demon possessed man, and I assume it is the demons talking, says “…I implore you by God…”. Is this significant? What god is he talking about?
The demon is begging Jesus and invoking God's mercy. This would be the God of Israel, YHWH.
In the first-century Jewish context, demons are beings that are still subject to and aware of God's power. Regarding the demon's request for mercy, the Book of Enoch (a text popular among some first-century Jews and even included in some early Christian canons), Enoch has a journey through the heavens in which he encounters rebellious spirits (the 'Watchers' who are the fathers of the Nephilim, the 'Fallen Ones' mentioned in Genesis 6.1–4) who are awaiting their judgment by God. Enoch tells them that they are going to be judged, and they beg Enoch to intercede for them with God for mercy. Enoch does intercede, but God denies the rebellious spirits' request:
As for Enoch, he proceeded and said to Azazʾel [the leader of the Watchers], “There will not be peace unto you; a grave judgment has come upon you. They will put you in bonds, and you will not have rest and supplication, because you have taught injustice and because you have shown to the people deeds of shame, injustice, and sin.” Then I went and spoke to all of them together; and they were all frightened, and fear and trembling seized them. And they begged me to write for them a memorial prayer in order that there may be for them a prayer of forgiveness, and so that I may raise their memorial prayer unto the Lord of heaven. For, as for themselves, from henceforth they will not be able to speak, nor will they raise their eyes unto heaven as a result of their sins which have been condemned. And then I wrote down their memorial prayers and the petitions on behalf of their spirits and the deeds of each one of them, on account of the fact that they have prayed in order that there may be for them forgiveness (of sin) and a length (of days)... (1Enoch 13.1–6 PSEUD-CW)
Enoch writes and presents this prayer to God, but after a series of visions it is clear that God has rejected it:
I wrote down your prayers—so it appeared in vision—for your prayers will not be heard throughout all the days of eternity; and judgment is passed upon you. (1Enoch 14.4 PSEUD-CW)
Jesus is moving forward with an authority that is immediately noticed by the spiritual beings around Him, yet so many are ignorant OR even accuse Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub.
In Ch. 3:27 we are reminded that Jesus has come and first he must bind up the strong man before the plundering of the house. Here we see that, but it's not in binding but in freeing that the enemy is bound.
how do you read the words of legion?
"When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him. 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!”
@jralphsmith Seems like a bad lil' dude* who got caught! Like the unclean spirits are taking advantage of the way God has allowed space for choice and evil... but immediately begs for mercy like it was an accident or something.
*or 2,000 bad lil' dudes 😜
NOTES:
| ⇡1 | Read-Scripture Textual Note: Some manuscripts have Gadarenes, and others have Gergasenes. |
|---|---|
| ⇡2 | Read-Scripture Context Note: Living among the tombs, from a Jewish perspective, would have made the man ritually-impure/unclean. |
| ⇡3 | Read-Scripture Translation Note: The verb here is in the imperfect, indicating undefined or durative action: 'Jesus had been saying to him...', 'Jesus began saying to him...', 'Jesus started saying to him...', etc) |