And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
The demons speaking through the afflicted men earnestly begged Jesus not to send them out of the district, joining that plea to a request to be allowed instead to enter the great herd of swine feeding nearby, which He granted. The herd at once rushed headlong down the steep place into the sea and perished, while the demoniacs were marvelously changed to clear intelligence, calm faces, and voices praising God for deliverance. The episode reveals Christ's supremacy over Satan, for even the demons are under His control and forced to release their victims at His command, yet it also displays their great cruelty and destructive power which human strength alone cannot overcome. Their plea to remain in the country served Satan's purpose to hold that region, prevent the preaching of the gospel there, and turn the people from Jesus by the loss of the swine, but what was meant for evil was overruled to serve the gospel. The people valued the swine more than the men's deliverance and asked Jesus to leave for fear of further loss, so He departed when rejected but left the restored men as witnesses, and through their telling throughout Decapolis a door was opened so that when He returned thousands flocked to hear salvation.
Context and Wording
The verse belongs to the healing of the demoniacs at Gadara, where two afflicted men were controlled by a great number of evil spirits whom Jesus commanded to come out and drove away. Called Legion, the spirits departed at His command and their destructive power was shown when they swept a herd of swine into the sea, while the men were left calm and restored. In one telling the torment by a legion of evil spirits is focused on one person, a man who tore and cut himself until Jesus cast out the devils, showing that Satan's forces can act with great power that human wisdom and strength alone cannot overcome. The healing at Gadara recorded in Mark 5:1-20 took place just before Jesus returned to where Jairus met Him.
The one begging is the demons speaking through the afflicted men, using them as mediums of communication. After Jesus commanded the unclean spirits to come out, the men fell at His feet in worship with a dim sense He could save them from torment. But when they opened their mouths the demons took their voices, answering when asked their name that their name is Legion because they are many.
They earnestly begged Jesus much not to send them away out of the country, region, or district. They joined that plea to a request to be allowed instead to enter a nearby great herd of swine feeding on a mountainside not far distant. Jesus granted their request and permitted them to enter the swine.
Immediately a panic seized the herd so they rushed madly headlong down the steep place or cliff and plunged into the sea or lake and drowned and perished. At the same time the demoniacs underwent a marvelous change to clear intelligence, calm countenance, mild faces, quiet hands, and eyes beaming with intelligence. Light shone into their minds, their madness left them, they obeyed His word, and their voices praised God for deliverance from bondage.
Christ's Power Over Evil
The healing at Gadara lays bare the conflict between Christ and Satan and settles it by Christ's supremacy, for even the power of demons is under His control and at His command they are forced to release their victims. The victims so released are restored to clear minds and give praise to God for deliverance, obeying His word as their madness leaves them and worshiping Him. The same encounter exposes the great power and cruelty of evil spirits and their destructive bent, which no human wisdom or strength alone can overcome. That destructive power was displayed when, once expelled from the sufferers at Jesus' command, they swept a herd of swine into the sea.
Christ's dealing with the spirits displays both power and mercy, freeing the men from bondage while shielding others from harm. He permitted the demons to enter the swine and destroy the herd, yet in mercy He restrained them from harming the keepers and owners. That permission was also a rebuke to those who were raising the unclean animals for gain. The demons' earnest plea not to be sent away out of the country served Satan's purpose to hold that region, shut out the preaching of the gospel there, and turn the people from Jesus and against Him by the financial loss in the swine.
What was devised to turn the people away was overruled for good and made to serve the gospel. The destruction meant to prejudice the country roused the whole country instead and directed attention to Christ.
Rejection and Witnessing Gospel
The people counted the drowning of the swine a greater loss than the deliverance of the two men, and when they saw the healed men restored they feared still further loss of property, grew angry, and begged Jesus to depart from them. When thus rejected He left them and went on His way. The destruction of property was meant to stir their anger against Him and shut the gospel out of that region, yet it brought Him before public notice instead of turning the people away. The whole country was roused and attention was directed to Christ.
The demons' plea to be allowed to remain in the country was answered not by their staying but by leaving the restored men there as witnesses to His power. Those men longed to stay close beside their Deliverer, yet in obedience they went to their homes, to their neighbors, and throughout Decapolis telling how Jesus had freed them and saved them from Satan's bondage. By their testimony a door was opened for the gospel throughout that region. When Jesus returned to Decapolis thousands from all the surrounding country flocked to Him and heard the message of salvation.
Concern for worldly interests can so blind even eyewitnesses of His working that they turn Jesus Himself away. The same entire possession that drove the demoniac to tear and cut himself can take hold of one who yields soul, body, and spirit to Satan in order to rule a husband in mind and body. Such control turns married life into a reign of terror, perverts the senses, poisons the mind against the brethren, and sacrifices manhood and integrity. Freedom comes only when the demon is dispossessed and the character is transformed, so that the one delivered sits meekly at the feet of Jesus learning in the school of Christ.
The demons speaking through the afflicted men earnestly begged Jesus not to send them out of the district, joining that plea to a request to be allowed instead to enter the great herd of swine feeding nearby, which He granted. The herd at once rushed headlong down the steep place into the sea and perished, while the demoniacs were marvelously changed to clear intelligence, calm faces, and voices praising God for deliverance. The episode reveals Christ's supremacy over Satan, for even the demons are under His control and forced to release their victims at His command, yet it also displays their great cruelty and destructive power which human strength alone cannot overcome. Their plea to remain in the country served Satan's purpose to hold that region, prevent the preaching of the gospel there, and turn the people from Jesus by the loss of the swine, but what was meant for evil was overruled to serve the gospel. The people valued the swine more than the men's deliverance and asked Jesus to leave for fear of further loss, so He departed when rejected but left the restored men as witnesses, and through their telling throughout Decapolis a door was opened so that when He returned thousands flocked to hear salvation.
Context and Wording
The verse belongs to the healing of the demoniacs at Gadara, where two afflicted men were controlled by a great number of evil spirits whom Jesus commanded to come out and drove away. Called Legion, the spirits departed at His command and their destructive power was shown when they swept a herd of swine into the sea, while the men were left calm and restored. In one telling the torment by a legion of evil spirits is focused on one person, a man who tore and cut himself until Jesus cast out the devils, showing that Satan's forces can act with great power that human wisdom and strength alone cannot overcome. The healing at Gadara recorded in Mark 5:1-20 took place just before Jesus returned to where Jairus met Him.
The one begging is the demons speaking through the afflicted men, using them as mediums of communication. After Jesus commanded the unclean spirits to come out, the men fell at His feet in worship with a dim sense He could save them from torment. But when they opened their mouths the demons took their voices, answering when asked their name that their name is Legion because they are many.
They earnestly begged Jesus much not to send them away out of the country, region, or district. They joined that plea to a request to be allowed instead to enter a nearby great herd of swine feeding on a mountainside not far distant. Jesus granted their request and permitted them to enter the swine.
Immediately a panic seized the herd so they rushed madly headlong down the steep place or cliff and plunged into the sea or lake and drowned and perished. At the same time the demoniacs underwent a marvelous change to clear intelligence, calm countenance, mild faces, quiet hands, and eyes beaming with intelligence. Light shone into their minds, their madness left them, they obeyed His word, and their voices praised God for deliverance from bondage.
Christ's Power Over Evil
The healing at Gadara lays bare the conflict between Christ and Satan and settles it by Christ's supremacy, for even the power of demons is under His control and at His command they are forced to release their victims. The victims so released are restored to clear minds and give praise to God for deliverance, obeying His word as their madness leaves them and worshiping Him. The same encounter exposes the great power and cruelty of evil spirits and their destructive bent, which no human wisdom or strength alone can overcome. That destructive power was displayed when, once expelled from the sufferers at Jesus' command, they swept a herd of swine into the sea.
Christ's dealing with the spirits displays both power and mercy, freeing the men from bondage while shielding others from harm. He permitted the demons to enter the swine and destroy the herd, yet in mercy He restrained them from harming the keepers and owners. That permission was also a rebuke to those who were raising the unclean animals for gain. The demons' earnest plea not to be sent away out of the country served Satan's purpose to hold that region, shut out the preaching of the gospel there, and turn the people from Jesus and against Him by the financial loss in the swine.
What was devised to turn the people away was overruled for good and made to serve the gospel. The destruction meant to prejudice the country roused the whole country instead and directed attention to Christ.
Rejection and Witnessing Gospel
The people counted the drowning of the swine a greater loss than the deliverance of the two men, and when they saw the healed men restored they feared still further loss of property, grew angry, and begged Jesus to depart from them. When thus rejected He left them and went on His way. The destruction of property was meant to stir their anger against Him and shut the gospel out of that region, yet it brought Him before public notice instead of turning the people away. The whole country was roused and attention was directed to Christ.
The demons' plea to be allowed to remain in the country was answered not by their staying but by leaving the restored men there as witnesses to His power. Those men longed to stay close beside their Deliverer, yet in obedience they went to their homes, to their neighbors, and throughout Decapolis telling how Jesus had freed them and saved them from Satan's bondage. By their testimony a door was opened for the gospel throughout that region. When Jesus returned to Decapolis thousands from all the surrounding country flocked to Him and heard the message of salvation.
Concern for worldly interests can so blind even eyewitnesses of His working that they turn Jesus Himself away. The same entire possession that drove the demoniac to tear and cut himself can take hold of one who yields soul, body, and spirit to Satan in order to rule a husband in mind and body. Such control turns married life into a reign of terror, perverts the senses, poisons the mind against the brethren, and sacrifices manhood and integrity. Freedom comes only when the demon is dispossessed and the character is transformed, so that the one delivered sits meekly at the feet of Jesus learning in the school of Christ.