What good to us that Thou hast made him whole, since we have lost our swine? Is that not a picture of people that love what they have or what they want more than they love the One who loves their souls? [] Top ten reasons why there were pigs in Gerasenes, (Linear Concepts, 17 October 2012), http://www.linearconcepts.com/archives/2011 []. So how on earth could they dictate to the Son of God where they wished to go? The miracles that are recorded here, just like the one that we saw last week, are seen by that small circle of disciples that is following Jesus around. Gods Law even has two commands that equate domestic livestock with wild animals. So I don't know how seventeen interpretations of this particular story got circulated. We ask this in Jesus' name. So much for sola scriptura. And God isnt going to renounce or retract that decision no matter how many dispensational charts they print. p. 102. He stabbed in the day of his wrath the kings. While foretelling death and doom was often, Fifth Fact: The True Author(s) of Scripture. Did you know that one of the 7 ingredients in underwater concrete was animal blood? These demons of the Gadarene Demoniac wanted to stay in this territory where worship of Baal was predominant. I think Jesus was trying to give to all the sight to see the wrong things in this world we can overcome by walking with Him and His Way of life. Most translations interpret the Hebrew to say, Canaanite, but both are more than possible and perhaps the double meaning was intended by the prophet. Therefore he had every right to judge the Jews and how they used land. I would think that it shows that demons would enter anything that could be unclean including a human being. Let's pray. 1), and apparently occupied these cities with Jewish patriots. They ask Him if they can enter some nearby pigs, and He lets them. These forces plundered Gerasa, Philadelphia, Pella, and others (Jos. On the other hand, the Masters usually thick-headed students, the Tedious Twelve, didnt question him about this! Actually, killing the pigs was also out of his mercy because instead of judging the farmers directly, the Messiah threw his anger against the pigs. (, Worse yet, dont trust one who says Scripture. Furthermore, how upset must God get seeing a doctor reach into the womb of a mother and murder her unborn child? It's back just a few verses, the answer is back just a few verses. WebGenesis 10:5 Context. The modern village Jarash is situated on the hillside above the ruins, built with stones from the ruins. He has stabbed the heads of many lands. Also, He is sometimes more open with outsiders/Gentiles than Jews because the negative reaction by the Jewish leaders would hinder his ministry more than rejection by Gentiles. he has the power and the authority to ameliorate both. Don Crowe and Nicholas Gentile direct the Oswego Players Scenes of Crime; Section X: Canton downs Heuvelton for repeat Overall Section 10 title; Section X: Lady Wildcats edge Hammond for Section Overall title; PROPERTY SALES; Local pro hockey: Former Wolves player Liarakos paces Mississippi past visiting Watertown So He got into the boat and returned. The final battle requires a different strategy, one that involves a cross. Jesus then asked him, What is your name? And he said, Legion, for many demons had entered him. My research shows swine kill poisonous snakes. And not only that, he's about to be a witnessing disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many year later, Messiah went to Israel as a prophet to get the people of Israel back to, The two Johns see more than a hint of what I am talking about in the destruction of the swine and it frightens them so they avoid a serious discussion. Was it correct to destroy so many for just one (or two men). The land of the Gerasenes was on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Most Christians believe Messiah is the Second Person of the Trinity. B. vii. For those near by the local name would be used; but in writing to a distant people, as the Greeks and Romans, the more comprehensive and general name would be given. Jesus was also a prophet. it depends on the text you read, but one of the four Greek words is sometimes neuter, sometimes masculine a big deal in this language and in this verse. Indeed, some believe that Jesuss single option was to let Legion loose on the animals. about a.d. 65. Some of Jesus's reputation for being normally meek and merciful comes from statements like: From Jesus's own mouth, we are informed of Gods special love and attention for defenseless animals and we know Jesus has the same heart for the weak. JESUS DIDNT SEND THE DEMONS INTO THE DEEP; WebMany New Testament manuscripts refer to the "Country of the Gadarenes" or "Gerasenes" rather than. Doesn't Jesus Treat Animals as Property? In York, T.; Alexis-Baker, A.; Bekoff, M.; McLaren, B. Well, this happens in the gospel with Jesus. The Psalmist states that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills Because to me belong every beast of the wood, every herd on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10, and were assuming Jesus the Second Person of the triune God had equal rights to those hills and those cattle.). Dont demons like sheep? The vision had nothing to do with shrimp rings or BLTS. These are tremendously important facts that GotQuestions is ignorant of, or they prefer to spread disinformation about, this important Biblical truth that, in the mind of the Almighty, holiness is bound to what we eat. The good pastor actually believes that a Jewish man can rationally decide the best sleeping quarters Tomb or no tomb? You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. Try Bible Gateway Plus free today. What care we for his soul?What good to us that Thou hast made him whole,Since we have lost our swine? And based roughly on current prices, Jesus caused hundred of thousands of dollars in damages. Perhaps that is his point. This leads the third observation: just as the disciples had been terrified by both the storm and Jesus calming of it on the way over to the Gerasenes, the local people here respond with fear. Also, Demetrius only needed to speak a few choice words against the Jew (compare with Act 19:34), to get the crowd all worked up the silversmith didnt have any real evidence that Pauls preaching was going to slow sales. Perhaps even ask who might that future group of individuals be to whom Jesus will say, Depart, I never knew you (Matthew 7:22) because even though they called him, Lord, Lord [and had gone to seminary and made dispensational charts] they somehow were on the wrong path. Now, if a Jew can be treated so badly by fellow Jews, lets put on our thinking caps and imagine what happens to a Jew walking straight into a big group of Gentiles. Theres got to be a a good one about. For these reasons, the writers of the gospels gave no explanation and the Twelve asked no question about why Jesus destroyed all the swine. (eds.). The two Johns see more than a hint of what I am talking about in the destruction of the swine and it frightens them so they avoid a serious discussion. 7). For the moment, Jesus was just being ironic. Those people were Jews in Nazareth. At this distance from the Sea of Galilee, Gerasa could not have been the site of the healing of Legion. It is doubtful that Jesus ever visited it. He's a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ now. And Christ went sadly.He had wrought for them a signOf Love, and Hope, and Tenderness divine;They wantedswine.Christ stands without _your_ door and gently knocks;But if your gold, or swine, the entrance blocks,He forces no man's holdhe will depart,And leave you to the treasures of your heart. Besides, it was Christmas! As for Matthew, he quoted Jesus as commanding the demons, and used the plural form of the verb, go. I remember my boyhood pastor, Gordon Reed, preaching through a sermon series on the gospel on Mark coming to a passage about demon possession saying, I don't know much about demon possession, but I've read a lot of books about people on demon possession and they don't know much about demon possession either. Well, before you give counsel to Jesus about what He has done in this passage you may want to take stock about how much you know about demon possession. None of the verses below refute any of the Seven Forgotten Facts above. (. Im not saying I totally believed the stories, but I cannot believe that a single other place could not be found to send the legion. Without a doubt, both men know God never came up with the line, Put pork on your fork. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in a cemetery outside the town. Where He goes, they show up and they say things to Him. I cannot offer you a proof-text for this observation. These ruins date from the 2nd to the 7th centuries and show that the city flourished during this period as a center for religion, culture, and commerce. Being made in God's image, we are more important to the Lord than any animal. In other words, the Roman Catholic Church took four Greek words torn out of mid-sentence and declared them to mean, the end (read, death) of the law [of Moses], although numerous verses declare the fixed, eternal character of Gods Perfect Law. It seems to happen a lot in the gospels. In light of these facts, Jesus' ministry in the Gerasenes reveals the Lord's remarkable concern not only for the Jews but also for the Gentiles. Be circumspect. Apparently Gerasa was rebuilt by the Romans before the revolt began, prob. Money Maker Software enables you to conduct more efficient analysis in Stock, Commodity, Forex & Comex Markets. In Jesus first trip to that Gentile area: They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes (in Gadara). One day the prophet Samuel angrily told his king that God would not go back on His decision. At the end of the gospel, however, Jesus tactic changes. Now it's not a very profound book. If you have your Bibles I'd invite you to turn with me to Luke chapter 8 and this great story of the man who was possessed by demons, liberated by the Lord Jesus Christ. They cannot cast a spell on Him. And it's very clear that theyre in Gentile territory because they find themselves in a country where there is a huge, huge herd of pigs. Two thousand pigs dead for one person to live is not an even tradeand that is the point. This mother-baby law actually takes priority over another command which requires all first-born calves and lambs to be offered up to God on His altar (Numbers 18:17; Deuteronomy 15:19.) That is the exact opposite of other godly men (compare with, Lastly, even if Mr. Pipers explanation were true, look what its, The hard-hearted views of the Bishop of Hippo are not biblical because righteous people are obliged by God to be considerate to all animals, even, Are not two sparrows sold for the smallest coin, and yet one of them cannot fall to the earth apart from your Father? Oh, you mean THOSE pigs!! Food cant affect our salvation, nor disqualify us from being saved.Pork might not be very healthy,but as long as its USDA approved and deemed good by health inspectors from feeder hogs tat eat corn to clean the mess out of them of the last few bowel movements, then you should be good to go. Add to that that recent. This is a noteworthy fact because not every event in Jesuss ministry was thrice written down. This is the only sensible interpretation which remains consistent with all Scripture. No other place on the E side of the sea fits this requirement of the story. Ba-dum-tsss.). Mark as quoted by Spalde, Annika; Strindlund, Pelle (2012). We do not say that to cast the first stone. 8:513) and the Syrophoenician woman whose daughter was possessed (Mark 7:2430), the Jews received the bulk of His attention, and He spent most of His time in the predominantly Jewish regions of Galilee and Judea. In delivering the man from his bondage, Jesus restored creations promise. We ask that You would open our eyes to behold wonderful things in it and open our ears, we pray, to hear Your Word rightly. These authors were Biblical (Peter, James, Paul, Hebrews, etc) and to a lesser extent, non-biblical (Josephus, Pliny, etc). The ruins also show evidence of a dozen churches, dating in the Byzantine period (4th-7th centuries) indicating that this once was a large Christian community. And thirdly, they are forgetting the fate of this man with an immortal soul who was in danger not only of a continuous life of torment, but an eternal separation from God. The mountainside has caves and hewn tombs where, according to Mark and Luke, the demoniac had taken shelter. That is, they appear contrary, except for one thing: Gods Law forbids righteous people from eating pork. He's not only a person extraordinarily under bondage to demonic activity, but he's actually a picture of everyone who is in the thrall of sin. Do you see how Jesuss Gentiles dont act like Gentiles! Sadly, our two good pastors seem oblivious to the fact that under the Law of Moses, animals have benefits too, and this fact should have bearing on any interpretation of Mark 5. His soul, what care we for his soul? Logically we understand that no person on Earth could say something in strong terms over and over, and then just one day say, Oops, can I retract that? So could or would God Almighty flip flop? Was it correct to destroy so many for just one (or two men). This software has many innovative features and you can trap a Bull or Bear in REAL TIME! The prophet Jonah is held up as the merciless messenger of God; not a great title. The majority admits they are clueless and throw their hands up, stating the herd was just a , The pastors attempts to laugh off the haunting question about the meek and lowly Son of Man killing all the pigs is, Besides the jokes being in poor taste, they make his sermon seem less than professional. If ever there was a small and weak proof-text, this is the one. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.". Pigs, of course, were unclean for the Jews (Lev. The pagan religions continued among the Gentile population as is evidenced by the ruins of the temple of Artemis. being the holy Messiah of Israel, Jesus wants the swine out of The Land as much as he wants unclean spirits out of The People, and. It was a leading city of Syria in commerce, culture, and religion. It's all Gentile territory, so just bear that in mind. He didnt give any new commandment. Seen in this light, Jesuss actions against the herd were more than appropriate and neither Matthew, Mark nor Luke bothered to explain or rationalize the Masters actions. Many will rush for cover behind the last four Greek words of this verse, despite all of its textual, translation and interpretation problems. There's a total change of nature in this man. 3 When people start putting a value on animal life equal to or higher than the value they put on human life, something is seriously wrong with the culture. The gospels. Executive Committee of the Editorial Board. There was a logic in this. Therefore, I repeat again that I believe the pastors are dishonest for not admitting this fact. Perhaps a tenth, or a quarter, or a half of the 613 commandments were fulfilled by Jesus, but not all. All these inescapable facts are so important to getting the right interpretation of Mark 5 and the other gospel records of the same event. As I hear, I judge and My judgment is righteous because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. The power of the Lord Jesus Christ over Satan. Is there actually a real reason why the Gospel accounts shouldnt be taken as factual history? The nearby shepherds were sheep shepherds, not hog herders. Its one thing to understand that He personally never changes. Why doesn't the good pastor entertain that avenue of possibility or is he too busy making one-liners to connect any dots? Theres another interesting question in the sidelines: if Jews detested pigs, why were there pigs in the area? Three witnesses! Every place the Master went on his travels it was to minister to a Jew, just as Paul said, To the Jew first (Romans 1:16 and Romans 2:9-10; ever notice that the New Testament never mentions Christians, just Jews and Gentiles?! Late Latin Gerasenus, Gergesenus, from Greek Gerasnos, Gergesnos, from Gerasa, Gergesa ancient town in Palestine. So I figure we could speculate a little and see where this goes. city in Pal. Do you remember when a serpent, an animal, came and exercised authority over God's man and woman, Adam and Eve, who had been made in His image so that instead of them ruling over the animals, the animals ruled over them? We usually think of Jesus as the loving, forgiving guy from Galilee, right? WebBlog Uncategorized were the gerasenes gentiles Uncategorized were the gerasenes gentiles Pork is the most infamous of all-things-not-Jewish and the bad press that pigs receive in Scripture, and in contemporary Western society, is another reason why I accuse both pastors of being less than honest in their explanations about Mark 5. Notice how Gods care is cleverly contrasted with mans callousness: men buy birds for next to nothing because they do not value them, yet The Almighty as large and in charge as He is still takes careful notice of frail creatures. Our ways are not as Thine. In 2 Samuel 17 we read of the young boy who would be king risking everything for one lamb. Now I must say that that really boggles my mind because Luke's main point is so crystal clear and it's set in the context of three other stories that are crystal clear.