Jesus and the Addict, the Cutter, the Abused Man
Breaking Open Mark 5
It’s been a long time since Jesus walked the earth. While human challenges are largely unchanged, they are understood so differently now that it’s hard to relate to some of the gospel stories. Today we’ll read then consider: Who is the Gerasene demoniac?
Chapter five of Mark’s gospel says (New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition):
They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when [Jesus] had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man [from] the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him anymore, even with a chain; for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; and he shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he had said to him, Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
He replied, ”My name is Legion; for we are many.” He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country.
Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; and the unclean spirits begged him, “Send us into the swine; let us enter them” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.
The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it.
Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood.
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. But Jesus refused, and said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.”
And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.
Now that we have the whole story fresh in our minds, let’s look at it more closely and try to make sense of it.
This passage starts by commenting that they came to the other side of the sea. Gergesa was a town midway along the eastern bank of the Sea of Galilee. The area nearby was called the “country of the Gerasenes,” taking its name from the town, just like “Chicagoland” is used to refer to the area near Chicago. In other versions of this story, the place is also called the “Country of the Gadarenes” which was a neighboring area. Additionally, one of those place names is Jewish and the other is Roman so, each of the gospel authors used the one most familiar to his intended audience.
Clearly the exact location of this event was not the most important part of the story! In this general area, nonetheless, steep hills slope down to the shoreline of the lake. Jesus and the disciples were traveling across the very large Sea of Galilee in several boats. Just before this passage, Mark tells us about the storm that had arisen and the waves swamping their boats. As you may recall, Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea and the storm abated. The disciples were filled with great awe and began to wonder who Jesus is, that the wind and the sea obey him.
Our story starts immediately after they step out of the boats. In his gospel, Mark moves right from one story to the next. Even with his fast pace of storytelling, in this instance Mark takes a few sentences to describe the man who now approaches Jesus. Here is what he said:
… a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met [Jesus]. He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him anymore, even with a chain; for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones.
The man lived among the tombs. What does this mean? We now have neat and tidy cemeteries. They are wonderful places to take walks but not places to live. Yet it says this man lived among the tombs. Were these rock tombs like little caves cut out of the side of the hills as was common in that day and part of the world? Given the statement that the man lived among the tombs and on the mountains, that was probably the case. Clearly he lived out of town, away from the rest of his neighbors. He lived alone. He lived rough. He was an outcast.
Mark also tells us that this man had been restrained, over and over with chains and shackles, which he broke apart. Then Mark mentioned that no one had the strength to subdue him. Why were they trying to restrain him? Was he dangerous to them? It does mention that he often bruised himself with stones. It’s kind of strange, isn’t it? They are repeatedly trying to restrain this man. Even so, he can get free of all the restraints they put on him, yet he chooses to stay there, among the tombs. He hurts himself, not other people. Clearly, this was a strange way to live. Or was it?
He reminds me of an addict, who repeatedly hurts him (or her)self, acts wildly so needs to be restrained, for his own good, but whose addiction drives him to break free, again and again, only to again fall into self-harm. From time to time s/he stays with the family or friends he knows. It’s somehow safe there; somehow it’s home. Self-harm is part of his illness, whether it’s a mental illness or an addiction or straight demonic possession or a combination of things.
The demoniac is, in many ways, like an abused wife (or husband) or someone who has been abused as a child. That person has forgotten who she is. She has in some ways, made peace with the abuse, with being treated that way; this reality has become “home”.
Sometimes she will hurt herself, by cutting or overeating or starving herself or getting drunk or sleeping around or spending money wildly. This isn’t done to get back at the abuser in some way. As you see it only hurts the one already in bondage. Sometimes it’s done to punish herself. Mostly, however, we have come to realize that inflicting abuse upon herself is a way of controlling some part of her world.
Cutters, people who cut themselves repeatedly tell us that inflicting pain one can control gives a sense of relief amidst the reality of dealing with pain being inflicted by others over which one has no control. The self-inflicted pain can be regulated – how much, how often, when, where; pain coming from another person can’t be. In a life full of desperate pain, inflicting pain which can be controlled somehow gives a sense of relief, somehow it conveys a semblance of the ability to control something in the person’s life. It is, of course, a lie. In reality it is abuse heaped upon abuse. And this sort of self-abuse resists restraints, just like the man living among the tombs in this story.
We are all the demoniac at times. We are battered about by abuse or addiction or habitual sin or the various circumstances of our lives. We find ourselves out of control and we, or others around us, try to find ways to control the situation, to lessen the harm being done. We find ourselves prowling the tombs on the outskirts of town. We find ourselves howling in pain, tearing at what shackles us. We find ourselves adding to the pain and insanity and chaos of our situation. It is to us, raving as we are, wounded as we are, wounding ourselves on top of all the other damage that has been done to us, it is to us in these situations and circumstances, in our insanity, in our howling agonies, in our nakedness covered over with bruises, it is to us in the very midst of our chaos and agony that Christ comes.
Here’s how Mark put it in the gospel:
When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; and he shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
From the way Mark wrote this, it sounds as if it’s not the man who ran to Jesus. It is the demons. They make the man run down to Jesus. They know they are inferior; they know their only option is to bow before Christ. So, they do. Then they shout.
Clearly this is not how anyone would typically approach a traveling rabbi. The demons shout a challenge at Christ, while also acknowledging that he is in charge. They are subject to Christ. They want to be left alone. At the same time, they have no option but to admit that Jesus is the Son of the Most High God.
This is a huge affirmation of who Jesus is! The demons are fallen angels. All angels know who God is and that they are subject to Him. They see what we sometimes do not. They KNOW Jesus is the Son of God. They have no doubts and need no reminders. They also know that they must do what He tells them. We delude ourselves and think we can do otherwise. In fact, life goes better when we obey God than when we pursue our so called better ideas. That can be hard to believe, I realize, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Let’s return to the story -
Then the demons bow down before him; they humbled themselves before the Lord. You can be sure it was not some casual nod of the head. Let us keep this in mind, particularly in Catholic Churches, where we have the fullness of the Lord’s presence in the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the Tabernacle.
Be sure to bow low or genuflect whenever you pass before the Lord. Humble yourself. You are a creature; He is almighty God. Do what you can. If the best you can manage is a pause and a bow of the head, do that reverently. If you can genuflect, do that. Or a profound bow. Take a moment to remind yourself that He is God and you are subject to Him. And to show Him your love and devotion to Him. Remember that we can honour Him with our bodies in many ways; this is one of them.
Then the demons beg Jesus – they ask “do not torment me”. I wonder what that could mean. How would God torment a fallen angel? We don’t have to know. We just know that He can - and that demons are completely aware that they are subject to Christ.
Many today don’t believe in angels or demons or anything supernatural. This passage is one of many in the Scriptures that attest to the reality of the angels and the fallen angels. And to their ability to torment people, to really mess with our lives. I won’t take the time here to explain about them. There are numerous books on the subject. I recommend Angels and Demons by Dr. Peter Kreeft, published by Ignatius Press.
Do not be fooled, my brothers and my sisters, by the ability of science to explain the workings of many things in our world. Science cannot explain angels or demons or God because it cannot observe them. Science can do no tests on God nor on angels to prove or disprove anything. We must approach these non-material realities in a different way, with reason and by heeding God’s revelation to us in Scripture and the teachings of the Church, which are based on Scripture and reason.
Many of us have been duped into thinking that science has all the answers, that everything that is can be explained by science. Science, in our day, has made many advancements in our understanding and, using those facts, we have been able to innovate and create many things.
All of that is wonderful. Nonetheless, science will never be able to explain what love is or what hope is or even what a thought is. Science is based on sense observations.
Have you ever seen love? Of course not! It doesn’t have a material aspect. There is no stuff that can be identified as love. Just as there is no stuff, nothing material, that is an angel or is God. So do not be led astray. Do not let the powerful tool we call science trick you into thinking that there is no God. Furthermore, do not let yourself be confused into thinking that, since have made so many technological advances, we do not need God.
As we saw during the isolation during the pandemic lock downs, there are needs that cannot be met via technology. Love shared between friends and family members when they spend time together, for instance, is something that no technology can replace. We need God and love and joy and hope! These are just as real, even more real than televisions, cars, and central heating! My brothers and sisters, beware! Science is not the be all and end all. Science has nothing to say about the existence of God for that question is beyond its scope.
Let us return to our text:
Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
He replied, ”My name is Legion; for we are many.” He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country.
Jesus asks for the demons’ name. Remember that knowing the name of another, in the Bible, gives one power over the other one. As we already stated, Jesus, by his very nature, has power over them. This questions, then, is a way of humiliating the demon… and helping the disciples understand what is going on. Remember Jesus is not alone; the disciples are with him, watching.
My name is legion. That is not a name; it’s a description. The demon is saying, we are many. No wonder that poor man was in such torments! Then they begged Jesus not to send them out of the country. They liked it where they were. In situations of despair or abuse, the problems and afflictions are numerous. It’s not just one thing. There are numerous, related problems. So it was with the Gerasene demoniac.
The man has come to Jesus and the demons have begged Him to not torment them. It is completely clear that they are under His authority.
Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; and the unclean spirits begged him, “Send us into the swine; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.
The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it.
Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. But Jesus refused, and said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.”
And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.
Nowadays, the terms swine and pigs have slightly different meanings; in Jesus’ day, they were used interchangeably. So, there was a huge herd of about 2,000 pigs on the hillside. The unclean spirits begged the Lord to be sent into the pigs. He gave permission. It’s not often we hear that phrase in the New Testament, that the Lord gave permission. Using it here again reinforces the reality that the demons, the unclean spirits were under Christ’s authority.
As you likely know, Jews were not permitted to eat pork. So, this huge herd of swine or pigs is interesting. Why are they keeping ANY swine? Such a large herd would indicate that this was a long established practice in this area. Given the importance of this practice, it seems that the people of this area were not very observant. These people probably did not keep the dietary laws; they probably ate pork.
In our story, Jesus gives the demons permission to enter the swine. Clearly the fact that they would be leaving the man was understood. The unclean spirits came out of the man and entered the swine. The entire heard of 2,000 animals immediately rushed down the hill and drowned in the lake.
There are two points I’d like to make about this. First, the demons were so destructive that their inclination was to kill. What an incredible battle the man was waging, just to stay alive with all those evil spirits in him! Secondly, the natural consequence was to call the people to reform their lives. Jesus, the Messiah is present and healing, and eliminating their pork supply. Unfortunately, the people were not very open to reforming their lives, as we see in the next part of the story:
The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine explained it.
The swineherds ran into town and let everyone know what had happened. They came and saw Jesus and the man sitting there, calm, dressed, and in his right mind. Note their reaction. They did not rejoice and celebrate. No, they were afraid. Rather than rejoicing or coming to believe, they began to beg Jesus to leave their district. Not just their town but the whole region.
What on earth? They see the man who had been crazy, uncontrollable, raving and running around the tombs, breaking his shackles and hurting himself. Now he is dressed and calm and sane. And they beg Jesus to leave. They have no authority over him so they can only ask him to leave. They begged him to leave. They implored him. They asked earnestly. They very much wanted Jesus to leave.
Wow! That’s such an unexpected response. They were very upset by the restoration of the man to his senses and the loss of the swine. Some think this man was some sort of scapegoat who seemed to be afflicted by all the sins of the community. Now that he was ok, they were going to have to be identified with their own sin, not pass it off on him and that made them angry.
It’s stunning to think that this man was healed from such a horrific possession by a large number of demons and no one rejoiced about it. They wanted Jesus to leave. Not to heal anyone else. They didn’t bring all their sick to him as happened in other places. No, they begged him to leave them.
Sit with that a while. When has God healed you or given you something and you wanted nothing to do with it, preferring things to go back to the way they used to be? My brothers and sisters, we surrender everything to God. He will work in our lives and call us to change and grow. Will we respond with a Yes! Or will we beg Him to leave us so we can make things go back to the way they were? It takes courage to follow the Lord, to surrender ourselves to Him. He might heal us… and He might not. Either way He is with us and calls us to trust Him.
To finish this story, we have the response of the man himself:
Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. But Jesus refused, and said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.”
And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.
He asked Jesus if He could become a follower. Unexpectedly, Jesus refuses Him and gives Him a different ministry. He is to be a missionary – to bring the good news of God’s love and healing to the people of the Decapolis, the ten cities in that region. He is an apostle of mercy. He accepted the call Christ gave him and many were amazed by Jesus.
Sometimes we think we are being called to do a certain good thing for the Lord and He says no and sends us a different direction. Let us be just like this man and immediately abandon our idea in order to do what the Lord asks of us. There is no vocation that is better or worse than any other. The best vocation is the one God calls you to. As Mary said to the servants at the wedding feast at Cana, “Do whatever He tells you.” That’s all we need to do, day after day. Whatever Christ tells us to do.
Wow! Thank you for sharing about this Gospel passage. I will add this to my library of resources.
This is a great reading of a fascinating passage. And I speak from experience when I say: Your observations on addiction are spot-on. Thank you!