An Intentional Redemption - Mark 5:1-20

Sermon notes from 10/5/08

As you know, I enjoy movies. I particularly enjoy adventure, sports and super hero movies. Abby and I have been watching Smallville together.

In all these stories, good and evil are very clear, or at least you think they are.

In the last number of years, there has been a shift in many movies that are made to show how a normal human takes on supernatural powers and faces another supernatural enemy, whether it is the Hulk, Ironman, Spiderman, the Fantastic 4, Bruce Willlis. And the ‘super-human’ always wins, through their own use of power, intellect and shear determination they defeat the super enemy.

There are other movies where there is an outbreak of some deadly, incurable disease, or an asteroid about to hit the earth, or tidal wave, or volcano, that strikes fear throughout the region and threatens to devastate life. Others center on a murderous human monster that has nine lives and comes back in sequel after sequel to savage his victims. The villains are usually defeated through human ingenuity and grit determination with some violent means or scientific wizardry, which ends the movie but never completely solves the problem. These movies pit the forces of good against the forces of darkness and yet show no knowledge of God’s purposes or power to overcome evil and have no awareness of how God works to defeat it. They assume that humans have the power and ingenuity to expel evil from our midst.

Mark presents a different picture of the source of evil and how it is overcome. Evil comes from a demonic power that seizes human beings. It is not something we can defeat on our own. It takes a greater supernatural power to defeat it – the power of God.

Martin Luther wrote a song called A Mighty Fortress is Our God and the words in it say:

“Did we in our own strength confide,

Our striving would be losing.”

Only in Jesus can we find “a shelter from the stormy blast” and the power to overcome the forces of evil that overcome not only individuals, but communities, nations and continents. Only in Christ are we delivered from the dominion of evil powers.

Jesus establishes his claim over all the earth in this story, he has sailed to the southern shore of the sea of Galilee to an area predominately occupied by Hellenist gentiles, who were obviously not constrained to the dietary regulations of the Jewish culture, for they had a large herd of swine. Jesus had just crossed a significant cultural boundary to carry his gospel of forgiveness. He hadn’t just ended up there but was very purposeful. He had just spent the night sailing through a terrific storm that he seasoned fishermen were sure they were all going to die in, but Jesus gets up and calms the storm.

Jesus lands on the other side and is met by a most notorious madman – a man who was consumed by evil spirits.

Jesus is known in the spiritual world. Seven sons of Sceva – trying to cast out demons by invoking the name of Jesus

Acts 19:15 [One day] the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?"

Wherever he goes, his holy presence, like some chemical catalyst, triggers an immediate reaction from the unholy. Evil entities know they must regard and respond to the Son of God.

This demonic man was a problem for the area – they had banished him, no one had anything to do with him. He had a family, but they certainly didn’t know what to do with him. He had created so many problems for the area they had tried to shackle him, but he was extraordinarily strong and broke every chain or iron they put him in.

He lived naked among the dead, in the tombs – outside of the city. Everyone was afraid of him.

Can you imagine the questions of a child at night as he howls out while he cuts himself? “Mommy, what is that sound? It’s scary”, “I know honey, it is the man at the tombs again, he is a very sick man, but you will be fine here, try to go to sleep.” She says with a mix of pity, disgust, and concern for him and fear that he might really do something bad sometime.

No indication that Jesus went looking for the evil spirit, but it came out to him – it ran to him & fell before him

The evil spirit knew exactly who he was and what he was capable of and it’s obligation to pay homage to God

Mark 5:6-7

6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me (what business do you have with me – NAS) , Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!"

While humans who can’t quite fathom the reality of the divine breaking into human history (4:41) and struggle to accept Jesus as the divine, that is never questioned in the spiritual world, they always recognize him and respond to him (1:24; 3:11; James 2:19). They always know that they are up against a vastly superior power.

This is a story of change and redemption – how Jesus intends to change a person’s life, - how the world responds to that change - and what Jesus wants of those who are changed.

Fear is something everyone deals with at some level.

It drives how we respond to people, develop attitudes about situations,

When i was in my late 20’s i really wasn’t afraid of much of anything – i was strong, determined and didn’t know much about life yet. I knew there were problems to be solved, but I didn’t know what there was to fear, I find as a person gets older and experiences more things in their life, fear becomes a greater concern.

We are generally afraid of the things we don’t know or understand, or things that are bigger and stronger than we are. There are things that we believe can hurt or significantly affect us,

Or the inevitable, things that haven’t happened yet

Jesus tells his disciples – when they are with him, they have nothing to fear...

Mark 4:40 He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

Jesus came to preach the gospel of forgiveness, redemption, restoring man’s rightful relationship with God, restoring mans dignity as a bearer of God’s image

Jesus Releases captive lives

Mark 5:8-13

8 For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"

9 Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"

"My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." 13 He 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.

Freed a man held by demons –

This man had been living life among the dead

A Self destructive lifestyle

Shameful life

Not trusted or welcomed by community

Not living God’s image he was created to bear but held captive to all that was evil

There is no power too strong that Jesus cannot bring freedom. It takes significant power to release evil’s hold on a person’s life.

When Jesus casts out the demons and released the man – he did it in a good and gracious way – not violent, or arrogantly but confident and graciously – he was not unkind to the demons, but very much in control over them.

This is an extraordinary exorcism – because here Jesus negotiates with the demons. He commands them to leave, they make a request and Jesus accommodates them. He is gracious – even to demons.

The purpose of demons is to discredit and destroy God’s creation, His highest creation being humans. Any person they inhabit they seek to dehumanized, discredit completely and when they are done with them, then destroy. They will used up every ounce of a person until there is nothing left – their destruction of a person is a living death. They also desire to draw attention to themselves and their destructiveness and invoke fear in others of God’s creation. Anything to draw attention away from God.

He Redeems destroyed souls

Mark 5:15

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.

He restores lives. He restores God’s image in the life of people.

a tormented soul is now at rest

the man’s shame of his exposure and nakedness is gone – he’s dressed

He is in his right mind – when God sets your mind right – he takes it back to the default settings, he sees things right now, he understands who he is and who Jesus is – he recognizes the extraordinary power of God and he is in complete submission to it. He is at peace.

Others feared what they did not understand

No else says and does the things Jesus does – he is God in flesh

The townspeople were not frightened by what has happened to the pigs, but by seeing this man now clothed and in his right mind. – they did not rejoice at his recovery but were afraid. What is so scary about seeing a person sitting at the feet of Jesus? The community had desparately tried to tame him with no avail, Now Jesus not just tames him but restores him, redeems him, with a word.

Jesus disciples had also expressed fear at Jesus great power – on the way across the lake, he had calmed the storm with just a word, and they were terrified and asked each other “who is this? Even the wind and waves obey him?” (4:41)

The townspeople don’t seem to care to find out why he is so powerful or why he has such power – they just want him gone. No key to the city – but the cold shoulder. The demons begged Jesus to stay in the area, now the townspeople want him out of the area.

They are more comfortable with strong, troublesome forces that take human beings captive and destroy animals than they are with the one who can expel them and restore dignity to people..

They could cope with the odd demon-possessed wild man who terrorizes the neighbourhood with random acts of violence. But they want to keep someone with Jesus power at a lakes length away – on the other side of the sea. “go ‘help’ someone else, but we don’t want you here.” They must have considered Jesus more dangerous and worrisome than the demons.

More comfortable to manage what they knew – even if it was dangerous

Rather than change it

Jesus is gracious. Just as he granted the demons request – he also grants the request of the community to leave them. He does not stay where he is not welcome.

And so this community becomes a graphic and living example of the outsiders who see but do not perceive, who hear but do not understand and therefore do not receive the benefits of the Kingdom (4:11-12).

They do not receive what Jesus can provide, they do not bring their sick or demonized to him. They chase off their source of deliverance and salvation. People can tolerate religion as long as it does not affect business profits.

Jesus changes people’s lives – he releases captive lives; he redeems destroyed souls

He Restores a person’s Purpose

Mark 5:18-20

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 family 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 Decapolisc how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

The man who has just encountered the most significant thing that has ever happened in his life is now seated at Jesus feet – he looks like another disciple, and begs to “go with him” - the only request in this story he does not grant.

Jesus restores the man’s relationships – to his family and community

This man’s purpose is to share what has happened to him with others – it was not for him alone. The townspeople may want Jesus to leave, but the effects of Jesus presence will carry on.

Isa 55:11

11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Jesus sent the freed man out to proclaim what God had done for him

To the Decapolis – ten cities in close proximity – a metroplex

There is an important message in Jesus directions to the man that we must not overlook:

The man is not simply to tell people about the miracle that happened to him, but what that miracle signifies and how it impacted not only the circumstances of his life but the very essence of his life – his soul. the Lord has been at work and it has had a huge change on that mans life, he has received mercy. He had received something opposite of what he or others might think he deserved – Mercy.

He will live the rest of his life as a man who has been given another chance, another lease on life. His life was forever changed. He can now bear the image of God with integrity.

When he meets Jesus’ powerful mercy, he is restored to wholeness. His encounter with Jesus makes him fully human again, with a family, a home and a mission in life. He is no longer a wild animal that people around him thought needed to be tamed, but a human being called to proclaim the dynamic affects of Gods mercy in his life. How is it that Jesus can transform a berserk derelict of a man into a sane and well-balanced human with just a word?

C.S.Lewis used the imagery of this story in describing his own life before his conversion (Surprised by Joy) my life was a “zoo of lusts, a bedlam of ambitions, a nursery of fears, a harem of fondled hatreds. My name was legion.”

This is every person.

Jesus goes to people who are not looking for him – He takes the initiative in reaching out and restoring people – not only restoring their relationship with God, but restoring them to the people they were intended to live as. Even if they are across a lake, possessed by demons, an managing okay on their own.

God searches out those who have never searched for or thought about turning to God.

Jesus releases captive lives

Redeems destroyed souls

Restores a person’s purpose

What keeps you from being the person God wants you to be?

Nothing is too strong or too far away

Jesus overcomes fears, incapabilities, strongholds

So you can share who he is and what he has done for you.

God’s chief desire is to make himself known to his creation. That we see that he is good, faithful and we can choose him

He wants to use you to do that, what is preventing that from happening.