Scripture: Mark 5:1-20

Divine Powers on Display

Chapter 5 of Mark’s Gospel starts off with a well-known episode in Jesus’ ministry, namely the healing of a demon-possessed man. The affair has action and drama, which is probably why the makers of the famous Jesus Film could not resist including this scene – pigs and all. There are quite a few memorable scenes in this movie, but for me, none more so than the demon-possessed man. This passage may also be memorable because its message seems so straightforward. In the first part, Jesus casts out demons from a tormented man in another unmistakable display of his power. In the second part, the ungrateful locals cannot handle this turn of events and beg him to leave their region. Let’s take a closer look at both parts.
After calming the storm during the night, Jesus and the disciples finally arrive on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. His followers are likely still in awe about his calming of the wind and the sea. What they don’t know is that they are about to see Jesus’ divine powers on display again. A powerful, dreadful man comes running towards them and cries out to Jesus, calling him by his name. Jesus wastes no time in commanding the demons to come out of the man, sending them into a nearby herd of pigs, which is then drowned in the sea.
The second part of the passage describes the aftermath of these events. The pig herders run to tell their masters and the others in the town what has happened. Except for the man who was healed, the reaction of the locals was one of fear and resentment. Some may have been upset about the pigs. Or they may have been ungodly people who were confronted with God’s power and could not handle it. What I find interesting is that we are told how the locals reacted but there is no mention of how the disciples reacted. Why is that?
It’s easy for us to condemn these people who showed no compassion for this man and who could not acknowledge God’s presence in their midst. I wonder about the hyper-busy world we live in today. How many of us are too busy to show compassion for the people in need around us? And how many of us might be resentful instead of grateful if, in order to reveal his divine plan, God turned our orderly world upside down?

Prayer: Dear Lord, I pray that we may show compassion to those around us and give you the honor and glory you deserve in all aspects of our lives. Amen.