Calming the Chaotic Soul Mark’s Gospel Calming the Chaotic Soul 5:1-20 http://www.stgregoryoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/St.-Mark.jpg

Last week: Calming the Chaotic Sea A great windstorm (hurricane/tsunami!?) arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. … He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Mark 4:37,39 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.StormLiveWallpaperHD

They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. Mark 5:1 (Matthew 8:28, country of the Gadarenes, 2 demoniacs) http://bibleatlas.org/capernaum.htm Here they are met by more chaos. First a chaotic sea, then a chaotic soul.

Mark 5:2-13 When Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/240209/franz- xaver-messerschmidt-the-vexed-man-german-1771-1783/

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. https://patesco.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/madman21.jpg

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 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.

Imagine you’re the Guy in the Graveyard Outcast Violent Incoherent Loud Superhuman strength “not even by chains could anyone any longer restrain him.” Evicted from the community.

Especially outcast from the Jewish community. Lived in Gentile territory. Lived in proximity to dead bodies Lived in proximity to pigs and pig herders Possessed by unclean spirits. Was he a Roman soldier? Legion = a military unit of 6000 soldiers (Numbers 19:11-14, Lev 11:7, Deut 14:8)

“Jesus meets a man with an unclean spirit living among unclean tombs surrounded by people employed in unclean occupations, all in unclean Gentile territory. … A demon- possessed man powerful enough to break iron hurls himself at Jesus and the disciples. This is a place where no one would want to go for any reason. … However, Jesus goes there.” (Edwards, 155)

According to the purity laws of his day, Jesus would become unclean himself by having contact with this unclean man. He was clearly in imminent physical danger, being charged by a man no one, anywhere, any time, had been able to restrain. And still, Jesus gets out of the boat.

Unafraid. Inexhaustible. Powerful. “Come out, you unclean spirit.” “Astonishingly, Jesus consents to the spirit’s plan and sends the spirit into nearby swine, who then destroy themselves running into the sea. … Unclean spirits go into unclean animals, which are destroyed by the forces of chaos.” (spu.edu/lectio/readings/Mark)

Personal. Jesus meets a PERSON who has been insane, violent, battered by his own flailing, evicted from his community. He restores a person, who goes home ‘clothed and in his right mind.’ Purposeful. “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.” But here’s the sticking point:

The man has NO REASON to think his community will be glad to hear his story! “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.” 5:16-17 Imagine you’re the guy in the graveyard. …

This is a rare occasion in Scripture when we actually do get to hear the rest of the story. Mark 7:31, 8:9 “Then Jesus returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. … In those days there was again a great crowd without anything to eat … Now there were about 4000 people.”

The saddest human we meet in Scripture met Jesus and his life was utterly transformed. From chaos to calm. From isolation to community. From eviction to friendship to community organizer! From fear to 4000???!! From a graveyard to new life.