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They were wise enough to figure out if Jesus in His authority over them would allow them to exit of their choosing, they would select the black pigs often used in sacrifice to Baal. War IV. Search the web and you will find many opinions about why the pigs died. Read it for yourself. 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. Why should this surprise us? Try Bible Gateway Plus free today. A great deal of the Law applies only to priests (Leviticus 6:3) and to Levites (Numbers 7:9), so how could Jesus, of the tribe of Judah, keep one of those commandments? Clearly, Luke is telling you this because he wants you to show the amazing power of Jesus Christ, even over demons. Such a contradiction in character! viii. Overall, when it comes to any animal being selected for food or for sacrifice, God sees only two types. Instead they joke around and give pat answers. All Rights Reserved. He wrote under his own name, and also as John Oxenham for his poetry, hymn-writing, and novels. What care we for his soul?What good to us that Thou hast made him whole,Since we have lost our swine? In other words, they believe the one who killed the pigs with the demons is equal to the Father. But as for God, what reason did He give Mr. Merciless for not destroying Nineveh? Jesus is saying that Jesuss commandments are the same as the Fathers. ), No matter how you slice it, the Almightys negative view of ham and bacon cant suddenly switch from one day to the next. WebGerasa, Gadara or Gergesa (Luke 8;26, 37) As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet Him. You must there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one thats only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary. The entire herd ran straight off a cliff and drowned. Mark 5 is truly very simple: being a righteous Jew, the Law commands Jesus to abhor pigs as food. The Gerasenes, however, was located in the territory of the Decapolis, a group of ten cities with a majority population of Gentiles. A city in Transjordania, situated about thirty-five m. SE of the S end of the Sea of Galilee, one of the cities of the Decapolis; the inhabitants of the city. He also wrote the poem Greatheart. Matthew tells us there were two demoniacs, while Mark and Luke only Gergesenes means "those who come from pilgrimage or fight." Both of our good pastors assume that the people in Gerasene (Gadarene or Gergesene) were Gentiles in Gentile territory, partially because of the pigs, partially because of the demoniacs and partially because, The good pastor John MacArthur assumes in his video, [I stretch my hand out to the Jews] who sit by the graves and lodge over night in the tombs, who eat the flesh of pigs and the broth of corrupted meat from their pots. Does he really believe Mark 5 is Biblical material just for laughs? Every creature on land, or in the water, or in the air is classified by either the Hebrew term, (, The main reason God limits righteous people to a select group of clean/pure animals is for, Gods altar was also separate and distinct and holy. Jesus came to teach a better way of life that you could have abundantly! If the interpretation from one vague verse contradicts several unambiguous verses, which is wrong? Some will respond to my rhetorical question, Why on earth would Jesus come to earth, by giving me the usual pat answer, None can keep the nasty old Law, so Jesus came to fulfill it perfectly, and now I dont have to do anything, at all, whatsoever, just believe, hallelujah! Most translations interpret the Hebrew to say. I wonder why?). Swine are considered unclean and unholy in the Jewish tradition, and Jesus was Jewish.This miracle, witnessed by his disciples, also shows Jesuss wisdom in teaching the Word of God among non Jewish people. Jesus was a Jew. After stilling the storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee, Jesus lands with his disciples on the eastern shore of the lake. His fellow citizens tried to restrain him in chains a horrible way to treat mental illness, by the way but he always broke free. Unfortunately, Pastor John is not alone, joking at the expense of this tragedy. Nothing we have belongs to us. 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. Gerasa was rebuilt in splendor and remained prosperous for several centuries. And because he said it one single, solitary time, and he didnt actually present anything new, we have clear proof that he didnt add anything to the Law and his joke underscores the fact that he didnt add (or delete) from the Law! Problem was, not even the pigs could withstand the madness these demonic forces manifested. Living in rural Central Africa villages for ten years, I heard many stories from locals about demon spirits living in streams and trees and boulders. The Matthew account mentions two demon-possessed men, while Mark and Luke only mention one. However, the silversmith was a smart cookie and knew that the more people bought into Pauls line of thinking, Note: Demetrius was angry only because of, Therefore, were those cool-headed pig-farmers really Gentiles? But what are its implications? Now that's interesting isn't it? The final battle requires a different strategy, one that involves a cross. And what about trees or rocks? When Jesus said, A new commandment I give unto you (John 13:34), he instantly had the undivided attention of the Tedious Twelve disciples because they knew changing the Law was forbidden. WebAll three Synoptic Gospels ( Mark 5:120; Luke 8:2639; Matthew 8:2834) mention the swine miracle, although with variations. If there was a difference, why do they read the Law of Moses but call it the Law of God in Nehemiah 8:8? That's what disciples do, they sit at their master's feet. So he had to live according to the truth that had already revealed and to get everyone else in line with the program. In a similar way, we see that Scripture is the same; it doesnt change. In Jesus first trip to that Gentile area: They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes (in Gadara). Gadara). But if one cared to examine all of Gods Word, the only possible reason for Jesus to destroy the pigs in the exorcism seems to be connected to Gods opinion about ham. Who owned the pigs? Therefore he had every right to judge the Jews and how they used land. Gerasa is identified from various sources as a city in Arabia, Decapolis, Gilead, or Perea. Plus, when Jesus chased the sellers out of the Temple courts (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:12-19; Luke 19:45-48; John 12:13-16), there is a small, but wonderful, detail that is in complete harmony with Matthew 10:29. For one, Remember that the Law reveals to us the mind and personality of God. So you not only see the power of Christ over Satan in this passage in the miracle that He performs in casting these demons out of this man, but you also see Jesus compassion towards sinners. Part of the reason for such a short list is due to the fact that Gods People are special (Exodus 19:5-6) and separate (Deuteronomy 7:6) and unique from others on the earth (1 Peter 2:9). Jesus then asked him, What is your name? And he said, Legion, for many demons had entered him. And he said that a good and virtuous man could not have allowed something like that to happen and therefore, Jesus was not the best and most virtuous of men and therefore Christianity was disproven. Luke doesn't think that it's an every day occurrence for a person to be possessed by a host of demons. But should you also doubt, my friendly blog reader, read on. How and why did this happen in the first place? display: none !important; The Law of God states that the Sabbath is a day of rest for all livestock (Deuteronomy 5:14). So why did the meek n merciful Son of Man cast countless defiling demons into two thousand piglets, sows and boars? Mark and Luke call it Gerasenes and some English versions translate it as Gergesenes. It is all the same place. The first two are in the Authorized Version. Before a shattering, a mans heart is proud (Proverbs 18:12). [] Top ten reasons why there were pigs in Gerasenes, (Linear Concepts, 17 October 2012), http://www.linearconcepts.com/archives/2011 []. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. The good pastor actually believes that a Jewish man can rationally decide the best sleeping quarters Tomb or no tomb? He is the freest man in the world. But today, if you said to anybody, Tiger Woods is a slave to his desires, they would recognize it. In course of time, as the Jews began more and more to pride themselves on their peculiar privileges, it acquired unpleasant associations, and was used as a term of contempt. He has authored, co-authored, edited, or contributed to numerous books. In the 2nd cent. Owning those defiling animals was illegal and having two thousand head, the farmers were more than flouting the Law that Jesus had not came to destroy but to fulfill (Matthew 5:17). Webwere the gerasenes gentiles. One moose, two moose. You know, a month ago, a month ago, if you had said to anyone, You know, Tiger Woods is in slavery. They would have looked at you and said, You've got to be out of your mind. I love irritating those charlatans who pretend the Law of God is somehow different than the Law of Moses. Just remember the wonderful folks in Jesuss hometown? As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of Him. In a pigs eye. And what does the Law say about pigs? (, For I tell you truly, until the passing away of Heaven and the Earth, not the smallest letter nor the smallest comma will pass away from the Law until everything has happened. The Son of God mercifully cast thousands of defiling demons out of a lost Jew and purposefully launched the legion killers into two thousand defiling swine. Sinai. In delivering the man from his bondage, Jesus restored creations promise. He's set free. The jokes are a smoke screen. Therefore, were those cool-headed pig-farmers really Gentiles? The Gemara on the passage gives a historical foundation for the practise in the times of Aristobulus. You know that because the people tell Him to leave. Please note how John repeats the commands, adding a zinger curse to both. We ask this in Jesus' name. Demonic forces seem to be territorial; i.e., they have assigned areas of domain. Without a doubt, both men know God never came up with the line, Put pork on your fork. This is the only sensible interpretation which remains consistent with all Scripture.