From mad man to made man!

Mar 5:1-20

1 Jesus and his disciples arrived on the other side of the sea in the country of the Gerasenes. 2 As Jesus got out of the boat, a madman from the cemetery came up to him. 3 He lived there among the tombs and graves. No one could restrain him-- he couldn't be chained, couldn't be tied down. 4 He had been tied up many times with chains and ropes, but he broke the chains, snapped the ropes. No one was strong enough to tame him. 5 Night and day he roamed through the graves and the hills, screaming out and slashing himself with sharp stones.

6 When he saw Jesus a long way off, he ran and bowed in worship before him-- 7 then bellowed in protest, "What business do you have, Jesus, Son of the High God, messing with me? I swear to God, don't give me a hard time!" 8 (Jesus had just commanded the tormenting evil spirit, "Out! Get out of the man!") 9 Jesus asked him, "Tell me your name."

He replied, "My name is Mob. I'm a rioting mob." 10 Then he desperately begged Jesus not to banish them from the country.

11 A large herd of pigs was browsing and rooting on a nearby hill. 12 The demons begged him, "Send us to the pigs so we can live in them." 13 Jesus gave the order. But it was even worse for the pigs than for the man. Crazed, they stampeded over a cliff into the sea and drowned.

14 Those tending the pigs, scared to death, bolted and told their story in town and country. Everyone wanted to see what had happened. 15 They came up to Jesus and saw the madman sitting there wearing decent clothes and making sense, no longer a walking madhouse of a man.

16 Those who had seen it told the others what had happened to the demon- possessed man and the pigs. 17 At first they were in awe-- and then they were upset, upset over the drowned pigs. They demanded that Jesus leave and not come back.

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the demon- delivered man begged to go along, 19 but he wouldn't let him. Jesus said, "Go home to your own people. Tell them your story-- what the Master did, how he had mercy on you." 20 The man went back and began to preach in the Ten Towns area about what Jesus had done for him. He was the talk of the town.

Food for thought!

Do you know of someone in a helpless or hopeless situation, or even yourself: are you in a hopeless or helpless situation, struggling with someone or something too much for you? Well, today and tomorrow Jesus will prove to you and me that for him there's no hopeless or helpless people or human situation. 

We begin with today's situation. It is about a man who had turned into a mad house. The gospel describes his situation this way: "No one could restrain him-- he couldn't be chained, couldn't be tied down. 4 He had been tied up many times with chains and ropes, but he broke the chains, snapped the ropes. No one was strong enough to tame him. 5 Night and day he roamed through the graves and the hills, screaming out and slashing himself with sharp stones." This man was helpless but also were his people; they had given up on him. This is why he lived in the tombs, a living dead man!

I don't know if you are in a similar situation; have you given up on yourself, on your spouse, your child, your love, your business, your hope, your dream? Please, don't, because Jesus performed that miracle for that man in order to prove to you and me, that he is mighty. If you believe in Jesus, as I believe you do, why give in to despair? Take your situation to Jesus. Be like this man, throw yourself at the feet of Jesus; he will not run away from you. He will transform your hopelessness and helplessness into hopefulness and helpfulness, just as he turned the mad man into made man.

This once hopeless and helpless man, became all of a sudden a hopeful and helpful man; he started going around ten towns restoring hope in others; the man became a helpful man. The gospel says, "The man went back and began to preach in the Ten Towns area about what Jesus had done for him. He was the talk of the town."

When the men who had been in charge of the pigs went to the town and to the farms with news of this astounding happening, the curious people arrived on the spot and found the man who had once been so mad sitting fully clothed and in full possession of his faculties. The wild and naked madman had become a sane and sensible citizen. And then comes the surprise, the paradox, the thing that no one would really expect. One would have thought that they would have regarded the whole matter with joy; but they regarded it with terror. And one would have thought that they would have urged Jesus to stay with them and exercise still further his amazing power; but they urged him to get out of their district as quickly as possible. Why? A man had been healed but their pigs had been destroyed, and therefore they wanted no more of this. The routine of life had been unsettled, and they wanted the disturbing element removed as quickly as possible.

The Gerasenes banished the disturbing Christ--and still today men and women seek to do the same.