The Man With An Unclean Spirit

I'm reading this next account over and over again...

"And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit..." - Mark 5:1-2 KJV

It is easy to focus on the demonic in this passage because of the context and what eventually happens...

"And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea." - Mark 5:12-13 KJV

This morning I really wanted to focus on the man himself. This man addresses Jesus and asks two things of Him.

"And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not... And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country." - Mark 5:7, 10 KJV

'Please. Don't torment me.' and 'Now that I see You please don't send me away.'

Of the three passages that record this account Mark is the only one that says this.

"And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him," - Mark 5:5-6 KJV

Modern medicine has given the type of 'self harm' described in verse 5 a name. Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) was thought to be a cry for help when first diagnosed but it is seen differently by some experts who study it. I saw one study that predicts that about 16% of young people between the ages of 14 and 21 have engaged in this behavior. The percentage is higher among female teenagers. Often the injuries are done in places that won't be visible. The people who do it often describe it as an 'out of body experience'. They get a high from it. It is a distraction from a great inner pain.

Do you hear the cry?

'Please. Don't torment me.' and 'Please don't send me away.'

Jesus tells the unclean spirit to leave but is very kind to the man.

"And Jesus asked him, 'What is your name?'..." - Mark 5:9a ESV

This weekend I stood by and watching a Pastor minister to a young person who was walking by his group. He engaged them and each person so kindly making sure that everyone knew each other's names. He asked questions. His pure love and interest said in a non-verbal way...

'I won't hurt you.' 'We won't send you away.' 'We see you.' 'You are important.'

One man in the group who is being raised up as a leader just kept looking at his phone and answered when he was addressed but never even looked at the young person and I just thought, 'You have a lot to learn buddy and you aren't going to learn it in that phone.'

"The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid." - Mark 5:14-15 ESV

Just a few minutes with Jesus. Just a few minutes of purity. An oasis from loneliness. What does it mean? How much is it worth?

Jesus isn't ever going to torment anyone. He isn't going to send a living person away. He can disconnect a person from the many things that torment them. Where there is life there is hope. Decisions can be made when a person is brought into the presence of the King. Introductions and healings happen in those times.

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