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“WHAT IS YOUR NAME?”

Mark 5:1-20

Key Verse:5:9 “Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”

  Last week we studied about Jesus who calmed the storm. Life is the continuity of one storm after another, whether they are small or big. In the midst of storms of life, we must fix our eyes on Jesus and hear his message, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Let us pray that Jesus may come into our boat and control all the storms of life until we arrive at our final destination, the kingdom of God.

  Today’s passage teaches us about Jesus who heals a demon-possessed man. These days people would not admit the existence of demons, or evil spirits and attempt to heal people with psychological or other medical therapy. But, today’s passage clearly shows us that there are demons and evil spirits and that they destroy men’s life. Today’s passage also teaches us how Jesus had compassion on a demon-possessed man and healed him with the compassion of God. Jesus is the ruler of the spiritual world and the only Savior of the world.  May God help us to have spiritual eyes to see spiritual world and have spiritual power to drive out the work of demons in this world. Amen.

1. A man with an evil spirit (1-5)

Look at verse 1. “They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.”

We know what had happened to Jesus and his company during the previous night. They met a severe storm like the Hurricane Gustav or Hannah, which hit Louisiana last week. The disciples were terrified and desperate to survive in the midst of storm, while Jesus was sleeping in the stern. The disciples woke him and cried out, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” Jesus got up, rebuked the wind and said the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. The disciples were again terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him.” (4:35-41).

  Originally the disciples took a boat and crossed the lake for their brief vacation with their master Jesus, leaving the demanding and persistent crowd behind. They were like children who are just happy to go somewhere with their parents.  But, the storm messed up their vacation plan and mood. It was a storm training rather than a hilarious vacation. The disciples struggled all night to survive in the midst of the storm. They were hungry and extremely tired. They just wanted to eat something and have some sleep. But, when they arrived at the region of the Gerasenes, what happened?

Look at verse 2. “When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him.” The man who welcomed them was not a nice looking restaurant waiter, but an animal like man with an evil spirit who came from the tomb. In Greek, ‘evil spirit’ means ‘unclean spirit’. At that time, in the region of Gerasens pig industry was prosperous. As we know the Jews hated pig since they considered pigs as unclean animals. At that time, in that area many Greeks immigrated and resided. As we know there were many Greek myths and philosophies which made spirit confused. And also the 14^th Roman Legion occupied and colonized that land.  In ancient time, the environment around the army camp was quite corrupted and immoral. But, we don’t know exactly why this man was possessed by demons. Let’s see what his spiritual and living condition was?

Look at verses 3-5. “This man lived in tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.” First of all, he lived in the tombs. A tomb is a burial place where dead bodies are laid. So any normal person never lives in the tomb. We don’t know why this man lived in the tomb. Probably he might have pursued unlimited freedom that he moved to the tomb where no body bothered him. Probably he was cast out from the society since he was so violent and uncontrollable by the power of demons. In fact, the townspeople bound him with a chain and put him into prison.  But he tore iron chains like a rubber band and ran away from the jail. No one could chase him even Usain Bolt, who is the fastest runner in the world. No one could bind him even Arnold Schwazillnger. This man was too powerful to be controlled. He was a big trouble maker in the town. Finally, he was cast out from the town and moved to the tomb.

Verse 5 says that night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. In a word, he tortured himself with stones. He cried out like a wounded animal. He was crazy. He was beside himself because he was possessed by evil spirits.

These days people would not admit the existence of the evil spirits. They think they are mentally ill or psychologically disordered. So, they send them to mental hospitals or try to control them with tranquilizers or prosaic. One young man suffered from chronic depression. So he was sent to a mental hospital to see a psychiatrist for treatment.  It seemed to work for a while, but his condition got worse until he became totally helpless. There is a renowned psychiatrist named M. Scott Peck. In his book “People of The Lie” he urged that human evilness can be reduced by the methods of science. In a word, what he meant was that we should admit the existence of evil spirits and approach with methods of science.  If anyone who always have negative point of view or way of thinking, it was not the matter of character, but possessed by evil spirit, especially spirit of failure. If anyone who easily get upset, he is not hot-tempered, but possessed by angry demon. If there is anyone who always delays something, he is not slow person, but possessed by lazy spirit. Jesus gave us spiritual insight to distinguish between the work of the evil spirits and the Holy Spirit. We must have eyes to see all things with spiritual eyes and to distinguish with spiritual insight.  Last week, my wife Mary looked unhappy and a little bit irrigated. I asked her why. She said, “It is because you spent much time to watch sports news rather than to care of your children.” I came to realize that for a while I was possessed by selfish demon along with couch potato demon. I pray that God may forgive me and fill me with the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. What is your name? (6-13)

Look at verses 6-8. “When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.  He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!” Let’s see how this man behaved toward Jesus. First of all, he ran and came to Jesus to worship him. He welcomed Jesus and begged for Jesus’ help. At the same time, he rejected Jesus saying, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?...” His action and words do not accord, but became contradictory. His personality was split into two. He was beside himself that he did not know what he was doing and what he was talking about. It was because he was possessed by demons. It was because Jesus had commanded the evil spirits to come out of the man. This man totally got lost.

  How did Jesus help this poor man? Look at verse 9a. “Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” First of all, Jesus asked this man of his name. Why did Jesus ask his name? Jesus asked his name in order to make him know about himself. Jesus asked his name so that this man might come back to himself. This man was created in the great image of God. But, he lost himself and possessed by demons. In medical sense, making patient know the name of disease or sickness is the first step of healing. In another word, patient should know what was his or her real problem. Generally name represents everything about a person including family line, personality, character, aptitude and so on. Jesus asked his name so that he might know that he was created into a great image of God and steward of the world, not a slave to demons.

  Second of all, Jesus called his name so that he might expose the existence of demons in him. Demons like darkness, but hate light. So, in the movie, “I am the Legend,” people with evil spirit always work at night time and disappear day time. In medical terms, all bacteria are killed by the strong sun light. Jesus asked his name so that evil spirits were exposed under the light and be destroyed.

  The demons could not hide anymore before Jesus, who appeared as the strong light. They identified themselves. Look at verse 9b. “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” The answer started with singular word, “My” but finished with plural word, “we”. There was not on demon, but many demons who occupied this man’s soul. They were as many as a legion. Legion is a unit of Roman army with 6,000 soldiers. In a word, this man was possessed by 6,000 demons. You may not imagine how this man was possessed by 6,000 demons. But, when you use a computer, it is not difficult and will not take long for your computer infected by all kinds of virus, even 6,000 viruses. When this man was allowed a demon to come into his heart, another demon came together with other demons. While this man was struggling with a demon, he was occupied with 6,000 demons until he became totally beside himself. Therefore, when a demon whispers us to come into our heart, we must cast him out and not allow him to even talk.

  Since the demons were exposed, they had no place to stay in his heart. So they begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. At that time, a large herd of pigs were feeding on the nearby hillside.(11). The demons begged Jesus to send them among the pigs. (12) We don’t know why the demons picked up pigs for their shelter. Probably the demons thought that pigs were unclean animals. Anyway, Jesus gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. What happened when the demons went into the pigs? As you know, pigs are not violent animals. Their joy of life was just eating and sleeping. But, the moment the evil spirits entered into them, suddenly they lost appetite and became crazy. With great oink sound, the heard, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. (13). There happened pig’s mass suicide. Here we learn that demons demand life at cost of ransom. Demons never let you go free of charge. They will demand our life. But, thanks to God who redeemed us from the power of demons by the power of blood of Jesus. There is a wonder-working power in the blood of Jesus. Whoever believes in his name and depend on the blood of Jesus can be freed from the power of demons. So, 1 John 1:7 says, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

3. Go home and tell the grace of God. (14-20)

What was the townspeople’s response to this happening? Look at verse 14. “Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man-and told about the pigs well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.” The townspeople must have thanked to Jesus since he had healed a demon possessed man. They must have invited Jesus to their town to heal all demon-possessed people. But, they were unhappy when they thought about pigs. They were afraid that Jesus might ruin their remaining pig business. So they begged Jesus to leave their town. Here we learn a contrast between compassionate Jesus and materialistic townspeople. Jesus did not mind to sacrifice two thousand pigs in order to save one soul. Jesus valued one lost soul more precious than the whole world. But, the townspeople rejected Jesus for the sake of money. We cannot judge them when we think about their pig industry. But, at the least they must say thank you to Jesus for healing a demon-possessed man instead of being terrified.

Look at verse 18. “As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him.” This man was moved by Jesus’ love and saving grace. No one could help him. No one could rescue him from the demon-possession. The townspeople just thought him as a burdensome trouble maker and bound him with chains and put him into the prison. No one cared for him when he lived around tombs and cut himself with stones. But, Jesus cared for him. Jesus had compassion on him and saved him from the power of demons. Jesus valued his life more precious than 2,000 pigs. This man shed many tears, tears of thanks and joy. He wanted to follow Jesus to the end wherever he goes. But, what did Jesus give him a direction?

Look at verse 19. “Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” Jesus sent him as a missionary to his family and to his town to testify how Jesus had healed him.  So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. (20)

In today’s passage we learn that Jesus is the compassionate God who healed a demon possessed man. Indeed Jesus is the ruler of spiritual world and he is the Wonderful Savior and the Mighty God. We must admit the existence of the evil spirits and cast them out by the power of Jesus’ name. For a moment, let us ask to myself “What is my name?” May God heal each of us from evil spirits and fill us with the Holy Spirit and grow as great men and women of God like Abraham, St. Luke, St. James. St. Augustine, St. Paul, St. Mary, St. Elizabeth Yang, St. Esther, St. Monica, and St. Grace.  Amen.  

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• WHAT IS YOUR NAME.doc