Tag: pigs

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Mark 5.

In the Gerasenes, Jesus encounters a man possessed by a legion of unclean spirits. The spirits beg Jesus to allow them to enter a herd of two thousand pigs. The possessed pigs rush down a steep hillside into the sea where they all drown (Mark 5:1-20).

Before you know it, the man is dressed and in his right mind. But here’s my question: Why did Jesus let the demons destroy the herd of pigs?

I did a little reading and came up with a few possibilities.

• We’re definitely in a Gentile region. There’s no way you’d find a herd of pigs anywhere near Jewish town and villages. Pork was forbidden by Old Testament dietary laws. Jesus, a Jewish man, would have no problem getting rid of a herd of pigs, keeping with Jesus law and life.

• Once the demons entered the pigs, we see exactly what they wanted to do to this man. Their objective was to destroy not simply possess him. The number showed the severity of this possession. Nevertheless, though outnumbered, Jesus has complete authority over the unclean spirits. They could only do what he allowed them to do. And he didn’t even break a sweat.

• Spiritual freedom comes at a cost. Ultimately, Jesus will pay the price with his life on the cross to defeat Satan and all his minions. This day, though, the price was a couple thousand hogs.

In the end, the people were more afraid of the one who had authority over the demons than the possessed man who lived among the tombs, who could break any shackles and chains that bound him. They begged Jesus to leave. And Jesus did. But not until he commissioned the man to make sure everyone knew what Jesus had done for him.