Jesus Frees a Man From Evil Spirits
5 Jesus and his followers went across the lake to the area where the Gerasene people[a] lived.
- Jesus and his 12, where traveling in a boat going across the lake to the area where the Gerasene people lived at whom owned farmland, they were people of Gentile ways of life which they ate foods that the Jewish people would abstain from, and look down on those who did with haughty judgement. Something interesting to consider is the citites that were possibly surrounded around the territory as well, Pliny's Natural History (c. 77 A.D.) lists these cities as Gerasa, Scythopolis, Hippos, Gadara, Pella, Philadelphia, Capitolias (Dion), Canatha, Raphana and Damascus.
- The country of the Gadarenes (Gergesenes) is one of the few areas Jesus visited where Gentiles (non-Jews) composed the majority of the population. (Definition of Gadarenes (Gergesenes) in the Bible)
2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man came to him from the caves where the dead are buried. This man had an evil spirit living inside him.
- When Jesus got out of the boat, the vessel he and his followers were in, there was a man who came to him from the caves which the local people had buried their dead. This man had an evil spirit living inside of him.
- Here is something just to notice is the man came to Jesus from out of the caves where the dead lay, with rot, decay and disease. And you see Jesus here going onwards getting out of the boat. To go and be lead to enjoy the pleasures of the decay, disease, rot, in the land of the dead which is shrouded in darkness, is a terrible stage of life to be in. And this man is being troubled by an evil spirit that is living inside of him. There is always a cost for allowing darkness to consume and take over ones heart. You can see here a relation between the Lord Jesus always desirous to step out, and some people are willingly to step out of the chaotic darkness that exist in the world, not only the world and the spirits thereof, but in self-control of our own heart which if the eye is filled darkness, how much inside? The evil spirits of the world, of the pride of life, lust of the eyes, pleasing of the flesh, cause one to decay inside with no newness of life which the Lord Jesus does extend, always and forever today.
3 He lived in the burial caves. No one could keep him tied up, even with chains.
- This man lived in the darkness, with the dead bodies, and the corpse bones. Perhaps he enjoyed it for awhile? Then got lost, and went crazy by this evil spirit which has now gotten ahold of him. It seems because of this spirit of evil, no one was able to keep him tied up, even breaking the chains that he was bound in perhaps by the local authorities in Gadarenes.
4 Many times people had put chains on his hands and feet, but he broke the chains. No one was strong enough to control him.
- Again, many times people had put chains on his hands and feet, but he broke the chains. No one was strong enough to control him. The strength and the will of the dark ways in which this man took lead to this encounter with this evil spirit which people tried to contain, but by the mans hands and feet, he continued to break the chains they surrounded him with and no one was strong enough to control him. Now you see him, going out to Jesus, and desiring to be restored, and regenerated in newness of life.
5 Day and night he stayed around the burial caves and on the hills. He would scream and cut himself with rocks.
- Day and night he stayed around the burial caves, and on the hill. He would scream and cut himself with rock. A miserable state to be in!
