Mark 6:1-13 Pigs or Jesus?

 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? In God’s name don’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”  And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. (Mark 5:6-10 NIV)

It seems to be that in the Gospel of Mark, it is the demons who recognize Jesus. They recognize that he is the Son of God and has power over them. They beg him to allow them to enter into a herd of about 2000 pigs. This herd of about 2000 then rush over a steep bank and drown themselves in a lake.

You would think, the people would be happy that these 2000 demons were no longer in their presence. They were no longer torturing the man that they had come out of. But, no! They are not happy. They want Jesus to go away. The man who was healed of the demons is pretty happy though. He recognizes who this Jesus is and he wants to follow him. Jesus said no. "Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." (Mark 5:19)

The demons recognize the power of God in Jesus and are afraid. The man who was healed recognized his power and honored him, wanting to follow him. But, the people who were afraid because personal property, pigs, were lost wanted nothing to do with him.  

When was the last time we chose unclean personal property over Jesus?

God's Peace - Pr. J

Mark 3:7-35 House Divided

Will demons kick out demons?

As the people flocked to Jesus and were healed and exorcised of their demons, they recognized who this Jesus was. They would cry out: "You are the Son of God." (Mark 3:11)  Jesus has the authority to remove demons. He also gave this authority over demons to his twelve disciples.

Yet, the teachers of the law accuse him of being possessed himself. They say, "He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons." So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house." (Mark 3:22-27)

Why indeed would Satan destroy his own house? It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that demons fall and run. (see vs. 28) Jesus has been anointed by this Spirit. His disciples, also have been given authority, in the Spirit. What is evil is all around us. Do you stand in the Spirit so that the evil will fall or run? Or do you accept it as something that is just because it is? The devil has no power over us; the demons have none; except that we allow evil to enter into our lives by denying the power of God.

A house divided cannot stand. Is your house divided between God and Satan? Do you allow God into some parts of your life and Satan into other? Stand, in the name of Jesus, who is the Son of God, before all evil that threatens you and your house.

God's Peace - Pr. J