January 31, 2005

January 31, 2005 Healing and Cures Mk 5:1-20

Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes.
When he got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs
who had an unclean spirit met him. The man had been dwelling among the tombs,
and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.
In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had
been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, crying out in a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!"
"He had been saying to him, "Unclean spirit, come out of the man!")
He asked him, "What is your name?"

He replied, "Legion is my name. There are many of us."
And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory.

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. And they pleaded with him,
"Send us into the swine. Let us enter them." And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,
where they were drowned. The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town
and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,
sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear.
Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine. Then they began to beg him to leave their district. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead, "Go home to your family and announce to them
all that the Lord in his pity has done for you." Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

Jesus healed the demoniac. It stands out to me on rereading this passage that the man who was possessed asked specific things of Jesus including for the spirits that were possessing him to go into the passing swine. Often times those who are sick and afflicted know what they need for healing.

The man tortured by evil spirits also on meeting Jesus easily identified Him and called out to him as "Jesus, Son of the Most High God." The recognition of the presence of Jesus as the Son of God was the beginning of the cure.

Today I will listen closely to what those who are ill say they need while I hold in my mind and heart throughout the day the presence of God.