Helping Us to Better Understand the Gopels

Father (the Pastor at my Parish) recently shared with us some tips on helping us to better understand the Gospels.  He said to pay attention to names, locations and numbers identified by the Gospel writer - for these are clues to help understanding their message.  So I decided to put this to the test with one of this week’s Gospels.  In Mark 5:1-20 we hear of Jesus and his disciples coming to Gerasenes where he casted out the many unclean spirits (Legion) from a man who had been so terrorized over the many years to madness.  When Jesus approached the man - the unclean spirits begged Jesus to send them into the near by herd of 2000 swines - but when this happened the herd ran into the sea and drown.  Now people from the near by town came and saw the man sitting quietly, clothed and in his right mind. But instead of praising God, they begged Jesus to leave them.

Ok, with Father’s hints, I started by looking at the location - Gerasenes was on the farthest side of the sea where Jesus had been at - he had really gone out of his way to help this man.  In fact the passage right before this Gospels was where Jesus and the disciples were in a boat and a terrible storm came up and in fear the disciples woke Jesus who quieted the sea.  Next, there is the number 2000 - I remember the first time I read this many years ago - I thought what a large herd, it must be worth a lot of money and was wasted when the swine ran into the sea - but this is exactly what the town people saw too - they did not see the miracle which just happened, they only saw dollar signs.  The towns people would have rather kept the unclean spirits within their mist and torturing this man/their brother - instead of loosing the value of the herd.  Also we heard the name of Legion - which to me means a large group supported by the number of 2000 - so this poor man was being possessed not by one unclean spirit — but many - no wonder he had gone mad.

So, what does this all tell me - God’s love for us is great, he is willing to travel across dangerous seas, and go out of his way to save us — even if it is only one of us.  He is also there always to defend us from evil.  Now, instead of thinking about the cost of the swine, I am sadden how the town’s people allowed earthly materials to deny them the Lord, they sent him off before he could cost them any more money. They put their own material needs over the well-being of their brother - this is a good cautionary tale for all of us. We can see how easy it would be to put money and other world positions over the lives of God's people to the determent of them and of ourselves.  And finally, evils can be bigger than what it first appears, it can effect more than just the person it possesses (here it took hold of a full town) - but the Lord’s power is even greater and that he will always use it to defend us.

The true message here - is one of LOVE — God’s love for us is greater than anything on this earth.  It can cross dangerous seas, cast out the evil in our lives and be there for us, even if others are not. 

God loves us all the time - all the time God loves us!