It's such an appropriate story in the Bible because their story has been repeated in so many lives throughout history. And God inspired the writers of the Bible to give multiple accounts of this same narrative. Matthew, Mark and Luke all write about the chaos that Satan caused in these men's lives and in their communities. Matthew writes that these two men were extremely fierce and violent; everyone did what they could to avoid them. Mark and Luke apparently focus on the most disturbed of the two, choosing to concentrate on the behavior of just one of the men. Mark writes that he was always shrieking and screaming, and beating, bruising, and cutting himself with stones. Luke 's account calls him "possessed by demons".
All three of the portrayals speak of his separation from the society of the region, and being bound in chains and fetters to protect himself and the citizens. But the demons were so strong in him that he could not be held, wrenching his chains apart and breaking them in pieces. The local citizens were terribly frightened of him, for the demons drove him to live in the tombs with the dead.
How many of our own citizens in this, the 21st Century, are living in the same chaos - homeless; disassociated from structured society; lost in immorality; deceived by ungodly influence in order to cause destruction, violence, wickedness, and death? We can no longer turn and look away. And sheltering inside our church buildings in an attempt to ignore the spiritual upheaval all around us is no way to advance the Kingdom of God against the dark kingdom of the Enemy. We, as the Ekklesia and citizens of the Kingdom on earth, must join in our spiritual power and authority to fight against the chaos and invite Jesus into a personal encounter with these lost souls.
Again, I will say that the chronicle of the Madman of Gerasenes is the perfect image of what it means to say that Jesus is the answer. This man entered into agreement with Satan about who he was, resulting in a life of torment and separation from the One who created him. And his community and fellow countrymen didn't know how to help him. Instead they shunned him and left him in his misery and isolation. Truth be known, I doubt they could've helped him, even if they wanted to. They had no knowledge of the healing power of Heaven, which is what it was going to take to free this man from the demonic prison that bound his soul and spirit.
But when the madman saw Jesus, a terrible cry escaped him, and he fell at Jesus's feet; the demons that possessed him instantly recognizing who He was. They presented a challenge to Jesus: What business do you have with us? What do we have in common? Please, don't torment us! The demons wanted to be left alone to continue their torment of the madman. But because they discerned the power of Jesus to destroy them, they asked to be allowed to leave the man and go into the herd of swine. Jesus set the man free with one word to the demons: Go! Nothing in the world could accomplish what Jesus did with that one command. And now -- just as then -- the tormented man was bound in a spiritual prison. Our society wants to solve the chaos in men's lives by building more prisons, or signing them up for rehab, or building homeless camps. But none of that has seemed to work. Prayer alone has not accomplished ridding out society of the chaos. The only answer is a real encounter with Jesus!
But what is sad to me is that our institutionalized church, in the form of "religion", is not united in believing that the marginalized in our society are capable of having -- or even want -- such an encounter. Or when they hear the testimonies of those who have, they either doubt it, belittle the experience, define it as deception, or fear it because it happens in the supernatural. Their minds cannot reconcile the radical transformation of a person from Lost to Redeemed by the power and grace of Christ. It's understandable from the secular segments of our society; but from the Church? Do they not believe the accounts in the Bible of exactly those kinds of transformation? What about Saul being radically transformed to Paul? Mary Magdalene, from a promiscuous lifestyle, to an obedient follower of Christ? Moses, from a privileged son of Egypt, to a bold leader of God's chosen people? There are so many stories in the Bible of people whose lives were radically changed, and their minds renewed, to the possibilities of God's power and grace in their life.
So, it is up to us [the true Believers who have experienced God's ability to redeem us] to do what Jesus instructed the radically transformed madman to do so long ago ... "Go home to your own family and relatives and friends, and bring back word to them of all that the Lord has done for you, and how He has had sympathy and mercy for you". So we must leave our place of comfort and go and proclaim to all of Society what Jesus has done for us. Our transformation may not be as radical as the madman from Gerasenes, but we cannot deny that we are changed, all to varying degrees.
I can testify to the truth of how an encounter with Christ, the Messiah, can bring both His Power and Peace to a life lived in chaos. I have witnessed it through the encounters with Christ that I have seen in our ministry ... lives changed from promiscuity and bestiality to Redeemed; from addictions to drugs, alcohol and porn to Redeemed; from failed marriages to walking in unity with Christ; from defeated identities to knowing their purpose for the Kingdom. And the answer for each of these lives [in bondage to Satan] was the same ... discovering their true identity in Christ and submitting to His plan for them.
If we, the Kingdom citizens on earth, continue to remain silent, then Society, our Culture, and our Nation will limp along until the deterioration becomes complete. Satan is playing his game; we must play our strategy as well. We can no longer afford to retreat or take shelter from the chaos. The eternal lives of so many lost souls depend on our testimonies and our spiritual power and authority -- partnering with Jesus -- to effect radical transformations and take back territory from Satan's kingdom of darkness. Yes, the chaos and lawlessness is at a crisis point, but we know the answer! Let us stand in our identity. Tell Chaos, "Go"! And then Go and share what Jesus has done for you and can do for everyone!
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Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to Him (who is able to carry out His purpose) and to do superabundantly more than we dare ask or think (infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams), according to His power at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.
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