The Gerasene Demoniac #8

The Gerasene demoniac is the account of Jesus healing a man tormented by a multitude of unclean spirits, in Gentile territory on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. The demons, who name themselves Legion, are sent into a herd of pigs that rushes into the lake. It appears in Mark 5:1-20, Matthew 8:28-34, and Luke 8:26-39.

The Account

After crossing the lake, Jesus met a man who lived among the tombs. No one could restrain him, chains had been broken, and he cried out night and day and cut himself with stones (Mark 5:3-5). He ran to Jesus and fell before him, and the spirit begged not to be tormented. When Jesus asked his name, the answer was “Legion, for we are many” (Mark 5:9). The spirits pleaded to be sent into a large herd of pigs feeding nearby, about two thousand according to Mark. Jesus gave permission, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned (Mark 5:11-13).

The herdsmen fled and told the town, and people came out to see the man sitting clothed and in his right mind. They were afraid and asked Jesus to leave. The healed man begged to go with Jesus, but Jesus told him to go home and tell his people what the Lord had done for him. He went and proclaimed it throughout the Decapolis, and everyone marveled (Mark 5:18-20).

Setting and Context

The place name varies. Mark and Luke say “the country of the Gerasenes,” while Matthew says “the Gadarenes,” and manuscripts of all three Gospels differ on the wording. Both Gerasa and Gadara were cities of the Decapolis, a group of largely Gentile cities. Pigs were unclean in Jewish law (Leviticus 11:7), so a large herd fits a non-Jewish area. Matthew tells the story more briefly and speaks of two men, while Mark and Luke focus on one. Luke adds that the spirits begged not to be sent into the abyss (Luke 8:31).

What It Reveals

The demons recognize Jesus as the Son of the Most High God, and he commands them. The man moves from isolation and self-harm to being clothed, calm, and sent as a witness, and the story portrays a complete restoration. The townspeople’s fear over the loss of the pigs, and their request that Jesus leave, is a sobering contrast. Interpreters differ on the drowning of the herd: some see it as showing the destructive nature of the spirits, others as evidence of how great the man’s burden was. Christians have also seen in the story an early sign that Jesus’s ministry reaches beyond Israel, since this man becomes a messenger in Gentile lands.