At The Feet of Jesus

Luke 8:26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes,[fn] which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” 29 For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31 And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.

32 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. 33 When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35 and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.

38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him. (NIV)

On a small fishing boat, Jesus and the disciples went to the other side of the lake for some rest. A violent storm began to roar, and the disciples were certain that death was imminent. They woke Jesus, and he calmed the storm. Scared and confused, they arrive on the other side in Gentile territory. They traveled on the Sea of Galilee. It is known by several names, such as the Sea of Chinnereth/Kinnereth, the Lake of Gennesaret, and the Sea of Tiberias. The sea covers a distance of thirteen miles long and 6.8 miles wide.[1] It feeds into the Jordan River, which dumps into the Dead Sea, also known as the Salt Sea. The Sea of Galilee was known for supporting the fishing industry.

The keywords to explain are purification ceremony, graveyards, grave markers, pigs, and the abyss. Beginning in Exodus 19, Moses was issued the Ten Commandments and various laws regarding purification and being set aside as God’s covenant people. During purification, the person and their clothes were washed with water.[2] Depending on the material the item was formed, some could be washed, but others were broken. Graveyards are unclean because dead bodies are there. If someone comes upon a grave, it will make them ceremonially unclean until the purification process is completed and the lapse of time satisfied. Pigs were not clean to eat because they did not chew their cud, although they had a split hoof. The abyss was a place for the dead or a watery place.[3]

Luke 8:26–39 is the account of Jesus at Gerasene in the graveyard located near herders tending pigs. Cemeteries were required to be marked to prevent an unsuspecting person from coming in contact with the dead.[4] The contact would render the individual unclean and require a purification ceremony.

A man possessed by demons approached Jesus as he was exiting the boat. The name used for the demons is Legion, a unit of measure equaling three to six thousand Roman soldiers. Although the demons asked not to be sent to the Abyss, they landed in the watery place as the pigs ran off the cliff and drowned. The herdsmen were more concerned about the loss of the profitable pigs; they paid no attention to the life given back to the man. A man has been restored to society. Although Jesus was asked to leave the region, the man is told to share the good God has done.

The Jewish people hearing the story would understand that leaving the boat and coming in contact with the impurities of the area would require purification before they could reenter the sanctuary and their homes. The demons’ knowledge of Jesus caused some to believe the demons sent him. The man was told to go and share his healing story with the people.

Only at the feet of Jesus can an individual find himself dressed and in his right mind. Jesus did not come for those that are healthy but for the sick. Go to the feet of Jesus to gain the needed healing being sought. Take all your concerns to Jesus. Then go and share with others all the good that God has done. We each have a story to tell; you are no different. Share your life-changing story.

The account tells us that Jesus can heal all our problems. The problem must first be confessed, forgiveness asked for, and belief that the solution is supplied. As the story is read, it is to help all understand our saving story can assist others to understand their need for Christ. Do as Jesus told the man, share your life-changing story with your neighbors.

Bibliography

Martin, John A. “Luke.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament, edited by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, 199-265. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 1984.

Scott, Jr., J. Julius. Jewish Background of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1995.

[1] J. Julius Scott, Jr. Jewish Background of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1995),42.

[2] Ibid., 71. [3] John A. Martin, “Luke,” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament (Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 1984), 227. [4]Scott, Jr. Jewish Background, 251.