They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me." For he was saying to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Legion, for we are many." And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, "Send us to the pigs; let us enter them." So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered the pigs, and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and were drowned in the sea. The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid (Mark 5:1-15).
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well." And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my garments?" And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'" And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." (Mark 5:24-34).
Who is your “Legion”? Who are your demons and monsters? Do they have names like Sickness, Hopelessness, Despair, Depression, Addiction, etc.? Have you tried everything to kill the beast? Let me tell you about two people in the Bible who were beaten by Sickness to the point that no one could do anything else for them and there was no hope left. Those two people are Legion and the woman who touched Christ’s garment.
How often do we hear of people who are so far lost in the halls of their minds, that they no longer know joy, reality, themselves, etc.? People who rely on medication to escape their torments and/or invest in psychologists to help solve their problems. Maybe a shelf on their bookcase has bowed from the weight of all the self-help books. Some people are so far lost that they physically cut themselves, as Legion did. Some simply have low self- esteem and create storms in their lives, doing things such as fornication, drinking, and abusing drugs. The darkness of their hearts and minds have swallowed them whole, and they have fallen so deep into the pit that it seems that no one can find them, not even themselves.
Let’s look at Legion for just a moment. Here we have a man who is so drenched in darkness, that he lives among the tombs. The air of death does him no discomfort. It matters not that he spies people mourning around the bend from time to time. His heart has no sympathy, just apathy. Even chains cannot bind his tormenting demons. He is so enthralled with demons, that he grabs stones and slices himself open. We hear about this all the time, don’t we? Teens who are so depressed that they inflict wounds on themselves. Maybe its anyone who is lacerating their soul with the stones in life? The emotions are ravaged. The spirit is six feet under. The soul is dead. It seems no one can help them anymore. Enter Jesus.
Before any formal introduction, Christ knew what Legion was all about, and likewise. There they stood toe to toe and eye to eye. I can see the disciples standing behind Christ, shaking in their sandals. Maybe they said to each other “What is He going to do? Doesn’t He know who that man is? No one could ever help him.” And in one simple “Go” from the lips of our Savior, Legion left the man and entered into a herd of pigs, which then became pork chops for the sharks. All that was left was a man who was sitting, not living, among death. Sane, not cutting, screaming, or writhing. It was a done deal.
There is Dependency upon medication, alcohol, fornication, drugs, anything else to cope and escape whatever it is that ails us. Both physically and emotionally. Sounds familiar? When it seems like you are being visited by Hopelessness and Despair and there is no solution, then what? Is Sickness knocking at your door? Is Addiction calling? Did you get that e-mail from Depression? No one could help the woman who spent years with Hemorrhage. She had been to countless doctors. Everything from “Take this”, “Try this”, “Do this”, and “Maybe you should stop doing that” to herbs and old wives tales filled her daily regiment. She had grown exhausted and hopeless. She spent many nights crying herself to sleep, and many more where she did without it. She may have even had frequent visits with Depression. Then Jesus walked by.
All it took was a touch that day from the Physician. And Hemorrhage left her alone, along with Depression and it’s child, Hopelessness.
What was it that she and Legion both had that healed them, other than being with Jesus? They had faith. Legion had it when he knew who Jesus was, and what He could do for him. So he asked Jesus to deliver the demons from him, and it was granted. The woman knew that a simple touch to Christ’s garment would heal her. So she reached out to Him, and was healed. It was their faith in knowing that Christ could do for them what no one else could do when they were at the end of their rope.
Are you at the end of your rope? Do you not know where to turn or what else to do? Have you tried everything to put away your monsters? Have you tried falling on your knees and crying out to Jesus? Come to the throne and ask for deliverance. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened (Matthew 7:8). Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours (Mark 11:24). And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith (Matthew 21:22).
Tell Him what your monster’s name is. Ask Him to rid you of your never ending bleeding and suffering. Ask Him to take away your Legion. Have faith and trust in Him that He can do this for you. Ask Him to restore the joy in your heart and clear the dark clouds. After all…you are at the end of your rope, aren’t you? You have tried all that man can do and nothing seems to work. Right? Lean on the everlasting arms! Pray without ceasing and do not let go of God. As Jacob said: "I will not let you go unless you bless me." (Genesis 32:26).
Love In Christ!
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well." And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my garments?" And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'" And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." (Mark 5:24-34).
Who is your “Legion”? Who are your demons and monsters? Do they have names like Sickness, Hopelessness, Despair, Depression, Addiction, etc.? Have you tried everything to kill the beast? Let me tell you about two people in the Bible who were beaten by Sickness to the point that no one could do anything else for them and there was no hope left. Those two people are Legion and the woman who touched Christ’s garment.
How often do we hear of people who are so far lost in the halls of their minds, that they no longer know joy, reality, themselves, etc.? People who rely on medication to escape their torments and/or invest in psychologists to help solve their problems. Maybe a shelf on their bookcase has bowed from the weight of all the self-help books. Some people are so far lost that they physically cut themselves, as Legion did. Some simply have low self- esteem and create storms in their lives, doing things such as fornication, drinking, and abusing drugs. The darkness of their hearts and minds have swallowed them whole, and they have fallen so deep into the pit that it seems that no one can find them, not even themselves.
Let’s look at Legion for just a moment. Here we have a man who is so drenched in darkness, that he lives among the tombs. The air of death does him no discomfort. It matters not that he spies people mourning around the bend from time to time. His heart has no sympathy, just apathy. Even chains cannot bind his tormenting demons. He is so enthralled with demons, that he grabs stones and slices himself open. We hear about this all the time, don’t we? Teens who are so depressed that they inflict wounds on themselves. Maybe its anyone who is lacerating their soul with the stones in life? The emotions are ravaged. The spirit is six feet under. The soul is dead. It seems no one can help them anymore. Enter Jesus.
Before any formal introduction, Christ knew what Legion was all about, and likewise. There they stood toe to toe and eye to eye. I can see the disciples standing behind Christ, shaking in their sandals. Maybe they said to each other “What is He going to do? Doesn’t He know who that man is? No one could ever help him.” And in one simple “Go” from the lips of our Savior, Legion left the man and entered into a herd of pigs, which then became pork chops for the sharks. All that was left was a man who was sitting, not living, among death. Sane, not cutting, screaming, or writhing. It was a done deal.
There is Dependency upon medication, alcohol, fornication, drugs, anything else to cope and escape whatever it is that ails us. Both physically and emotionally. Sounds familiar? When it seems like you are being visited by Hopelessness and Despair and there is no solution, then what? Is Sickness knocking at your door? Is Addiction calling? Did you get that e-mail from Depression? No one could help the woman who spent years with Hemorrhage. She had been to countless doctors. Everything from “Take this”, “Try this”, “Do this”, and “Maybe you should stop doing that” to herbs and old wives tales filled her daily regiment. She had grown exhausted and hopeless. She spent many nights crying herself to sleep, and many more where she did without it. She may have even had frequent visits with Depression. Then Jesus walked by.
All it took was a touch that day from the Physician. And Hemorrhage left her alone, along with Depression and it’s child, Hopelessness.
What was it that she and Legion both had that healed them, other than being with Jesus? They had faith. Legion had it when he knew who Jesus was, and what He could do for him. So he asked Jesus to deliver the demons from him, and it was granted. The woman knew that a simple touch to Christ’s garment would heal her. So she reached out to Him, and was healed. It was their faith in knowing that Christ could do for them what no one else could do when they were at the end of their rope.
Are you at the end of your rope? Do you not know where to turn or what else to do? Have you tried everything to put away your monsters? Have you tried falling on your knees and crying out to Jesus? Come to the throne and ask for deliverance. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened (Matthew 7:8). Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours (Mark 11:24). And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith (Matthew 21:22).
Tell Him what your monster’s name is. Ask Him to rid you of your never ending bleeding and suffering. Ask Him to take away your Legion. Have faith and trust in Him that He can do this for you. Ask Him to restore the joy in your heart and clear the dark clouds. After all…you are at the end of your rope, aren’t you? You have tried all that man can do and nothing seems to work. Right? Lean on the everlasting arms! Pray without ceasing and do not let go of God. As Jacob said: "I will not let you go unless you bless me." (Genesis 32:26).
Love In Christ!
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