Before I begin, I feel I have to state the main reason I blog. It is to share what God is showing me in scripture, and I hope that it blesses the hearts of anyone who may stop by. I do not wax eloquent. I am not a writer. They are my thoughts pure and simple. They may not even make sense, but when I see something in scripture that I may have read many times over my lifetime, or a story I've known since childhood, and God shows me something new I rejoice and want to share!
Such is the case with Matthew 8:28-34. This is where Jesus crosses the Sea of Galilee and encounters 2 demon possessed men. It said they were "so fierce no one could pass by". Immediately the demons speak to Jesus. They know who he is. This of course is no surprise to us, we have have known that is part of this story. One thing that I thought about during this portion is, it comes right after the doubt of the disciples in the boat during a storm. The demons had NO doubt he Jesus was. They were shaking in their little demon boots! HE was here! The one they knew about. They knew their time was not yet up, but what was he going to do to them now?
There was a herd of pigs. Now this is where I begin to really be amazed. It says in Mark 5 that this herd numbered about 2000. Did you get that 2000! It also says in Mark that the demons named themselves as Legion, which means many. Probably nothing new to you, right. But here is what got me anew this morning.
2 men, 2000 demons!
Could you imagine the torment?!!! How can this many demons be in just 2 men! Yet they did not stand a chance against the Son of God! The power of evil, wiped out by the ALL SURPASSING POWER OF GOD!!! I wonder what these men did next? I wonder at the freedom they must have felt? I also wonder if you had someone with that kind of power in your region, why you would ask them to leave (Matthew 8:34)?
2 comments:
I love when I see something or someone points out something in scripture that I hadn't noticed before. The point you made about the demons knowing who Jesus was right after the disciples were having some doubt struck me that way.
It's a lesson to all of us!
2000 demons in just 2 men... you make an awesome point... YIKES!
The Biblical Archaelogy Review puts out some fabulous videos. In "Where Jesus Walked" they show the caved tomb area on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee where this incident took place. It was Gentile territory--herding pigs is not "kosher" for Jews. No wonder the whole town pleaded for Jesus to leave (v. 34). He had just sent their livelihood/food into the water!
You make a very good point that the disciples were full of doubt and unable to discern who Jesus really was... but the demons knew immediately!
Have a blessed weekend, Kim. :~D
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