From a maniac to a missionary

Published 8:11 am Friday, September 13, 2019

BY PASTOR BRANDON YOUNG
The Bible is packed full of interesting and intriguing stories, but one story has always fascinated me. It is a story about a man that is called Legion. You can find this story in Matthew chapter 8, Mark chapter 5, and Luke chapter 8. Mark’s version of the story seems to have more details than the other two. There’s definitely a lot going on in this story, and I am certain there is background knowledge that we aren’t aware of as well. We do not know this man’s real name or anything about his family situation, but we do know that he had friends from the scripture. We also do not know the length of time he was possessed, but we do know his life was anything but easy. This man had his dwelling among the dead. The demons in him drove him away from the living and he spent his life in the cemetery. In those days, people were not usually buried in the ground. Tombs were carved into the hillsides and the bodies were placed there, and because of his demons this man lived with bones and the decaying corpses of the dead. We are also told that the people around him tried their best to restrain him. They would catch him and bind him with fetters and chains. Fetters would have been attached to his feet. Chains would have bound his hands, his arms and his torso. These man made devices could not hold him. He broke them as though they were made of paper. His existence was heartbreaking, and everyone who encountered him feared him.
When we look at this poor soul, it is not hard to make the leap from him to the lost ones around us today. They are trapped in the same state of pitiful depravity. The sin that possesses the heart of the lost sinner drives him to spend his days and waste his years with the dead. The lost sinner has no desire to be around the living. Death and the works of deadness are all they care about! Of course, man has his methods of trying to conquer and cure all the problems that plague humanity. Man has his jails, his prisons, his institutions and his asylums. The problem with humanities efforts to cure problems is that those efforts only treat the symptoms, not the cause of man’s situation.
This man, who ran from everyone else, ran to the Lord Jesus and fell at His feet. The demons that drove this man away from all human relationships drove him to the feet of Jesus. Why? They did not fall down before Jesus to worship Him as Lord; they merely fell down in acknowledgement of His deity. They were bowing in subjection to the Lord of Lords! The demons beg Him not to “torment” them. That is, they beg Him not to send them to Hell, Luke 8:31. The demons then request that they might be allowed to enter into a heard of swine that was feeding nearby, v. 11-12. Jesus gives them permission and they leave the body of the man and enter the swine, v. 13. When they do, the swine cannot tolerate the demons and kill themselves by running in to the sea, v. 13. This passage teaches us some important truths.
First, it teaches us that all spirits are subject to Jesus. They recognize His authority, v. 7. They must have His permission to do the things they do, v. 10-13. Jesus is the Master even of the demons! That gives us hope today! It often looks like the devil is winning this thing. If you think that, then you need to read Rev. 20:10. That verse tells us that Satan will be cast into the lake of fire. This war is over, and Jesus is the Victor! This passage also teaches us that man is the most depraved creature in existence. This one man could tolerate a “legion” of demons, v. 9. A Roman legion consisted of around 6,000-foot soldiers and 120 horsemen! If you do the math, there were 2,000 swine in that herd. That comes out to three demons per pig. They couldn’t tolerate the presence of the devil. Mankind has a huge tolerance and capacity for sin and evil!
While studying, I found some very interesting facts about pigs. They, of course, are considered an unclean animal in Hebrew law. We also know they are highly intelligent animals, as smart as or even smarter than dogs. They have complex social relationships with each other and with humans when allowed. They have saved people from harm. I’ve even read that it is hard to find funding to research their intelligence because, in part, it raises painful questions about the ethics of how they are raised for food today in factory farms and how they are slaughtered.
John Robbins writes of an experience of a farmer who had had a pet pig when he was young to which he was very attached. He would even sleep together with the pig in the cool barn on hot summer nights. He also enjoyed swimming in the farm’s pond. One of the farm dogs, however, would always swim out and then crawl on top of him, unintentionally scratching the boy with his claws. This was about to cause the boy to give up on swimming when the pig intervened:
Robbins said, “Evidently the pig could swim, for she would plop herself into the water, swim out where the dog was bothering the boy, and insert herself between them. She’d stay between the dog and the boy and keep the dog at bay. She was, as best I could make out, functioning in the situation something like a lifeguard, or in this case, perhaps more of a life-pig.” Another way to read the story begins with assuming the pigs had their own volition. This leads to the idea that the pigs decided it was better to die than live with the demons in them. So, they decided to not only rush into the water but also not to swim and keep themselves alive. In other words, they committed suicide with a sacrificial purpose. They committed suicide to thwart the demons’ desire to remain in the area. We as humans seem to tolerate evil. Now let’s get back to the man in the story because some major things took place when he encountered Jesus!
Jesus Changed Him. No longer is he running around, crying out and cutting himself. Now, he is calm and seated beside Jesus! What a change! (Ill. That’s how it works! You cannot meet Jesus and remain the same. He changes all those who come to Him, John 3:3, 5; Gal. 6:15; Eph. 2:10!)
Jesus Clothed Him. No longer is he naked, but now he is clothed! (Ill. This is just further proof of his change! What we need to notice here is that what Jesus does in the heart of a man is ALWAYS worked out on the outside of a man, Matt. 12:35!)
Jesus Calmed Him. We are told that he is in his right mind! Where there has been turmoil and agitation, there is now perfect peace! He has been changed spiritually, physically and mentally!
He Was Committed to Jesus. The people of that region were afraid of Jesus, v. 15, and they demanded that He leave their country. For these people, this episode was just too much! They might have been able to handle a little preaching, but when Jesus started changing lives and costing them money, they wanted no part of Him. So, they drove Him away.
He Was Commissioned for Jesus. Jesus refused the man’s request to go with Him. Instead, Jesus sent him back to his home to tell others what the Lord had done for him. And, that is precisely what he did. We went into “Decapolis,” which means “the ten cities” and he preached the Gospel of grace to all who would listen! Can you picture in your mind how this scene must have played out? The people see him coming. They cringe in fear, children hide behind their mothers, doors are slammed shut, and people run in fear to hide from the mad man. Then, they recognize the change in the man, and he began to share who it was that made all the difference.
It is not as difficult to share our testimonies in the church, but we are being commissioned by Christ to tell the world how he has changed it, and it seems we have difficulty with that process. We overcome Satan by the words of our testimony and by the blood of the Lamb. We were all maniacs one day until we encountered Christ and commissioned to tell the world of his saving grace! Many individuals today are battling severe issues and thankfully there is hope of brighter days in Christ Jesus. I would like to conclude by mentioning that September is National Suicide Prevention Month. All month, mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members unite to promote suicide prevention awareness. I would also like to encourage any person struggling with thoughts of suicide to seek help now and know that you’re not alone! National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-8255.
(The Solution Column is provided by Pastor Brandon Young of Harmony Free Will Baptist Church, Hampton, and his associate, Brandon Young.)

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