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Daily Devotions

Mark

Mark 
Day 
Day 114

1 Peter 4:10 "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

Day 114 – Mark 5

INABILITY TO COMPREHEND

The citizens of Gadara were dumbfounded. They could not come up with a plausible reason to explain what they had witnessed! The following things must have puzzled them.

1. The casting out of the demons

Quite obviously, they had never encountered such a situation before! Whoever heard of anyone with such authority and power over demons?

2. The man who was formerly possessed

a) He was sitting quietly

How could he do that? He was untamable! Perhaps some of the people who were there had personally attempted to shackle him, but had failed. But there he was, sitting quietly at the feet of this Stranger they did not know.

b) Clothed

The erstwhile demon-possessed man had gone about wearing nothing (Cf. Luke 8:27). But now he looked as normal as the next person.

c) In his right mind

No one had ever heard of a cure for people who suffered from insanity. Whoever lost his mind seemed to be doomed forever! How could he have been so completely healed?

BACK TO THE SWINEHERDS

One would imagine that the Gadarenes would have approached Jesus for an explanation, for that would have been the wisest thing to do. Instead the Gadarenes turned to the swineherds for an answer.

“And those who saw it told them how it happened to him
Who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.”
MARK 5:16

1. What the swineherds could have done

At best, the swineherds could have told the townspeople of Gadara the bare facts of what they had seen. They would only have been able to recount what they saw, but without being able to explain anything deeper.

2. What the swineherds could not have done

They could not explain who Jesus was! They would not be able to explain about the power and authority Jesus wielded! Fear would never be defeated without full knowledge and faith in the Lord Jesus.