The Maniac Of Gadara

Luke 8:26-39

In our modern society, the man referred to in this event, the maniac at Gadara, would have been considered mentally ill and either confined in an institution or been on medication. Unfortunately, most supposedly mentally ill patients have no apparent physical malfunction in their brain. As a result, while drugs may suppress bad behavior, they are little more effective at curing the problems than the lobotomies and electrical shock methods used in the 1950’s, albeit more humane. I suspect that many are in fact a result of demon possession, unscientific as that may sound. Because they have not correctly identified the cause, treatments are at best an effort to reduce the distress from the symptoms.

Because they had no idea how to deal with him, people had isolated the man. His behavior and attitude was so bizarre that people feared and avoided him. He responded by avoiding or threatening people. We see similar behavior in many so called mentally ill people today, and rather than avoiding them, we lock them away in institutions, or dope them up to the point they are unable to function.

“And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.” (Luke 8:27-28)

Many of the insane are able to think logically at some levels and recognize people, but perceive reality in a distorted fashion. This man recognized who Jesus was, but perceived him as a threat, when he ordered the evil spirit to come out.

“When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)” (Luke 8:28-29)

The muscles in the human body are far stronger than most people realize. As a result, an adrenaline rush enables a person to lift a car off a child or to run far faster than normal. The adrenaline both stimulates the muscle, and blocks the pain that would normally cause the person to stop before hurting themselves. Demonic spirits are able to cause fear or anger resulting in a similar flow of adrenaline and corresponding abnormal demonstrations of strength. Such power is often mistakenly credited to the demon. Similar effects often result from drug use. The similarity goes far deeper.

Almost no one initially likes the taste of alcoholic drinks, they are often mixed with other flavors to make them more palatable. As a person learns to enjoy the sensations which result from the alcohol, the taste reminds him of the anticipated sensation, and soon he loses his dislike for it. Whether he becomes an addict, or alcoholic or not depends how much he enjoys the sensations. Demonic possession is very much the same way. If the person enjoys the sensations the demons produce seem desirable, he may allow them to take over. Addictions or obsessive behavior may open the door for demon possession by encouraging surrender to an outside influence. Since demons have no physical body, they must find something which will allow them to influence or control it’s mind to affect the physical world. It is also why many may control one person.

“And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them. Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.” (Luke 8:30-33)

Knowing the Lord would not allow them to enter someone else, and that it was illegal for the Jews to eat hogs, the demons requested permission to take over the pigs, hoping to still have effect on the world around them. The man had responded to fear by attacking other people. The pigs responded to the same fear by running away in panic, and drowned themselves. The herders were amazed by the result and spread the story.

“When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed.” (Luke 8:34-36)

You would think people would have been thrilled to have such a threat eliminated, but they preferred to keep a danger they thought they knew despite the risks. Knowing the danger, people tell themselves it won’t happen to them and continue to use drugs, or alcohol or do self destructive things. They allow government to take control of their lives, or stay in a church or relationship they know is harmful because they are used to it. The Gadarenes begged Jesus to leave because they didn’t want things changed. People often reject what we have to offer because they don’t want change.

“Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.” (Luke 8:37)

Jesus honored their request and left. God does not force people to do what they should. He allows them freedom to choose. II Corinthians 3:17 tells us, “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” Clearly, efforts to control people are not from God. Liberty requires taking responsibility for our actions.

“Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.” (Luke 8:38-39)

A young man I know had a drinking problem. He quit because of some serious problems it resulted in. His father in law purports to be a Christian, but drinks a little wine with his dinner, encouraged him to go ahead and take a drink because just one wouldn’t hurt. The young man refused because he knew what would happen. And his father in law became more insistent. Like the young man I know, the formerly demon possessed man knew the danger he’d been delivered from and wanted to get away from it.

Jesus instructed him to stay so people could see that what they were used to could be changed for something better. Before God sends us out to a new place to minister, he usually directs us to stay where we are as a testimony to those who knew us before. While They asked Jesus to leave, they were not likely to ask him to.