A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. Mark 5: 11-17, NIV.
Dear God, May we love You as we ought. Please teach us the value of a soul. Then help us how to love them as we love ourselves. This is our prayer as we enter the study of Your Word, in the blessed name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
They preferred the pigs! That is the message that rings loud and clear in our passage of Scripture for today. They preferred the pigs over the man. They preferred the pigs over Jesus! It is plain to see that a love for souls was not a priority in this town. The love of profit had completely blinded their eyes, and darkened their souls! The teaching of the two great commandments, ” ‘ ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And . . . ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ ” ‘ ” (Matthew 22: 37-39), obviously did not mean much, if anything, to them! They preferred the pigs!
I wonder how we, as human beings, made in the image and likeness of God, can get there! Yet I am fully aware that the people in our story, are not the only ones with such a mind set. If we do not, “guard [our] heart[s] (Proverbs 4: 23), any one of us could find ourselves preferring profit over people! We live in a world where the almighty dollar occupies the throne in many hearts. Note that it was, “Those tending the pigs [that] ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.” This was their job that had just gone down the drain! How were they going to support their families? And for all purposes, this was a valid concern.
The problem here, as I see it, was that these people were void of a knowledge of God. First of all, to know God is to love Him! In second place, to know Him is to trust Him! And in third place, to know Him is to surrender all to Him! Had they known God, they would have been aware that they could go to Him and that He would have helped them! Had not the demon-possessed man received help from the Lord? A great miracle had just taken place in their presence, and they had missed it, because they were blinded by the profit they could have made. Not knowing God can rob the soul of its sensitivity, and leave a great void in our lives.
What should have been a great boost for their faith, caused them fear. “When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.” Can you believe this? A soul who had been “living among the dead,” had been set free! He was now free physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and this caused them fear! How distorted the mind can become when it is not stayed on Jesus! People will call bad things good, and good things, bad. What should have caused their rejoicing, filled them with fear! Because their minds had been affected by greed, their entire out-look on life was affected!
“Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.” I believe that this is one of the saddest passages in the entire Bible – that someone, or, a group of people, should ask the Savior to leave them alone! How do you combat darkness when you have turned your back on “the Light of the world? Who will dismiss death, when He who is the “Way, the Truth and the Life” has been sent away? Who will shelter you from the storms of life when the “Rock of Ages” has been rejected? They asked the Savior of the world to leave their region, because they preferred the pigs!
May God help us to love the Savior with our entire being, and our neighbor as ourselves! Then our priorities will be what they ought to be!