An Intimate Moment With a Possessed man

Passage- Mark 5:1-20

Reflection Questions

1. Jesus purposed to go out of His neighborhood to a neighborhood on the other side of the lake. And he intentionally went to help one certain individual. Jesus cared about him. How has Jesus gone out of the way to meet you? How has Jesus come to you to meet you at your point of need?

2. The possessed man had no one to help him- no friends, no family, no community…His was a hopeless condition…or so he thought.  He didn’t realize Someone very important, Someone very powerful knew his struggle, and that Someone wanted to help him. What kind of struggle binds you? It could be demons, or something else- disease, depression, drugs/alcohol, abuse, finances…. It may be a physical, mental or spiritual battle. Please don’t think for a minute you’ve been forgotten or forsaken. (Ps 73, 77, 88) And please remember that the things of this world are temporary. Jesus has gone before us to prepare a place for us. Nothing in this lifetime can compare to the wonderful riches that await us… (Phil 3:20-21)

3. Evil spirits. Jesus loves me, God loves, me... and Satan wants to be my friend too – not!  This one who would claim to be your friend is actually your worst enemy, and he wants nothing more than to bring you down with him. He is a sworn enemy of God, and we don’t need to mess with him or his ideas. Don’t overlook the fact that the evil spirits knew exactly who Jesus was. But notice the chain of command – man, at the bottom, evil spirits, Satan, Jesus, God the Father. Although Satan is more powerful than man, his power is quite limited compared to our Lord and Savior, whose power and authority are unlimited.

4. The pig herders were just doing their job when they became witnesses of a miracle.  They didn’t even have time to question who Jesus was, it happened so fast!  What have you’ve witnessed about the power of Jesus among your acquaintances? Who did you tell about it, giving glory to God?

5. The pig owners and the community came out to see what all the fuss is about, and stopped with fear when they saw the possessed man in his right mind. They had given up on him a long time ago.  Who have you given up on?

More baffling, they didn’t want the kind of help Jesus offered. So they asked Him to leave. He did as they asked. Jesus does not force us to follow Him. But He didn’t completely abandon them. He left a witness, a reminder, so they could perhaps share in the good news of His love, power and salvation.

6. The healed man begged to go with Jesus. He was so grateful for what Jesus had done for him. But he demonstrated true gratefulness by his obedience. He stayed with his family and shared in his community. The good news spread to other 10 cities. How is God using you right where you are? 

7. In the background of this passage are, of course, the disciples. I’m sure they were uncomfortable when Jesus directed the boat to the other side. There were strict Jewish laws about clean and unclean, and Gentiles as a lot were unclean. As willing as the disciples were to follow Jesus, there were some prejudices and boundaries they had to overcome. How do you feel about the people in your neighborhood? How do you feel about people outside your neighborhood? Are you reaching out like Jesus did to bring others into the kingdom?