Because of friction and gravity, when the pendulum returns, it will fall short of its original release point.   Using a rope that was load tested for 400 lbs  He attached a 250lb weight and took it up within an inch of the professor’s nose.  He asked the class one more time if they the believed in the law of the pendulum.  Then he let it go.    Professor dove out of the way.  In contrast, Jesus is the perfect example of someone who backed up their words, what they publicly said.  Jesus – Good Shepherd that would leave the 99 sheep and go in search of the 1 lost sheep.                                                                                         

This is a region known as The Decapolis — “Deca= 10  Polis = City”. Primarily a Non-Jewish population.  This wasn’t a place Jewish people wanted to live and hangout — these people worshipped foreign gods, they raised pigs and ate pork etc. So it would have slightly amazed the disciples that Jesus wants to go there. They meet this demon possessed man. He was shunned & feared by the people in the area alone — no contact with people unless they were coming to bind him up. He is living in a cemetery, exposed to all the elements & naked.  Shame & dishonour but he was so wild and possessed he wouldn’t and couldn’t do anything about it.                                                                                

But it all changes on this day when Jesus shows up.   Jesus — Son of the Most High God.   The legion of demons immediately know they are done for.   These demons beg Jesus to send them into the herd of 2000 pigs — the symbol of them plunging head long off a cliff to fall and die in the sea of Galilee is absolutely one of temporary judgement.   I’ve read this powerful account before but I had never realised that the casting of this Legion of demons into the pigs was a pledge and symbol of the moment of final judgement when Evil is banished forever.  Wow.                                                                     

We notice right away an incredible change in this man.  He had gone from running around naked to clothed.  He has gone from slashing himself with rocks and screaming to sitting quietly. What is their reaction??   The text tells us “And they were afraid.”

Why was their reaction to be afraid?                                 

#1 —In order to drive out that kind of evil — the Goodness, the Power, the Holiness would have to have been so much greater.   And there is the complete embodiment of Goodness, Power and Holiness standing right in front of their eyes—Jesus Christ himself.   And being faced to face with him caused them to be afraid, especially as they realized their own un-holiness.                                                   

#2 –  Economic loss.   We don’t know the exact value of this massive herd of pigs in 1 Century amounts but it would have been very significant.  Just for reference I looked it the current CDN commodity prices for wholesale pork.          

So was this unfair of Jesus?  No, because he rescued one of their own people from a hell-ish existence and restored this man back to their community.  He reminded them of the value of a human life.                                                                                     

 When we read this account in Mark 5 we are meant to be shocked and surprised.  Jesus says YES to the request from the demons.  Jesus says YES to the request from the slightly misguided townsfolk but he says NO to this man’s beautiful, Godly request to come and follow at the footsteps of his brand new Saviour and Lord?  Is that what is happening?   That is indeed, exactly what took place.   But Jesus has a very good reason for saying NO.            

Jesus has his hand picked band of disciples that he has been pouring into.  These are the ones that have been chosen to be world changers.  So Jesus hasn’t chosen this man for the role of Apostle, but he certainly has chosen this man as his local ambassador.   So the second reason that Jesus says NO to this man is that he has a special job for him.  This man would have been a Gentile from the Decapolis Region.   This is his backyard.   Because of the absolutely remarkable and dazzling transformation of this man from crazed, self harming, howling at the moon, living in a graveyard psycho to calm, clothed rational guy — because of that transformation this man has soooo much instant credibility with everyone in the whole Decapolis region.                 

Jesus sends him back as a missionary to his own people.   It’s a beautiful calling, a beautiful job that each of us has been given by Jesus.