Mk 5:1-20
1[Jesus and his disciples] came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. 2When he got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him. 3The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.
4In fact, he had frequently been bound
with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him
and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. 6Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, 7crying
out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the
Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!” 8(He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”) 9He asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.” 10And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory.
11Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. 12And they pleaded with him, “Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.” 13And
he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.
The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,
where they were drowned. ... 18As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. 19But
he would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home to your family
and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.” 20Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.
Reflection:
A man from the tombs.
The man is an outcast from society, possessed by unclean spirits,
living among the tombs. Dwelling among the dead, he has no hope, no
future, no life. He is under the dominion of Satan, powerless and
helpless. But meeting Jesus is the beginning of new hope and new life.
The presence of Jesus brings him liberation from the unclean spirits.
And he is given a purpose in life: to go home to his family and
announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for him.
After Jesus heals us, he sends us on mission.Have we announced and shared with our family and friends all that the Lord in his pity has done for us?
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