"Legion" Meets LORD II

Ben Witherington III (citing J. Marcus) points out the comedic nuances in the "power-encounter" between "Legion" and Jesus.

In Mark 5:7 the "Legion" screams at Jesus, "Swear to God you won't torture me!"

Well, duh!

Demons asking for God-intervention ("Swear to God...")? And pleading not to be tortured as they speak through a wretched human being who is an incarnation of their tortuous, tormenting work? Who are these idiots?!

Demons can dish it out, but they can't take it. They are twisted, whining babies.

"Boo hoo hoo, Jesus, don't hurt us, please, please, please. We know we are destroying this beautifully-made, image-of-God-bearing person, but please, pretty please, don't destroy us. Boo hoo hoo."

Satan's terror is mostly smoke and mirrors. I'm not down-playing his and his hench-demons hostility and evil work, but, hey, as Martin Luther noted, "...one little word will fell him." J-e-s-u-s.

Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

"Legion" Meets LORD I

Sitting.
Clothed.
In his right mind.
A peaceful man.

Before, he was roaming among the death tombs, animal-naked and bleeding from self-inflicted wounds, screaming insanely from horrible demonic torture. A pathetic man.

"Legion" meets Lord and everything changes.*

The hectic noise of 2000 stampeding pigs screaming as they drown in the sea dies down.

Startled disciples and townspeople marvel (in terror) at the transformation of a maniac into a man who longs "to be with Jesus."

"Go, tell your family about the great things the LORD has done for you."

He went and announced the great things JESUS did for him.

JESUS IS LORD.

I notice one of the disciples looking out at the very calm Sea of Galilee; the raging, death-bringing sea that Jesus just commanded to stillness. That disciple now turns and sees the sane, clothed man sitting serenely at the feet of Jesus. Calm sea. Peaceful man. The disciple ponders.

Who is this who merely speaks and everything changes? Raging storms around us and turbulent storms within us cease at his word.

"Be still, my soul. The winds and waves still know his voice who ruled them when he dwelt below."

*Mark 5:1-20.