Power Over the Unclean

After the disciples’ perceived near-death experience on the Sea of Galilee, and Jesus literally telling the weather what to do, they arrive on the other side of the lake. That’s the end of Mark 4.

But the night is not over.

Mark 5 is all about Jesus having authority over what Jewish law would call unclean. I’ll be honest, I only really noticed that theme this week as I was working through the passage. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

Here’s a quick overview of Mark 5:

• Jesus casts demons into pigs. Pigs are unclean.

• Jesus heals a woman who has been bleeding for twelve years. Anything a bleeding woman touches is considered unclean.

• Jesus raises Jairus’s daughter from the dead. Dead bodies are unclean.

Every major story in this chapter involves something people were taught to avoid.

Jesus Steps Off the Boat

When Jesus arrives in the region of the Gerasenes, Mark doesn’t ease us into the scene.

As soon as He gets out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit comes out of the tombs to meet Him. This man lives among the dead. No one can restrain him anymore, not even with chains. He breaks them. Night and day he’s crying out, cutting himself with stones.

This is not a mild situation.

Pause for a moment and imagine being one of the disciples. You just survived a storm you were convinced would kill you. You are exhausted. It’s probably still dark. And now a man like this is running toward your group.

That would be terrifying.

I’d be very glad to have Jesus with me.

At the same time, this man is completely helpless. He is isolated, dangerous, and utterly without hope. And honestly, this is the condition of every one of us without Jesus, even if it doesn’t look this dramatic on the outside.

When the man sees Jesus from a distance, he runs toward Him and bows down. That detail matters. The demons recognize Jesus immediately. They know who He is. They know His authority. They don’t run away, because there’s no point. Jesus will find them.

Which makes me wonder if this is exactly why Jesus crossed the lake in the first place. Why else land the boat by the tombs?

Unclean Spirits

Jesus asks the man his name.

“My name is Legion,” he answers, “because we are many.”

This is not one unclean spirit. This is total domination.

Nearby, there’s a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside. About two thousand of them. The demons beg Jesus to send them into the pigs. And Jesus allows it.

Immediately the herd rushes down the steep bank and drowns in the sea.

This is where people understandably stop and ask questions.

Why pigs?
Why allow this at all?
Why not just destroy the demons outright?

Most scholars agree this is Gentile territory, and Gentiles were not forbidden from raising pigs. Still, pigs are unclean animals. And Mark has already shown us tombs, demons, self-harm, and now pigs. The story is saturated with uncleanness.

And yet, Jesus is untouched by it.

Instead of becoming unclean Himself, Jesus demonstrates authority over everything that is unclean. Nothing contaminates Him. Everything submits to Him.

The Town’s Reaction

The men tending the pigs run off and tell the town what happened. When the people come out, they see the man who had been demon-possessed sitting there, dressed, and in his right mind.

And they are afraid.

Not relieved. Not grateful. Afraid.

They beg Jesus to leave their region.

That’s a sobering response. The man is healed. Restored. Given his life back. But the cost feels too high to the people watching. Sometimes people would rather live with familiar chaos than with a holy disruption they can’t control.

Go Home and Tell Them

As Jesus gets back into the boat, the healed man begs to go with Him. That makes perfect sense. Who wouldn’t want to stay with the One who just rescued them?

But Jesus tells him no.

Instead, He sends him home. Back to his people. With one simple instruction: tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.

That’s it.

No training period. No qualifications. Just a story.

And the man does exactly that. He goes throughout the Decapolis proclaiming what Jesus has done, and people are amazed.

Final Thoughts

Jesus deliberately walks into places others avoid. He crosses storms, steps into graveyards, and confronts what everyone else calls unclean.

And He doesn’t flinch.

The question Mark 5 quietly asks us is this:
When Jesus restores what is broken, do we run toward Him in gratitude, or do we ask Him to leave because the cost feels uncomfortable?