possessed man

February 22, 2019

The demons did not want to go into the abyss (Lk 8:31-8:31)

“The demons

Begged Jesus

Not to order them

To go away

Into the abyss.”

 

καὶ παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν ἵνα μὴ ἐπιτάξῃ αὐτοῖς εἰς τὴν ἄβυσσον ἀπελθεῖν.

 

Luke indicated that these unclean spirits or demons in the possessed man begged Jesus (καὶ παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν) not to order them (ἵνα μὴ ἐπιτάξῃ αὐτοῖς) to go away into the abyss (εἰς τὴν ἄβυσσον ἀπελθεῖν), the home of the dead or evil spirits.  There was something similar in Mark, chapter 5:10, but not in Matthew.  Mark said that this demoniac begged, entreated, or beseeched Jesus many times not to send them, the evil unclean spirits, away to another country or out of this country.  Luke said that these evil spirits did not want to go anywhere.  These evil spirits wanted to remain where they were, since they were content there.  Are you content where you are today?

February 21, 2019

The legion of demons (Lk 8:30-8:30)

“Jesus then asked him.

‘What is your name?’

He said.

‘Legion!’

Many demons

Had entered him.”

 

ἐπηρώτησεν δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς Τί σοι ὄνομά ἐστιν; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν Λεγιών, ὅτι εἰσῆλθεν δαιμόνια πολλὰ εἰς αὐτόν.

 

Luke indicated that Jesus then asked this possessed man (ἐπηρώτησεν δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς) what his name was (Τί σοι ὄνομά ἐστιν)?  The man responded (ὁ δὲ εἶπεν) that his name was “Legion (Λεγιών),” because many demons had entered him (ὅτι εἰσῆλθεν δαιμόνια πολλὰ εἰς αὐτόν).  There is nothing like this question in the Matthew gospel story.  However, this is similar to Mark, chapter 5:9.  This famous question and answer has taken on a life of its own in many apocalyptic works about evil spirits.  Mark indicated that Jesus questioned this man with the unclean spirit about what his name was?  It was common in most expulsions of evil spirits to know the name of the one being expelled, in order to control them.  The man with the unclean spirit responded to Jesus that his name was “Legion (Λεγιὼν ὄνομά μοι),” a Latin term.  A Roman legion would have been about 6,000 men.  Thus, the unclean spirit was responding that he had many unclean spirits, perhaps as many as 6,000.  What do you think about unclean evil spirits?

February 21, 2019

The demoniac does not want Jesus to torment him (Lk 8:28-8:28)

“When he saw Jesus,

The demoniac cried out.

He fell down

Before him.

He shouted

At the top of his voice,

‘What have you

To do with me?

Jesus!

Son of the Most-High God!

I beg you!

Do not torment me!’”

 

ἰδὼν δὲ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀνακράξας προσέπεσεν αὐτῷ καὶ φωνῇ μεγάλῃ εἶπεν Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, Ἰησοῦ Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ Ὑψίστου; δέομαί σου, μή με βασανίσῃς.

 

Luke said that when this possessed man saw Jesus (ἰδὼν δὲ τὸν Ἰησοῦν), he cried out (ἀνακράξας).  He fell down before him (προσέπεσεν αὐτῷ).  He shouted at the top of his loud voice (καὶ φωνῇ μεγάλῃ εἶπεν).  He wanted to know what Jesus had to do with him (Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί).  He called Jesus (Ἰησοῦ) the Son of the Most-High God (Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ Ὑψίστου).  He begged Jesus (δέομαί σου) not to torment him (μή με βασανίσῃς).  All three synoptic gospels, Matthew, chapter 8:29, Mark, chapter 5:6-7, and Luke here, have this demoniac speak to Jesus in somewhat similar words.  Matthew had 2 demoniacs, but Mark and Luke had only one, and are closer to each other in this incident.  Mark said that when this demoniac saw Jesus from a distance, he bowed down before him and worshipped him.  He cried or shouted out with a loud voice.  He wanted to know why Jesus had anything to do with him.  Then he called Jesus, the Son of God the Most-High.  He asked, swearing by God, that Jesus not torment him.  Matthew had these 2 demoniacs speak to Jesus in somewhat similar words.  They cried or shouted out.  They wanted to know why the Son of God had come to torment them, since the time of the final judgment day had not yet arrived.  All three gospel writers have the demonic person or persons recognize that Jesus was the Son of God, not just another faith healer.  They maintained that the time of their torment or the end times had not yet arrived.  Thus, these evil spirits were able to recognize Jesus as the Son of God, just as they had earlier in Mark.  Can evil people speak the truth at times?

August 27, 2018

Jesus controls the unclean spirits (Mk 3:11-3:11)

“Whenever the unclean spirits

Saw Jesus,

They fell down

Before him.

They cried out.

‘You are the Son of God.’”

 

καὶ τὰ πνεύματα τὰ ἀκάθαρτα, ὅταν αὐτὸν ἐθεώρουν, προσέπιπτον αὐτῷ καὶ ἔκραζον λέγοντα ὅτι Σὺ εἶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ.

 

This is somewhat similar to earlier in Mark, chapter 1:23, when Jesus made the unclean spirit leave the possessed man.  Jesus commanded even the unclean spirits, so that they listened or obeyed him.  He seemed to have some special spiritual powers that no one else had ever seen.  Here Mark noted that these evil unclean spirits (καὶ τὰ πνεύματα τὰ ἀκάθαρτα) fell down before Jesus or worshipped him (προσέπιπτον αὐτῷ), whenever they saw him (ὅταν αὐτὸν ἐθεώρουν).  They cried out or shouted out to Jesus (καὶ ἔκραζον λέγοντα), that he was the Son of God (ὅτι Σὺ εἶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ), when no one else recognized this.  This unclean spirit world was alive and active in first century Israelite culture.