This is the man earlier in the chapter who lived in the country of the Gadarenes. He was a raging maniac! He was beyond any form of help, nor could he be restrained even with chains. He wondered about from the mountains to the graveyard crying and cutting himself. When Jesus came by boat to his shores, the man fell down and worshiped Jesus, but he cried out that Jesus would not torment the demons that possessed him. The demons said, “Jesus, thou son of the most high God. I adjure you by God that you torment me not.”
Take note that even the demons believed the identity of Jesus. The only response that Christ gave was to command the demons to come out of the man. They identified themselves as a legion. Our Lord gave them permission to enter into a great herd of swine feeding nearby. When they did, the swine committed suicide by jumping off a cliff into the waters. The singular response of the people of the area was to ask Jesus to leave.
This is where the story gets most precious. As Jesus got into a boat to cooperate with the people’s request, the man who was delivered of the devils asked to come with Jesus. But Jesus told him something remarkable with remarkable results. Christ said, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how great things the Lord has done for you, and has had compassion on you.” Verse 20 is what seals the deal. This man obeyed Christ and published his remarkable healing throughout the area called Decapolis.
Now follows how wondrous the story concludes in the rest of the chapter. This was a territory that had formed a league of 10 cities. They were permitted to issue their own coinage, operate their own court system and had their own army. Eventually other towns were added to the league totaling 18. This was no small area. The man who had been delivered of his demons became a powerful evangelist witnessing to many people for the miraculous work done by Jesus.
It was because of this man, unnamed in the Bible, that the work of Jesus could continue. This one man paved the way for Jesus to return later when a ruler of the synagogue named Jairus worshiped him. He besought Jesus to heal his little daughter who was at the point of death. Certain men approached telling Jesus not to come because the daughter had already died. That made no difference to Jesus because he brought her back to life telling the ruler of the synagogue, “Be not afraid, only believe.” Unbelievers laughed at the prospect of the girl coming back to life. But she rose, causing those around her to be astonished Jesus told the adults to give her something to eat.
On the way to the dead girl a woman that had been suffering for 12 years spent all that she owned on doctors that could not help her. She grew worse and more desperate. Out of urgency, the woman sought to touch the hem of Christ’s garment. Immediately she was healed but could not keep her identity hidden. Jesus said to her, “Your faith has made you whole; go in peace and be whole of your plague.”
How fantastic this was! The man who was once possessed by many demons became a powerful evangelist through whom all of these miracles were accomplished. Certainly, it calls to mind what wonderful things God would love to do through us.
Christian Writer 