WE have still an unfolding of the service of Jesus. In this chapter, it is not simply the ministration of the word with its various hindrances and measures of success as far as God is pleased to work both in quickening power and fruitfulness, and this to the end. Neither is it a picture of the tempest-tossed condition of the disciples, Jesus with them, meanwhile, in their dangers, but apparently heedless till appealed to, yet all through the security of His people.
Now we have another thing, the ministry of Jesus in presence of Satan's power and the utter confessed weakness and misery of nature. An instructive lesson indeed; for not only do we see the all-conquering might of Him who was crucified in weakness, but the extent of the deliverance shown forth in him who was both set free from the thralldom of Satan and who afterward became the active witness to others of the Lord's greatness and power to others. It is not merely sin here, or the lusts of the flesh and the world. We know how continually God does save from human violence and corruption and their consequences. In Legion, however, we have rather the direct agency of Satan paramount if not there. As to this, men ordinarily are incredulous; or if they admit it ever thus acted, they would limit it to the time of Christ on earth. That there may have been a greater rising up of the enemy's power in opposition to the Son of God when here below, is a very different statement, and I believe it; but it is a most erroneous conclusion that his power was then so shattered as a matter of fact that cases of demoniacal possession were never afterward to appear. The New Testament refutes the illusion. After Christ died and rose, (and this must have gone in the direction of destroying the energy of Satan further than anything else,) He charged His servants to preach the gospel with this sign accompanying them: “In my name they shall cast out devils.” And so, in the Acts of the Apostles, we find the word confirmed thereby. Sick folks were brought, and persons vexed with unclean spirits; “and they were healed every one.” (Acts 5:16.) This was after the descent of the Holy Ghost, too; so that this mighty event, following redemption, had not of itself extinguished cases of possession. Nor was this confined to Peter or the other apostles; but similar power accompanied Philip, the evangelist, at Samaria. “For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them; and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.” I need not dwell on such strong cases as the divining damsel of Philippi, nor that at Ephesus, (Acts 19,) which the seven sons of Sceva proved to be too real to their cost: they are well known.
The truth is, the great victory of Christ is for faith and the Church's deliverance and joy, though no doubt it was attested largely to the world in miraculous signs, as it will be applied by and by in a power which will bind Satan first, and finally crush him forever. But in the meantime the Church is the scene where Christ's victory and power are made good by the Holy Ghost. The world, so far from being made better, is proved to be farther than ever from God, as Satan is proved to be its prince and god in the cross of Christ, but for this very reason the object for the time of the fullest testimony of God's grace in the name of' the Crucified. The gospel which is sent so abundantly to gather out of the world—mark, not to bless it, but to gather out—treats the world as already condemned and only awaiting unsparing judgment when Jesus is revealed from heaven. Hence separation from the world is the paramount duty of, and only right course for, the Christian, guilt of the blood of Jesus lies upon it: and the only escape for any soul is by faith in that blood, which, if it bring nigh to God, puts the believer in principle outside and above the world: such is the ground, and seeking, and walk of faith. Hence also the possible amelioration of the world, and of man, as such, is a practical denial of the gospel, and a deep, though in many cases an unwitting, dishonor to the Lord Jesus. No ignorance justifies the allowance of such thoughts, and the more knowledge of divine truth there is, the more guilty they are. The grace of God supposes the total ruin of the objects of grace; and the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven will execute divine vengeance on those who feel not their sin and ruin, and who despise His grace. Mark, then, describes in detail and most graphically the torment of this man in an unclean spirit. “And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.” The solitude of death, the rejection of human restraint and influence, the restlessness and the cruelty of that which possessed him, were most conspicuous; but not less so his recognition of a superior power and glory in Jesus. “When he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, and cried with a loud voice and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, unclean spirit.”
It is remarkable by the way how the man is identified with the unclean spirit, just as now in grace the Holy Spirit blends most intimately with the believer. The man cries, “Torment me not,” though it was a question of dealing with the spirit. So he answers, “My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought Him much that He would not send them away out of the country.”
On the other hand, it was of importance to give the distinctest evidence that the dwelling of demons in a man is as certain and real, as it is of the utmost gravity. Hence the Lord hears their petition that they should be sent into the great herd of swine which was feeding at hand. “And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirit went out and entered into the swine; and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand,) and were choked in the sea.” In some instances, the possessed had a serious disease also; in Legion's case we hear of none; but even if there had been, it would be absurd to suppose the transfer of disease to all the swine, and such an effect as their immediate frantic rush to destruction. But the expulsion of all the devils from the man, and their possession of the herd, was an opportunity to show their love of destroying when a mightier hand no longer controlled their spiteful malice.
But, alas! what is man in presence of Jesus, or the merciful power which thus rescued the victim of the devil's torture? “They went out to see what it was that was done. And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed of the devil and had the legion, sitting and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.” Yes, afraid before Him who breaks the captivity of the devil; more afraid of Jesus and His grace, than of the devil and his works! Nay, more than this. “They that saw it, told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.” Alas! alas! the swine and the devils were to them pleasanter neighbors than the Son of God. They had never sought to be free from either; they did seek to be rid of Jesus. Such is man; such the world was and is.
It is sweet to see the reverse of this in the heart of him who was emancipated. Not only was he at ease before the Savior, “sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind,” but all his affections were towards Him, and where Jesus went, his desire was to follow. “So when Jesus was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil, prayed Him that he might be with Him. “Howbeit, Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” The spiritual feeling that knit his soul to Jesus was of God, and would be gratified and satisfied in due time. But the grace of the Lord thought of others in this miserable scene of the enemy's wiles, to whom He would bless the testimony of him that had known so painfully the power of Satan. His “friends,” therefore, rather than strangers, were to hear the message. “Tell them,” said the Savior, “how great things the Lord hath done for thee.” “And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him; and all men did marvel.” And so may we, not only at the great things done, but at the simple faith displayed. “The Lord,” for him, was “Jesus.”
We have, next, the Lord going at the call of one of the rulers of the synagogue to heal his sick daughter, lying at the point of death. (Ver. 21-24.) On the way, and in the throng, His garment is touched by a woman which had an issue of blood twelve years. Here, too, man was unavailing. Instead of finding relief from those most skilled, she had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.” What a picture of human woe! and how common! “But she said, If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole;” and she was right, as faith always is. “Straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up: and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.” But even conscious assurance is not enough for the grace of God. She had stolen, as it were, the blessing; she must have it, a free and full gift from the Lord, face to face. “And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him and told him all the truth.” Blessed Lord, it is good somehow, anyhow, if it be Thy hand that does it, to be brought to tell Thee all the truth! For of a truth, it is but to have the cup filled of Thee to overflowing. “And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole: go in peace and be whole of thy plague.” Was the blessing less now that the gain of the believer was countersigned of the Lord? Was not the deed of power enhanced by the gracious words that sealed it hers with His own signet?
Such is now the blessing that faith seizes while the Lord is on the road to heal the sick daughter of Judah. And if evil news met the ruler's ear, while Jesus was crowning His mercy to her who touched Him, how swift is His goodness to shield a feeble heart from despair! “Be not afraid: only believe.” It was not troubling the Master, but His proper work. With chosen witnesses, pillars of the circumcision, He goes, turns out the vain weepers who scorned His words of comfort, and in presence of the parents and His companions wakes the damsel from the sleep of death, to their great amazement. (Ver. 35-43.) So at the end of the age He will raise up Israel.