(For the Little Ones.)
You will remember that when the Lord cast out the legion and so graciously delivered the poor tormented man, he suffered them to go into a herd of swine feeding there, and that the whole herd ran violently down into the sea and perished. Now those who kept the swine went into the city, and told what had happened; and when the people came to see about it, they found the man, who had once been such a terror to the whole region, whom they had often bound with fetters and chains, and tried to control to no purpose, “sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind.” What a blessed place for one who had been so completely under the powers of darkness! What grace in him who had delivered him! and how this proof of it should have moved the hearts of all to fall down and worship him, who had thus shown both his Divine power and his pity for the wretched. We read; too, that they also which saw it told the multitude by what means he that had been possessed by the devils was healed. Surely they will own him “the Son of God most high,” as even the very devils had done when they spake through the mouth of the poor frenzied demoniac! Nor “the whole multitude of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them.” How was this a If you will read the 16th verse of Mark 5, you will see how it was.
Those who saw the wondrous miracle and told the people all about it, told them “also concerning the swine.” Now, perhaps these Gadarenes knew that God had said by Moses, “The land is MINE.” Perhaps they knew also that the same God who thus claimed the whole land, had given it to his people Israel, whom he had forbidden to have swine, and although Israel was scattered now, and the land was occupied in many parts by a mixed people, still in God’s sight the land was his, and his people’s to whom he had given it. “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” He never changes his mind. What he has once given is given forever and ever. Now he had given the whole land to his people Israel, and Israel was still one in his sight; his gracious eye still saw them where no other eye could see them. The names of the twelve tribes were still and evermore before him; and, although it would have been hard indeed for anyone to see the two tribes and a half which once dwelt on that side of the land where these Gadarenes were, although conquerors had carried away the ten tribes long, long ago, and had seized upon their inheritance; those words, “THE LAND IS MINE,” and, “The whole land have I given unto thee,” still remained. Nothing could, nothing can alter them; therefore the swine had no business there. “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words [says God] shall NOT pass away.” What a precious thing it is to see this, dear little reader, that God’s every “word is settled in heaven,” whatever may go on upon earth. You are young, the wide world lies before you; if the Lord tarries and you live on, you will see many changes; but if, by his grace, you can fix your eye on his word, his unchangeable, never-failing word, you will hereafter find it “an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast;” an anchor that will never drag as common anchors sometimes do, and so cause those that trust them to be wrecked.
The unclean swine had no business there. The land was and is the Lord’s. Did these Gadarenes know this? Faithful Israelites were still in the land, you know, going up and down amongst them; and in talking with them now and then, may well have told them, that in spite of appearances, the land was Jehovah’s, and that swine were unclean and forbidden creatures to his people Israel. This would account for their being filled with fear. When we know that we are clinging to something which the Lord has forbidden, the thought of his presence troubles us. It is very unlikely, indeed, that these Gadarenes were quite ignorant of these things, and when they heard of the terrible display of the power of the legion, as the whole herd (about two thousand) ran violently down a steep place and perished in the waters, they may well have trembled if conscience was at work. And although they saw the poor man sitting there a happy witness to the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, his presence instead of filling them with joy and gratitude and praise, only filled them with fear. How evil-doing steels the heart against the grace of God, and blinds the eyes so that they cannot see. And then, instead of repenting of their sins and bowing down at the feet of him who had proved himself so ready to receive the vilest, they, clinging still in purpose to their swine, and preferring them even to the Lord himself, pray him to depart from them. What an insult! Had he come across the stormy sea to exercise his power and prove his grace on behalf of one so wretched, only to be instantly dismissed? How it must have grieved his gracious heart, and yet how quietly he accedes to their request, and without a word of rebuke gets into the ship to return whence he came. And now it was that the poor man, when he saw him departing, entreated that he might be with him. “But Jesus sent him away, saying, Return unto thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee.” Thus, although these Gadarenes would not have Jesus among them, yet he cannot give them up; although they prefer their swine to himself, his love still follows them; although they insult him at the very moment when they had every reason to bow down and worship him, he meekly bears with them, and in the very act of yielding to a request that must have grieved his heart, he shows his patience and his grace in sending a messenger and a witness of his compassion into their midst. “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee” (Mark 5:1919Howbeit 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. (Mark 5:19)). How kind, how very kind to these unworthy Gadarenes! Did it wound his meek and patient spirit, think you, to see how plainly they preferred their swine to himself, and all that his love could offer them? No doubt it did; but then, it was for their sakes that he was sorry, not for his own; and so, that they might not lose all the blessing that he would fain have bestowed upon them, he leaves a witness of his power and grace behind him, if haply some would listen to his testimony and turn to the Lord. Was not this most kind of the Lord Jesus?
And now, little reader, will you be like these bad Gadarenes? Will you let something steal your heart away from the blessed Jesus? Oh no! He is worthy of all your love; let then nothing hinder you from receiving him by faith. He waits for you to come to him. Think how gracious he is, and go at once. Then when you know and love him, you can tell others of his love, like the poor man whom he delivered from the legion; for we read, “he went his way and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.”