Author Archives: Mark

The Man of the Gadarenes and Me

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The Man of the Gadarenes and Me

by Mark

Among the tombs, lost from those who cared, lost from those who feared.

In the bars hiding from today.

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Clothed in broken chains meant to bind him.

Never good enough, fear of rejection, tired of trying

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Solitary among the dead, like them, only breathing.

Is this all there is?

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You’re too close, the chains would warn.

Join this, try that, buy another beer

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His shrieks and cries were calls of help; anger was heard.

Anger lashing out at those who love you

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When he saw the Master, the One that could save, his demons yelled.

I am ok, I was raised in church

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Though fear held on, he came to rest at His feet.

Jesus forgive me, thanks for never letting go

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Clothed and in his right mind, willing to follow Him anywhere.

Freed, not perfect but ready to try again

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His new Master said, “Go tell.”

Write your testimony on the blank lines.

Me and the Man

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The man and I have crossed paths several times in my Christian walk.  The first time that I remember is a weekly meeting at a rehab unit in Charity Hospital of New Orleans.  I was the speaker and he was my sermon; I compared what he did to what I had been like before I was saved. I got right to the end of my sermon and had to let someone else give the altar call because I was crying so hard.

We meet again a few years later when a fellow teacher gave morning devotions and she focused on Mark 5:15.  He was “fully clothed and in his right mind” there were multiple points received from that message but it is not uncommon to get that as an answer in the morning if you ask me how I am doing.

I guess all of the fellowship over the years came together when I wrote the poem on the next page of this blog.  It is meant to be a witnessing tool as you write your testimony below ours.  It started as a writing contest entry, not sure it ever made it.

But this is a Bible study blog so if I may, I am going to give a few other things I have seen along the way. I will direct the study from Luke 8: 22 to 9:2 it is similar to Mark 5 and Matthew 8 but I like Luke because he had to “study to show himself approved” because he was “not around” like Matthew and Mark had been. Actually, Bible scholars will tell you that Mark wrote his book first and the other two followed and some argue that all three used a common undiscovered document. By the way, if you Google this topic be ready to be bombarded with all kind of things, the one that I found most amusing was the argument that Mark did not know his geography. Gee, he was alive at the time and had probably visited the region with his uncles when they were fishing. (Gerasenes is too far from the Sea of Galilee.)

The reason I start with Luke 8:22 is the phrase “one day.” It frames this as part of the story and the fact that they got hit with a storm as Jesus was about to do this great work is not surprising.  The thousands of whining demons, pigs near a kosher country and Jesus conversing with Legion I will leave those topics to your own Biblical beliefs and backgrounds; I want to focus on other things.

The people of the Gerasenes or the Decapolis were afraid and asked Jesus to leave which he did. I personally feel the reason that they wanted Him to go was that if He could do that miracle what He must be saying is real and they knew they would have to make a choice and a change.  They were probably not Jewish because it was a Roman area, like Lo Debar it was on the east side of the Jordan and perched on a hillside.  According to Wikipedia, it was a very secure place and one of importance.

Then there is Jesus’ reaction to the man’s request to go with Him; Jesus refused, yet in chapter 9 He sends out the Twelve. Jesus had a plan and it seemed that he could be useful for the Kingdom all on his own.

The map is from http://bibleatlas.org/gadara.htm or Biblos.com  if you have never used this website give it a look it is very interesting and useful.

Be Still and Know God

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Waiting, being still what is the difference?

Remember that our modern English words don’t necessary translate nicely with Hebrew words.  Wait and being still are two words/phrases that can have several meanings and depending on your favorite translation of the Bible a verse may read different ways.  Wait can also mean hope so it will help how you view a passage if you look it up in your concordance.  “Being still” also has several meanings so if you find a verse you like check it out and see how it adds to your understanding.

Sometimes the Hebrew word for “still” can also be translated “wait.” That is why the Amplified Bible can be helpful, it will give alternate meanings to words. Anyway here are some different verses and there “be still’s.”

To “Be Still” means to stand one’s ground, confront, to stand before as in: I Samuel 12:16 – Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes! (rain at wheat harvest when Israel wanted a king)

Exodus 14:14 – Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.

To “Be Still” means to be still, silent, to rest as in: Psalm 4:4 + 5 – In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord.

Habakkuk 2:20 – But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.

Jeremiah 23:18 – 22 Who has listened and heard His word? …. But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed My words to My people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.

To “Be Still” means to be quiet, hush or come to silence as in: Nehemiah 8: 10 + 11 – Do not grieve for the joy of the Lord is your strength. The Levites calmed all the people, saying, ”Be still for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve.

Zechariah 2:13 – Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from His holy dwelling.

To “Be Still” means to be feeble, weakened, faint as in: Psalm 46:10 – Be still, and know that I AM God.  “Know” is yada it means knowing by observing and reflecting on things or by experiencing it.

In any of its meanings for me to be still is very hard; I try, sometimes I can do it many times I don’t.  For me anyway this is not meditation or musing over a thought this is just standing/sitting still and quite before God.  If you can really reach a time of being still you may find yourself like Oral Roberts in his book The Ultimate Voice (p. 101), “There was no moving of my physical body, only the wild beating of my heart.” 

All verses are NIV.

Waiting on God

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Isaiah 40: 27 – 31. This is a great Bible verse and people will frequently turn to this passage when they are tired and not sure they can go on.  We focus on verses 30 and 31 and seldom read it in context; we read #31 and start to hope so we can get strength.  I also have done this but one day I started looking up some keywords; I don’t think what I found changes the reality of the verse, but it changes where we should put our emphasis.

One thing that I always suggest in studying any verse is to look at it in different translations and look it up in a concordance, so you get the meaning of the words in their original usage.  For this study I used the King James, so I looked in my Strong’s Concordance which has the Vine’s Dictionary incorporated into it.

I feel that it is God speaking here and in verse 27 scolds and comforts by asking,” Why do you think I am ignoring your cries.” In 28 He reminds us that He is not the problem and in 29 states He is always ready to help us. But verse 31 is where I got a whole new meaning in this passage. Hope is and can be translated as “wait” and renew does not carry the English meaning I thought it would.  Renew is chalaph (H 2498) in Hebrew and it carries the meaning of letting something “slide by or hasten away or change.”  One concordance even suggested the idea of losing something.

I always thought I would get my strength boosted; instead, it seems that I will get rid of my strength and get NEW strength – God’s strength. Then we can soar like an eagle.

Isa 40:27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”?

Isa 40:28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

Isa 40:29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Isa 40:30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;

Isa 40:31 but those who hope (wait) in the LORD will renew (lose, hasten away, change) their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (NIV) I added things to emphasize.

Another interesting numerological idea about Isaiah 40 is that if you look at Isaiah as having 66 chapters like the Bible has 66 books then chapter 40 relates to the beginning of the New Testament, and it is the chapter that transitions to the hopeful part of Isaiah.

The Holy Bible, New International Version®. Pradis CD-ROM:Isa 40:27. Grand Rapids: The Zondervan Corporation, © 1973, 1978, 1984.

Judas

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Several years ago I was part of an Easter play; I got to play Judas.  Not much of a start to an acting career but I played the bad guy as best as I could.  In the final scene I was already off stage and standing behind the tomb with Jesus getting ready for the Resurrection.  My view was Jesus leaving a dark tomb going into a bright stage; that is when this short piece got birthed.  I had to image Judas dead as Jesus came to get the keys to hell. (This is part of a play I have been writing.)

Judas- five minutes after

(kneeling, as the lights slowly come up)

The heat, why is it so dark?

Where am I?

There is light, coming toward me, man it is hot, that light is a man?

He is coming straight toward me.  Its Jesus, he is coming, Jesus, here I am.

(turning as if following motion) He is going straight to that door. Why didn’t he stop, why is it so hot?

(standing up, proudly)

I am Judas Iscariot; the most important of Jesus’ twelve disciples.  Jesus had me keep the moneybox.

(lower voice)

There was never was enough in it to keep me satisfied.

(sniffing) 

That smell. That’s the perfume Mary poured on Jesus.

(growling) She would be remembered but still I am the most important, it was worth a year’s wage.  Instead of selling it and giving me the money,

(lower voice) I had to go talk to the High Priest.  Oh, that smell, it needs to go away.

The heat, that smell, where did Jesus go?  What is crawling in my leg?

(just grabbing leg)  It feels like a worm, crawling inside my leg. (now hitting his leg)

That money, I could have, I mean we could have used it for the poor.

(lower voice) The priest gave me more than a year’s wage,

(crying) why didn’t they take it back.   He was innocent.

They should have listened to me; I am one of the Twelve; I have authority!

(turning quickly) Who is laughing at me?  What do you mean no authority here, why I cast you demons out.  Stop laughing, why is it so hot!

You should have seen me leading the army to get Jesus, I was the man; everyone listened to me.

( perplexed voice) His eyes, He knew, He was never angry.  Love in His eyes.

That parade into Jerusalem should have been for me, I am important you know, one of the Twelve.  Stop laughing; the heat.

The kiss, everyone was watching, watching me.

(grabbing stomach) That worm is crawling, when will this thing die.  What do you mean never? (looking around)

I saw the miracles; I heard His words.

(lower, talking to self) I was the one; the old prophets had talked about me.  Jesus knew all the time; He never said a word, just love.

I had the bread and wine of Passover. I am ok; nothing wrong with me,

(looking around) you sound like children singing songs.  Mothers were always bringing them, we were busy, we had no time for them.  He should have never told me to leave them alone.

I was the one who started the fight at dinner. That was pure genius; they stopped wondering who was going to betray Jesus.  It was so easy they were so caught up in that kingdom stuff.   I had the moneybox, and I would have been the leader.  Stop laughing.

(looking around, holding his head)

I should have been sitting on that donkey, not leading it. That fragrance; I smelled it for whole ride into Jerusalem. He knew, even then.

“Not me”, I said.  Made it sound just like everyone else asking that question. That piece of bread he gave me, never did finish it.  The voice telling me to leave, yelling at me that it was time to go.  How did Jesus know?  I was so careful, no one saw me go to the High Priest.

Water, that is what I need, water.  Just like He washed my feet with.  He knew, those eyes, He never told.  Just a tear.  They all thought I was going to help the poor.  I could do as I pleased; I had the money.  More than most of them had ever seen, thirty pieces of silver.

His touch as He washed my feet, He could have stopped me.  All He ever did was love me.   He trusted me with the money.  I threw it at them; they should have let Him go. He never did anything wrong.

(screams) Stop laughing.  When will it get cool, cool like the water on my feet.(slumps to ground)

(looking up) The door is opening, Jesus.   Oh that smell: what is rattling?  Sounds like keys, we’re going now, right!  Jesus, Jesus where are you going? (sobbing)

(standing up proudly) I am Judas Iscariot.

 (lights go out)The most important of the twelve disciples.