Mark 5-1-20 Swine flew

I had eggs and bacon, and hear I am reading about Jesus casting demons into pigs.   Oh the irony.   Anyway, this is a great account of Jesus authority over the demon spirits, Jesus casting 'Legion' out of a man, who was crazy possessed -- breaking chains and shackles, living in and around burial caves, cutting himself, howling -- crazy stuff.

The demon appealed to Jesus for Him not to cast them out to "some distant place"(vs. 10 -- oh remember, hell isn't made yet, so don't assume that Jesus had been casting demons there ... Check out the end of the book of revelation.), but to be cast into a herd of Pigs.

Really, a strange request especially since once Jesus did do that, all 2000 pigs plunged to their doom into a lake and drowned.   

Check out what happened ... vs. 14 "The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran."   -- herdsmen ... you know, probably the ones that looked after the 2000 pigs!!

Here is the good news, Jesus rescued the demon possessed man, he was free!!  Yet the herdsmen were SO concerned about their herd, that they couldn't appreciate what kind of miracle that Jesus did.   They were only concerned about their loss of livestock.   vs 17 "and the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone."   

It's sad when material wealth and possessions blind us to the work that God is doing in front of us.   You know what, I think the Legion knew what they were doing.   They knew that the people wouldn't want Jesus to stick around once their livestock was gone.   Satan always plans to deceive and destroy.   That's why Legion wanted to get into those pigs.

But wait, Legion didn't win in thwarting Jesus' ministry, because as Jesus was getting back into the boat, "the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him.  But Jesus said, "No, go home to your family and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been."  So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns (gk. Decapolis) of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them."

This now free man wanted to follow Jesus, but instead went throughout these 10 Roman towns spreading the good news ... and people listened, people were amazed.   The demons 'Legion' may of thought that they had the last laugh, or at least thwarted the ministry of Christ .. but they hadn't.

Oh what joy there must of been when this man's family learned that he was free from these demons, what a great testimony.

Blessings.