When I read the story of the demon-possessed man in Mark 5, I can’t help but pause at this scene:
“And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.” (Mark 5:15)
It’s a picture almost too stunning to believe. A man who once cried out day and night among the tombs, cutting himself with stones, feared and chained by his community—now sitting calmly at the feet of Jesus, clothed, restored, whole. It should have been the happiest day in the region. Instead, the people were terrified.
A Cry Heard in the Tombs
This man had been living in torment. No one could bind him, no one could help him, and honestly, no one seemed to want to. His cries echoed from the tombs, but no one came running. And yet, Jesus heard him. Jesus crossed the sea, walked into enemy-held territory, and confronted the legion of demons holding him captive. The man’s inner cry reached heaven, and heaven responded.
I can’t help but think of the cries that go unheard today—people bound not only by spiritual torment, but also by systems, cultures, and economies that profit from their bondage.
Deliverance That Costs
Here’s the part we often skip over: the man’s deliverance cost the community something. When the demons begged to be sent into the pigs, Jesus allowed it, and two thousand pigs ran headlong into the sea. Imagine the headlines: “Local Herdsmen Lose Entire Business Overnight.”
The freedom of one man disrupted the economy of an entire region. Instead of celebrating his restoration, the community mourned their financial loss. They begged Jesus to leave.
It makes me wonder—how often do we prefer systems of bondage because they are profitable, familiar, or comfortable, rather than welcoming the disruptive freedom Christ brings?
The Economics of Darkness
For the Gerasenes, pigs were more than livestock. They symbolized a way of life, an economy tied to unclean practices and demonic influence. When Jesus stepped in, He didn’t just heal a man; He exposed an entire culture’s dependence on darkness.
The same is true today. Think of nations where idols are symbols of prosperity—dragons in China, elephants in other cultures, ancestral spirits in others. Entire economies and festivals are tied to these symbols. And when the light of Christ enters, it threatens more than personal sin; it shakes the very foundation of those economies.
This is why, even now, Christianity is resisted in certain nations. The Gospel threatens to dismantle businesses and cultures built on idolatry, corruption, and oppression. Deliverance is never “cheap.” It comes at a cost.
Fear of Freedom
The most sobering part of the story is this: the community was more comfortable with a demon-possessed man than with a delivered one. A tormented man fit neatly into their system; a healed man disrupted it.
When people are set free—when families are healed, when addictions are broken, when corruption is exposed—those who profit from bondage get nervous. Just as in Mark 5, they beg Jesus to leave their region.
Sent as a Witness
But Jesus didn’t let the story end there. The delivered man wanted to follow Him, but Jesus gave him a mission instead:
“Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:19)
This man became the first evangelist to the Decapolis. His testimony carried the fragrance of freedom into a land that had rejected Jesus Himself.
Deliverance Today
The story of the Gerasenes reminds us that deliverance is not only personal—it’s cultural, economic, and spiritual. When Jesus sets people free, systems shake. Bondage is profitable, and freedom is costly. But the mercy of God is worth far more than any herd of pigs, any business, or any cultural tradition rooted in darkness.
And just like the man in the story, our calling doesn’t stop with deliverance. We are sent—back to our families, our neighborhoods, our workplaces—to tell what the Lord has done for us. Because sometimes the most powerful testimony isn’t in a pulpit, but around a kitchen table with friends who knew who you used to be.
✨ Deliverance disrupts. But it also heals, restores, and multiplies. The question is: will we value the pigs, or the people?
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for hearing the cries that others ignore. Thank You for stepping into dark places to bring freedom. We confess that too often, like the Gerasenes, we cling to systems, traditions, or comforts that keep people in bondage. Forgive us, Lord.
Help us to value people more than profit, souls more than systems, and truth more than tradition. Shake every economy and culture in our lives that is tied to darkness, and replace it with the freedom of Your kingdom.
And just as You sent the delivered man back to his family, send us to our homes, our friends, and our communities to testify of Your mercy. May our lives tell the story of a Savior who still sets captives free.
In Your mighty name we pray,
Amen.
Pastor Lenin Were