Study in Mark’s Gospel

1. Study in Mark’s Gospel Presentation 14

2. A Puppet On A String Chap 5v1-20 Presentation 14

3. Introduction The demoniac in this passage reminds me of a puppet on a string. His life is in the control of another. He cannot behave as he wants. When the strings are pulled, he acts. We cannot understand what is happening in this man’s life without an awareness of the conflict that exists between God and Satan. And to focus on this conflict we use an illustration. Imagine a small boy, who is furious because he has been disciplined by his father. He wants to show his rage. If he tries to swing a punch at his dad, his hands cannot reach, his punch is not hard, he could do little harm. Presentation 14

4. Introduction And because he is not as big or as powerful as his father he looks for another way to hurt him. He walks out into the garden which he knows his father loves and sees the roses that give his father such pleasure. Malevolently this child cuts the heads off all of the flowers and with a look of triumph on his face says, “I have struck out at him, I have hurt him by touching what I know he loves most”. In the same way, Satan wants to hurt God but he is impotent and cannot strike him directly. The only way he can impose harm is by hurting what is dear to God’s heart - men and women – who after all have been made in God’s image and for his pleasure. Presentation 14

5. Enslaved By Sin And Satan On one side of the Sea of Galilee there lived a puppet-man whose life has been dehumanised by Satan. The devil holds him up like a trophy and boasts, “See what I have done to this creature made in the image of God. I have obliterated that image. He is now my creature. I can do with him whatever I want”. And what a pathetic, lonely figure the man is, living in an unclean place - a graveyard! As we observe the disintegration of his human personality we are surely struck by the destructive power of evil! All that was attractive and dignified has disappeared. Evil always dehumanises and impoverishes our lives. It may promise power, pleasure, or spectacular experience. It may appeal to our curiosity, but its goal is our destruction. Presentation 14

6. Enslaved By Sin And Satan Evil enslaves. Earlier in life, when this man had made certain choices, it is unlikely that he knew where they would lead. Did he think he could stop his involvement with evil at any time. Sinful habits pretend to be our servants to be used or discarded as we choose. But try dismissing such habits from your life and you will make the shocking discovery: When at university, I was approached by another student. He mocked Christianity and thought Christians were unable to enjoy themselves properly. In contrast he boasted about the new morality and his freedom to sleep with as many girls as he wanted. Presentation 14

7. Enslaved By Sin And Satan I still remember the look on his face, when challenged to put a halt to his immoral behaviour for just a few months. He replied, “That’s impossible, I cannot help myself”. He had begun to understand that he was a slave to a sinful habit! He was not as free as he thought! His sinful habit had become his master. The chains that enslave men and women are not easily broken, ask the alcoholic, the drug addict, the adulterer, or the gossip. The list is endless. People have often said with tears in their eyes, 'No matter how hard I try I cannot break free'. Like legion they had made a frightening discovery. Like a puppet on a string they cannot break free! Presentation 14

8. Enslaved By Sin And Satan Evil is not only destructive and enslaving, but ultimately it lies beyond the power of mere human help. This man’s family and friends would not have been able to help him. The local authorities could not help. Nor was his a problem that a psychiatrist or a life coach could help with. The local religious leader were clearly all out of their depth. But when society does its best to restrain evil, to educate it, reason with it, reform it and fails, it still finds it difficult to accept that the problem lies completely beyond its control. Albert Einstein astutely observed, “I do not fear the explosive power of the atom bomb. What I fear is the explosive power of evil in the human heart” Presentation 14

9. Enslaved By Sin And Satan What does society so often do when it finds itself powerless to deal with a problem? It tries to hide it, push it away, brush it under the carpet. This is what happens here. Society’s carpet is the local graveyard and the man is brushed away from public view and from polite society. The philosophy of this approach is, “ought of sight, out of mind”. But even then this man regularly breaks the chains that have bound him and to the great embarrassment of the town council, runs around the graveyard naked. And so Satan holds up his puppet trophy and says, “See what I have done to man made in the image of God. I can destroy what gives him pleasure”. Presentation 14

10. Jesus The Deliverer Jesus left a successful ministry on the other side of the lake, to rescue one man. He took his disciples through a dangerous storm, to rescue one man. He opened himself up to public humiliation and rejection to rescue one man. First, it is incredible that Jesus pressed the pause button on his teaching ministry, to help a demoniac, a social outcast whose shrieking in the graveyard at night terrified children. Few would value such a man, but Jesus did. Some would question Jesus’ strategy, leaving a successful evangelistic campaign in order to rescue just one man! Do you ever ask, “How valuable am I to God?” Then look at the value Jesus placed on a social outcast! Presentation 14

11. Jesus The Deliverer Secondly, it is impossible to grasp the full significance of Jesus’ rescue without reference to the great storm of v35-41. Ask, why the disciples, many of whom were experienced sailors, were terrified by this particular storm? Storms were common on Galilee. What made this one different? Did Satan stir up this storm in order to prevent Jesus from breaking into his trophy room and snatching his trophy? There is practical application here for all involved in Christian work. Sometimes we ask, ‘Why are you bringing us into a storm?’ when we should be asking, ‘who on the other side of this storm will I be introducing to Jesus?’ Are you going through a storm just now? Is there someone that Satan wants to prevent you from pointing to Jesus? Presentation 14

12. Jesus The Deliverer Thirdly, Jesus crossed the lake knowing that he would be rejected by all, except one man. How humiliating! Yet still he came. The reaction of the crowd to Jesus’ ministry is incredible. Jesus cut the strings they could not cut and did what they could not do. He solved a problem they could not solve and yet they told him to leave. Instead of putting out a welcome mat they wanted Jesus deported. Why? Was this the first time they had faced the raw power of God? Of course some were annoyed that Jesus sent the evil spirits into their pigs, unclean animals they should not have been keeping. Rather than have more sins exposed they drove away the one person who could bring them blessing. Jesus knew he would be rejected but still he came. Presentation 14

13. The Act Of Deliverance Jesus arrival on the east shore of Galilee produced a great internal conflict in the man called Legion. On the one hand he came running to Jesus looking for help but on the other he is found shrieking at Jesus from the top of his voice v7.... Do you see the conflict? He knew that Jesus could deliver him and that knowledge drew him to Jesus. And yet he also drew back at the thought of the consequences of Jesus interference in his life. We might expect a man, whose life was falling apart, to welcome Jesus’ help. This struggle is one that many people experience. Sadly some choose to remain in bondage rather than experience Christ's transforming power. Presentation 14

14. The Act Of Deliverance But this man was transformed. How? The demon powers that had vandalised his life are sent into a herd of pigs. This has shocked some people! In his essay entitled, ‘Why I am not a Christian', Bertrand Russell, the philosopher, tells us that it was the destruction of these pigs that put him off Christianity! Why did Jesus allow this to happen? This man had been the devils puppet for years. How could he be sure that the strings were cut? Jesus provided him with a reassuring visual aid. His deliverance was not a figment of his imagination. His string pullers had left his body entering the pigs. He would carry this mental image of his deliverance with him for the rest of his life. He knew beyond all doubt that he was not the man he used to be. Presentation 14

15. The Act Of Deliverance Mark adds a threefold description which graphically symbolises the magnitude of the transformation that has taken place in the demoniac’s life. First, he tells us that the man was found sitting - he is at rest. Why is that important? One of the characteristics of evil is restlessness. Look at the description of Satan in Job 1v7... He is a restless wanderer, constantly agitated never at peace. This same restlessness is found in the lives of men until they find Christ and experience the peace he brings. Augustine the famous C5th church leader, speaking to God, wrote, “my heart was restless until it found its rest in you”. The whole of mankind is born homeless and it is only when we come to Christ that we come home. When the strings are cut, we enter into Christ’s rest, the restlessness is removed. Presentation 14

16. The Act Of Deliverance Secondly, the man is clothed - a covering had been provided for him. Do you remember God graciously provided a covering for Adam and Eve. After the fall they had become aware not only of their nakedness but of their unrighteousness. When God provided them a covering [animal skins that must have required the death of an animal]- he was through this symbol giving the promise of something better. This theme of covering is developed in both the O.T. and N.T. where we discover that the covering that God provides is Christ’s own righteousness. If we try to come to God as we are we discover that our sin which smells disgusting to God keeps us at a distance. Presentation 14

17. The Act Of Deliverance Let me illustrate. I made to a sheep farm during the lambing season. The famer showed me dead new born lambs beside their mothers. And also orphan lambs beside their dead mothers. If he tried to encourage the live mothers to feed the orphan lambs, they would sniff and failing to recognise the family scent would drive the lambs away. And so the farmer took the skin from the mother’s dead lamb and clothed the orphan lamb with it. This time when the orphan was introduced to the mother sheep, she smelled, recognised the scent and welcomed the lamb as her own. In the same way Jesus has provided us with his robe of righteousness so that clothed in it we might with confidence approach God. Presentation 14

18. The Act Of Deliverance Thirdly, we read that the man was in his right mind. The essence of Jesus ministry was to make men whole again. To restore God’s image in them and in this instance that meant making this man sane again. Can you imagine what his thought life was like when Satan was pulling the strings? It was in ruins, he was in constant despair. But things are different now. One of the remarkable things about being a Christian is the way in which our thinking is affected. Paul writes, “we have the mind of Christ” 1Cor. 2v16 for we begin to see things as God intends. Presentation 14

19. What Happens Next What might we expect to happen next? Well the rescued man wanted to go with Jesus. Just think the other disciples could parade him around and get him to give his testimony. They would have had something to show for their dangerous mission! But Jesus refused to let the man come with them. Does that seem harsh? Would he not have benefitted from the teaching and fellowship? Would he not be in danger from those whose pig business had just gone into liquidation? What was Jesus doing? He was sending him back to the place where his testimony would carry the greatest weight. To witness to the people who had tried to help him but had failed, to the people his shrieks had kept awake at night. Who better to see the transformation that the people who knew him best. Presentation 14

20. What Happens Next Do you see the wisdom of Jesus? As week followed week the townspeople would realise that the change Jesus had effected was permanent. Jesus had cut the strings that no one else could cut. But the story does not end there. Read Mark 7v31ff., later, when Jesus returned to that region the people welcomed him gladly. And a crowd of 4,000 men [plus women and children] gathered to hear Jesus teach. The very people who previously wanted to deport Jesus now wanted to hear what he had to say. Why? The testimony of just one man had made an impact on the whole region. If you are a believer, do you ever ask, ‘Why doesn’t God take me out of this difficult situation?’ Perhaps because God intends others around you to see the changes that he is making in your life! Presentation 14

21. Conclusion This is a remarkable story. Jesus cut the strings of sin and Satan which no one else could cut. We do not need to be demon possessed to need strings cut. We are all by nature, puppets with a bias towards sin. Indeed we are enslaved by it. Are you aware of sinful habits from which you cannot break? You have tried again and again and failed. Have you begun to believe the devil’s lies that no one can free you. Jesus can! Satan is a destroyer. Jesus is a restorer. Perhaps you think God has given up on you, or that you have let him down so often you can no longer expect his help. That too is a lie of the devil. If Jesus valued this poor man as much as he did does he not also value you? Of course ! Run to Jesus and ask him to cut those debilitating and destructive strings. Presentation 14