Chains & Shackles.

Mark 5:1-20

“ So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from a cemetery to meet him. This man lived among the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. Whenever he was put into chains and shackles - as he often was - he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones. 

When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. With a shriek, he screamed, “ Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “ Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”

Then Jesus demanded, “ what is your name?” And he replied, “ My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.” Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.

“ There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeing on the hillside nearby. “ Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.” 

“ So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water. 

The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clouted and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone. 

As Jesus was getting 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 of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.”

I remember as a little girl watching a Focus on the Family movie about this passage. Remembering how this wild man with crazy hair and tattered clothes saw Jesus and had smooth long hair and clean clothes with a soft sweet voice. And then the crazy pigs running off the edge of the cliff. 

Reading this passage today, the day before Easter, I am overwhelmed with emotions. About what my Savior did for me. About leaving Haiti and only having 6 weeks left here & not knowing when I will be back. Even more so flying to the other side of the world to begin something that will be life changing not only to me but to the women and children He brings into my life. 

“ Whenever he was put into chains and shackles - as he often was - he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him.” Vs 4. 

Our sins are our chains & shackles and we are always trying to play them off as nothing. Not letting them hold us down, make a difference in our lives yet they will follow us, sneak back up on us and hurt us at the moments of great vulnerability. Only Jesus can subdue us, only Jesus can removed those chains and shackles in the right way where it doesn’t hurt us. His grace allows us to ask for forgiveness and process through our past hurt, mistakes & sins. We dont need to let them drag us down because 

  “ I - yes, I alone - will blot out your sins for my own sake 

and will never think of them again.” Isaiah 43:25

He forgets the moment He forgives. 

I need to remember that. I need to forget and not let my past mistakes & sins creep back up and put me in chains and shackles. He died so that I may live. His grace gives me a clean slate and the freedom to move on in peace and not pain. 

Legion - adj: Many, numerous. A very large number. 

“ and he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.”

It is so hard sometimes, to quiet my voice, and all the other peoples voices in my head and focus on what God is really telling me. To many opinions, to many words, to many thoughts and ideas of about what I want or what I should do. Why is it that sometimes we feel the need to always tell people what “we” think is right when really we should seek what God is trying to tell us. We all have a legion in our life. 

This is a learning that will never end. I believe that I am slowly learning what it is like to truly listen to the Holy Spirit. To quiet my mind and seek wholeheartedly what God is saying to me, it might even just be a whisper that I put in my journal. 

I can see how God has been planning lessons out in my life, specifically the last 6 months of times that I didn't listen to Him. I made selfish decisions that He used for good, for healing & growth. I see that I wouldn’t be where I am, preparing to go back to school to become a midwife in the Philippines if I had not gone through them. 

I am thankful that I will be more spiritually mature going into this new chapter. Even though my growing will never stop, and I know I have a long ways to go but I am thankful that God took this time to start sewing up pieces of my heart so that what I will witness & encounter in the future, I will be able to handle in the right way and put my emotions aside and allow the Holy Spirit to tell me what to do. 

Getting rid of my legion is a process but it will grow my obedience & determination to follow God and listen to what only He has for me. 

“ The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” Romans 8:11

    {{ Judgement is what breaks people, what blocks them from completed confidence, it slowly eats away at who we are in Christ. }}

“ A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid.” Vs 15

I feel like this verse is true of us humans. We are scared & judge people who are not saved yet then we still do the same when they are saved & have Christ living inside them. 

Why do we allow our flesh to judge others faults when we have faults of our own? I was judged before I committed to following Christ, and that still brings pain some days when I think back to the words & emotions that I experienced at those times in my life. Now I still feel judged for my decisions, the way I live my life having moved several times and still continuing to move. 

I am healed. I am saved. 

I still am human and make mistakes. 

I make decisions of my own selfishness. 

Yet God forgives me. He sees me clean & pure in His sight. 

Deep down we know that only God judges us. Yet we let others words, opinions & judgments form who we are and effect how we do things. 

makes me sad. but makes me thankful that Jesus forgives us and understands what it was like to live on this earth where He was judged. 

I don’t fear my last day because I know where I will go. I have so much to look forward to like walking next to Jesus, singing praises every day & rejoicing with those I love here on earth in Heaven. 

God allowed this with His grace. Jesus gave me this promise through His sacrifice. The Holy Spirit reminds me of this beautiful picture daily. 

I am thankful that I read this passage today. 

I am thankful for Jesus surrendering Himself on the cross. 

I am thankful for Him blotting out my sins. 

and forgetting them.

I am thankful for His blood as a reminder of the new covenant for me.

I am thankful for His body as a reminder of His sacrifice on the cross for my sins.