Monday, January 30, 2023 | Mark 5:1-20

Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of

the Gerasenes. When he got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs

who had an unclean spirit met him. The man had been dwelling among the

tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. In fact,

he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had

been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong

enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides

he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. Catching sight of

Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him,

crying out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the

Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!”

(He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”) He

asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “Legion is my name. There are

many of us.” And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from

that territory.

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. And they

pleaded with him, “Send us into the swine.  Let us enter them.” And he let

them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of

about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they

were drowned. The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the

town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had

happened. As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who

had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind.

And they were seized with fear. Those who witnessed the incident explained

to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine.

Then they began to beg him to leave their district. As he was getting into the

boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. But

Jesus would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home to your family

and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”

Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus

had done for him; and all were amazed.