[Manny Varela]

MARK 5 – LEGIONS

 2 And when Jesus[b] had stepped out of the boat, immediately they are met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” (Mark 4:1-8)

The Hebrews taught that a carcass, even gravesites, was a place of defilement. Because of this Levitical law, it was common for the burial grounds of the dead to be located outside the city. Outside the city gates, in some remote gravesite, dwelled a man named Legion.

Many people knew Legion as the one who “lived among the tombs” (3). Legion was known to be insane as he was tormented, night and day, by an “unclean” spirit (2). And, “night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones” (5). Because of his lewd and barbaric behavior, he was regularly bound and shackled so that he could be contained. Although he possessed extraordinary muscular strength, on one occasion, Legion broke his chains only to terrorize the townspeople.

As Jesus arrives ashore, Legion sees him from afar, and the Bible text says that Legion discerning from a distance, begins to run towards Jesus only to fall at His feet. Straightway,

Jesus commanded the evil spirit to depart from Legion’s person, and immediately, for the first time he could recall, he found peace from a lifetime of torment, suffering, and pain.

 

CHALLENGE

Although we may not be haunted by an evil spirit, in some cases, we are haunted by evil vices. Perhaps this vice has tormented you day and night, and you have longed to subdue it but cannot.

My friend, the answer is found in a name who obeys His voice at His word – even the greatest of all physical elements (water, wind, and fire). He has power over evil spirits, power over the flesh, and even power over death. What is His name, you may ask? His name is Jesus. Are you wrestling with a legion? Then cry out to Jesus in your time of need, and in His perfect timing, God will rescue you. RPF

[Isabelle Tubbs]

Jesus’ heavenly authority includes Jesus’ power over evil spirits. In this instance from the devotional’s passage, Jesus can command evil spirits to leave. The evil spirits have to obey because Jesus is Lord. Being the Son of God includes His power that they must obey what He speaks. In fact, legion even says that Jesus is the Son of the Most High God. Legion acknowledges Jesus’ position and power because they have to.
Thankfully, Jesus is our Savior in our lives because He is greater. When Jesus speaks a word, no one can devoid it of its power. Relating to last week’s devotional, focusing on Jesus being with us reminds us of how having His power and grace in our situations makes a big difference. Jesus set the man free from the torturous evil spirits that were in him, bringing him freedom and peace. The man went on to share his testimony out of the great joy he experienced from being set free.

[Carlos Martes]

Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, in which He has power over anything. Even legion had acknowledged His almighty power. There are things in this world that creeps into our heads to distract and act as a vice in our life to keep us tormented and chained, but His voice will always reign supreme and will ultimately break free of any vice giving you the freedom and peace. We all wrestle with a legion, but it takes accepting Him and entrusting your faith in Him that will lead us into victory, just as Jesus has already claimed victory for all.

[Mjulius513]

I am reminded of how powerful Jesus is and how deeply He cares for people who feel trapped or overwhelmed. The man called Legion lived in constant torment, isolated from society, hurting himself, and controlled by forces stronger than he could handle. Many tried to bind him, but nothing worked until Jesus arrived. The moment Legion saw Jesus, he ran toward Him, and Jesus brought him the peace and freedom he could never find on his own.

This reminds me that even if we are not possessed like Legion, we sometimes face “legions” of our own habits, fears, temptations, stress, or emotional struggles that feel impossible to control. We often try to fix things ourselves, but the story shows that true healing comes from Jesus. When we cry out to Him, He has the power to restore us, calm our minds, and free us from what overwhelms us. Jesus meets us even in our darkest places.

[Joseph Doss]

“His perfect timing” is a good way to understand it, we may pray and ask “why is it still a struggle, why is it still here” but maybe it is not time for the struggle to be taken, we may not like that God may seem to wait to take a struggle from our hands, but perhaps there is a reason a greater lesson to be taught or make you come out stronger showing what He can do. Think of the story of Lazarus, but relate his death to spiritual death as opposed to a physical one.

[Trae Johnson]

Even though I may not be possessed by a literal evil spirit such as Legion, I recognize the occurrences in which I am beset by struggles which I am unable to overcome by myself—addictions, phobias, or habits that appear to have control over me on a twenty-four-hour cycle. I have attempted to bind them, control myself, and even emancipate myself from them on my own, and yet I have remained impotent, much like Legion in the tombs. When I read this passage, I remember that I have a choice. Jesus, one who commands the wind, the water, and even life itself, also has dominion over the powers which bind me.

When I cry out to Him, when I put my ‘legion’ under His authority, peace, restoration, and freedom are within reach. I am reminded that I am not alone in this fight. Just like He delivered the man with the legion, I believe that He can deliver me from what has been tormenting me. Today, I choose to put my trust in Jesus. I will put my weaknesses under His strength so that in His perfect timing, I shall taste the freedom and peace that only He can give.

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