In Sunday’s message, I briefly mentioned that love for Christ—not guilt—is the highest motivation for our service to Him (John 21:15-22; 2 Cor 5:14). To that end, I suggested that an effective way to grow in our affection for Jesus is to meditate on Him in the Gospels. The specific example of Jesus healing the leper in Mark 1 was given (see also Matthew 8).
I’d like to give another example, but include a bit more instruction about how to go through a passage devotionally with a view toward meditating on the Lord Jesus. Consider with me Jesus’ healing of the demonized Gerasene in Mark 5:1-20. For the sake of space, I won’t print the whole passage, but you can find it here. You can use this post as a guide to meditating on this passage. I’m not going to give you everything. If you’ll follow the instructions below, you should enjoy a meaningful time of meditation on Jesus. Before you read, pray that the Holy Spirit would help you to see and enjoy Jesus in the passage.
1. Context
Ideally, a familiarity with Mark as a whole would be helpful, but not absolutely essential to notice the character of Christ and enjoy Him. However, the more we are familiar with a given book, the more we will glean from any given passage. One thing that can be gathered from even a quick glance at Mark’s pages is that compared to the rest of this Gospel, this story is rather long. It is one of only two stories in the chapter, whereas the other chapters have anywhere from 3 to 11 sections. So much space is given to this story that it must be significant.
Additionally, a cursory reading of the preceding chapters show that there is an emphasis on Jesus’ authority. He teaches with authority (1:22, 27). He has authority to forgive sin (2:10). He has authority over demons (1:32-39). He has authority over nature (4:38-41). It could be that in the story of Jesus freeing the Gerasene demoniac, this authority is once again being displayed.
2. Careful, slow reading
If our intent is to get our Bible reading done and move onto other things, we’ll not usually be impressed by what we find there. To enjoy Jesus in the Scriptures, we must be deliberate and read so as to take in the whole picture.
If you haven’t already, I’d encourage you to stop now and read the story carefully. What details jump out at you?
A few details that we might pick up by reading slowly:
- This demonized man lived among the tombs, among the dead (v3).
- Mark emphasizes how uncontrollable was this man under the influence of the demons (vv3-5). “No one had the strength to subdue him” (4b).
- The condition caused the man great suffering (v5).
- Several words in v6: “And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him.” The demons didn’t run from Jesus, but to Him.
- “Legion, for we are many” (v9). A legion was a unit of several thousand men in the ancient Roman army.
- The word “begged” is prominent and used repeatedly in the story. The demons begged Jesus not to torment them (v7b). They begged Jesus not to send them out of the country (v10). They begged Him to let them enter the pigs (v12). A couple of other instances will come later.
- Jesus gave them permission (v13).
- When the people heard about the pigs rushing into the sea, saw Jesus, and saw the man now clothed and in his right mind—who formerly was so out of control that he wrenched chains apart and broke shackles in pieces—they were afraid (vv14-15).
- The people begged Jesus to leave (v17).
- The man who had been possessed begged Jesus to let him go with Him (v18).
- Jesus instead sent the man away to become a witness, which the man did (vv19-20).
3. Pondering the details
What do these details indicate about Jesus—His person, purpose, and character?
What can we make of the fact that such powerful demons don’t run from Jesus, but run to Him and beg for mercy?
The fact that there were so many demons—how might this accentuate what we see about Jesus?
What should we think about all the begging? What does it say about the demons' perception of Jesus? What does it say about the people's perception of Jesus? What should be made of the stark contrast between their begging and the man’s begging for Jesus to let him go with Him?
One suggestion: I personally find that it is helpful to write out answers to these kinds of questions. It helps me to think deeply. These are not like questions on a 4th grade social studies handout, where the objective is just to answer them as quickly and mindlessly as possible. We want to think deeply about these things. Writing helps.
4. Bottomline
Can we take all that we’ve seen and put it into a sentence? Give it a try.
Jesus is a man of unparalleled authority and power—terrifying to the evil, fearful to the unbelieving, irresistible to those who have found His mercy.
Take your sentence and think deeply about that, perhaps writing about it more.
5. Putting Ourselves in the Pages
It would be a horrible shame to treat Jesus like a science project, just gleaning information about Him. We want to know and enjoy Him. We want to love Him because of who He is. Therefore, we cannot stop when we arrive at a summary of the facts or the message of the story. We need to put ourselves in the story, which is simply a way of saying, we need to apply it.
A way to do this is to personalize the details and/or the bottomline. Questions that could lead to meditation and greater affection might include:
In what sense and to what extent was I like the man controlled by evil?
What earthly restraints (shackles, chains) proved unable to control my sin?
What suffering did my sin cause myself and others?
What were the circumstances that led me, even in my sin and death, to run to Jesus and beg for mercy? How did He respond?
What did Jesus do to set me free? What did it cost Him?
Which was the greater display of authority and power—Jesus' casting out a legion of demons, or His satisfying in one afternoon God’s omnipotent wrath for all my sin?
As Jesus was rejected by the people of Gerasene, am I willing to be rejected with Him?
How is the mercy of Jesus better than anything I might give up to have it? What would keep me from begging Him to give me more of Him?
Have I told all who will listen what the Lord has done for me?
What do I love the most about the depiction of Jesus here?
6. Prayer
Any relationship involves listening and responding. Meditation on Scripture and particularly upon Christ leads naturally to prayer. Take all that you have seen, what has amazed you, what you love about Jesus, and pray it to Him. Take to Him what you find lacking in yourself. Ask Him to fill it up. Beg Him to give you more of Him.
This is just a rough guide for spending time with Jesus in the Gospels. I find that when I take the time to do this, lesser loves assume their rightful place and the greatest love—love for Jesus—grows. And that is the most powerful motivation to faithfulness to Him.
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