Legion

5 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. ² When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. ³ This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. ⁴ For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. ⁵ Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

⁶ When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. ⁷ He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” ⁸ For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

⁹ Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” ¹⁰ And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

¹¹ A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. ¹² The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” ¹³ He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

¹⁴ Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. ¹⁵ When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ¹⁶ Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. ¹⁷ Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

¹⁸ As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. ¹⁹ Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” ²⁰ So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

When Jesus and his disciples get in the boat to go to the "other side", they are going to land outside of Jewish territory.  There is a fair chance that given the patterns of commerce and the insular nature of the state of Israel, none of the disciples had ever been there before.  After all, why would they want to go to a pagan place when everything they needed was readily available in their own villages.

So, after the scare on the lake, they land, some eyes wide with wonder and others their eye narrowed in jingoistic suspicion.  Their worst fears are confirmed when the welcome wagon arrives.  They got in the boat to leave the crowd behind and now they are met by another crowd, this one in the body of a single crazed man.  Like many people, his condition has come to define him.  He has no name other than the one that the demons will announce later in the encounter.  Like many people who don't fit in, he becomes not a person with a name but a body with a condition.

He is living among the tombs and in a way he is dead already.  The man has been driven from polite society because they are unable to "civilize" him.  He no longer receives invitations to family dinners or joins his friends for the afternoon.  They have all abandoned and forgotten him.  He lives among the dead because he is as good as dead to his own community.

The demons that posses the man are violent and strong.  Like a circus strongman, he breaks the chains and shackles that are placed upon him.  The violence was not only directed toward his family and town, but also on himself as he would cut himself with stones.  A pathetic lonely figure, it is not clear whether this self-harm is the destructive nature of the demons turned inward or the self loathing, self punishment, or even attempted self cleansing of the man towards his possessors.

As Jesus gets off the boat, the man runs up to him and falls on his knees.  Mark includes the fascinating detail that the demoniac sees Jesus at a distance, this implies that he could run away rather than towards Jesus, but even his demons can't keep him from approaching.  Remember this is the dangerous man who can't be bound, but at the sight of Jesus he falls to a posture of submission (worship?).

The disciples have just asked "Who is this?" on the boat, and the man from his knee bellows in an evil rage the answer for all to hear.  "What do you want from me, Jesus, son of the most high God?"  Here we have again repeated the title given in the opening verse of Mark.  This is the second demon (interestingly this one in gentile territory as if to make the point that Jesus is bigger than just the Jewish religion) to make the pronouncement following the one made by the heavenly voice at Jesus baptism.  The disciples, who have had the benefit of individual instruction and viewing close hand the acts of Jesus don't know who he is, but the first time the demons lay eyes on him, Christ is recognized.

Jesus ask the man's name, whether in the steps of an ancient exorcism to exert authority over the demon or in compassion wanting to have his name to show that he is more than his condition, we do not know.  And it really doesn't matter as the name that is given--Legion--is the condition that grips the man.  Whether there is a sly jab at the Roman occupiers of Israel in this account is not clear.

The demons beg not to be sent out of the area and Jesus accedes to their request and drives them into a herd of unclean pigs.  The destructive demons porcine presence causes the animals to plunge off a cliff to their death.

Polite society could conveniently forget about the demoniac among the tombs, but now Jesus has threatened their livelihood.  Who will after all make restitution for the herd?  Upon hearing about this lemming-like leap, the town leaders go out to find the formerly out of control man now in his right mind and dressed.

How will they respond?  Will they celebrate and throw a party?  After all, the lost one has been restored.  As an aside, this story has odd echoes of Luke's story of the prodigal son in it.  The demoniac and the father see the Son/son from afar and run to him.  In the far off country, the prodigal slops the pigs and the demons from the man are sent into the herd.  But the difference between the Father and the town is striking.  The Father rejoices at the son's return.  The townspeople don't rejoice but beg Jesus to leave.

The demons beg to stay in the region.  The townspeople beg Jesus to leave.  The harsh reality is that people would rather have things stay as they are rather than risk things being turned upside down by Jesus.  They would rather have their livestock than the man restored.

The man who has been healed (resurrected in a way as he goes from living in the tombs back to his home) is ecstatic.  He asks Jesus if he can go with him.  Jesus has previously told others to keep quiet, but here he takes a totally different approach.  Some have suggested that this difference is because the man does not live in Israel.  Rather than inviting him to come with him, he instructs him to go and tell everyone where he lives.  "Go home and tell of the mercy you have received," Jesus tells him.  The man formerly known as Legion is the first foreign missionary!  Everyone knows who he was and who he becomes and when they hear his testimony in the local square they are all amazed at the power that has healed him.