People Are Crazy

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man

²⁶ So they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee. ²⁷ As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet him. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in the tombs outside the town.

²⁸ As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of him. Then he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg you, don’t torture me!” ²⁹ For Jesus had already commanded the evil spirit to come out of him. This spirit had often taken control of the man. Even when he was placed under guard and put in chains and shackles, he simply broke them and rushed out into the wilderness, completely under the demon’s power.

³⁰ Jesus demanded, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, for he was filled with many demons. ³¹ The demons kept begging Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit.

³² There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby, and the demons begged him to let them enter into the pigs.

So Jesus gave them permission. ³³ Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned.

³⁴ When the herdsmen saw it, they fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. ³⁵ People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been freed from the demons. He was sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. ³⁶ Then those who had seen what happened told the others how the demon-possessed man had been healed. ³⁷ And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them.

So Jesus returned to the boat and left, crossing back to the other side of the lake. ³⁸ The man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him home, saying, ³⁹ “No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.

INTRODUCTION

Several years ago, Billy Currington came out with a country song that I was never fond of but my daughter listened to it and my innocent granddaughter knew the thing by heart. One night she got down by her bed and prayed…GOD IS GREAT, BEER IS GOOD AND PEOPLE ARE CRAZY. That is the title of Currington’s song. I realized immediately it would make a good sermon title for this passage. EXCEPT: I made an editorial change: GOD IS GREAT, JESUS IS GOOD AND PEOPLE ARE CRAZY.

Think about the setting of this story: Jesus and His disciples are coming in to the beach on the Eastern shore of the sea of Galilee. They are landing on a strip of beach that is Gentile territory. Two wild maniacs come running toward Jesus and they are buck naked. Not only did they not wear clothes, they sleep in tombs, that is when they were not hollowing and screaming. They were the local terrorist, everyone was scared of them. No one could control them. Chains would not even restrain them. The approach Jesus screaming…“Jesus, Son of the most high God, why have You come to torment us?”

You say, your right, these two guys are crazy: no, actually, they are not the crazy folks in this story–they are demon possessed and that is a problem but they are not crazy.

They know who Jesus is…

They know about Judgment and torment, the pit, hell…

They even have enough sense to pray

NO, they are not the crazy folks I am referring to…

I am referring to the Gerasenes, the owners of the swine and the folks that asks Jesus to leave…and there is documented proof of their insanity.

I. FIRST OF ALL: THEY ARE CRAZY FOR BELIEVING IN HUMANISTIC SOLUTIONS

The two demoniacs were a menace to the community. They terrorized the entire neighborhood. The answer was to restrain, to chain them, to enslave them but though they seems logical to man, it doesn’t fix anything. These wild men simply broke the chains. Adrian Rogers once said; Sin deformed us, education informs us, prisons reform us, the world conforms us but ONLY JESUS TRANSFORMS US.

JESUS DID IN LEST THAN AN HOUR WHAT THIS WHOLE COMMUNITY HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO IN A LIFE TIME.

We humans think we are pretty smart and the solution to everything is more money or more education. We think money and education will fix everything. Money is not working in education or drugs. We are losing ground because we throw money at every problem.

II. WE ARE CRAZY FOR PUTTING STOCK IN THE MATERIAL RATHER THAN THE SPIRITUAL: FOR VALUING PROPERTY OVER PEOPLE.

Wiersbe said, “We live in a THINGDOM, not a KINGDOM.” When will it sink in: what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?

JESUS transforms a man’s life: He tames a wild and dangerous man. A man that lived like a beast. In no time, Jesus has him dressed and carrying on a normal conversation. What is it about this transformation that does not impress you? WOW! Jesus not only saves the men from destructive behavior, He makes the community a better place to live and yet these Gentile brothers of our are more concerned about the price of pork than they are the soul of a man.

You may think Greed is not a problem in your church; GREED IS A PROBLEM IN EVERY CHURCH.

People are crazy…They love money more than Jesus, just like they love entertainment more than Jesus and their property more than Jesus.

III. ONE LAST REASON WHY I SAY PEOPLE ARE CRAZY: THEY SEND JESUS AWAY!

Jesus and what He did [His power] made them afraid. There is nothing wrong with fear as long as it is awe of His power but this was a superstitious and silly fear.

This fear may have been linked to their lack of understanding…How did Jesus do this?

Perhaps they were afraid of change…

Maybe they were afraid of losing control…

The only thing I know for sure is IT IS CRAZY TO REJECT JESUS.

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