READING: Numbers 1, Mark 5:1-20
He must have been a mess. He lived among the tombs. His strength was so great that no one could subdue him. No chains were strong enough to keep him bound. He screamed through the night, and he cut himself with stones (perhaps in a desire to hurt himself). The unclean spirits simply controlled him—and they were bent on destroying him.
I suspect that no one wanted to go near him. Surely moms said to their children, “Don’t go near the graveyard. The crazy man’s there.” Even dads probably avoided that area. The echoing nighttime cries of the demoniac must have been enough to stop people in their tracks.
Jesus, though, was not just anybody. He is the Son of God, the ruler over nature, demons, sickness, and death. He is grace embodied. When He showed up, the demons met their match. Jesus cast out a legion of demons, and “the man who had been demon-possessed [was] sitting there, dressed and in his right mind” (Mark 5:15). That’s just what Jesus does: He frees people in bondage and grants them new life.
PRAYER: “Thank You, Jesus, for Your power and authority over demons. I praise You for healing.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Numbers 2-3, Mark 5:21-6:6
