“Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 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!” ⁸For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” (Mark 5:5-8)

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

I have sat among the tombs with the demoniac man for a week. His arms scarred with cuts, Shackles around his ankles, bones breathing in and out in desperate hunger. I watched him day and night cry out for release. “Death, death,” he screamed. And it appeared the demons were trying to kill him.

So many questions form in my mind.

• Why did he not die? 
• Why did this man get picked out for torture? Why so many demons?
• Were they trying to destroy the man? Kill him like they killed the pigs?
• Why did the demons want to stay in the region? Was it a stronghold? Did they hold dominion over the land?
• Why did the demons not come out immediately when Jesus commanded them to?
• Does Jesus torture demons?
• Why was Jesus in the “unclean” cemetery? Did he purposely have the boat docked here to meet this demoniac man?

Jesus does not ask for the man’s background, he doesn’t make an assessment of his sanity, or his worthiness, he just heals the man.

The demons acknowledge that he is the son of God, plead for mercy and Jesus gives it. That seems odd. Jesus showed mercy to demons. They drown themselves.

What courage the weary man had if “Legions” goal was to kill him before this encounter with Jesus. He continued to live in such agony for the moment of ultimate release. Freedom inside and out.

Can you wait? When despair rips you to shreds . . . can you wait for Jesus to free you from your suffering, and trust, though you may be chained in this life, God will relieve all your suffering? Even in despair, God fits us into his story. I watched the transformation of this earthbound, abandoned soul, and I wait expectantly. I wait for my son Jonathan’s story, and for my story to be fully revealed in Christ.

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