In the region of the Gerasenes a man comes out to meet Jesus whom no one could hold in chains: naked, cut with stones, living among the tombs. After the encounter he is sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind (Mark 5). The town, however, does not rejoice; it is seized with fear and asks Jesus to leave, because two thousand drowned pigs prove worth more than one life restored. Listen and ask what carries a price like that around you, a price at which a person restored looks too expensive.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In Mark 5:1-20, what is the man's life like before he meets Jesus, and how has it changed when he is sitting there dressed and in his right mind?
- Why do the townspeople become afraid and ask Jesus to leave instead of celebrating the healing? What does the sermon say this reveals about what the kingdoms of this world value?
- Jesus doesn't let the healed man come with Him but sends him home to his own people, even though he doesn't know a single Bible verse yet. What does it teach you that experiencing God's mercy is enough to start telling others?
- The speaker pointed out that on the cross Jesus trades places with the possessed man: naked, bleeding, crying out, and laid in a tomb. What does it mean for you to be dressed in His righteousness rather than in your past?
- What fears come up when you think about fully surrendering to Christ, and what could help you move from fear to amazement, like the people of the Decapolis?
- This week, who might God be sending you to with the story of what He has done for you, including people who have rejected you or who are different from you?
