4th Week in Ord. Time, Monday – 31st January 2022 — Gospel: Mark 5,1-20
Proclaiming with Joy
In the healing of the Gerasene demoniac, Jesus casts out the devils and sends them into a herd of swine. The presence of pigs suggests that it is a Gentile territory, because Jews considered pigs as unclean animals, and would not have them nearby. Some have raised questions about the destruction of nature because the herd of pigs are drowned after the demon is sent into them. However, it should be interpreted as the extent of concern Jesus had for the man. The salvation of a human being is worth any price.
The possessed man had an intimate encounter with God’s mercy. His running to and prostrating himself before Jesus was an act of repentance. After Jesus forgave and freed him from the oppression of the demons, he wanted to follow Jesus. Instead, Jesus sent him on a mission to share Christ’s mercy with his loved ones and community. His exile was ended, and his life was restored. Therefore, Jesus directed him to others, in order to proclaim the Gospel of Christ’s mission of mercy to the Gentiles in the centre of Greco-Roman culture, the Decapolis. Imagine the joy and hope in this man’s words and how compelling his story was based on his healing and restoration. Now the healed man becomes an apostle.
