Body
THE ANSWER. Discouragement, disappointment, despondency, despair, depression. We all face seasons of life that are less than sunny. At times those seasons seem like they'll never end. Perhaps some are just wired this way, but I know of no one who has volunteered to be a 'gloomy Gus.' That goes for the man in Mark 5. The main issue causing him despair was the fact that he was demon possessed. Today, we might be inclined to discount such things. However, if people were plagued by demons in Bible times, why would that not happen still today? So, how did this impact the man's life? First, he found himself living in the tombs of decaying, dead bodies (5:3). He clearly was not in his right mind. He also shrieked out with blood-curdling sounds at all hours of the day and night (5:5). His soul might have genuinely been seeking help. So disturbed was this man that he regularly cut his flesh with stones, leaving his body visibly scarred (5:5). People tried to help by chaining him up so that he couldn't hurt himself, but that was to no avail (5:34). However, the day came when he saw Jesus. He must have known that the Lord was his only help for, 'When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him' (5:6). Whether it's demon possession or just inner kerfuffles of the soul, the only true victory comes when people run to the Lord Jesus and bow down before Him. With all of the despair in our world today, people are looking for deliverance. However, deliverance ultimately only comes from being rightly related to Jesus Christ. It was Jesus who told the demons that it was 'moving day' when He commanded them to leave the man and inhabit a herd of pigs. Being then 'clothed and in his right mind' (5:15), this man repeatedly begged Jesus that he might stay with Him (5:18). Are you struggling with life or know of someone who is? The answer to the woes of life is Jesus for He is the Prince of Peace!
