The Healed Demoniac — Sharing Freedom

There are moments when we feel stuck—defined by our past mistakes, our struggles, or our reputation. Maybe people have written you off. Maybe you’ve written yourself off. Maybe you just feel stuck on the margins, unsure where you belong.

That’s what makes this story so powerful. Jesus crosses boundaries to reach someone others had given up on—a man living among tombs, surrounded by death, isolated from the community, and consumed by forces beyond his control. And this one encounter changes everything.

First, the characters:

Jesus: The Son of God, who often seeks out the places and people others avoid. His calm authority brings peace where there is chaos, and his compassion restores dignity to people the world has written off.

The man possessed by demons: A man who’s been cast out of town due to his violent nature and inability to be contained. He lives among tombs in isolation, also symbolizing spiritual death. He becomes a living testimony of restoration.

The townspeople: Witnessing Jesus’s power unsettles them. They fear what they can’t explain and ask him to leave.

The demons (“Legion”): Legion was also the name of a Roman army unit with several thousand men. They represent the overwhelming nature of evil, but also of Jesus’s even greater power and authority over everything.

The setting and genre:

Mark’s Gospel (a historical narrative that tells good news about Jesus) emphasizes action and immediacy; “immediately” is one of his favorite words. This story occurs in the region of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes), a gentile area evidenced by the herd of pigs (unclean animals to Jews). It’s one of the few times in the Gospels that Jesus travels outside Jewish territory. The story shows his authority extends beyond cultural and spiritual boundaries, and that his mercy reaches everyone, even those considered “too far gone.”

Open a Bible and Read:

Mark 5:1–20

Discuss or Journal:

1. What details stood out to you in the story? Pay attention to the man’s transformation—where he begins, what changes, and what Jesus asks him to do.

2. Why do you think the people were afraid after the man was healed?

3. How does Jesus’s command to “go home and tell” strike you?

4. What might it look like for you to share your story of God’s mercy where you are?

The man’s story begins among the dead and ends among the living. His only companions were tombs, and his first act of freedom is worship—he bows before Jesus. His healing doesn’t just restore him physically or emotionally; it restores him relationally. Part of Jesus's healing involved literally clothing him to cover his nakedness and shame (see the other telling of this story in Luke 8!)

It’s striking that Jesus tells him not to follow but to stay and share. Sometimes, faithfulness doesn’t mean going on a grand mission trip; it means being a witness where you already are. And though the townspeople initially rejected Jesus, when the man shares the story in the Decapolis (10 towns), hearing of his transformation causes many to be amazed. Later, when Jesus returned to the region of the Decapolis (Mark 7:31–37), they welcomed him. One man’s story of mercy helped prepare the way.

Your story might seem small or imperfect, but God can use it to open hearts to his presence.

A Prayer for Sharing Freedom

Merciful God, thank you for meeting me in the places others avoid. Thank you for freeing me from what once held me captive; for clothing my shame. Give me the courage to tell the truth about what you’ve done in my life—not to impress others, but to point to you. Help me see the places and people you’re sending me to, so I can share your mercy. Amen.

Share with God + Share with Others

With God: Spend time this week writing down what Jesus has done in your life. Where has he brought freedom or healing? Thank him specifically for those moments.

With Others: Ask God to show you one person who needs encouragement. You don’t need a script—just share a simple story of God’s mercy in your life. Let his work, not your words, be the focus.