Bible Society of South Africa
Merero ya ho bala
Remember his strength
Remember his strength – Day 6
Frank Retief

Remember his strength – Day 6

Rejection

Se(di)ngolwa (t)sa Bibele

MAREKA 5

15Ba tla ho Jesu, mme ba bona monna ya neng a ena le lebotho la bademona a dutse, a apere, kelello ya hae e tsitsitse hantle, mme ba tshoha.

MAREKA 5:15SSO89SOBula ka mmadi wa Bibele

MAREKA 5

Phodiso ya Mogerasa ya nang le modemona

1Yaba ba fihla ka mose wane ho letsha, naheng ya Bagerasa. 2Yare ha a etswa ka sekepeng, a re ptjangptjang le monna ya nang le moya o ditshila, a etswa hara mabitla, 3moo a neng a phela teng, mme ho ne ho se ya ka hlolang a mo tlama le ka ketane, 4hobane o ne a hlola a tlangwa ka mahlaahlela le ka diketane, ebe diketane o a di ngamolla, mahlaahlela a a kgaole dikotwana. Ho ne ho se ya ka mo hlolang ka matla. 5Kamehla, bosiu le motsheare, o ne a howa a le hara mabitla le dithabeng, mme a itsheha ka majwe.

6Yare ha a bona Jesu a sa le hole, a matha, a fihla, a mo kgumamela. 7A howa ka lentswe le phahameng, a re: “O nkene kang, Jesu, Mora wa Modimo ya hodimodimo? Ke o rapela ka lebitso la Modimo hore o se ke wa ntlhokofatsa.” 8Jesu o ne a itse ho yena: “Tswa mothong eo, wena moya o ditshila!”

9Jesu a mmotsa, a re: “Lebitso la hao o mang?”

A re ho yena: “Lebitso la ka ke Lebotho, hobane re bangata.” 10A mo rapela ka matla hore a se ke a ba leleka naheng eo.

11Ho ne ho ena le mohlapehadi wa dikolobe o neng o fula mosikong wa thaba. 12Meya e ditshila ya mo kopa, ya re: “Re romele dikolobeng, e le hore re kene ka ho tsona.” 13A e dumella, yaba meya e ditshila e a tswa, e kena ka dikolobeng. Mohlape oo, o neng o ka etsa dikete tse pedi, wa tsubella selomong, wa itihela letsheng, mme wa kgangwa ke metsi.

14Badisa ba dikolobe ba baleha ho ya beha ditaba tsena motseng le metsaneng, mme batho ba tla ho tla bona se etsahetseng. 15Ba tla ho Jesu, mme ba bona monna ya neng a ena le lebotho la bademona a dutse, a apere, kelello ya hae e tsitsitse hantle, mme ba tshoha. 16Ba boneng ba ba bolella se etsahetseng ho ya neng a ena le modemona le ka dikolobe.

17Yaba ba qala ho rapela Jesu hore a tswe naheng ya bona.

18Yare ha a kena ka sekepeng, monna ya neng a ena le modemona a kopa hore a tsamaye le yena.

19Jesu a se ke a mo dumella, a mpa a re ho yena: “Eya hae, ho ba heno, o ba bolelle tsohle tseo Morena a o etseditseng tsona, ka ho o utlwela bohloko.”

20Yaba o a ikela, mme a phatlalletsa baahi ba Dekapolese dintho tseo Jesu a mo etseditseng tsona, mme batho bohle ba makala.

MAREKA 5:1-20SSO89SOBula ka mmadi wa Bibele

Our generation of people are used to seeing pictures of the weird and the wonderful. Movies and special effects have left us largely expecting the spectacular and, sadly, we have been so spoiled that at another level, it is hard to impress us anymore.

However, this story in Mark 5:1-20 takes some beating. It is a bizarre story, to say the least, and we need to know what it is we should watch out for and what we need to learn.

First, it is helpful to remember that the area Jesus visited (described in verse 1) was a Gentile area, not a Jewish area. The presence of pigs, the unearthly cries of a man possessed by evil spirits and living amongst the tombs would have been experiences that were common to the darkness and superstitions of many Gentile communities.

Then, notice how the evil spirits in the man respond to Jesus. They bow before him and express fear of him (Mark 5:6,9). This is because the world of darkness knew that, with the arrival of Jesus, the game was up. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and although not destroyed yet, Satan is, in principle, overthrown and faces a frightening judgement from God.

Next, comes the request to enter the pigs and the permission given by Jesus. The pigs all perish in the lake and the people of the area are dumbfounded.

Why did this story play out like this? It is all so strange. Why did Jesus go there? How do the evil spirits recognise him? Why does he silence them? Why give them permission to enter the pigs? These and many other questions arise from this passage. However, these questions are not Mark’s aim here. What he wants us to see is how people responded to Jesus.

You would think that poor frightened people, who had lived with a mad man terrorising them for years, would be grateful for what Jesus did. Perhaps, they would invite him into this village, plead with him to bring his power and his light, and deliver others? Nothing of the kind! They asked him to go! Read verse 17. Isn’t this a strange response? The Saviour appears but he is turned away! This is no different to many people today, who see the wonderful difference Jesus makes in the lives of others, yet find within themselves a strange fear of him and, therefore, turn their backs on him.

Do you know people like that? Pray for them that God will open the blind eyes and soften the hard hearts.

At least one person welcomed Jesus and would have stayed with him – the man who was delivered. However, Jesus gave him the same command that he gives you and me, once we have experienced his power, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

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