They
came to Jesus, and saw him who had been possessed by demons sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, even him who had the legion; and they were afraid. Those who saw it declared to them what happened to him who was possessed by demons, and about the pigs. They began to beg him to depart from their region.
Mark 5:15-17
Mark 5 [13.] At once Jesus gave them permission. The unclean spirits came out and entered into the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and they were drowned in the sea. Those who fed them fled, and told it in the city and in the country. The people came to see what it was that had happened.
Mark 5 [15.] They came to Jesus, and saw him who had been possessed by demons sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, even him who had the legion; and they were afraid. Those who saw it declared to them what happened to him who was possessed by demons, and about the pigs. They began to beg him to depart from their region.
Mark 5 [18.] As he was entering into the boat, he who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. He didn’t allow him, but said to him, “Go to your house, to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how he had mercy on you.”
Meaning:
In Mark 5:15-17 the townspeople arrive to see for themselves. They find the man who had terrorized the area “sitting, clothed, and in his right mind.” It is one of the most beautiful pictures of transformation in the Gospels. Yet the crowd’s reaction is not joy but fear. When they hear about the man and the pigs, they beg Jesus to leave their region. The passage confronts us with two very different responses to the power of Christ.
- Sitting, Clothed, and in His Right Mind
Each phrase reverses what the man had been. He had roamed “night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains” (Mark 5:5); now he was sitting at rest. He had worn no clothes (Luke 8:27); now he was clothed, perhaps by the disciples. He had been crying out and cutting himself; now he was “in his right mind.” Mark adds the striking detail that this was “even him who had the legion.” The worst case in the region had become living proof of Jesus’ power.
This is what Jesus came to do. He announced his mission “to proclaim release to the captives ... to deliver those who are crushed” (Luke 4:18). Paul describes the same reality spiritually: “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The psalmist sings, “He restores my soul” (Psalm 23:3).
- “And They Were Afraid”
It may seem strange that a healing produced fear, but it is a common response when people encounter the holy power of God. The disciples, after the storm was stilled, “were greatly afraid” (Mark 4:41). When Peter saw the miraculous catch of fish he fell at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord” (Luke 5:8). Power that no chains could match was now standing on their shore, and they did not know what it might do next.
Fear itself is not wrong; Scripture often commends a reverent fear of God. The tragedy is what they did with their fear. Peter fell at Jesus’ feet and followed him. These people asked him to go.
- “They Began to Beg Him to Depart”
The witnesses told the crowd what had happened “to him who was possessed by demons, and about the pigs.” The order of concern is revealing. A man had been restored, but a valuable herd had been lost, and local livelihoods were shaken. Perhaps they feared further losses if Jesus stayed. They preferred the old, familiar situation, even with a madman among the tombs, to the disruptive presence of the Son of God.
Jesus’ words elsewhere describe this response: “the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light” (John 3:19). Remarkably, Jesus granted their request. He does not force himself on those who refuse him, though he left behind a witness who would keep speaking for him (Mark 5:18-19).
The Significance of Mark 5:15-17
- What Do We Value Most?
The townspeople counted their pigs and missed their Saviour. We face the same temptation when following Jesus threatens our income, comfort or reputation. Jesus warned, “You can’t serve both God and Mammon” (Matthew 6:24). The question is not whether Jesus will cost us something, but whether we will treasure him above everything he asks us to give up.
- Don’t Send Jesus Away
Many people today politely ask Jesus to leave their lives because his presence is unsettling. Yet he still stands and knocks: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him” (Revelation 3:20). “Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Cross-References:
2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new." The healed man is a living picture of new creation.
John 3:19: "This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil." The townspeople preferred their old life to the Light who had come to them.
Luke 5:8: "But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord.”" Fear before Jesus can lead to repentance and discipleship rather than rejection.
Revelation 3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me." Jesus waits to be welcomed, not forced on anyone.
Conclusion: Mark 5:15-17 sets a restored man beside a fearful crowd. One had been changed by Jesus; the others asked him to leave. The passage invites us to look honestly at our own hearts. When Jesus’ power disturbs our comfort or costs us something, will we send him away, or will we sit at his feet, clothed and in our right minds, grateful for what he has done?
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible