STILLING THE TEMPEST, 


AND HEALING THE DEMONIAC 


FROM THE TOMBS.


''Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us; we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith! 

Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!"

''And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way." 

Mark and Luke, in narrating the same, speak of only one man. Luke says, "There met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, tie cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.) And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? 

And he said, Legion; because many devils were entered into him. And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. And there was there an herd of many swine feeding in the mountain; and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them. Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine; and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked. When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country, then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed. Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.

"Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him."

The astonishing miracles recorded in this lesson give the most positive proof of the divine power of Jesus; yet the people besought him to leave them. It seems that they did not regard the deliverance of the demoniac from the power of Satan, or his restoration to his family and friends, as a sufficient compensation for the loss of the swine that had been drowned in the lake. And is it not true that people do now bid their Lord depart, lest the service he requires should cause the loss of property or friends? Also they which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed. Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.

"Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him."

The astonishing miracles recorded in this lesson give the most positive proof of the divine power of Jesus; yet the people besought him to leave them. It seems that they did not regard the deliverance of the demoniac from the power of Satan, or his restoration to his family and friends, as a sufficient compensation for the loss of the swine that had been drowned in the lake. And is it not true that people do now bid their Lord depart, lest the service he requires should cause the loss of property or friends?