Sun Kwak, “Among the Tombs”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELH7rU77gSI

TEXT: Mark 5:1-20

[1] They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. [2] And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. [3] He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, [4] for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. [5] Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. [6] And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. [7] And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” [8] For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” [9] And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” [10] And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. [11] Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, [12] and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” [13] So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.

[14] The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. [15] And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. [16] And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. [17] And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. [18] As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. [19] And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” [20] And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

SERMON: “Among the Tombs”

Some of you know the name Jen Wilkin. I remember her talking about some of the incommunicable attributes of God. And those are character attributes exclusively belonging to God and not to us. And the specific attribute she was talking about was the immutability of God — that God is unchangeable and unchanging. That he forever is and was and is to come, the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. And it’s the best news for us that God is unchanging. Because we know exactly what to expect with God. He’s not going to change who he is, and thus, he gives us through his Word, the most dependable reference point. And while it’s good news that he is unchanging and unchangeable, it is also good news that this is not something he shares with us. Because we are always in need of change. And it’s something that we need to admit of ourselves — that we are in need of change. That we are all in process. And the specific thing that Jen Wilkinnoted that was thought provoking was that when we say things like — I can’t change, it’s just the way I am, it’s just the way God made me. When we say things like that, we are assuming an incommunicable attribute. And sure, there are certain ways God has uniquely fashioned us that make us tick and operate in certain ways. But none of us are incapable of change. In fact, change is an integral part of the Christian life.

And that might hit different people in different ways in here today. For some of us, maybe you’ve been looking for change. Maybe there’s a certain sin struggle that you haven’t been able to make progress with. Maybe you’re in some relational turmoil or at a fork in the road. And if you don’t change, there are dire consequences. But you’re trying, and you just haven’t seen the change you need. But maybe you’re in a place where you’re thinking that you don’t need much change. In fact, change is unwelcome not only around you but also within you. And if you’ve inherited this high self-regard and elated self-esteem, I hate to break it to you. But you’re in need of change. Because change is the mark of the Spirit’swork within you. Because something that John Piper notes about us and our relationship with God is that grace is not just pardon but power. It’s not just about wiping our records clean, but grace is the very source for our transformation. And as a people and a church committed to the grace of God, we lean into its power as the central source for our continual transformation.

You look at our passage today, and it’s the second week we’re on this passage. And the last time we were here, our emphasis was upon the lordship and the powerful authority of God’s Word. That Jesus declares war over our sin and declares victory for us who are liberated from the shackles of sin in the story gospel. But that’s not where the story ends. Because after the liberation, there is a vivid portrayal of transformation and conversion in Christ that we see with this man. And just as Jesus has declared his lordship over the powers of evil, here he is calling upon his powers at work within us. That he not only pursues after us, but in discipleship to him, he demands as our Savior who saved us and our Lord who calls us, that we don’t remain the same. The call to discipleship is the call toward transformation. And for this to happen, it takes commitment — not primarily ours but one who commits to diving into the darkness, into the powers of evil, into the caves. And I know that many of us retreat into our caves of isolation, where sin eats at us and continues to grow. But you see, Jesus is not afraid of these dark places. He goes to be among the tombs, in order to seek out the transformation of this man. And if he does so with him, he’ll do so with you.

You look at our passage, and Jesus takes his disciples to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. But after this encounter with this demon-possessed man, he makes his way back over to the other side of the sea. And so, it’s for this one event, this one encounter, this one appointment that he makes his way over and goes back again. And so, as we navigate through this story, we’re going to find that there is no darkness that is not just too dark or too deep in you that he’s afraid of entering or diving in. But not just that. There’s also no darkness that he isn’t willing to dive into. So, let’s go there today through this story — to attain the courage to confront our inner demons and to speak a better word over our sins. Because by the power of his Word and the by the promise of his presence, Jesus is committing to making us new, as a new creation through gospel transformation.

And the first thing we can note is what’s obvious — it’s the otherworldly strength of this man. This is in picture form of something that Jesus said of a certain strong man back in the end of chapter 3, when describing Satan as this strong man. And what he said there in ch3v27 — But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house. And the language of plundering is something that refers to warfare. And this language describes of how warlords would completely subdue their opponents even after their defeat. And so, what Jesus depicts is that in order for those to be freed of this monstrous power and strong man, what Jesus has to do is come into the home, into the castle of this strong man where he’s holding his prisoners. And in order to free them, to free us, he has to bind him, to disarm him. And that’s just what he does with this man on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. And the way that Mark describes him tells us that he’s this unstoppable force and frightening presence.

If you’ve seen the Netflix TV show Stranger Things, there’s a lot of terrifying characters. But the one that this demon-possessed man reminds us of is Billy from season 3, who’s overtaken by the Mind Flayer. And he’s breaking out of chains, he’s running through cars, he’s ripping through doors, he’s bursting through malls. He’s terrifying, and that’s what I’m picturing with this demon-possessed man. We’re given this description of him in verses 3-5: “He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.” And so, here is this chain shattering strength exhibited by this frightening man.

And this is something that’s more evident in the Greek, but with these verbs, some of these are used exclusively here. And they’re essentially verbs with prepositions added in front in order to accentuate the power of these actions of wrenching apart and breaking and cutting. That it’s through and taking apart what was once together. It’s this aggressive and uncontainable power that’s described here. And we noted from the last time we were in the passage, there was nothing that could subdue him. That this is language from the Garden, when Adam was called upon as the ruler with dominion over creation to subdue whatever would have been usurping his authority. But as he failed in that task, creation unravels with the effects of sin manifesting itself with the creation turning on man. As I share with my kids, we weren’t meant to be afraid of sharks. And one day, we won’t be. But at this moment, creation has some dysfunctions. And so, with this dysfunction in view, what we’re intended to see with this subduing is the entrance of who we often refer to as the Second Adam, the Last Adam, the true gardener, and the one our kids at Christ Our Redeemer know through our curriculum as the head crusher. And just as he had in the synagogue in chapter 1, here he comes to cut off the head of the snake, to place him under his feet. And as he’s seen seen this monstrosity overwhelm his creation, he enters in. He goes to the other side.

Now, something that I want to note here is that this is a side that the disciples had most likely never gone over to. Jews, like Peter and especially the likes of Simon the Zealot, would have been taught from a very early age not to cross to the other side of Galilee. This was the place of the Gentiles, as seen through the pigs, which was food deemed ceremonially unclean. And not only was Jesus entering a land deemed unclean, but in Deuteronomy 12, we read that anyone who touches a corpse was ceremonially unclean for seven years. And so, by approaching this man, here was Jesus who was approaching a man who was out of reach and would have never been admitted into the community of God’s people. But just as he was binding this strength that was unable to be bound, he comes to reverse the ceremonial filth that seemed to be irreversible and overpowering.

There’s this movie that I watched some years back that I’ve shared with a few of you. It’s a Korean film titled The Wailing. It’s a horror movie, so if that’s not your jam, I wouldn’t recommend it — it’s got some jarring scenes and some intense moments. In the story, there are all these monsters and those with great evil powers that are ravaging the commoners in a village. And they’re, by all means, overwhelming. But something that comes to unravel toward the end is that they all cower in fear when in the presence of this woman dressed in white. And she represents goodness and purity, but there’s still something eery about her. And screenwriter and director Na Hong-Jin, who’s Christian and wrote the story with his Christian perspective. Something that he notes is that her placement in the story is to represent what horrors pure good presents to evil. That there is a power to true goodness that makes evil shiver and shake. It might remind us of something that’s a little more well known to us, something the Kwak kids have been reciting at home. Words from Mr. Beaver to Lucy in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when Lucy asks about Aslan and if he’s safe. Safe? Who said anything about safe? Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good, he’s the king, I tell you. And that’s the picture of Jesus here. A goodness so pure that evil shakes before him. And at the same time, a goodness so pure that’s gentle and lowly and kind, manifested in his calm presence to sit with the man once possessed by these demons.

And so, here Jesus exorcises these demons out of this man. And that’s exorcise, as in exorcism. And it’s after this exorcism and at the end of our story where this man is shown to be exhibiting this complete transformation. For there he is sitting at the feet of Jesus. And it’s a radical sight — he who was once a terror to those around him is now calm. And in the Greek, there are three participles describing his radical transformation. He’s sitting, he’s clothed, and he’s in his right mind. And consider some of the details here. He’s described quite deliberately to be at the feet of Jesus. This is something we see with Mary and with those who affectionately love Jesus. But this is also the picture of a conquered foe. Remember, Jesus is the head crusher. We read this in Psalm 74 — You broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters. You crushed the heads of Leviathan. For it’s under the foot that Satan, sin, and death are to be conquered. And that’s what we have here, with these demons plunged into the depths of the sea. And so, this man is here at the feet of Jesus, at the place of safety, for here is where he had been set free. Knowing that if the power of Jesus took these demons out of him, then the power of Jesus would keep these demons out of him as well. And there he is, sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. And what might he have been thinking about? Well, before him in the sea were the multitude of pigs flailing in the sea. He would have known — these were once inside of me. And now they’re not. And so, what happened? And where did his suffering and his torment go?

And for this man and for us, I think this very consideration is the source of our change. What happened? Where did the suffering go? What happened to the powers that once held him captive? Because Jesus not only took him out of his suffering, but as Lord and Savior, he plunged himself in. For wouldn’t it be that one day these powers and tormentswould resurface? Where there would be one who was strong but would become weak, as he was bound. Bound onto a wooden cross to place the chains and what had shackled of our souls onto himself when on the cross. And just as this man had his flesh cut up, there would be Jesus flogged and his flesh dug into. And just as this man was crying out in his agony and pain night and day, there would be the Son of Man crying out to heaven in the darkness of one Friday afternoon. For there he would be taking upon the suffering, the torment in order to set this man free. And as this once demon-possessed man is now clothed, there would be the picture of great exchange where on the cross, Jesus would be the one disrobed and exposed in nakedness and shame. Bearing his and our shame and our sin, in order that he might be robed in the righteousness of Christ. For in the end of the Gospel, Jesus would trade places with this man, in his commitment to go into the tombs, the truest and darkest tomb, where the depths of evil, the depths of our darkness was found. That in his commitment to be among us in our tombs, he would be put into the tomb himself.

And something we see in the story of Alice in Wonderland, where our son Jones was cast in the play as the White Rabbita few months back. In the story, little Alice meets Cheshire Cat when she hits a fork on the road. And there, she doesn’t know which path to take. And so, she asks which path she should take. And to that, Cheshire Cat asks Alice where she wants to go. To which, she responded that she didn’t know. And so, his response — that it shouldn’t matter which path she takes, if she doesn’t know where she wants to go. There needs to be a direction, a trajectory. And if the trajectory of Jesus was to enter the tomb, it was to change ours. That we were those once destined for the tombs. But what do we find with this man and with those who witnessed Jesus not only enter but rise victorious over the tomb? For just as Maryand Peter and John and the disciples reacted when seeing the empty tomb of Jesus, here this man is sent on a mission. In the English, we read in verse 19 that he’s told to tell his friends about what’s happened.

But in the Greek, it’s the word to report, to announce, to declare. This is to preach of news, of something certain. There is an official sense to the word that was often used in that context of kings who would send ambassadors, emissaries to declare and pronounce their edicts. And we noted that this was Jesus who was declaring war against the kingdom of darkness. And what we’re called to do is to declare, to announce, to proclaim. Because what we note here is that this is not something that’s negotiated. It’s a report to share — to our neighbors, to one another, and to our own hearts. The report is that it’s done. And because Jesus has conquered death, our trajectory is now different. And it necessitates change. Sometimes, it looks like sin is overwhelming, that evil is winning. You might be wondering with that sin that dwells deep in the cave, deep in the darkness that it just keeps growing in strength and is this formidable foe. But for us who are in Christ, sin and death are not our destiny. Because hope is our birthright. We report, we herald a change in our trajectory and destiny. For when Jesus rose victorious after dying on the cross, he declares to sin and death once and for all — You are finished. To our hearing and for our acquittal.