Mark 5:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him.

NIV: When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.

NASB: Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him;

CSB: When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and knelt down before him.

NLT: When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him.

KJV: But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,

NKJV: When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.

Upon meeting Jesus, demons seem to have two compulsions: to approach Him and to show submission (Mark 1:23–24; 3:11). When these demons sense Jesus' presence, probably before the disciples had landed the boat since they greet Jesus "immediately" (Mark 5:2), they impel the possessed man to run to Him, despite the fear of real danger to themselves (Mark 5:7).

"Fell down before" comes from the Greek root word proskuneo, which means to revere, often by kneeling or prostrating oneself in respect or supplication. This is not necessarily a positive act, but one that recognizes someone in a superior position. The same word is used of the mocking guards who struck Jesus before the crucifixion (Mark 15:19). It is taken from the image of a dog licking its master's hand. In contrast, the synagogue leader (Mark 5:22) and the woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:33) will respectfully and willingly fall before Jesus, even without knowing His identity as the Son of God.

There is no reason to think the man, himself, knows Jesus' true identity. It is the demons who control his body, telling him to run and fall. Evil spirits can control movements and speech, but they have no power over God, whether the Father, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. This means that born-again, saved Christians can't be possessed. Evil spirits lack the authority or desire to be where Jesus is. They may still seek to attack and cause problems for believers (Ephesians 6:12) and tempt believers, just as Satan tempted Jesus (Matthew 4:1–10). However, evil spirits must submit to God. If we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we cannot be possessed by demons.

Mark 5:1–13 describes Jesus' encounter with a man possessed by a vast number of demonic spirits. Jesus has shown His authority over storms during the turbulent crossing of the Sea of Galilee. In a cemetery on the eastern shore of the lake, He and the twelve meet a wild, dangerous man controlled by a ''legion'' of demons. Jesus allows the fleeing evil spirits to enter a herd of pigs which promptly run into the sea and drown. The man is grateful. The locals, either startled by Jesus' power or afraid for their livestock, promptly ask Jesus to leave. This account is also found in Luke 8:26–33 and possibly Matthew 8:28–32 which mentions two possessed men.

Jesus arrives on the other side of the Sea of Galilee and heals a man afflicted by a ''legion'' of demons. In the aftermath of this event, Jesus once again crosses the waters within this region, known as the Decapolis. There, He is approached by a synagogue leader, begging Him to come and save a dying girl. In the midst of this trip, Jesus stops the crowd to identify a woman who attempted to covertly touch his robes; her faithful act results in healing. Jesus then continues on to the home of the synagogue leader and resurrects his recently-deceased child.

Mark 4:35—5:43 sees an increase in the scope of Jesus' miracles. He has just calmed a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee. Now, He expels a legion of demons, heals a woman without overtly acting, and brings a girl back to life. All three situations—related to tombs, blood, and death—show Jesus bringing healing to unclean circumstances. In chapter 6, the tone of His ministry will develop. He will be rejected by those who should know Him best, He will send out His followers to do His work, and His direct link to the Old Testament prophets will be explained.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.