The Pig Herder's Story

By Mary Vee
Mark 5

From Pig Herder's Journal 

On the Sea of Galilee facing the shore where
this story takes place.
Photo by Mary Vee

I am a pig herder. I've lived on the far side of the Sea of Galilee my whole life. I take my large herd to the hills and let them feed. 

In my village, there was a man who for a very long time had demons possessing him. The man seemed crazy all the time. 

The entire village was afraid of him. His eyes were wild. We didn't want him to harm our children or our wives so we hired guards to capture him and tie chains to his arms and legs. Big iron chains. But the man had the strength of a ... well, I don't know any man so powerful. He ripped the chains apart then escaped. 

After many years, the possessed man stayed in the tombs. Living like an animal. We left him alone since nothing could hold him prisoner.

Were we still afraid of him? Yes. We were.

This morning, I took the herd out to the hills to feed. From where I stood I watched several boats dock. One man seemed to lead many who followed him.

The most amazing thing happened after He and his followers stepped on to the shore. The crazy man from our village ran to the leader, falling to his knees. I couldn't hear what was said, but the man seemed desperate. Why he went to this leader, I didn't know.

Moments later something odd happened to our crazy man. He stood without thrashing. He didn't scream or flail his arms. It was the first time I had seen him this way.

At the same time, my pigs acted oddly. They squealed like they were attacked but there wasn't any other animal near. They ran in a pack, all two thousand of them, down the steep hill toward the water. 

I yelled my signal to them to come back, but they didn't obey. The entire herd ran into the sea and sank under the water. I couldn't believe my eyes. I had never seen such a thing. 

I ran to the village, calling for everyone to come and hear what had happened. I told them about the pigs running into the sea and the wild man from our village who no longer was wild. 

"Let's go see," they said.

I took them out to the place and showed them the leader who came ashore from the boat. They looked at the wild man from our village sitting on the ground, dressed, and in his right mind. 

We were terribly afraid. How could he have changed so much?

The people who had traveled with the leader told my villagers what had happened. Their leader stepped out of the boat onto the shore. The wild man from our village came and fell on his knees. Jesus told the evil spirits to leave him. The evil spirits asked to go into the pigs and Jesus allowed it. That was when the pigs ran into the sea and drowned.

The news frightened us. Such power in our presence. We hardly knew what to do. "Please leave our region," we said to Jesus.

Jesus didn't argue. He climbed back in the boat. As he did, our village man who had been healed ran to Jesus and asked to go with him. 

"No," Jesus said. "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you. Tell them how He has had mercy on you."

Our village man watched with great sorrow on his face as Jesus left. 

But, I am a witness, that the village man did as Jesus said. He went throughout Decalopis and told everyone what Jesus had done for him.

Everyone who heard his story was amazed.

It made me curious about this man called Jesus.

 Come back to read the next story.

*Author of blog's note: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


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sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.