They plead with Jesus to depart—the tragic irony is that they more readily clung to their losses than they did to Life Himself.
“And they began to implore Him to leave their region.” (v.17)
In Mark 5:17, Jesus is in the region of the Gerasenes, located near the southeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. At this time (around AD 30), Jesus has just delivered a demon-possessed man who displayed violent superhuman strength, a phenomenon referenced elsewhere (Mark 5:1-20). Historically, the Gerasenes likely felt both amazement and fear witnessing such a dramatic miracle, as huge herds of swine had perished during the exorcism—an event that significantly impacted the local economy and social order.
Following the man’s remarkable healing, the local people respond with alarm rather than celebration. By urging Jesus to leave their region, they began to implore Him to go away rather than remain among them any longer. This reaction appears rooted in fear of His divine power and in a reluctance to accept the disruption of their familiar life. Instead of seeing Jesus’s act as gracious deliverance, they focused on their economic loss and the unsettling display of supernatural authority. In a broader sense, this verse highlights how Jesus’s ministry sometimes spurred rejection when His intervention pushed people outside their comfort zones.
The verse also stands as a reminder that when faced with Christ’s power and presence, individuals are free to respond in faith or to push Him away. Even though the people witnessed freedom from spiritual bondage, their choice was to distance themselves from the source of healing. As a result, Mark 5:17 reveals how human fear can eclipse divine grace when confronted with the miraculous.
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Mark 5:17 meaning
“And they began to implore Him to leave their region.” (v.17)
In Mark 5:17, Jesus is in the region of the Gerasenes, located near the southeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. At this time (around AD 30), Jesus has just delivered a demon-possessed man who displayed violent superhuman strength, a phenomenon referenced elsewhere (Mark 5:1-20). Historically, the Gerasenes likely felt both amazement and fear witnessing such a dramatic miracle, as huge herds of swine had perished during the exorcism—an event that significantly impacted the local economy and social order.
Following the man’s remarkable healing, the local people respond with alarm rather than celebration. By urging Jesus to leave their region, they began to implore Him to go away rather than remain among them any longer. This reaction appears rooted in fear of His divine power and in a reluctance to accept the disruption of their familiar life. Instead of seeing Jesus’s act as gracious deliverance, they focused on their economic loss and the unsettling display of supernatural authority. In a broader sense, this verse highlights how Jesus’s ministry sometimes spurred rejection when His intervention pushed people outside their comfort zones.
The verse also stands as a reminder that when faced with Christ’s power and presence, individuals are free to respond in faith or to push Him away. Even though the people witnessed freedom from spiritual bondage, their choice was to distance themselves from the source of healing. As a result, Mark 5:17 reveals how human fear can eclipse divine grace when confronted with the miraculous.