Mark 5: Healing of the Demoniac

Decapolis News (2009) (9" x 12")

collage on paper

This story of Jesus casting out the demons from a possessed man is loaded with images of uncleanliness, at least from a Jewish viewpoint: graves, nudity, and pigs. This emphasizes the demonic nature of the man's condition, in contrast to those who would simply label the man's problem as one of epilepsy.  As in other encounters with demons, there is no question that they recognize Jesus immediately for who he is and bow to his lordship, unlike many of the people Jesus interacts with.