“They came to…the country of the Gerasenes. And when (Jesus) came out of the boat, there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who lived among the tombs; and no one could bind him any more, even with a chain; for he had often been bound with fetters and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the fetters he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. Crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” He begged him eagerly not to send them out of the country. He gave them leave. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered the swine. People came to see what it was that had happened. And they came to Jesus, and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the man who had had the legion. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood” Mark 5:1-17

It is much harder to believe the miraculous when we do not witness the event than it is when we do. If someone tells you that they can make the Empire State Building disappear, you would most likely say something like “I will believe it when I see it.” In the text above the opposite seems to be true. Those who find the demoniac “…clothed and in his right mind” do not want to believe what they see, and so they ask Jesus to leave. Either they are just angry that they have lost all of the swine herds, or they believe Jesus has done something evil to the whole community – so they demand Jesus leaves them alone.

“Nay sayers” – they are all around us. Whether they can’t believe what they have seen, or just refuse to believe in miracles, nothing seems to sway them from their disbelief.

There has been an explosion of shows in 2020 which are seeking to discover “Big Foot”. They offer grainy films with long-distance pictures of an “unknown” creature and seek to do DNA studies on hair and feces from more “unknown” beasts. Truth is, until we get a carcass of a Big Foot, there is no proof that this creature exists – and the “nay sayers” will continue to doubt. And even if they capture the creature, many will just say “I cannot believe it.”

When we listen to the eyewitness accounts about Jesus, about his miracles and his healings, we have those who believe, and those who refuse. One thing that Big Foot and Jesus have in common is this: their stories have been handed down to us for thousands of years — even without much physical evidence. But believing in both requires faith – even if that faith will not necessarily clear things up. That is where trust comes in. G-d promised to send the Messiah – and so we trust that Jesus is the One. For me, that is all I need. But as for Big Foot, I will need more….

Pastor Dave