Tell what great things God has done for you

Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!" For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him. And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.

Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine; and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.

When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into he boat and returned. Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you." And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

- Luke 8:26-39

In the last reading, we read of Jesus' preaching about spiritual sight and hearing - the ability to perceive spiritual reality with the heart. These are mysteries, hidden or secret knowledge, and Jesus taught that we must take care how we hear, "For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him." Also included in that reading was the story of Jesus' mother and brothers seeking Him, when Jesus pronounced faith as the great link which creates His own family. "My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it." Finally, He is on the lake with His apostles, when the wind and waves toss their boat so that the disciples are afraid. He rebukes them for their lack of faith.

Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. My study bible notes, "The country of the Gadarenes was Gentile territory where people could raise swine (v. 32), which were considered unclean by the Jews." Their journey across the lake, fraught with fear (see Saturday's reading), is a journey of faith into Gentile territory - in some sense, into the unknown. This is a mirror of the faith required of the people of Israel when they journeyed with Moses to an unknown land, new territory.

And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!" For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. A note reads: "Christ draws forth the reluctant confession of the demons. Their displeasure at being forced to obey Christ (v. 31) testifies to the strength of Jesus' divine nature. His power overcomes them, and they are forced to abandon immediately the man they possessed." What I find interesting about these verses is the fear of the demons in the presence of Christ. They know who He is, and beg "Do not torment me!"

For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. We are told of the effects of this demonic possession. It is harmful, self-destructive to the man possessed. Of course we understand he cannot live with those in his hometown, the city, but only among the tombs, like one of the dead. Not only that, but this poor man is constantly bound, and sent further into the wilderness, alone and abandoned. Faith teaches us about relationship, relatedness, and, as Jesus has just pronounced in the last reading, Christ's family. But this possession scatters this man - out of the society, among the tombs, among what is unclean, in fear, and driving him deeper into wilderness. Faith supports and sustains us; evil is parasitical and derives its power by robbing us and teaching us fear.

Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him. And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss. The abyss is what the tombs represent - the region of death, an endless bottomless depth.

Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine; and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned. The swine, of course, are considered unclean to a Jewish audience, and signs that we are in Gentile territory. Despite the demons' begging that they wish not to be sent to the abyss, the pigs die by a violent, overwhelming mass suicide. The destructive impulse and effect of the demons is complete in a vivid scene, and I believe that this is the lesson we are to take from it. In other lessons, Jesus will teach us that we must choose carefully what we worship; there is no compromise in this. We can understand the parasitical and destructive effects of illness and disease in our modern lives - and those for whom there can be no compromise to recovery, strength and help.

When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And here is a clue to this community: they see the tremendous effect of healing, but they want Jesus and this man gone from them - they cared about the pigs, not about a different life that comes from the power of this Healer. It is fear that drives their choices, too. So, we are taught that fear doesn't rule us only as individuals to drive us from faith, but it can also rule an entire community.

And He got into he boat and returned. Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you." And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. My study bible notes here: "Jesus does not call all whom He saves to join His band of disciples. This man, wonderfully healed, is sent back home to witness to the power of Christ there."

I think repeatedly in the Gospels we are taught that the power of Christ, when it interacts with an ailing humanity (that is, the condition of all of us), cannot be viewed with the attitude of an impartial bystander. We are forced to make a choice. It changes us, it changes our reality. In the case of the Gadarenes, they want things back the old way - their swine are dead. That is what they see of the power of Christ, not the healing of the demon-possessed man. In the case of the one healed, he wishes to join Christ and His disciples. But Jesus has a better plan for him, one in which he is sent - not as the old afflicted person ridden and burdened with demonic possession - but as a man healed, transformed, restored not just to his former life but as a follower in faith of Christ. He is restored to the city, the life of the society, as someone who will witness and testify, a bringer of good news. I personally love this story, because of its revealing transformation. This man may not become a disciple and stay with Jesus, but he does become an important witness of the good news, an early evangelist. In the power of his transformation and healing, we have a microcosm of the world, afflicted by all manner of parasitical ailments, in need of restoration and healing. And the good news is there. How have you been healed? How has this power affected your life? What has faith done for you? How has it helped you with your fears and burdens? Has faith restored some part of your life or yourself that was consigned to an abyss, or a tomb-like place of death - perhaps even among others who preferred life among "the tombs?" I know so many people who can witness to this, too. How has faith taken you into new territory? Aren't we all, in some way, like this man? What great things has God done for you?