Posts
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 feed 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 the 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 yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His preaching after He had explained the parable of the Sower to His disciples. He taught them, "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. Therefore take heed how you 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." Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. And it was told Him by some who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You." But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it." Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake." And they launched out. But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!"
Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. My study bible tells us that "the country of the Gadarenes was Gentile territory where people could raise swine, which were considered unclean by the Jews." We remember the turbulent sea, and the fear of the disciples as they crossed the Sea of Galilee, entering into a new region, an alien 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. If we observe carefully, we see indeed what alien territory this is! Moreover, here is a man lost to the world -- there are no signs of civilization or of his belonging. He doesn't wear any clothes, and he doesn't live in a house. Instead, he lives in the tombs, among the dead, the places for the bodies of those who are no longer a part of our world, in a truly desolate place.
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!" My study bible says that "Christ draws forth the reluctant confession of the demons. Their displeasure at being forced to obey Christ testifies to the strength of Jesus' divine nature. His power overcomes them, and they are forced to abandon immediately the man they possessed."
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. Here is further evidence of the great isolation of the man. He had to be kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles. But beyond this, so "uncivilized" is his life that he even broke the bonds and was driven into the wilderness. The demon has exacted a heavy toll.
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. Here is the greatest evidence of oppression possible: this man isn't contending with simply one oppressive demon, but a legion. According to one dictionary, a legion in the Roman army consisted of 3,000 to 6,000 foot soldiers, with additional cavalry. This man is contending with, and occupied by an entire military force meant to subdue cities and large populations. But a Man greater than "the strong man of this world" (or the ruler of the demons) is here to help, and the demons fear Christ. The abyss seems to be what we might call a "bottomless pit," a place of total oblivion, where all memory of existence is gone. Instead, the demons beg to be sent into the swine, which (as noted above) are unclean animals for the Jews. Such is their destructive force that the swine are immediately driven to their own deaths by drowning. This suggests to us again the experience of the disciples on the rough sea during their crossing, where faith in Christ was their protection.
When those who feed 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. Here Luke's Gospel teaches us again about fear, and we have to note its peculiar sort of occurrence. These people fear because a great miracle of healing, a lifting of a "massive" demonic oppression has happened. Yet, without faith, in this forsaken place, those who fed and tend the swine simply feel fear.
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. Again, it seems that the loss of the swine creates the greatest impact here, and not the healing of the demoniac. Their fear in place of faith results in their begging Christ to leave their territory.
And He got into the 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 says that "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."
Every time I reread this story I am amazed by what it tells us. It's striking how isolated and abandoned from the world this man is, occupied by a legion of demons. But we see his faith. In other versions of this story, we are told that the man worshiped Christ. Certainly, Jesus "calls" him out of his "occupation" and oppression to be saved, to be healed. And the man's life is then transformed. Despite living in this forsaken place, with those who care only for their lost swine, the man is given a job, a place in the Kingdom, in the economy of salvation, and He becomes an evangelist, proclaiming to others the good news of his healing -- the great things that God has done for him. We take this story and we allow it to teach us something about God's healing presence: even against a legion of oppressive realities, of things which subdue and isolate us, Christ has power. And not only does He have this power, but He seems to have come directly to this forsaken place, this land of complete isolation, of destitution, to save and rescue this man, this believer. It tells us something in a sort of microcosm about Christ's very Incarnation itself: that He is here to rescue those who have been forgotten, no matter where they are, no matter how oppressed or how burdened -- even those who are surrounded by others who don't care about what is right and good, who don't even feel a concern with human healing but prefer instead the very material ways of the world (as in the swine, the possessions which these people have lost). No, Christ -- if we are to take the elements of this story very explicitly -- is here for those who wish to be saved, and there is nothing, no obstacle, no difficulty, no trauma, no matter how severe, that can stop Christ from coming and saving and healing. We might not recognize this, we may have a hard time feeling our way through it, and we can't predict what this may look like, but the story tells us everything about why He is here. Christ is with us, even to the ends of the earth, to the end of life, in whatever place He may find us. Let us remember that in the economy of salvation, there is always a place where our healing is put to use, a place He creates. Psalm 68 tells us that God sets the lonely in families, He brings out the prisoners who are bound, and it is the rebellious who dwell in a dry land. Here the healed man is once again a part of a family, the family of Christ's mother and brothers which He proclaimed in yesterday's reading, and he's given a job to do, to spread the good news to others, back in the city among people, in community, where he has "his own house." Let us not forget everything that God teaches us, that Christ reveals in this story. Let us remember how He cares for those who will love Him, no matter "where" they are, and let us also do the same if we wish to be a part of His family.
