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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 a 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
Yesterday, we read that Jesus taught, "No one, when he has lit a lamp, coves 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 by 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. In this journey of faith, according to yesterday's reading above, Jesus and the disciples cross the Sea of Galilee, and arrive on the shore opposite from what is "home" to them.
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. My study bible says, "The demons, recognizing Jesus as the Son of God, are surprised that their power is being terminated before the time of the last judgment. Though the malice of the demons is great, they can do nothing against the will of God, and thus can only enter the swine at Christ's command. The immediate destruction of the herd shows that the man had been protected by God's care; otherwise they would have perished under the demonic influence. Further, it reinforces that swineherding was not lawful for the Jews, and shows the incomparable value of human beings, whose salvation is worth every sacrifice." It's important to note that the word for "fell down before" Him can also be translated, "to worship" or to prostrate oneself in worship. It's a hint, an indication, of the true heart of the man who is afflicted by the demons. In the suicide of the swine, we see the destructive intent of the demons, making it clear that this man was in a particular sense protected against their worst impulses.
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 a 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. My study bible also adds that some teach that the presence of swine indicates a Gentile population. But it notes, "However, since our Lord forbade our disciples to go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5) and was Himself reluctant to seek out the Gentiles (Matthew 15:24), likely these were Jews engaged in a sinful occupation. The destruction of the entire herd reveals: (1) while animals are a vulnerable part of creation, man is of far greater value; (2) Christ removes a source of sin, for swine herding was an abomination to the Jews (Deuteronomy 14:8); (3) demons have no power over creation, but are subject to the will of God -- they could only enter the swine at Christ's command; (4) people are protected under God's providence -- otherwise, the demon-possessed man would have come to the same end as the swine; (5) the magnitude of the economic loss would remain as a sign for the hardhearted people who fled that region."
While my study bible suggests here the possibility that these people are Jews who are unlawfully raising swine, I also think we must focus on the implication that Jesus traveled to this place -- possibly a place of Gentiles -- for this man. After all, there are also incidents where He reveals Himself to Gentiles (such as the Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well or the centurion in a recent reading). But regardless of whether or not this is Gentile territory, it is still true that Christ is here for the one -- the demon-possessed man called "Legion" -- who will carry this faith in Christ with him. It's a sense of how the Savior comes so far, makes such a great effort, condescends in any way necessary, to come to us -- no matter what the circumstances we may be in. This is really the greatest paradox of the Gospels in some way: Why do we as imperfect vessels remain the ones who carry His power, His strength? He's given us the command to "be perfect, even as my Father in heaven is perfect." And yet, as St. Paul relates, it's the Lord who tells him: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." Here we have the worst of all possible situations, especially from a traditional Jewish perspective. Here is man occupied by a "Legion" of demons. He lives in the tombs with the unclean dead. He lives in a place where they are unlawfully raising swine, unclean animals to the Jews. And yet it in this extraordinary weakness, among "filth," that Christ's grace is spectacularly at work. The whole story reads like an adventure of Odysseus or Jason from the ancient Greek epics. The disciples set forth across the Sea of Galilee, at Jesus' command, and they face a terrible storm through which Jesus sleeps until He's called upon to rebuke the wind and waves. They wind up at the opposite shore to Galilee, in an entirely strange place to them, and encounter this fierce sort of "monster" who's plagued by no less than a legion of what is worse than a monster: demons. This is an incredibly frightening situation in which unpredictable evil is at work and allowed to dwell in enormous proportions, here among the tombs of the dead. But the hero of the piece is Jesus who teaches us not to be afraid of anything. The great unknown power is that of God, who has protected this faithful man all along from the worse destruction. It's a story about our own weakness, and the lengths to which God's power can and will go to work to save and heal. This healed man is even rejected by the people who raise the swine; they can only react to God's work with fear. They are incapable of faith in Christ. But Jesus sends him to his own house, making him an evangelist, and a witness. The remarkable thing is that it is our imperfection through which God works, in our weakness God's grace is made perfect. It's not that we are fine without change and repentance; far from it. Our journey is toward the perfection of God, sharing in the love of God, and living that love ourselves, carrying it into the world. But God is working through imperfect human beings, just as Jesus has chosen these twelve imperfect men to carry the faith, although their weaknesses are expressed in terrible fears. He's there to lead them, and us, through a journey of faith, despite our fears, to "the other side." Who knows what we will find there that both terrifies and amazes in its strangeness? But we are sent, nevertheless, on a journey of faith -- not to be surrounded by perfection but to participate in healing and reconciliation, with the God of love. If your life isn't perfect, consider that the Gospels teach us about healing, about the perceived "imperfection" (even in variety) of those who are children of wisdom, about saving sinners. Consider His teaching on those who love most. We are to be aware of who we are, our imperfections, and how far we have to go -- but it doesn't stop His grace. On the contrary! We find His tremendous love, and courage, leading us forward into the the unknown journey of our faith, guiding us to be like Him.
