Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him

 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 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 Saturday's reading, Jesus continued speaking to His disciples, after having told the parable of the Sower:  "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.  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.  This man lives in the tombs.  It is a symbol of death, of a destroyed life, dominated by the demons who oppress him.  If we look at this picture painted in his description, we see one who is far from "civilization" or what makes human life more "humane."  He wears no clothing, he's considered dangerous enough to be under guard, and bound with chains and shackles, more symbols of his oppressed and life-stopping condition.  Moreover, the demonic violence that seizes him is enough to break his bonds and to drive him into the wilderness, a sign that he is even further away from human society than we can know.   His only company is death and demons.   The demons, as usual, recognize Christ, and they are terrified of Him.  They fear He will torment them, as they torment the afflicted man.

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.   Let us notice how the demons fear the commands of Christ, which they are compelled to obey.   They fear being commanded to go out into the abyss.  Abyss literally means "bottomless" or "depthless" in the Greek, a place of total oblivion, non-existence.  It is also comparable to the lowest depth of the ocean.  For the Hebrews, this is the place of the dead.  (See also Revelation 20:1-3).   The country of the Gadarenes was east of the Sea of Galilee, in the Decapolis, a Greek-speaking region of mixed Gentiles and Semitic people.  The fact that there are swine being raised here, however, appears to be a further indication of "lawlessness."  Given that at this point Jesus' mission is to the Jews (Matthew 15:24), these are likely Jews raising swine to sell to the Gentiles who live in this territory, in violation of their faith.  Again we note that the demons can only enter the swine with permission of Christ.  My study bible says that their totally destructive effect on the herd of swine indicates that regardless of his degradation, the man as human being was nevertheless under the protection of Christ, as they could not destroy him altogether. 

When those who fed them saw what 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.  We notice the effect of this man's healing on these townspeople:  they respond by being seized with great fear.  They do not rejoice at his healing and the power of Christ to destroy the demons.  But the healed man, understandably among these people, begs Christ that he might go with Him.  Jesus instead gives him a mission; comparable to the apostles, he is sent out to proclaim "the great things God has done for you."

Some comment on this story that the people who raise the swine must be Gentiles, but everything indicates, on the contrary, that these are actually Jews engaged in the unlawful occupation of raising unclean animals.  They are the ones who cannot respond to the power of Christ with acceptance.  Neither do they rejoice at the healing of the formerly demon-possessed man.  They are not only seemingly devoid of compassion, but their values are upside down.  Perhaps it is the loss of the income from the swine that most concerns them.  This is an intriguing story in that it gives us an illustration of an entire community where there is no place for Christ.  They respond to His work only with great fear.  It teaches us, importantly, that there are times when a community, a sort of human eco-system or environment, will be toxic for those who need true healing.  In this environment, the oppression of the demons was tolerated more than the great power of Christ to heal the man.  Furthermore, the community's values are so skewed that the value of a healthy and healed human being doesn't compare to the loss of the swine.  It teaches us, importantly, that the greatest and highest authority is Christ -- God the Lord -- regardless of the value of any idol an entire community may hold to the contrary.  We notice the fearless witness now shone by the healed man.  We don't know where his own house is (to which he is sent by Christ), but he goes through the entire city proclaiming the good news of Christ.  His own house would be his origins, his natal family, where presumably his healing and transformation will have the greatest impact.  Nothing more is known of this man, as we know nothing more of the demons after they drive the swine down the cliff into the sea.  What we are left with is Christ's absolute authority over the unclean spirits, and the choices of human beings either to embrace what He brings us or to reject it.  How about you?  Are there things you are afraid to face that Christ will come to heal?  Hard choices you might need to make about the difference between what is acceptable in your own environment, and where God leads you?  Remember this story; it is one of life and death.  The healed man is one resurrected from the tombs by the power of Christ, and ready to proclaim his good news.  What do you need in your life?   Do you know others so bound and chained, oppressed under a kind of violence, that they, too, need His healing?