What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?

 

 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.

 

- Matthew 8:28-34 

 

Yesterday we read that, in Capernaum, when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."  Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.  But He was asleep.  Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"  But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" 

 

  When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.  My study Bible comments on today's passage that the demons, who recognize Jesus as the Son of God, are surprised that their power is being terminated before the time of the last judgment.  Although their malice is great, they can't do anything against the will of God.  Thus, they can only enter the swine at Christ's command.  Moreover, my study Bible adds, the immediate destruction of the herd reveals that these men had been protected by God's care; without it, they would have perished under the demonic influence.  Additionally, it reinforces that swineherding was not lawful for the Jews.  It shows the incomparable value of human beings, whose salvation is worth every sacrifice. 

 

 This story also appears in the Gospels of St. Mark and St. Luke, but there are a few distinctive differences.  In the story according to Sts. Mark and Luke, there is only one demoniac mentioned, but as there are also more details given to us of his story following his healing, it seems quite possible that those accounts were written about a particular man, while in St. Matthew's Gospel, there are two in need of exorcism.  This is a Gentile region, with a population of mixed Jews and Gentiles, and our story takes place outside of city, in the countryside.  But the people who raise swine are likely Jews who herd and sell swine for a Gentile population, which already tells us something in terms of their adherence to their faith.  Moreover, many sources assure us that such demonic possession is not possible without prior participation in some forms of demonic rituals or practices.  These men live in the tombs among the dead, and so uncleanness is associated with everything in this environment.  It's possible they practice a kind of idolatry; according to at least one Church Father (Chromatius, Bishop of Aquileia, late 4th cent.), this might include venerating the memories of dictators or images of the dead.  All of these are practices forbidden in Judaism.  Over the course of the past few readings we've witnessed Jesus moving to save and heal those who are in some sense unclean, touching the leper to heal him in Saturday's reading, and a willingness to enter the home of the centurion to heal his servant in Monday's reading.  Let us keep in mind also the remarkable story of the journey to get to this place, as Jesus has taken His disciples across a threatening and stormy Sea of Galilee to come here (see yesterday's reading, above).  What it tells us in a nutshell is about the character of Christ, Savior and Redeemer, who will go through any and all lengths required to save what is salvageable.  Of course, this understanding reflects the whole of the story of Christ's Incarnation, and particularly His death on the Cross, and the Resurrection and Ascension that followed.  The fierceness and chaos in these two men reflect the effects of the demonic, the affliction that tears people from civilization and renders them rudderless save for the malice of the demons.  Note that the demons recognize Jesus first, and even indignantly demand to know if He's come to torment them before the time of the Judgment to come.  They know all about Jesus; they know He is the Son of God and call Him so.  Then they bargain before exorcism; they wish Him to send them into the herd of swine, who become suicidal en masse under their influence.  Those who keep the swine flee into the city and tell all to the people.  The whole city returns to beg Jesus to leave their region.  This tells us about an environment as a whole, a people for whom the exorcism of these demons means nothing compared to the loss of their swine.  But again, the stories that appear in the Gospels of St. Mark and St. Luke tell us about one man now freed from demonic possession who will go on to proclaim in the city what great things the Lord has done for him.  Today's story is a kind of reflection of spiritual battle, a picture of Christ -- our ultimate commander and Lord -- who can go into the worst of afflicted environments and yet still command the demons who desire to resist His rule.  He is authority over all; at the conclusion of St. Matthew' Gospel Jesus will declare to the disciples, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (see Matthew 28:18-20).  Clearly we are given to understand that there are no limits to the depth or the breadth of Christ's authority, and this is what St. Matthew's Gospel teaches.  Let us take heed for our faith, and remember that He is with us always, even to the end of the age.

 

 

 

 

 

When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way

 

 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly, they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region. 

 

- Matthew 8:28–34 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."  Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.  But He was asleep.  Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"  But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"   

When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly, they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.  My study Bible remarks upon today's entire passage that 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 therefore can only enter the swine at the command of Jesus.  This immediate destruction of the herd shows that the men had been protected by God's care.  Otherwise, they would have perished under the cruel demonic influence.  Moreover, it reinforces that swineherding was not lawful for the Jews.  In this light, it shows the incomparable value of human beings, whose salvation is worth  all sacrifices.

The action of the demonic is quite explicit here in the gospels.  There is no other story where perhaps it is as pronounced and clear, and here, we remember, we have a legion of demons (as reported in Mark 5:9).  Let us note one of the first things we learn about these demon-possessed men is that they are exceedingly fierce.   This seems to be a condition of the demonic.  Historically, the demonic has also been associated with death in the image of a large mouth that desires to swallow up human beings.  This comes from very ancient times and ancient gods, but it is nevertheless a telling characteristic that comes to us from history.  Note that the demons are not acting out of ignorance.  They know full well who Jesus is.  They know things that human beings cannot perceive, and they are nevertheless evil and oppressive.  This gives us a hint about the demonic.  These decisions to be evil and to reject Christ are made with a knowledge that human beings don't have, and so the choice for evil is much more far-reaching.  What happens to the swine makes clear the association between the demonic and death, and how destructive they are.  In a modern mind-set, it is the stuff of fantasy stories and spooky horror movies to contemplate demonic evil.  This often falls into categories of lurid and vivid stories about haunted houses and poltergeists.  But if we're looking with eyes that can see, we might be able to spot aspects of demonic behavior around us in the world.  Do you see ruthless and murderous people?  Do people excuse exceptional cruelty, even exulting in such behavior and seeking to publicize it?  Yes, these things are happening in our world, and what we should understand in a historical spiritual mindset is that while we are invited to participate in the life of Christ, through the Church and all the ways the Church can be at work in our lives such as the sacraments, Eucharist, Scriptures, etc.  -- so we can also participate in the energies of the demonic by choosing to engage in behaviors  that follow the life of the demonic.  That would include the  harshness, cruelty, and destructiveness of these demons.  When human beings choose to participate in activities that imitate what we know characterize the demonic, then they are themselves participating in demonic life.  At the risk of saying something controversial, one cannot proclaim that God is great while committing gruesome horrors and filming oneself without indicating clearly which god is being served by such behavior.  If we are to think on spiritual terms, we need to be able to detach ourselves from circumstances and look plainly at what is around us.  We need to make clear choices and watch our own behaviors.  We need to watch our passions and not delve into reactionary fierceness when the scenes of the world dismay us.  Our best weapon in order to carry ourselves well in the world is prayer, but we also need to study and to be aware of all of these things -- and to be aware of ourselves and our impulses.  We can recognize what we see around ourselves.  Christ calls us to watch ourselves.  Let us note that in today's reading that the whole city came out to meet Jesus, and instead of glorifying God for the miraculous healing of this demon-possessed man, they begged Him to depart from their region.  This is a rejection not just of Christ, but of the obvious effects that helped the demon-possessed men.  The townspeople care much more for their swine, their property, and perhaps that also tells us about what we might call an "evil" mindset that sees things only in terms of material value, especially placing it over human health and wholeness.  This kind of exploitative, aggressive perspective, coupled with a seeming incapacity for valuing transcendent good, is also another characteristic of evil in Scripture.  So let us consider all of these things and follow Christ's teachings that we are to be the ones who are watchful.  This teaching is frequently given in conjunction with the theme of end times, but we miss the understanding of the Scriptures if we do not understand that the end times are always with us until the time of His return.  The various things we've been warned about return again and again, recirculate, and come about in new form.  When we see the things that terrify, let us remember that we are taught to "Take heed, watch and pray."  We are not meant to be foolish but alert, and following the Master's commands until His return.  

And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for 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 had happened, they fled and told it in the city and 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, we read that Jesus taught (continuing from 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.  Once again, Jesus' encounter with demons results in their identifying Him.  In this case, He is called Son of the Most High God.  It is important to understand that although these demonic spirits essentially rebel against the purpose for which they were created, they still have no power to resist Christ.  It's also important to note the disorder in which this man is found, a direct effect of the hostile demons.  This man has been driven to deeper isolation, violence, and self-destruction.  He lives only among the dead.

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.   The reference to the abyss is a reference to the ultimate judgment, and the place to which the demons know they will be assigned, a place of non-existence.  But it is not yet that time, so they beg to enter the swine, an animal considered unclean to the Jews.  My study bible comments that some teach that the presence of swine would indicate a Gentile population.  But, since Christ forbade His disciples to go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5), and was Himself reluctant to seek out the Gentiles (Matthew 15:24), it's likely that these are Jews engaged in what for hem was a sinful occupation, profiting from the sale of the swine to the Gentile population.  The destruction of the entire herd of swine reveals several things.  First, while animals are a venerable part of creation, human beings are of far greater value.  Also, Christ removes a source of sin, as swine herding was an abomination to the Jews (Deuteronomy 14:8).  Demons have no power over creation, my study bible further notes, but are subject to the will of God.  They can only enter the swine at the command of Christ.  People are protected under the providence of God, otherwise, the demon-possessed man would have come to the same death as the swine. 

When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and 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.    These same people who were herding the swine show themselves to be quite hard-hearted.  Rather than glorifying God for the healing of this man who is now clothed and in his right mind, all they consider is the economic loss of their swine, and they fear Jesus so much that they as only that He depart from them.  The magnitude of their financial loss will nevertheless remain for them as a sign of the power of Christ.

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.  The healed man, now in his right mind and whole, gains a renewed life thanks to Christ.  He become an evangelist bearing the good news to others at Christ's command, glorifying God.

In some sense, today's story bears resemblance to the powerful mythic stories of the ancient world, notably that of the Odyssey, in that Jesus and the disciples cross the Sea of Galilee to a strange and unknown place for the disciples, and encounter this demon-possessed man.  But it also tells us a powerful story of healing, and the many dimensions of the impact of Jesus on a disordered and strange, uncivilized world.  For these Jews in this place to be raising the swine is first of all something very wrong for the devout Jews who form Jesus' disciples.  It shows the locals' preference for the financial rewards they will reap, over the religious law of the Jews.  But by far the greater sign of terrible disorder is the man possessed by the legion of demons.  In him we find all the outward symptoms of a disordered and broken culture.   He is the one in whom all the disorder of a world that has lost its way manifests, and he's held hostage to the demons and their influence.  He can't even wear clothing, nor live in a house.   He must live among the tombs, among the dead.  In some sense, he is symbolically in hell.  He is out of control, and must be bound in chains and shackles and kept under guard.  And yet the demon, we're told, has simply driven him further into the wilderness, away from community into a stark and terrifying isolation.   It is as if he himself has been driven into the abyss the demons fear, at their hands.  It teaches us of cruelty and injustice, the destructiveness of the demons and their influence, the torment which seems to be their only product in this world for those whom they afflict.   So there is a story within a story here, of the influence of that which is against God, against Christ, and the disorder it afflicts upon human beings and human society.  All the values are out of whack; the profiteering of the swine-herders goes hand in hand with their priorities over and against human health and the value of this tormented man.  Do we simply discard the unwell?  Are our cares only for what is convenient and profitable for us?  Do we give up on what is good and the historical values we know are good?  What makes for a healthy human society?  It is the power of God at work in this story that restores those things, even in this seemingly God-forsaken place, where the people have clearly forgotten about their God and reject Christ.  But there is nevertheless one who is saved, and that is the one who was most badly afflicted through the rejection of God by that community, the one whom the demons wanted to control and destroy.  Interestingly, the healed man also remains, in some sense, alone.  He is the only one who has faith in Christ, and praises God.  But, like Christ, he is not alone in the sense that God is with him (John 16:32), and he is commissioned by Christ with purpose and meaning, and becomes an evangelist in his city.  Christ not only commands the demons, but also gives this formerly afflicted man purpose and reason.  He restores his health, and in so doing, sets him in proper relationship to God.  This once afflicted man seems to have a choice in his life.  He could waste his time wondering why God let him be occupied by a legion of demons.  Or he could accept this special position of being the one for whom Christ set sail across the Sea of Galilee in a storm, and rescued him from the legion, and who now lives to tell the story -- following Christ and glorifying God by doing so.  In some sense, this story also offers us a similar choice.  Will we face the demons -- figurative or otherwise -- in our own lives with the help of God?  Will we be angry for our troubles and difficulties, or seek out the help we need?  Do we glorify the One who is always there for us, even when it seems we're alone?   Set in right-relationship to Christ, we are also in right-relationship to the world, even when it is the world we knew that let us down.  

 

What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?

 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.

- Matthew 8:28-34

Yesterday we read that when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him (in Capernaum), He gave a command to depart to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."   Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."  Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.  But He was asleep.  Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"  But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"  Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"

 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.  My study bible says that the demons recognize Jesus as the Son of God, and are surprised that their power is being terminated before the time of the last judgment.  Typically, the demons show great malice, but even they can do nothing against the will of God.  They can only enter the swine at Christ's command.  The immediate destruction of the herd shows that the men had been protected by God's care; such destructive forces would have resulted in their deaths under the demonic influence.  We should keep in mind that for the Jews, these are unclean and unlawful animals.   These swineherds and the people who begged Jesus to depart their region are likely Jews who are unlawfully raising swine for money in this region mixed with Gentiles.  They care much more about the loss of the swine than the healing of these formerly demon-possessed men.  My study bible says the suicidal destruction of the swine emphasizes the incomparable value of human beings, whose salvation is worth every sacrifice.  Indeed, Jesus and the disciples have crossed a frighteningly stormy sea to come here.

Jesus has traveled across the Sea of Galilee to come to this place.  It's seemingly a God-forsaken place, and these men are perhaps like some in the world we can see who are tormented by circumstances, by the things that plague and ail, by demons we don't see.  But perhaps what's important here is that Jesus comes to this place.  It's a sign of the Incarnation, an image we're given that Jesus will go to the far off ends of the earth, away from what we know as civilized, even into the realm of the dead here among the tombs, to reclaim life and to heal human beings.  In becoming a human being, Jesus is able to come and to be with us, to influence our communities, to come to the places where we live regardless of how far off they may seem from something appropriate to Christ, to redeem and to set things right.  It's a picture of a world dominated by malice, by things that cause destruction and harm, people tormented and fears that challenge us -- but He's here to put those problems in their place and render appropriate judgment, to let us know what is right and to teach us how we may be healed, even to wake us out of complacency with what is surely harmful.  The people of the town, we note, have their say.  They beg Jesus to leave.  They prefer their livelihood of the swine to the awesome change and healing in the formerly demon-possessed men.  Perhaps that was what they were used to, and leaving the men in the tombs to live a life of destruction was just acceptable.  But Christ comes to give us new ideals and values and to wake us from what is just acceptable.  Evangelization, in this image, is bringing the good news to all for each one to choose which version of life they prefer.  This is the purpose of the apostolic mission that will come and is ongoing, and we still have that choice, along with the plagues that ail and torment human beings and the violence of the world that denies that there is more to life than what we do for livelihood and material prosperity or property.  Let us make careful consideration before we dismiss this strange, even unusual, story, and consider how many elements here resemble the world in which we live today.  We still have the choice with which He presents us, and the good news He brings, whether others around us accept it, relish it, desire it, or not.  So much depends on where we choose to take our security and place our trust.