14
The Demon-Possessed Gerasene
Luke 8:26-39
Simon and his companions had boarded the fishing boat with Jesus at Capernaum, on the northern tip of the Sea of Galilee, and sailed the full length of the lake, heading straight south. As they passed Tiberias and Hippus, they were struck by a terrible storm. Yet, with just a few words from Jesus, the storm instantly calmed. Now, they can sail peacefully toward the region of Gadara, at the southern end of the lake.
Simon leaps lightly from the boat, relieved to feel solid ground beneath his feet again. His body is still trembling from the terrifying storm they had just endured. But then, the next "storm" hits him square in the face.
At first, he wants to laugh when he sees the man, completely naked, running straight toward them. But then he freezes in shock as he notices the foam around the man’s mouth. This man is raving mad - possessed!
Simon is all too aware that they are now in foreign territory, in the land of the Gerasenes. But is this what these "heathens" really look like? No wonder they are considered unclean!
This region is part of the so-called Decapolis, which literally means "Ten Cities." It is not a Jewish territory, meaning that Jewish laws do not apply here at all. The people here even farm with pigs! Simon shudders at the very thought - enough to fill any good Jew with disgust! On top of that, there is a strong Greek influence in the area.
But none of that matters right now - Simon’s biggest concern is this naked madman charging at them, screaming at the top of his lungs. Simon has heard the rumours about him - how he no longer lives in a house because society has completely rejected him. Among the tombs - there, he has been forced to make his home. Because he is so uncontrollable, the townspeople have tried several times to capture and chain him up to keep him restrained, but he simply breaks the chains and shakes them off!
Simon turns to Jesus to see His reaction. But his Master remains utterly calm.
“What is your name?” Jesus asks, as if the man could even understand Him!
"Son of God, the Most High," the man shrieks. "What do You want with me? Please, do not torment me! I beg You!"
Simon shudders in disgust. "This is sickening! How can this madman call the Master ‘Son of God, the Most High’? That’s blasphemy!"
"Your name!" Simon hears the Master insist.
"Legion!" the man bellows. "Our name is Legion, for we are many!"
"The poor man!" Simon gasps. "He is completely overrun by a horde of demons!"
Very quickly, Simon realises that the demons want nothing to do with Jesus. They just want to be left alone, for His presence is clearly a great threat to them. But his Master has backed these devils into a corner, and now they are desperate! Simon finds a certain satisfaction in hearing them beg and plead with Jesus not to send them into the abyss.
And then Simon feels a pang of disappointment when he realises that Jesus grants their request. He sends them into a herd of pigs!
Simon goes pale as he watches the pigs suddenly go berserk as the demons enter them. Wide-eyed, he sees the entire herd charge straight toward a cliff. Then, with blood-curdling squeals, the entire herd plunges off the edge into the sea and drowns.
The people nearby are filled with fear, and they beg Jesus to leave their land - He is nothing but bad news to them!
Simon shakes his head. "These heathens care more about their ridiculous pigs than about this man who has just been completely healed, right before their very eyes!" He looks at the man, now standing with them, his eyes bright and clear, a broad smile on his face. "This man is as sane as I am!"
"May I come with You?" the man pleads with Jesus. But Jesus shakes His head - this man now has a task to do here, among his own people!
This story leaves us with a few lingering questions. Why did Jesus grant the demons’ request, but when the man begged to follow Him, He refused? This is one of those biblical mysteries about which we can only speculate. One interpretation is that the pigs, along with the demons, symbolically plunged into the sea - the "underworld" where the forces of evil reside. It was a partial victory over the devil. The final battle is yet to come, and that will be a devastating defeat for Satan and his followers.
The man, however, suddenly had an important mission - to go and tell the people of his region about Jesus. The very people who once fled from him in fear now had to be convinced that Jesus is the Redeemer!
Prayer:
Lord,
thank You that once again this morning we could witness Your almighty
power!