Thoughts for the Day

They came to the other side of the lake, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; and he shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.’ For he had said to him, ‘Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!’ Then Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He replied, ‘My name is Legion; for we are many.’ He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; and the unclean spirits begged him, ‘Send us into the swine; let us enter them.’ So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned in the lake.

The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. But Jesus refused, and said to him, ‘Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.’ And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.

(Lectionary, New Church Revised Standard)

Thoughts

Everything in life has its opposites - joy and sorrow; black and white; and goodness and evil are some examples. For me, if there are angels then there are probably demons, and whether the man in today's story was possessed by demons or mentally unstable is not that relevant. The point is that as human beings we can be overcome by drink, drugs, psychotic incidents, and possibly demonic powers.

Jesus and his disciples arrive on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. As they step out of their boat they are met by a wild man, whom the people cannot restrain. He is a danger to himself and others. We see that Jesus is filled with compassion and heals him. The conclusion is the pigs, whether terrified from the chaos or the demons, subsequently scatter to their death. What we do know is that Jesus healed the man, rescued him from his possession and transformed him to the man he was meant to be - one who would share the good news to others of what the Lord had done for him.

This story is for me profoundly relevant today. Many people feel trapped by life - battling unseen forces of anxiety, addiction, or depression. Jesus offers us hope and freedom, for no-one is beyond the reach of God’s grace. Sometimes healing will come through personal prayer and medical intervention; and sometimes through the prayers of others. No, I am not one who says "I don't want the vaccination, God will keep me safe!" He may well protect me, but he gifts skills to others to heal as well. As Christians though we can show compassion and give prayer support to those who are struggling, and help to provide a church community where they can belong.

Lord Jesus Christ,
we pray for those who are mentally ill;
for the stressed and anxious;
for those with dementia;
for those who suffer addictions;
and for all who work to heal them,
including those involved in deliverance ministry.
Help us to be compassionate
and understanding,
and to keep them in our prayers.
Amen.