Clothed And In His Right Mind – Released And Free Series

CLOTHED AND IN HIS RIGHT MIND – RELEASED AND FREE

UNDERSTANDING THE DEMONIC

VERSE 27

{{Luke 8:26-27 “They sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee, Luke 8:27 and when He had come out onto the land, He was met by a certain man from the city who was possessed with demons and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs.”}} Luke now lifts the veil on another aspect of the Lord’s powerful ministry as he introduces us to the case of the violent tomb dweller. This person is only designated as “a certain man”. No one wanted to know him, or to have anything to do with him, thus his presence was shunned and even his name was withheld. He was the full picture of society’s rejection, and ostracism had driven him into the seclusion of the tombs, into the place of the dead. Indeed, dead he was - dead to the light of the glorious gospel with its life-changing power. Luke adds the small aside, “and was not living in a house”. This is to highlight the contrast; the house signifying acceptance, normalcy and correct disposition; and the tombs signifying rejection, an unbalanced state and mental torment.

His presence dominated the most deserted graveyard in all Israel for it characterised his supernatural power, and his abnormal strength was known through the whole region. People could not be ignorant of his presence, for Mark adds that constantly, day and night, he cried out and gashed himself with stones. He was avoided like the plague. It was impossible for chains or any other restraints to hold him. Chains were torn apart and shackles were broken into pieces. Even guards were of no use, for no one was strong enough to subdue him. The world had concluded him beyond all earthly help. And it is at that point, that the Creator of the universe can take up a human being and set that person in the place of the warm love of God. Many a hopeless drunkard or desperate criminal can testify to the saving power of the Saviour in the creation of the new person after society had given them up.

The text tells us that Jesus was met by a certain man. (Mark says, “immediately”) What compulsion had led this man to the water’s edge for that encounter with the Saviour? I hardly think the demons would have led him into the presence of the One who had cast them from heaven. He did not know that the Lord was coming at that time; in fact he was not in his right mind, so what had caused him to track his aimless way to be at that specific place at that specific time? It could only have been the direct leading of God that nothing could have prevented, to demonstrate the grace of God towards one counted beyond human reach. If God could meet this man’s needs He can meet anyone’s needs.

He had no clothing but was totally naked and undone before his creator. In that way he resembled Adam and Eve, who through sin were undone before Him, guilty and with no way to overcome it. Adam and his wife made a feeble attempt to cover their nakedness, to hide their guilt. This man made none. He had been in that state for a considerable period, as Luke adds he had not been clothed for a long time.

Was there something in this man crying out for deliverance? Luke says the man was possessed by demons. Multiple possessions gave the afflicted, supernatural strength and other demonic powers, and this man was strongly possessed. How this man came under demonic control we do not know, but it seems to me that demon possession can only happen when one willingly allows oneself to engage in the occult in the multiplicity of ways that we find outlined in Kurt Koch’s books such as “The ABC of the Occult”. It can happen with demonic songs and bands and computer games, using tarot cards and many other ways.

Here, we remember a question Jesus was asked of a blind man, “Master, who did sin, this man or his parents that he was born blind?” Jesus attributed no blame or wrong doing, either to the blind man or to his parents, but used this affliction to demonstrate the mighty healing works of God. In no way can demon possession be thought of in the same way as an affliction such as blindness, and the only point of similarity lies in the fact that in both, the gracious power of God is mightily demonstrated.

JESUS WAS QUESTIONED

Verse 28

{{Luke 8:28 Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me,”}} The man’s encounter with Jesus resulted in a calling out in a loud voice and a falling down. We must understand this verse as being spoken on behalf of the demons, “What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.” It is they who are in control, not the man.