Luke 8:26-39
26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!" 29 For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. 30 Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "Legion," he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31 And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. 32 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission. 33 When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. 34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35 and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 "Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.
“Swine Flew”
VERSE BY VERSE
26. They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes. Right before our scripture text for today, Jesus was on the boat with his disciples fighting the terrible storm. (Help. Save. Dying.) Scholars have debated about whether or not the storm itself a way that Legion was trying to keep Jesus away… trying to protect itself. Legion did not want Jesus to finish crossing that lake. We’ll learn that he wasn’t the only one.
27. The sad state of the man.
28. The demons call Jesus by his holy name.
29. Jesus had already begun the healing. Luke presents it almost an afterthought… the demon begged not to be tortured for Jesus had already begun to make the man right. God begins working in us even before we ask him to.
29b. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. How awful it must have been for this man. What kind of life would he have? Not only that… think about the city itself? All the efforts this entire town had put forth to keep this curse at bay. They had chained him. They had kept him under guard. Think, for just a moment, the kind of effort it takes to keep someone under guard. The time… the effort… the expense. (BOB the security guard). To the point where the spirits had driven the man to the solitude of the crypts… where the city seemed content to let him stay. The problem… not fixed. The problem… over there. (Bring this back to the efforts we take to contain our demons instead of fixing them)
30. What is your name? I have always loved the way that Mark had Legion answer this question, I’m gonna hop-skip us really quick to Mark’s account of the tale… Mark 5:9 9 Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." Even as a youth, I simply loved this verse and I don’t know if I could even tell you fully why. “My name is Legion… for we are many.” There is just so much depth wrapped into that short little sentence. A few points… who is Jesus talking to all this time? How is doing all the speaking? Demons speak as one…. “My name is Legion… for we are many.”
WHAT DOES OUR LEGION LOOK LIKE? WHAT EFFORTS DO WE KEEP TO BRUSH LEGION UNDER THE RUG?
31. Don’t send us into the Abyss. Do not destroy us… do not send us back into our imprisonment.
32. Send us into the pigs. Mark gives them a size… some 2,000 in number. You see, the demons are trying to dupe God. They believe that Jesus will not be able to touch or to deal with the unclean animals since he is a Jew. They believe they will be safe there, left to torment another being and avoid the Abyss. But the instant they do, God proves that God is capable of doing anything… going anywhere… that no demon could define his limitations… as the pigs literally fly into the MOUTH OF THE ABYSS… the lake nearby.
35. and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Doesn’t that seem like on odd reaction to you? They were afraid. Keep in mind… it was not JUST this man who had been tormented by the demons… the entire town had been dealing with this for who knows how long… they had gone to all that effort… they had gone to all that expense… they had spent HOW many days living in fear and worry that the demon would run loose. They even hired Bob! And now… now that Jesus has once and for all cured the problem… they don’t say thank you… they don’t jump with joy… they don’t tell Bob he can have the day off… the are afraid. I think it is because they know… they know now what Jesus is capable of and as they examine their own lives… they don’t want Jesus to go there.
Perhaps the cost of the pigs was just too much… perhaps the cost of change was just too much… perhaps the fear of Jesus being Jesus was just too much for them… because:
37. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. Not some. Not a few. Not a handful. All the people of the region asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear.
The question… on everyone’s mind is “What next?” What will we do tomorrow. I imagine that what most people thought after meeting Christ… after he changes their lives… completely changes their reality… completely changes their world for the better… “What am I going to do tomorrow?”
They must have been asking themselves what will he do next?
What legion’s are you keeping at bay? How much effort are you putting into coping with something that you shouldn’t have to cope with? Isn’t it time you allowed God to work in your life… change your world… so that you can stand with these Garasenes and ask that question that so many others have asked before you… what about tomorrow?
