Christ Heals the Gadarene Demoniac
Luke 8:26-39
C.S. Lewis
There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist and magician with the same delight.
Two errors of our society when it comes to demons:
a) To be a materialist - everything is to be explained by physical things - evolution; psychology
b) Demonolgy - occult but also the spiritual warfare movement
regional demons; demons which possess objects; give new
meaning to the devil made me do it
Luke is the gospel with the most demoniacs - but Luke can help us see the point
Reminder of context - sayings of Jesus - show his authority chapters 4-7 - now the actions of Jesus show his authority
8:22-25 - authority of Lord of Creation to still the storm
The common thread throughout this passage is fear
1) The Fear community inspired by the Demoniac 8: 27; 29-30
unkempt, naked, living among the dead
terrifying strength, separated from society
Mt 7:28 And when He had come to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs; they were so exceedingly violent that no one could pass by that road.
MK 5: 2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him,
3 and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain;
4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
5 And constantly night and day, among the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out and gashing himself with stones.
The power of the demon - Jesus asks the man his name and the demon horde answers
Side light - one of the great components of traditional exorcism is the asking of the demon’s name
2) The Fear of the Demons inspired by Christ 8:26-32
Side light - one of the great components of traditional exorcism is the asking of the demon’s name
2 Ptr 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;
Jude 6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day.
3) The Fear of the Community inspired by the display of Christ’s power. 8:34-38
I have heard a lot of sermons on the pigs - how the people shouldn’t have been keeping pigs because they were unclean - how the people were concerned about the economic loss of 2000 pigs and wanted to get rid of Jesus because of what he had cost them
look at the text- they were terrified because of the curing of the demon possessed man
Look at 8:25 - Christ’s power was so great it even scared the Disciples
What can we take away from this text this morning?
A. It Destroys one of Satan’s greatest lies.
Satan would like the world to believe that there are two opposing and equal forces in the universe- one evil and one good. They are in constant conflict and the outcome is uncertain.
NO CONTEST!!!!!!
B. IT IS A REMINDER TO US OF HOW TO DEAL WITH DEMONIC FORCES.
Know the enemy. Study the tactics. Bind the devil?
Eph. 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,
15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;
16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one.
17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
1 Jn 4:4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
C. It leaves us with a task. Luke 8:38-39
NAS Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
We may not have been demon possessed, but we were just as surely under the control of the evil one. Christ has delivered each one of us just as surely as he delivered the Demoniac by the Sea of Galilee.
