Fourth Sunday after Pentecost June 24, 2007
Scripture	Luke 8:26-39 26 Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me”-- 29 for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) 30 Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. 31 They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss. 32 Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. 34 When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.
Devotional	This is the most extreme example of reversal of roles in which the one on the outside ends up on the inside. The demoniac is associated with living in the dark, dwelling in the tombs, and with demon worshipers. All these are considered to be an abomination to God, therefore outside of God’s reign. We discover the one possessed by demons, kept under guard, and bound with chains sits at the feet of Jesus. The demon-possessed pagan goes from the outside to the inside. To spiritualize this story of the demoniac provides an avenue of self-evaluation. The people found a successful balance of tolerance and management of the demoniac among them. Do we do this in our spiritual life when we face issues, discipline or change we cannot accept? Finding a way or place where we make it tolerable. What can we learn about God from this famous pig incident? The people see the man healed, the pigs dead, and it was too much for them. They ask Jesus to leave. As long as the demoniac was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, they remained in control. Have you ever asked God to leave you alone? How do we put God on a short leash, binding God to give certain rewards for certain forms of behavior? Only to find that it is not God who is bound but we. We become restricted in our own view and see only the small world. The man wanted to go with Jesus but sent him away. “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” This man had been alienated from his self as well as his own people. Deep down there is a quest for wholeness in his life. Jesus sends him home to rebuild his life. Healing and restoration takes place at home. Is there a better place for healing and restoration than home? Prayer: Lord, you healed the demoniac and made him whole but you also sent him home for more healing and restoration. May we always find healing and restoration at home.