5th Sunday after Pentecost 2013

Gospel of Luke

“Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 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. 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”— 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.) Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss. 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. 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. When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. 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. Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. 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. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, “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.” (Luke 8:26–39 NRSV)

TT

Life does not sound good for the man with the demons. He lives in the tombs, the cemetery, because there is no where else for him to go. Back at the town, with his people, he gets locked in chains.

But I don’t want to judge the other folks too unfairly: they have probably locked him up for his own good.

Unfortunately, the demoniac seems to have a lose-lose situation in front of him: he can either be tied up by people who are scared, or he can be wandering scared by himself.

• demons are the real deal; they recognize Jesus
• when they are released the drive those poor pigs to their death
• nasty demons

The role that the townspeople play here is interesting. Everyone knows that it’s the man with the demons who has the problem, right? Right? Well, of course, they had a good reason to be afraid of the demons…and they really probably chained him up for his own good as well as their own. But still, I wonder if they’re not missing something…

We end up with an ironic turn of events…listen to this part of the passage after the man is healed:

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.

Healing >>> Fear?

Even though the folks had a good reason to be scared. And even though they chained the poor man up for his own good…they are still bound at the end of this story. They are still fearful, and they chase Jesus away.

Their fear is what intrigues me.

Out of every emotion…I think I would have picked anger. This is a small little place, and having a whole herd of pigs get cursed and drowned has to leave a dent in their whole economy.

Sure, be angry about the pigs…but real, miraculous healing? Why be afraid? Could it be…that they were afraid because they had gotten used to their own demons?

Could it be that the townspeople were scared of Jesus because they each had their own pet demons that bound them together? Demons that weren’t as obvious as in the man whom Jesus healed…but demons that slowly reduced their lives to a certain comfortable dull fear?

TW

Have any of your own demons like that?

Ever held a grudge? You know, someone or some group did something bad to me. For some reason, sometimes, it’s hard to get over that, right? There’s no question that I could have found the strength to forgive this person or this group for what they’ve done. But I don’t. I just kind of nurse this little piece of self-righteousness.

That, my friends, is a little demon that I have grown a little too comfortable with.

Or maybe your demons are more that those of the man that Jesus healed. Maybe they’ve left you with a painful choice between two bad options: fall in with a bunch of folks that are a little afraid, and who hold you back; or be resigned to life without others, but also a little lonely.

? Ever felt like your choices were getting stuck with people who disappoint you, or being disappointed on your own?

People, can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em, am I right? It’s like a stand-up routine, or one of my favorite lines from Seinfeld. “I will never understand people.” “They’re the worst.”

And if you’ve ever had your freedom stepped on my a group of people — even if they were well meaning — you probably know what Jerry is talking about.

The hardest thing to admit, though, is that we’re all bound to something. Whether we’re held captive by the jerks around us, or by our own little demons, we are captive.

We’re fooling ourselves if we think we aren’t captivated by the constant barrage of advertisements, or limited by the economy and debt, or peer pressured by what others think about us, or addicted to a substance, or tortured by our own psychology. And as we confess each time we worship: we are in bondage to sin, and we cannot free ourselves.

It would be so much easier if we could just slide these demons under the rug, wouldn’t it?

But at the end of this story from the Gospel…these townspeople … the ‘normal’ people still find themselves afraid (and missing a bunch of pigs.)

But the man who cried out… the man whom Jesus healed: he is free.

GT

He is freed from both needing to be bound by his neighbors, and from the despair of his own demons. He won’t be living in the cemetery anymore.

It’s important that the man does not have to heal himself. He does not even have to put his best foot forward: remember, when Jesus confronts him, he’s speaking with the demons, not the man himself. Yet, Jesus has mercy on him, and allows the person who really exists to come out and be free.

When the possibility for change and healing presents itself, this man who was outcast, who was stuck between a rock and a hard place, is given a new option. A new mission: to be free and to know God.

GW

The good news for us is that when God is involved, there is always the possibility for change and renewal. Whatever demons — whatever things bind you — God can heal them.

That possibility and openness to renewal has a name: it’s Repentance.

Repentance opens up mercy and grace. It’s a chance for a new option, not the rock nor the hard place, but it’s the God option. It’s a freedom from the demons big or small, terrifying or comfortable that inhabit our lives.

There is a lot of fear in this Gospel story, and there is a lot of fear in our lives. The man with the demons has fear… those around us suffering terrible loss and violence know fear… the people around the man with the demons have fear… we have fear for those are different from us…who have threatened to hurt us…who have hurt us… in the Gospel text, even the demons themselves are afraid!

But when these demons are confronted, when our sin comes before God, then the person that God created is allowed to thrive: the fear is gone.

The only thing left to do is to proclaim what God has done. It’s the whole pattern of baptism. Martin Luther described baptism as a daily washing of our sins, a daily dying to the old selves that get bound in fear and guilt, and a daily rising to life. If it were up to us, we’d spend all our time afraid in the cemetery, too. But God puts an end to every fear and failure to our name, and invites us to proclaim this to everyone who will listen:

“Do not be afraid. Return to the Lord.”