June 22nd Reflection by Bill Lynch

Luke 8:26–39

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.

Reflection
It was just too much for them. This healing of a man with demons. Jesus had gone too far! He healed a man yet they lost a herd of pigs. Where was the priority? With Jesus the priority lay in the life of the man that was tormented. With the people of the area the priority lay with the loss of some pigs.

We seem to get our priorities screwed up at times. We take wealth over life. We take plans over love. We take our selfishness over the needs of other's. As we look to what Jesus life displayed, we can witness the priorities we should have and learn and then live those priorities.

We would try to control this man with the demons. We would try to restrain him. However, this man knew who Jesus was. This man had escaped the devices of the people of the area to place him in restraints and to control him. This man was wild! This man felt that he must be possessed by 5000 demons. But Jesus had compassion for this man. Jesus felt love for this man. Jesus did not want to restrain this man, rather Jesus wanted to free this man from his mental pain and anguish.

Jesus doesn't come to us to restrain us with our demons of sin. Jesus comes to us to free us from the restraints of our sin. Jesus comes to us to give us life, not death in restraint to what we have done.

The people of the day and the region and of this day and this place fear this freedom Jesus offers us. We are the man. We are the man that people seek to restrain to the sins we have committed. We are the ones possessed. We are the one that Jesus comes to free from our sinfulness, our selfishness, our guilt, our pain, our greed, our lust for power, yes, our sinfulness. We are the ones that Jesus comes to free.

Jesus comes to us with love and grace and forgiveness that frees us. Jesus comes to us with compassion and mercy and gives us life.

We are the man that returns home free and full of the love of Christ to proclaim what God has done for us and for all people. We are the man... you... and I. Jesus is our Savior. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
As I run to tell all you have done, may all you give to me see your love and your grace and your forgiveness... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen