Gospel text for Sunday 23 June 2019

Luke 8:26-39        Jesus and his disciples 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        Who do you consider possessed by demons? Who, for you, looks and thinks, speaks and behaves in ways that confront the way you look and think, speak and behave? Whom do you find as unnerving or disturbing as the unclean Gerasene?  What do you think about the fact that Jesus goes out of his way, “crossing over to the other side,” just to let us know that no one, not even an out of control, irrationally raging man is out of reach of Jesus’ transforming compassion?

It is actually quite significant that Jesus goes into Gentile (foreign) territory. In so doing he violates all manner of religious prohibitions intended to protect his purity. But Jesus is willing to lose his 'clean' status if it means he has the opportunity to offer freedom and healing to a suffering stranger. 

So, Jesus dignifies the possessed Gerasene by asking him his name. And the strangest thing is, the demons that possess the man answer, “Legion.” Legion is a military term. In this context it refers to 5000 Roman soldiers who are occupying the Ancient Middle East where this teaching tale takes place. The demons are the Roman Empire’s occupying forces that oppress the people, undermine their culture, push them into poverty and drive them crazy with the overbearing threat of violence. 

Two thousand years ago and today Jesus stands in dramatic counterpoint to the misuse of power and militarism by governments that rule by stoking fear and degrading the value of human beings. Standing on the ground of  peace and compassion Jesus demonstrates how embodying these values elevates, liberates and heals humankind. But when we capitulate to the misuse of power and the execution of violence we are driven crazy, like the possessed Gerasene.

Which begs us to ask ourselves a few questions. How are we possessed by the demons that underwrite war and fail to feed and shelter the homeless, the helpless, the refugee? How are we possessed by demons that put military weapons into the hands of haters? How are we denying our complicity? When will be break the chains that bind us to the military industrial complex and truly follow Jesus? What will it take for us to act decisively for peace and extend compassionate care for all people, even when it means giving up life as we know it? 

Is it not interesting that the Legion of occupying political/military authorities of his time experience Jesus as a threat, so much so that they execute him as a criminal? I believe the compassionate, nonviolent, peace offered by Jesus was considered a threat because the militaristic powers that be somehow understood that love is stronger than hate and compassion more powerful than violence. Can you imagine the power to heal and transform our world that would be released if all of us who claim to follow Jesus cast out the Legion of demons and stood firmly on Jesus’ ground extending compassion and peace to all people?

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Gospel text for Sunday 19 June 2016

Luke 8:26-39      Jesus and his disciples 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        When have we encountered people whom we might describe as “demon possessed?” In the intimidation spewed by bullies? in in scare-tactics of the self-serving?  the insolence of the arrogant?  in the heinous acts of the desperate? It is easy to be caught up in the blustery theatrics of these “unclean spirits,” easy to be swept away in a tide of emotion then paralyzed by fear. It is easy to decide to hide rather than confront the ill-willed histrionics.

I believe it would have been easy for Jesus to remain in Galilee, stay close to the Synagogue, continue his teaching and eating with sinners and steer clear of demon possessed territories. But he did not because “The Way” of Jesus is the way of bringing the Spirit of God to bear on the people possessed by the unclean spirit of ill-will and distorted relationships. When Jesus crosses over to the other side to “arrive at the country of the Geresenes” he leaves the safe sanctuary of institutional Jewish religion to engage full on with who or what ever opposes the Spirit of God not because it is easy or comfortable, but because his (and therefore our) mission is to intervene wherever the demonic spirit of ill-will acts out to distort relationships, subvert goodness, take advantage of the innocent or execute the stranger.

As people of The Way of Jesus I believe it is incumbent upon us to do more that worship God in our churches and do our well intended acts of charity. It is time for us to leave our safe church havens and identify the demon possessed. It is time for us to put our faith in the Spirit of God with us and refuse to be intimidated by bullies, refuse to capitulate to would be oppressors, call out the scare-tactics of the self-serving,  descry the incivility of the arrogant.

Reflecting on the relatively meagre response of Episcopal Church leaders to the Orlando tragedy and its underlying issues, in his weekly E-pistle Bishop Kirk Smith wondered if it is time for us to get out of Galilee and take action.” It got me to thinking, what if religious leaders reinstated the “Pax Dei.” What if we said, “Violence, and the means to violence (such as automatic weapons), are forbidden to believers.” What if we made it a policy, “It's your choice, AR-15s or Holy Communion?” What if we banned all guns from church buildings (a few of our Arizona congregations have done so)? What if we bishops wore our clerical collars and had a sit down in the entrance to the NRA headquarters? Maybe by taking such actions, instead of just praying for peace, people would begin to see their church leaders as the conscience of society instead of just chaplains to those in control. Maybe the American public would listen more carefully to what spiritual leaders, and not just entertainers, have to say.”

What if we lived as people of The Way of Jesus, full of faith, and refusing to capitulate to demonic histrionics? What if ….?

Read Bishop Smith’s entire reflection at  http://www.azdiocese.org/dfc/newsdetail_2/3179601 

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Gospel text for Sunday 23 June 2013

Luke 8:26-39     Jesus and his disciples 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    Inside my generally poised and quiet exterior I’ve borne a few storms along the way; whirlwinds of uninvited thoughts and indubitable tornadoes of emotion. Inside it felt no less perilous than the raging wind and waves that provoked Jesus’ disciples to shout, “Master we are perishing.” (Luke 8. 24) And although I have never been physically bound “with chains and shackles” I do recall feeling the weight of the world hammering my chest while wirey fingers cuffed my throat. Fear - this will never end. Fear - this will end. I suspect most people have had a taste or two of such extremis, where circumstances (inside or out) seem so grave, so isolating, so out of control, that there is nothing to do except fall down on our face before Holy God and surrender. And then...

We know the story. Something unexpected happens. Jesus calmed the storm his disciples believed would kill them, and then they were “afraid and amazed...(and asked) who is this who commands even the winds and the water...?” (Luke 8.25) Jesus moved on to approach the tormented man of Gersasene, and instead of turning away disgusted by his vulgar behavior, Jesus asked the deranged man whose “chains and shackles” were insufficient to contain the powerhouse of his emotions, Jesus asked, “What is your name?” In other words, Jesus ‘saw’ beyond the circumstance. Jesus ‘saw’ the real man. By asking the man his name Jesus affirmed his very essence. And the tormented man was restored to his right mind. The people who had persecuted him were “seized with fear.” But not the tortured man. His heart was filled with desire. He begged to stay with Jesus, the one by whom he felt seen and loved.  

Exposed and naked the tormented man fell down before Jesus. In an act of utter surrender he prostrated himself before the “Son of the Most High God.” And he was transformed.  In his Letters to a Young Poet Rainer Marie Rilke wrote, “Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are really princesses who are waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.”