Luke 8:26-31
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.
The details Luke shares about this scene are heartbreaking. Because of his condition, the Gerasene man has been bereft of any human community for who knows how long. He no longer has clothes. Neither does he have a home but rather wonders the tombs. In every possible way he is unclean, an outcast, utterly alone.
Except, of course, for the demons that inhabit him. And not just inhabit him, but drive him to injure himself to the point where the locals have chained him to keep him from hurting himself or others. But even these extreme measures can’t keep him safe. It is, as I said, a heartbreaking story.
I realize that while reading it many of us may wonder if demon possession was an ancient description of a cruel form of mental illness or an awful designation for someone who suffered some other terrible ailment. But this isn’t the concern of the story, and I find it most helpful to take the narrative on its own terms. The narrative, ultimately, is about the utter desolation and havoc these demons have wreaked in this man’s life…and about Jesus’ intention to restore him.
Why?
Because that’s what Jesus does.
And the demons know it, too. For when Jesus comes near and orders them to come out, the possessed man throws himself down, calls Jesus by name and title, and begs for mercy.
And as if there hasn’t been enough heartbreak already, the story gets even sadder at this point. For when Jesus asks the man his name, he can only answer, “Legion,” because so many demons had entered him. He has lost, that is, not only his relationships and status and clothes and dignity; he has also lost his identity and now knows himself only by his tragedy and heartbreak.
It is a sad, sad story. But it’s about to get quite interesting…and hopeful. Why? Because that’s what Jesus does.
Prayer: Dear God, when we get overwhelmed by the things that beset us and lose ourselves in our struggles, help us to recognize you still and call for help. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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