It’s
probably human nature to think about moving on to a new place from time to
time. The prospect of starting over,
putting our old problems behind us, and having new and exciting opportunities
often appeals to us. Sometimes we just get restless and long for something new.
That’s how the man in today’s gospel
lesson felt. Jesus Christ had cast many
demons out of him and had delivered him from a terrible existence. The wretched man had been naked, living in a
cemetery, with no family or friends.
Everyone was afraid of him, for even chains and shackles could not
control him when the demons took over.
After the Lord set him free, the man understandably wanted to leave
town, to follow the One who had delivered him.
But Christ did not want him to do that.
Instead, he was to return to his own house and tell what great things
God had done him. So that is what he did;
he proclaimed throughout the whole city how the Lord had blessed him and had
given him his life back.
We surely cannot blame this poor
fellow for wanting to move on. He must
have been known in the country of the Gadarenes as that crazy man whom
everybody feared. That is apparent from
people’s reaction to the sight of him when he is finally clothed and in his
right mind. They were afraid and
probably wondered what would happen next.
They even asked the Lord to depart because of it. Perhaps this was some kind of trick. Maybe he would become violent again at any
moment. The man knew that this was how
people viewed him and was probably ashamed, as any of us would be in his
situation. So he wanted to put his
hometown behind him and not look back.
He wanted simply to be with Jesus Christ, who was probably the only
person who had shown him compassion and friendship in many years.
But that was not Christ’s plan. He knew that the Gadarenes did not understand
the Gospel. He knew that they were so
disturbed by the amazing changes in the man’s life that they could not hear the
word of the Lord. So it was time for the
Savior to leave, but the man who had been possessed by demons was to stay. For eventually, people would see that the
positive changes in this man were permanent.
Over time, they would get to know him and accept him. And his new life would be living proof of
Christ’s salvation. He would be living
evidence that God’s blessing and healing have come even to demon-possessed
Gentiles of whom everyone was terrified.
He would be a living sign that the mercy of Christ extends to all and
can heal even the worst wounds and diseases of our souls.
To this day, some are called to be
itinerate evangelists, to travel from here to there proclaiming the Gospel;
some are called to be physicians, nurses, teachers, or development workers in
far-away lands. But most of us are not. Most of us are called, like the man in
today’s lesson, to stay right where we are, among those who know us well—for
good or for bad—to work out our salvation together with them. Our challenge is to accept with humility the
family, the church community, the job, the school, the friends, the
neighborhood, the blessings and the challenges, that God in His providence has
allowed us to face. No, He is never the
author of evil, but He calls us to put up with one another’s weaknesses and life’s
disappointments with patience, perseverance, and forgiveness. If we think that the grass is always greener
somewhere else, we will never learn that we are members of a Body, that we are
not isolated individuals, but members of one another in Christ. Whether in church, family, work, school, or
friendships, it is by bearing with one another that we work through our
difficulties and learn to stop thinking simply in terms of our own desires, but
in terms of what is best for others with whom we share a common life.
Staying put is often good, not only
for our communities and relationships, but for ourselves. The man who had been demon-possessed could
have left his town and put that sad part of his life behind him. It would have been easier for him to forget
his painful past by moving on. But
perhaps we kid ourselves when we think that it is best to put the dark moments
of our lives completely out of mind. They
are reminders of our weakness and of the truth that that we do not save
ourselves, that we are always dependent upon the Lord’s mercy and blessing in
our lives. We are never self-sufficient as
Christians, and our journey is not one of perfect success. No, we should not obsess on our weaknesses,
failures, and pains; it is rarely helpful to dwell upon them. We should be grateful and joyful about God’s
blessings in our lives. But we should also
acknowledge what our past sins reveal about us:
our spiritual sickness and brokenness, and the fact that we can easily
fall back into the pit of our own corruption.
When we remember who we were, and where we are tempted to return, we are
reminded to stay focused, to be on guard, and to be all the more thankful that
the Lord has raised us up from our low estate.
It was true for the Gadarene demoniac, and it is true for all of us who
have put on the new life in Christ. When
we remember what it was like to wallow in the mire of our passions like pigs in
mud, we will glorify with humility the One who set us free.
Another reason for staying home was
the impact that this man’s example would have on his friends and
neighbors. For there is no more powerful
evidence of the truth of the Gospel, there is no stronger witness of Christ’s
salvation, than a life transformed. That
poor man was so overwhelmed by evil that he had lost his identity as a
person. When the Lord asked him his
name, the man replied, “Legion,” because he was filled with so many
demons. And, as we have seen, he acted
like someone controlled by the forces of evil.
But after Christ delivered him, the man returned to a normal human life,
clothed and in his right mind.
If he had left town, no one whom he
met would have known about his past unless he had mentioned it. And even if he told them about it, the story
would not be nearly as significant for them as it would be for the people in
his hometown. It is one thing to hear
about someone’s transformation, but quite another to see it with your own
eyes. And it was only by staying home
that this man was able to become a uniquely powerful icon of what Jesus Christ
can do to heal and fulfill even the most miserable human being.
Of course, we have not been running
around demon-possessed, naked, and out of our minds in cemeteries. But we have all at times give into our
temptations and allowed our passions to overtake us. Though we may have repented and found God’s
forgiveness, we can still be ashamed to encounter people or situations that
remind us of our failings. Out of
pride, we do not want to be reminded of how we acted and how we may be tempted
to act again. Granted, we should not put ourselves in situations of great
temptation when we can avoid it. But we also
should not hide our light under a bushel; we should not allow pride to keep us
from showing others to what the Lord has done for us. Like the Gadarene demoniac, we should return
to our house, our home, our neighborhood, our classroom, our workplace, our
friendships, and become a living example of what Jesus Christ can do in the
lives of sinners.
Some may be skeptical of the changes
in us or even afraid and ask us to leave, as they did to Christ Himself. Regardless of that, we should simply focus on
living with joy, gratitude, and humility the new life that the Lord has given
us. That is how we will proclaim the
good news of the Kingdom of God even as we remain in our familiar settings,
giving thanks for the great things that Christ has done for us. And then others will know that the Lord’s
mercy, blessing, and healing are for people just like you and me, right where we
are, no matter how painful the past has been. As St. Seraphim of Sarov taught, “Acquire the
Spirit of peace and thousands around you will be saved.”