4th Sunday of Pentecost

“The power of Jesus”

Luke 8:26-39

26 They landed in the region of the Gerasenes across from Galilee.

27 When Jesus stepped out on the shore, a certain man from the city met him. The man was possessed by demons and had not worn clothes for a long time. He would not stay in a house but lived in the tombs.

28 When he saw Jesus, he shouted, fell in front of him, and said in a loud voice, “Why are you bothering me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you not to torture me!”

29 Jesus ordered the evil spirit to come out of the man. (The evil spirit had controlled the man for a long time. People had kept him under guard. He was chained hand and foot. But he would break the chains. Then the demon would force him to go into the desert.)

30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

He answered, “Legion [Six Thousand].” (Many demons had entered him.)

31 The demons begged Jesus not to order them to go into the bottomless pit.

32 A large herd of pigs was feeding on a mountainside. The demons begged Jesus to let them enter those pigs. So he let them do this.

33 The demons came out of the man and went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed down the cliff into the lake and drowned.

34 When those who had taken care of the pigs saw what had happened, they ran away. They reported everything in the city and countryside.

35 The people went to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out. Dressed and in his right mind, he was sitting at Jesus’ feet. The people were frightened.

36 Those who had seen this told the people how Jesus had restored the demon-possessed man to health.

37 Then all the people from the surrounding region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave because they were terrified.

Jesus got into a boat and started back.

38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged him, “Let me go with you.”

But Jesus sent the man away and told him,

39 “Go home to your family, and tell them how much God has done for you.” So the man left. He went through the whole city and told people how much Jesus had done for him.

Intro

Jesus has the power over ALL creation because He is the Creator!

Our reading is very hard for us to understand with our 21st CENTURY way of thinking! We never see DEMON POSSESSION…means an evil angel takes control of our body. That idea seems very WILD and maybe people would say we are “crazy” to think and talk about angels around us…especially evil angels taking control of our bodies. However, the Bible says this is possible and happened to the man in our reading. Verse 27, “The man was possessed by demons and had not worn clothes for a long time. He would not stay in a house but lived in the tombs.” The Bible says the man could not be kept in chains. He would break the chains. The man would often take stones he found in the grave yard and hit himself. People in the town were afraid of the man and would run away from him.

Interesting the man runs up to Jesus and begins to “shout” with the voice of the demons. The demons say, “Why are you bothering me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you not to torture me!” The devils know Jesus and they know His power. I wish many deaf people knew Jesus. I wish deaf people would be wise as snakes. I wish the deaf would understand the power of Jesus. Seems the deaf or hearing people of this world are blind to Jesus’ power. The smartest mind in the world can’t seem to understand the power of Jesus but devils sure understand and tremble with fear! They say, “I beg you not to torture me!” Seems like the demons are afraid of Jesus and know His power, why are we not afraid? The 1st Commandment says, “You shall have no other gods!” and what does this mean? “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things!” We should FEAR God! Why? Because He has the power to torture, burn, and destroy in hell while still keeping our body whole. The Bible says people will look for death at the end of time. People will want to be hidden in a grave but cannot a grave. People will tell the mountains please fall on us and cover us…”hide us from His wrath (great anger).

Jesus asks the demon what is your name? The demons answer with one voice. We are LEGION! A legion means 6,000. Imagine 6,000 evil angels inside this man. This is why he is so strong and people of his town fear him! But Jesus is not afraid and orders them to “come out” of the man. The demons want to go into a herd of pigs and Jesus allows them. The pigs run down the mountain and jump into the water and drowned! Maybe Jesus wanted the people to see the Legion left the man and went into the pigs. The devil was a murderer from the beginning and loves killing. Jesus saves the man and lets the pigs die. Jesus has the power!

In our world today we don’t admit to demon possession or to evil angels, we say that is silly. But if you look around your world it is easy to see the demons at work. Recently, in Delavan we saw a man murder his girlfriend (wife), his children, and total of six people including himself! Why? Sounds like the devil “got a hold” on him! He went to the van outside the house and shot his 2 year old daughter, who was strapped in her car seat, in the chest. What? Doesn’t that sound like demon possession to you? What would cause such evil? People say there was something wrong with his mind. Yea! There was something wrong…evil thoughts were controlling him…his anger got the best of him…he was like that group of pigs running down the hillside jumping into the water killing themselves. Ugh!

Thanks be to our God! Because he has the power! Jesus is the Creator in flesh and blood! Jesus is stronger than any demon and when we look to Jesus…He takes care of us. The man now free of the demons wants to stay with Jesus but Jesus tells the man to stay in his home area and tell people the truth. The truth is that God is in control and when we look to Jesus. Jesus is always there to help! Yes! The worst of the worst bows down to Jesus! Legions tremble in fear! Jesus has the power! Jesus has the love! Jesus chases away the demons that want to harm us and keeps us safe in His Word and Sacraments! We want to be with Jesus but Jesus tells us to go and help others. Tell the people the truth so they don’t have to be afraid! Amen!