Friendly Demons
Where do your demons like to hang out?
When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; and he shouted at the top of his voice, 'What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.' For he had said to him, 'Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!' Then Jesus asked him, 'What is your name?' He replied, 'My name is Legion; for we are many.' He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. - Mark 5:5-10
Today's Gospel story has always intrigued me.
As soon as Jesus arrived in the country of Gerasenes, he is met by a man who lives in the tombs, a man possessed by many demons. The man doesn't have a name in the story, but we know the name of the demons that hold him prisoner, Legion.
Oddly, this encounter, then, is between Jesus and demons, who apparently have no choice but to submit to his will.
When he demands that they come out of the man, they panic and plead with him to let them stay in this country.
Doesn't that sound like an odd request for a group of demons to make?
We like it here. Let us stay here where we are comfortable and happy.
Happy demons?
Now before Jesus has a chance to speak, they spot a herd of swine and offer them as their new home, only to have the swine plunge to their death, causing the herders to run off frightened and angry.
What?
In the end, it is Jesus who has to leave the country and though the man who had been possessed wants to come with him, Jesus makes him stay behind to be with his friends.
So, what is the message here?
Perhaps we can learn something about our own demons. So long as we give them a home, they will stay with us and be very comfortable tormenting us. But when we let them go, they will destroy themselves.
We can rest assured that we will be made whole when we cast them out.
When we heal ourselves and renew our lives, we do not have to leave. We can be accepted by our family and friends, and be happy without the demons.
I wonder if that simple message could help people who are tormented by demons of their own. Maybe that is what we need to share with them. You are loved, and you will be be accepted for who you are when you free yourselves of these demons. You can let go and let God.
More to come...