Living With It

Is there a limit to what we will put up with for our own benefit?

When he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him. They were so fierce that no one could pass that way. Suddenly they shouted, “What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some distance from them. The demons begged him, “If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.” And he said to them, “Go!” So they came out and entered the swine; and suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water. The swineherds ran off, and on going into the town, they told the whole story about what had happened to the demoniacs. Then the whole town came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood. - Matthew 8:28-34

The swineherds of the town that Jesus visited were perfectly content living among the demoniacs.

The demoniacs lived in the tombs, and the swineherds kept their distance, raising their pigs.

If the demoniacs posed a threat to them, they simply avoided them.  Until Jesus arrives.

Now, the interesting thing about this encounter, that the swineherds blame on Jesus, is that the demoniacs are the ones who beg to be allowed to possess the pigs.  Jesus did not send them into the pigs.

But from the perspective of the town folk, the loss of revenue from the death of the pigs was Jesus' fault.

He cast the herd into the sea.

So it is with us.

We can live with evil so long as it doesn't impact us.

Once it does, we wake up and take our stand against it, or perhaps not.

Sometimes, we come to depend on it, so when the evil is banished, we feel the loss and want it back.

Maybe we should ask ourselves what we are becoming accustomed to that could one day hurt us.

More to come...