Legion

Hello everyone,

In Luke 8:26-39 we read about what happens when Jesus crosses the lake into Gentile territory. It is a story that we are probably all familiar with.  Jesus encounters a man who is inhabited by many demons.  Remember that the disciples have just seen an incredible miracle, watching Jesus rebuke a storm.  Now they are going to see another incredible miracle, as Jesus casts out a legion of demons from one man.

When Jesus' boat pulls up on the other shore of the lake, he is met by a man with overwhelming need.  He is living completely out of control.  He lives among the tombs, and runs around naked.  The townspeople had not been able to contain him.  They had tried to chain him, but he broke the chains. (Verse 29) It seems that the demons had taken full control of the man. Alfred Edersheim says this in regard to the demon-possessed man, "The demonized are incapable of separating their own consciousness and ideas from the influence of the demon, their own identity being merged, and to that extent lost, in that of their tormentors." (Edersheim, 419.) 

The demons are so much in control that when Jesus asks the man’s name, it seems that it is the demons who respond, saying that their name is Legion.  Luke explains that he was called that because he was inhabited by many demons.  Mark records that the response was “My name is Legion, for we are many.” (Mark 5:9) It seems that the demons were in charge, and they were the ones who were talking to Jesus through the man, rather than the man speaking himself. 

The possessed man, although clearly under the control of the demons, falls down in front of Jesus.  The demons recognize Jesus' authority. They make a bazaar request from Jesus.  In spite of the fact they constatnly tortured their victim, they beg Jesus not to torture them. While they recognize Jesus' authority, they really don't understand him at all.  Torture is not on Jesus' agenda, even for demons.  His desire is simply to drive them out so that they will stop torturing this poor man,   In fact, Jesus was quite obliging to the demons.  Not only does not torture them, but when they ask him to go into the nearby herd of pigs, he allows it. 

The name Legion certainly implies that there were many demons inside the man.  Even though Luke doesn't give a number, Mark tells us that there were around two thousand pigs on the hillside that ran down into the water and drowned.  If we assume that there was a demon per pig, we would conclude that there were well over a thousand demons in the man.  So the battle was one (Jesus) against a thousand or more (the demons).  Jesus won easily. The demons understood from the outset that it was Jesus who had all of the power and all of the authority here. 

As mentioned previously, the demons are trying to avoid going into the Abyss, and beg Jesus to allow them to go into a nearby herd of pigs. Jesus allows it, but when they enter the pigs, the whole herd rund down the hill and drowns themselves in the lake. Now, according to petpigworld.com and several other websites. Pigs can swim.  So these possessed pigs chose drowning over demon possession.

After the pigs have run into the water and drown themselves, the swineherds run off to the town to tell people what has happened and the people come to see.  When the townspeople arrive, they see a couple of things.  First, there is no more herd of pigs.  Second the formerly demon-possessed man is clothed and in his right mind.  The man who demons had made so strong that he could break chains was now a normal rational man. 

One would think that they would be relieved and grateful.  Their response however, was one of fear. It would seem that Jesus’ healing of this man would lead to a different response than what it received from the people of the Gerasenes.  In fear, they asked Jesus to leave. To me, it seems that if Jesus could overpower and cast out a thousand or so demons, that I might want him to perform some miracle for me. That is not their thinking though, and they ask him to leave. 

Just like with the demons, Jesus is very obliging.  He leaves. Jesus is not one to hang around somewhere where he is not wanted. However, the man formerly known as Legion begs Jesus to go with him.  Ironically, Jesus has granted the wishes of the demons and of the townspeople who ask him to leave, but this man who wants to go with Jesus, is declined.  Jesus tells the man to go home and tell what God had done for him. The man goes beyond what Jesus asks of him.  He not only goes home, but declares what Jesus had done for him throughout the home city.  

Jesus travels across the lake, through a storm, encounters one situation, in which he rescues one man, then leaves and goes back to where he started.  It seems like a lot of trouble for one man, but Jesus was willing to do all of this for one person. 

Tom 

Jesus, He will Fix It

 Hello everyone.

It has been a while since I have written anything.  The new school year has started and it has kept me pretty busy.  I starting to my school year legs under, and I hope to write more.  Any way, today I will continue my exegesis of Luke 8.  It tells the story of Jesus and how he calmed the storm.  Here is my translation: 

22 One day, Jesus got into a boat, along with his disciples.  He said to them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake. So they set out for the other side.  23 As they sailed, Jesus fell asleep. Then a storm, with gusting winds came across the lake. It began to swamp the boat and place them in danger. 

24 They came to Jesus and woke him up, saying, “Master, we are about to be destroyed.” Getting up, Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves. Everything stopped and it was calm. 25 Then he said to them, “Where is your faith?” In fear and amazement they said to one another, “Who is this then, that he can command the wind and the water, and they will obey him?” 

One day, Jesus decides to cross to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  (Luke refers to it as the lake.) So Jesus and his followers get into a boat and cross over to the other side.  This other side of the lake is Gentile territory. We might be surprised that Jesus would want to go there, since he has said in Matthew 15:24 that he came for the lost children of Israel. However, we do understand that Jesus' desire was for all people to know God and we know that his appeal is universal. Jesus is taking this trip into Gentile territory. He doesn’t stay very long, but the point is that he does go there, subtlely telling us that his plan to for all people, not just Israel. 

While crossing the lake, Jesus falls asleep on the boat.  As he sleeps, a sudden storm rises on the lake and it appears that the boat that they are in is about to be swamped with water and sunk. Luke says that they were ‘in danger.’ We are talking about men, several of whom were professional fishermen,  therefore used to being on the water. This was likely not their first storm, but it was a fierce storm and it appears that while Jesus slept, they were in real danger.

The disciples do two things. One is the wrong thing and the other is the right thing. First, they panic.  This is the wrong thing to do.  Jesus later chastises them for their lack of faith. But then, they go to Jesus with their problem.  This is the right thing to do.  Like the song says, “My Jesus, He Will Fix It.” 

Jesus calmly gets up and rebukes the wind and the waves.  The Greek word Luke uses here is ἐπετίμησεν (epetimasen) does mean "rebuke."  Jesus rebukes air and water. With with we see again the far-reaching extent of Jesus’ authority.  Even nature obeys him.  The wind. The water. It doesn’t matter.  When Jesus says that he has ALL authority, he is not joking.  His authority does extend over everything.In a storm, water is unruly and can be impossible for us to control.  The fact that Jesus was able to do it so easily is very impressive. 

So what is the lesson here? The apostles saw and were amazed.  We can too, because, we all face many storms.  When they come, do we panic, or does our faith allow us to remain calm as we take the storm to Jesus? Jesus may not fix it immediately like he did this one, but that does not mean that he is not in control.  He will work it out.  Out task is to trust him. 

Tom 

Let it Shine

Hello everyone.

Luke 8:16-21 tells two stories quicky.  In verses 16-18, Jesus talks about light.  Then in 8:19-21, Luke relates a story regarding Jesus and his family. So in the first of the stories in this passage, Jesus tells a proverb regarding light. (Verse 16) He says the same proverb again in Luke 11:33.  Verse 16 says "No one lights a lamp, then hides it in a jar or under a bed. Rather, they place it on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light." The point he is making here is obvious.  You don’t light a lamp and then hide it.  A hidden light serves no purpose.  Instead, lights are placed in such a way to illuminate as much of the room as possible. 

There are different ways to look at Jesus' proverb here.  In Matt. 5:16, Jesus tells his followers to ‘let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven. It is possible Jesus is saying this so that his disciples as a plea for them to show their light. Within the context of Luke 8, coming right after the parable of the sower, the light could be the word of God.  This also makes sense.  Either way, it is we, the followers of Jesus, who are the ones to let it shine. 

Jesus also uses the light in this passage to talk about how light exposes things.  In verse 17-18a, Jesus says, "All that is hidden and invisible will be made known, and all of the secrets will be brought into the light. Therefore, pay careful attention to how you listen." Things that can be hidden in darkness, are exposed by the light. Jesus tells his hearers that everything hidden and seemingly invisible will be brought out into the light.  Because of this, Jesus warns us to be careful how we listen to the word.  We want to make sure that we are obedient, since everything will be brought out into the light eventually. 

We want to make sure that we respond to Jesus’ words.  The rest of verse 18 tells us that to those who are obedient, more will be given.  Meanwhile, those who do not obey, will lose what they have.  God will bless those who are obedient to His word.  

Jesus continues to stress this point. In verses 19-21, his family has come to see him, but are forced to wait outside because of the size of the crowds.  When the message comes that his family was there, Jesus looks around at those who are with him and who are obedient to his word, and says that the members of his family are those that are obedient to his word.  

In two short stories, Luke relates a great about the benefit of obedience to Jesus.  As we let our light shine through obedience to Jesus, we add to our blessings (verse 18) and we become members of his family. (Verse 21)

Tom