It is once again time for the Weekend Sermon. Thanks for taking the time to read it. I hope that you are all well.
We are in Mark once again this week. We are starting a new chapter, and I have to say, this is a story that has some difficulties in it. I will tell you what I think. Some may not agree. That is OK.
As we saw last time, Jesus and His disciples crossed over to the other side of the lake. They had now come to the area of the Gerasenes which was a Gentile area. When Jesus and those with him got out of the boat, they were met by a man who was violently demon possessed. He spent his time among the tombs and could not be contained even when chained up. He/the demons asked not to be tormented.
Jesus asked the demon his name, and they said Legion because there were many of them. Jesus commanded them to leave the man. The demons asked to be allowed to go into a herd of pigs grazing nearby. Jesus gave them permission, and when the pigs realized they were possessed they ran themselves off the cliff into the lake.
The man was free, but the people of the area didn't care. They asked Jesus to basically get out of town.
The man who was freed asked Jesus to let Him follow Him. However, Jesus said no. He told the man to go and tell others what God had done for Him. And that is what the man did.
So, what are we to make of all this? What is the lesson for us today? First of all, did this man actually have thousands of demons in him? The Bible is clear that he did, so I will go with that. However, this story is using symbolism to make a much broader point.
When Jesus asked the demon its name it said Legion. This is a direct reference to Rome. Rome was introducing the worship of idols into the entire area. That area where Jesus was was a hotbed for idolatrous religious practice which used pigs as a sacrificial animal.
By casting out a demon or demons named Legion, the story is letting us know that Jesus and His message is more powerful than the evil forces of the Roman Empire as well as more powerful than even a legion of thousands of demons. No power of evil can withstand the power of the Lord.
Now to the pigs. Did Jesus directly send the demons into the pigs? He did not. Also, the demons did not drive the pigs into the sea. The pigs did it themselves to prevent the demons from possessing them. Some will disagree with this interpretation.
The pigs are in this story to demonstrate the power of the Lord over the power of the gods worshipped by the Romans and other pagan peoples. They were left with nothing to sacrifice.
The reaction of the townspeople is also highly symbolic. Their reaction shows us the attitude of so many who care about profit over people. They were more worried about the bottom line of their loss of profit now that their pigs were gone than the fact that a man was freed from torment. They were also afraid of Jesus, and they wanted Him gone.
People today who care more about profit over people have the same attitude. They do not want to be confronted by the Jesus who calls us to care for the least of these.
Now, what about the man wanting to follow Jesus? Jesus said no. Why? Jesus wanted him to be His witness to his own people. And who could have been better? He was a walking and talking testimony to the transforming power of God's grace.
This account has a lot to teach us. Jesus has more power than any power of darkness. When we are in Christ Jesus, we are safe in Him. No power of hell can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ. Jesus will be the ultimate victor over every force of evil and darkness. It cannot and will not stand.
Our job as believers in Jesus is to care about people and to love others. We are to tell others about the wonderful things that the Lord has done for us so that their lives might be transformed by His forgiveness, love and grace. Amen
Prayer Requests
Unless something changes, I am about ready to sell my house. Please pray for me.
Please pray for my sister-in-law as she is recovering from an operation.
Continue to pray for an end to the Ebola outbreak as well as hantavirus.
Keep praying for peace. Pray that peace comes in the Middle East situation and that the peace holds. We need to keep praying for peace in Ukraine and in Sudan.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Uzbekistan and Cambodia. Pray that many will come to know the love of the Lord.
Next week, we will continue in Mark. I will post the verses on Tuesday. May God bless you all.
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