“Declare how much God has done for you” (Luke 8:26-39)

Luke 8:26-39

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Pastor Tom Johnson, June 19, 2016

Biblical historians describe the country of the Gerasenes like the Wild West. It was a desolate place. It was a land of lawlessness. It was just across the border outside Israel. It was filled with bandits and tribal conflict. It is what makes a herd of pigs possible. Pigs were forbidden by Hebrew Bible. Cemeteries were also considered places of uncleanliness and forbidden by Jewish Law. So, in addition to the disciples being grossed out by the pigs and creeped out by the cemetery, there is a demon possessed man on the loose. He is naked, out of control, living among the tombs, and able break the chains they try to bind him with. And here he comes screaming at the top of his lungs at the feet of Jesus begging him not to torment him. But it is not the man who is speaking. It is a legion of demons that are holding him captive. That would be between 4-5,000 soldiers in a Roman army.

As Scripture says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). That is to say, many of our troubles are invisible, inaudible to human observation. Our challenges are sometimes numerous. And our needs and difficulties are not just physical, emotional, mental but also spiritual. You even hear people say without an desire to sound religious or spiritual say, “I am dealing with my demons.” Often we are talking indirectly about addiction to drugs or alcohol, our inability to manage our anger, sexual addiction, or some other behavior or attitude that plagues us. But such demons don’t just impact the individual. Our demons reveal a deeper and more pervasive bondage that runs through all our community and culture.

Jesus doesn’t seemed surprised that there is a legion of demons this poor man is burdened with. And perhaps that is why he sends them into the pigs. He wants to validate and illustrate the reality of this individual’s story. Here Jesus uncovers the demons of the community surrounding this now liberated soul. They cannot celebrate his freedom. They are more concerned about their pigs than their people. They more concerned about what the Gospel might do to damage their economy than what it will do to better their humanity. Some people jump for joy and shout when they are healed by Jesus. But this man sits quietly, fully clothed, and in his right mind. The miracle is that the storm of evil is over. His captivity has ended. He is a healed and liberated man!

But Jesus is not done liberating captives—he is not done delivering those in bondage. Jesus has a plan to deliver a whole community—it is simple—but it is powerful. “Return to your home,” Jesus says, “and declare how much God has done for you.”  “And [the Gerasene man] went away, proclaiming through the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.” What kinds of things would he say?

“I was naked and Jesus clothed me. I was outcast and he brought me in. I was rejected and he accepted me. I was in bondage and he set me free. I was running around wildly and now I am at peace.”

God has infused power in our stories. God promises to do great things through telling our history. What kinds of things can we say?

“I was naked in my sin and brokenness and Christ’s clothed me with the robe of his righteousness. I was outcast and he brought me in. I was an orphan and the Father accepted and adopted me. I was in bondage to the things of this world and he set me free. I was running around aimlessly and self-destructively and he gave me peace and life.”

Or we can say,

“I learned to name my demons, let go of my shame and guilt, and receive the forgiveness of Christ. I found my true family among God’s people after feeling like a misfit for so many years. I no longer am a slave to my cravings. I no longer find my life meaningless. I have found freedom in the Gospel.”

Dear Christian, go home. Go to your family and friends. Declare how much God has done for you. We should take up Jesus’ challenge as our own. Today, just tell one small story to your friends and family about what God has done for you.
It will remind them and you why the Gospel matters. It will reveal how God still works miracles in the lives of his people. It will show that God’s Word is relevant today, yesterday, and forever. And you, like the Gerasene man, will be a instrument of Jesus’ almighty power.