This morning we looked at quite an unusual miracle recorded in three gospels (Matthew 8:28-34, Mark 5:1-20 and Luke 8:26-39) which shows us Jesus delivering a man from a legion of demons by means of sending the unclean spirits into a nearby herd of pigs, resulting in the deliverance of the man and the death of the pigs. Though there are variations in the stories, the key elements remain the same, and leave us puzzled as to why Jesus acted in this way.
It’s clear that individuals matter to God, and in this case, the sanity and healing of one man mattered more than the wealth produced for Gentiles by two thousand pigs. Before meeting Jesus, this man was in a hopeless position, living in tombs, without clothes and self-harming. His violence and aggression meant he was shunned and feared by people, but once delivered from the legion of spirits by Jesus, he is seen dressed, in his right mind, and willing to tell of all God had done for him to his community. Mission starts at home, and this man obeyed Jesus faithfully. We do well to do the same, remembering that we all have a personal story/ testimony to tell.
This miracle divided opinions. Many were amazed and astonished at what Jesus had done and the transformation wrought in this man. Others were less enthusiastic, Luke tells us they were overcome by fear. (Luke 8:37) Despite their mistrust and lack of control over the man previously, they were not reassured by the fact that Jesus was in total control of the situation, giving permission for the evil spirits to enter the pigs, but fully in control of what was happening. Miracles will always divide opinions, but we can be confident that Jesus is in control and therefore can have hope in every situation, even those which seem so dark and evil to us. Nothing is more powerful than Jesus.
