Luke 8:26-28 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!" (NIV)
A stormy boat trip had just taught the disciples that Jesus had authority over the forces of nature. Arriving at the shore the Twelve were with Jesus for His next appointment - taking authority over demons. As they landed, the naked demonised man met them. He was unable to live near people; demonically robbed of his dignity, community and sanity, he lived in isolation and slept among the graves of the dead.
The arrival of Jesus challenged the authority of the evil spirits. The Son of the Most High God had invaded their space and they knew that He had the power to cast them out into a prolonged and painful destruction. The manipulated man screamed out in his tortured state, recognising who Jesus was and fearful of what He might do. The evil spirits knew they were at Jesus' mercy but also wanted to bargain with Him to remain in control of the man. And so the intrinsic confusion which exists within everything that is evil was pouring out of the man's mouth.
Evil has no integrity. Those who allow evil to rule in their hearts end up believing their own lies and think that they can bargain with God. Generally speaking, it is not that the wicked refuse to believe in God, but that they deny His right to rule. As this narrative unfolds we shall see that Jesus Christ is totally in command and that Satan cannot defy Him. Like the disciples, it is important for us to know that their Master was not just a teacher and healer, but that He would go into Satan's territory to rescue those whose lives had been wrecked by evil. That is why the gospel is such good news: Jesus came to save sinners who are incapable of releasing themselves from Satan's grip. And Christ still has that power today.
A stormy boat trip had just taught the disciples that Jesus had authority over the forces of nature. Arriving at the shore the Twelve were with Jesus for His next appointment - taking authority over demons. As they landed, the naked demonised man met them. He was unable to live near people; demonically robbed of his dignity, community and sanity, he lived in isolation and slept among the graves of the dead.
The arrival of Jesus challenged the authority of the evil spirits. The Son of the Most High God had invaded their space and they knew that He had the power to cast them out into a prolonged and painful destruction. The manipulated man screamed out in his tortured state, recognising who Jesus was and fearful of what He might do. The evil spirits knew they were at Jesus' mercy but also wanted to bargain with Him to remain in control of the man. And so the intrinsic confusion which exists within everything that is evil was pouring out of the man's mouth.
Evil has no integrity. Those who allow evil to rule in their hearts end up believing their own lies and think that they can bargain with God. Generally speaking, it is not that the wicked refuse to believe in God, but that they deny His right to rule. As this narrative unfolds we shall see that Jesus Christ is totally in command and that Satan cannot defy Him. Like the disciples, it is important for us to know that their Master was not just a teacher and healer, but that He would go into Satan's territory to rescue those whose lives had been wrecked by evil. That is why the gospel is such good news: Jesus came to save sinners who are incapable of releasing themselves from Satan's grip. And Christ still has that power today.
No comments:
Post a Comment