In this passage, Jesus met a man named “Legion” possessed by a host of demons. Legion fell on his knees before Jesus, and his demons left him to infest a herd of unsuspecting pigs. The pigs ran away and drowned themselves. The people were afraid, and “they began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.” As Jesus boarded his boat, Legion begged to go with him. Jesus said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much The Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” The people were amazed.
Like Legion, many of us have endured a range of “demons,” which come in several shades of color. The darker ones trap us into paralysis: mental illness, chronic illness, pain, diabetes, obesity, or depression. Demons of lighter hues affect all of intermittently: the health and personal crises of daily life in a family. There are always too many priorities to address, unfinished tasks, under-managed resources, and inadequate time to meet everyone’s needs. We feel the inherent guilt towards those whom we have hurt or neglected by misguided choices. We fear the unknown, including what life would like if we repented and took action. “Forgive us for what we have done, and for what we have left undone.”
I have to say, I am a big fan of the underrated pigs, who I am sure had an altruistic, heroic story of their own. Jesus brings mercy and forgiveness to those who pray for help in times of duress, often through sacrifice of our friends and family. He rids us of our demons and leaves us ready for a new day. “The people were amazed.”
—Gretchen Breunig
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