Jesus Casts Out the Gadarene Demoniacs

Evil is a powerful force in our world, seemingly present everywhere, and is so difficult to eradicate. Jesus is the Son of God and can overcome the evil. The mission of Jesus transcends all boundaries. He is not afraid to go to the other side, the land of the Gentiles – where the Jews would not normally go. There he encounters the forces of evil in the form of the demoniacs. The compassion of Jesus once again cures suffering people. This time he casts out evil spirits which had possessed two men. They had been a cause of fear and trouble for the people in the  Gadarene neighbourhood. Yet, what is the reaction in Gadarene when the news of their healing spreads? Do the people flock to Jesus and thank him? No. They beg him to get out of their neighbourhood! Because the townspeople cannot cope/understand/appreciate the divinity of Jesus.
Both the demoniacs and the inhabitants of the town ask Jesus to leave them alone. His presence was too disconcerting for them. They prefer to remain in their suffering rather than have the balance of their lives upset by the power of Jesus’ presence.

Jesus’ word is astonishingly powerful, it can defeat a huge crowd of demons. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the power of evil in the world around us, in politics, at work, or even in our own hearts. Lets turn to Jesus and beg him to increase our faith in Him and help us see that He is still in charge of the world. To believe that no evil, however strong and deep rooted can resist his power. Dear Friends, let us ask Jesus our Savior for greater inner freedom to open our lives to Him.

Jesus our Saviour and Healer, heal us, heal our land. Let your presence and grace be seen in places like Manipur. Give us the grace to respond to you, for our good and for the good of the whole world. Amen.

Another Reflection
Jesus is the Lord of creation, and from Him all creation came to be. When we say creation, we mean everything created, angels, humanity and all the physical world. Part of this world is the demons also. Are we misreading this text, like we misread God and his actions in the Old Testament? Example God going to rescue Israel, and destroy Egypt. Was Egypt not His Children? Similarly we can ask what is Jesus doing hear, come to drive out the demons, come to heal the affected persons or just come to show He has power over even demons.

Think this through, God being good and perfect how will he react? He cannot be selfish, or serving his own agenda, He needs to be giving, and self outpouring. He here is in a perfect moment where he can reach out to the demons, offering them peace and healing for the affected individuals. A by product of this interaction is we get to see Jesus as Lord and Master of All Creation, even those who reject Him and His Mercy. Sadly, the demons choose to distance themselves from Jesus’ Love and Mercy.

What would you like to do, distance yourself or cling to Jesus. Remember, demons also are worth of Jesus’ Love and Mercy. The only thing that can keep us away from God/Jesus, is the choice you and I make.