Isaiah 65:1--9 Galatians 3:23-29 Luke 8:26-39
The thematic interaction of Isaiah and Luke is best understood with the Genesis Garden account in the background. In Genesis 3:10 we hear God’s first spoken word to a human: “Where are you?” [One Hebrew word: ’ay]
I think God’s question summarizes the human condition. In our Processional hymn today we sang: “Jesus sought me, when a stranger wandering from the fold of God,” and then, “bind my wandering heart to Thee; prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.”
We wander away, and God seeks us. Hear Isaiah 65: YHWH says “I stretch out my hands and cry “here I am!” I wait for Israel to seek me, but they do not.” Isaiah said, Israel rejected their Lord, and offered [pagan] sacrifices in gardens, they sit in tombs and eat swine’s flesh and are made unclean. See the irony? God cries, “Where are you?” as Adam hides. God cries, “Here I am,” as Israel wanders away.
Today’s Gospel is also among tombs. Jesus is confronted by a naked man possessed by demons. Since Adam, who was also naked, humanity has been subject to the demonic and death. Jesus enters the realm of death, a graveyard, to liberate the man from Satan’s hold. The unclean swine carry the demons into the lake and drown. Jesus is doing the work of redemption.
After the exorcism the man sits with Jesus in “his right mind.” The Greek word sophroneo literally means “a saved/healed/whole understanding.” The town’s folk were fearful so they rejected God’s offer of salvation in Jesus. They were afraid because, ironically, their minds are not right, they also needed healing. Since Adam uttered the words “I hid because I was afraid,” humans have not trusted God and lived in fear. The doubt and fear of the townsfolk leads to sin: they reject Jesus. Paradoxically, Jesus casts out demons and the frightened people cast out Jesus.
That is the danger. The demons are not only at work in the deranged—they are also quietly at home in the ordinary people who just keep Jesus at the periphery of life. The process of receiving a new mind and new heart, of being purified of wrong desires and bad thinking can be long and difficult—we prefer something quick and easy. Make no mistake, everyone sends Jesus away from time to time and no one has a right mind. We are all distracted by our own lives and prefer worldly practicality. We do not want Jesus upsetting things.
Healing and exorcism are major components of Jesus’ ministry. The world is hostile to the proclamation of the Kingdom. If we are aligned with Jesus then the world will be hostile to us and send us away—but the good news is then we will be with Jesus! What could possibly be better?
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