In two of today's texts [I Kings 19: 1-15a; Luke 8: 26-39],we learn about changing direction. Elijah is having a terrible time in his life: the land is evil, the king is evil, prophets are dead, and the Queen wants him executed. For answers, he goes to Horeb (i.e. Sinai), no doubt looking for theophanies of old, like earthquake, wind and fire; instead there is the sound of sheer silence. Instead of fixing his problems magically, God communicates through a sheer silence that Elijah is to change direction. In his new assignment he will anoint healthy kings and a new prophetic successor, He himslef will find that he is the answer to his problems!
Jesus involuntarily also changes direction. He and his bind are out on the sea when a storm drives them to Gerasa on the opposite side of the lake from Galilee. Boy, has he landed in the wrong place! Gerasa is home to a Roman garrison of soldiers called a "legion;" it is a centre for the cult of Roman and Greek sacrifices, and a symbol of Roman imperial military power. Logically, it is also the hub of swine production, as pork is a main staple of the Gentile diet. Watch for serious symbolism as the tale unfolds.
The first person Jesus encounters is a madman who lives rough in a cemetery, apparently suffers from epilepsy and mental illness, and runs rounds naked. Jesus lures him out of the tombs and cures him. As the ancients thought all disease and defect were caused by tiny demons, the story is cast in terms of throwing out demons. These perfidious parasites happen to be named "Legion!" Jesus sends "the Legion" into a herd of swine who commit suicide by jumping into the sea. And remember that Jews thought demons lived in the wilderness and could not survive in water. (In some churches the nearest door to the font is left open during baptism so the demons can escape easily.) Now our protagonist is sane and and dressed. Mission accomplished. But are the locals grateful? No, they ask Jesus to go away because they are afraid. What would you bet the real reason is that the local Chamber is upset by the destruction of the pigs, and the profits they would have generated
What can we say? Jesus has given back the protagonist's dignity and future. No one who is open to transformation by Jesus will remain unchanged. The problem is that we too often live amongst the tombs of self-satisfaction, addiction, obsession, wealth, power and privilege. We can get really comfortable with our demons and want to protect them instead of letting Jesus heal us and convert us into the people he calls us to be.
In destroying "the Legion," Jesus has taken on the values of imperialism and militarism. And in the obliteration of the swine he has taken on the values of unbridled capitalism, doing most anything or anybody for a buck. It is clear that Jesus is not safe to be around. Don't approach unless you want to be changed forever.
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