“Return to your home,” He said, after casting out the demons, “and declare how much God has done for you.”
AM Psalm [70], 71 • PM Psalm 74
Wisdom 14:27-15:3 • Rom. 14:1-12 • Luke 8:26-39
I’ve never believed in demons, but my Morning’s Reflection from Luke is about Legion, the man who was cured of demons. The subject must have impressed me because once, years ago, I wrote a play about it.
Sea of Galilee: O man without clothes, here is my dead catfish floating by the shore. Do you see it?
Legion: Yes, an ugly sight!
The Sea: And yonder is a dead pig, bloated and stinking.
Legion: I see it!
Sea: and further there is a swineherd and he is drowned.
Legion: By my soul, I wonder at all these deaths!
Sea: the Healer put demons in the pigs and sent them running into my sea. The destitute farmer ran after and drowned himself. The catfish drank the fouled water and died. Woe are we.
Legion: Sorry, very sorry. Those were my demons, horrible ones too. I am free of them.
Sea: Be gone! You have ruined me.
[Legion, trudging on, arrives at his village and meets a man].
Man: Legion! Are you in your calm mind? Where are your chains and shackles? Where are your clothes? What force has done this?
Legion: A man named Jesus took the demons.
Man: How took them?
Legion: Not took, called.
Man: How called?
Legion: They entered pigs.
Man: But have you your sour gut, your jaws dripping foam, your monster?
Legion: Gone.
Man: Your binges?
Legion: Gone. I tell you, man, I am healed.
[Man runs away]
When I have trouble sleeping it is because I am worried. Also, I find so many faults in myself I cannot see how it can ever be cured and so much to be worried about. These thoughts, it occurred to me, could be called having demons.
When the man, Legion, wanted to go with Jesus after his demons were cured, God sent him away saying, “Return to your home...declare how much God has done for you.”
Now I see. I need to declare just how much God has done for me.
Written by Rebecca Newth
...who is glad to be back in church in person.