Isaiah 65:1-9
Galatians 3:23-end
Luke 8:26-39
When we read stories of people possessed by demons we
might wonder what to make of them, in the 21st century. Is this just
a hangover from a dark age of superstition? But then we might well think of the
demons that seem to be haunting our own society. We are in shock over the
murder of a fine young member of parliament who worked tirelessly to support
refugees and other people in need. We are appalled at the violence we have seen
in America, most recently the murder of 49 people partying in a nightclub,
targeted just because they were gay.
These acts of violence don’t come from nowhere. There is
a background of fear, hatred and demonization that hovers around such deeds.
So today’s Gospel reading speaks very powerfully to our
own situation. But it is an unusual story, even for the Bible: the language of
people being possessed by demons occurs only in Matthew, Mark and Luke. And it
goes with a big theme of those first three gospels: that the Kingdom of God is
breaking in on the Kingdom of the Devil and overcoming it. This is what Jesus
proclaims in word and deed. Throughout these gospels there is more to events than
their surface appearances, and the powers of evil and destruction that oppress
humanity are seen to have a spiritual dimension. This is why so many of Jesus’
healing miracles are described in terms of breaking the oppressive power of the
Devil.
What, then, is that oppressive power, in today’s story? A
man has been driven out from his community by the demonic powers; wild and
uncontrollable, he lives naked among the tombs. And Jesus asks him to name the
oppressive power. What is it that has driven him out? And he answers, “my name
is Legion”.
The whole of Palestine at that time was under Roman
occupation. The people were kept down by military power, the might of the
legions of Rome. In particular, the Tenth Legion "Fretensis" had a strong presence and, in
AD 70, it was to be that Legion that would destroy Jerusalem. The emblem of the
Tenth Legion was a pig. It depicted was on their shields and banners, and stamped
on the millions of bricks and tiles that they made to build their walls and
fortifications. Everywhere the people would have seen this reminder of their
oppression: the words “Legio X” and the image of a pig.
“What is your name”, asked Jesus. And he answered, “my
name is Legion”. And the demons demanded to go into the pigs.
The oppressive power of Rome sat heavily on the whole of
the community. But this man particularly seems to be acting out that oppression
in his own person. He is possessed by the demons of his society. And he has
been driven out into the tombs.
In his vulnerable mental state he seems to have internalized the
oppression of his own community. Their own fear and sense of oppression is being
acted out by this man, but at a distance. He is a scapegoat, carrying away what
ails them into the wilderness. They probably feel more secure because their
fear has been projected onto him and carried off to the margins.
No wonder, then, that when he is cured, clothed and in
his right mind, the people are afraid. He can no longer act as their scapegoat,
and their fear has returned to them. But although he wishes to leave them and
follow Jesus, Jesus tells him to remain with his people and tell them what God
has done for him. He has to stay, and teach them not to be afraid.
Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to come out. This was
more than freeing one man from spiritual oppression, it began the healing of
his whole community. And the Kingdom of God broke in upon them, freeing them.
The Kingdom of love, not hate; of unity, not division; of forgiveness, not
revenge.
What are the demons that oppress our society? Many people
I think feel a sense of alienation and disillusionment with our common life.
People feel that decisions are made remotely from them, that they have no opportunities
or say in their own lives. This can lead to anger and resentment.
And such feelings are easily exploited. On both sides of
the Atlantic we have seen fear, hatred, demonization of the foreigner and
refugee. Some of the words and images used in the EU referendum campaign have
been recklessly inflammatory. And on the other side of the water the rise of
Donald Trump is causing grave concern.
We live in a world of social media, of instant reaction
and split second comment, where emotions escalate rapidly. I try not to read
the comments sections under online news articles, where people post whatever
they like, often comments of scorching hatred and contempt.
“Comment is free”, says the Guardian. I beg to differ. We
pay a heavy price in our common life when so much comment is instantaneous,
unthinking and malicious. Irresponsible talk and imagery reacts more strongly on
those who feel most alienated, and on those who are less in command of their
reason. As Goya put it in one of his most haunting etchings, “the sleep of
reason produces monsters”. And have we not seen that, this last week?
But the monsters do not have the final word. The Gospel
is the good news of the Kingdom of God breaking in on the Kingdom of the Devil
and overcoming it. The risen Christ is triumphant. In a wonderful piece of
imagery used by St Paul in Colossians, he says Christ defeated the powers and
led them in his victory parade. Exactly what the Roman empire did to its
captives, Jesus has done to the powers that were embodied in the empire itself.
As we vote this week in the EU referendum we can recall
the Christian values that are at the heart of European and British
civilization. The Archbishop of Canterbury has reminded us of this in these
words:
‘At the heart of Britain’s Christian heritage are certain
glorious principles. They are what make the best of our nation, whether we are
Christians, of another faith or of no faith. They come from Jesus’s teaching,
especially in the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes. Among those
principles is a vision of peace and reconciliation, of being builders of
bridges, not barriers. … Sacrifice, generosity, vision beyond self-interest,
suffering for others, helping the helpless, these are some of the deeply
Christian principles that have shaped us.’
Christians can and do have different views on whether
membership of the EU best promotes those principles, both for ourselves and for
other nations. But let those be the principles that we think about when we
consider how to vote. Let us as Christians set an example and lead the way in
recovering our political life: with careful listening to others, courtesy and
moderation in our speech, a broader vision that looks out for the stranger, the
marginalized, and the poor. Let us through our lives and words proclaim what
Jesus has done: the defeat of the power of the Devil, and the inauguration of God’s
Kingdom of love, unity, forgiveness and peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment