Today seems like a scary topic from
our Gospel lesson. In our reading of Luke, We hear this story of a man
possessed by demons. This guy is totally out of control. He lives in tombs and
is guarded and chained up, like an animal. Imagine someone that comes…actually
breaks loose from those chains and goes through town?! Imagine this guy that
comes walking around and he is out of control; you never know what he is going
to do, how will he act or react to situations. Are there going to be sudden
outbursts of words or violence. It would make sense that the only things the
people might understand is that this guy is POSSESSED! It must have been scary.
Once again, Jesus shows up. This
possessed man goes to Jesus and falls at Jesus feet. He or the demon inside
knows who Jesus is; “Son of the Most High God! Jesus knew what was going on and
our Greek Language, the original language of the New Testament, suggests that
Jesus was ordering the unclean spirit…the demon…to come out of the naked man.
Jesus words were causing torment to this man; whether it be the demon or man
being tormented…it was all happening inside this man. So, this demon (of which
there were many inside him) was tormenting the naked man; and, if that’s not
bad enough, Jesus casting out the demon was bringing about torment!
Jesus’ purpose and this torment that
Jesus caused was for a different purpose. This torment that Jesus cause by
casting out the demons was to bring about TRANSFORMATION. This man had been
living a life of pain, anger, violence…let’s face it, these demons were
bringing fear and pain upon the community; not knowing what he would do or say.
There was no telling if people were going to be safe. Both this possessed man
and the community had to figure out how to live with this in their midst. That
alone can be scary. It can also cause complacency. Meaning, over time the
people begin to figure out what they can and cannot say or do to get those
demons inside the man upset. This possessed man tries to figure out how to live
with all this going on inside; in the hopes that he can control it;
realistically knowing that he cannot.
Through Jesus casting out of the
demons, this transformation turns everyone’s life upside down. Just when the
people figure out how to live with this possessed person in their midst, Jesus
casts out the demons and those demons are now gone! Now they have to figure out
how to live with this…man. They have to discover who this man is and what he is
about. They now have a clothed man…no longer naked running around town,
breaking out of chains, and living in tombs. This man is now among their
community transformed into, what seems to be a whole new man. Now they have to
adjust, and guess what? He needs a place to stay! Talk about a new reality.
But they are not the only ones. This
man who was possessed is now living in a new reality. No longer are the demons
going to haunt him, cause him to live in the tombs, and run around naked, or be
driven into the woods. His new reality is scary in that he might be waiting for
any sign of these demons to come back. He wants to stay with Jesus and follow
him. Is it because he thinks Jesus will surely keep them away or is it because
he is so grateful for what Jesus had done? I suspect it is a little of both.
That is the beauty and scary thing
about transformation. It is a beauty to know that we can start over. It is like
that old adage of wiping the slate clean, starting over…a fresh start.
Transformation gives us all the ability to dream about the future.
Transformation gives us HOPE in tomorrow. A chance to discern what God has in
store for us; to dream wild, unrealistic dreams, and it gives us the hope to
plan out a future of where God calls us to go knowing that it is going to be
quite the adventure and a challenge.
Transformation can also feel like a
curse. You see, the other side of transformation means that things that you did
in the past may have to change. In our Gospel reading, the people and the
possessed man, could no longer rely on their past behaviors or reactions.
Because there is a new reality they are faced to create new reactions, new ways
of dealing with one another, and new thought processes in dealing with this one
person and dealing with the community.
I think we can relate to these
people and the possessed man. We can relate in that we all have had to adjust
our thinking at one point or another; we have had to modify our behaviors,
responses, and actions throughout our lives. We have seen it in our culture.
Our country has seen wars over slavery, High Court decisions regarding African
Americans as property rather than people; telling us to live in the reality
that as “long as things were separate, but equal.” We had to live in the new
reality when our mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers finally were
given the right to vote. We have had to adjust when Presidents are
assassinated, bills are passed, when family dynamics change (divorce, death,
abuse); and of course we know all too well when our brothers, sisters, and
children are gunned down.
It is these times when we rely on Jesus’
transformation of us, individually and as a congregation. We are transformed at
our baptism in that we are called, named, and claimed by the God of love who
sent Jesus to die for us…you and me…for our sin, against each other and
ourselves. We are transformed at the altar, when we come up to receive the body
and blood of Christ…we receive the gift of sacrifice at no cost to us…simply
because God loves us so much. This transformation that comes from God is some
of the best of the Good news that God gives.
Because
we live in this new reality, we are not defined by our past! We are not defined
by our mistakes and WE ARE NOT defined by the things that way us down…that try
and take us away or distract us from the love of God. Because of this reality
(the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for us) we are free to dream about
tomorrow, to discern and work together with others inside and outside these
walls, different denominations, and maybe those who have never experienced the
love of God to make a better world through our words and actions.
Today
is Father’s Day. It is a day we celebrate all those fathers and father figures
who helped transform us from the boys and girls that we were into the men and
women that we have become. They have done a ministry of transformation with us
through their love, discipline, and compassion and for that, we are thankful
that God put those wonderful mentors in our lives.
Today,
as we come to the altar of sacrifice, forgiveness, and love may we be
transformed and may we look to the hope of the future and the promise of
eternal life: AMEN!
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