The town that was not ready

Texts (Sunday Lectionary): Isaiah 65.1-9, Galatians 3.23-29, Luke 8.26-39

The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

O Lord, make us have perpetual love and reverence for your holy Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom you have set upon the sure foundation of your loving-kindness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The reaction of the people to Jesus' healing of the Gerasene demoniac is all too typical. Rather than welcome Jesus with open arms, they insist that he leave. Why? Well, the pigs are gone. When Jesus ordered the demons into the herd of pigs, the pigs then "rushed down the steep branch into the lake and were drowned" (v. 33). The Gerasene region is, of course, Gentile territory. The town had a lot invested in those pigs. Jesus might be bad for business if he stayed around.

Jesus responds to the people's demand the way he always responds to faithlessness. He doesn't stay where he is not wanted. He will not force a stubborn people to accept him. He came to show them that they could be set free from whatever was keeping them in bondage. But their only response was, "The pigs are gone." They are a people who cannot accept the gracious offer of God in the flesh, at least not at this time.

But, although he departs from them, Jesus does not leave himself without a witness. The demoniac, now healed, wants to go with Jesus. But Jesus tells him, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you" (v. 39). When ministering among the Jews, Jesus would often instruct those he healed to keep quiet about it. But he sends this Gentile back to his home with instructions to tell everyone about the healing and transforming power of God. So, with great enthusiasm, the man goes about spreading the Good News. The town was not ready for Jesus when he came in person. But the man he healed continued to be a witness to the fact that the Son of God had paid them a visit.

I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say

I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was, weary and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting place, and He has made me glad.

I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one, stoop down, and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now I live in Him.

I heard the voice of Jesus say, “I am this dark world’s Light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise, and all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found in Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk, till traveling days are done.

I heard the voice of Jesus say, “My Father’s house above
Has many mansions; I’ve a place prepared for you in love.”
I trust in Jesus—in that house, according to His word,
Redeemed by grace, my soul shall live forever with the Lord.

• Horatius Bonar