In Control Of Everything

𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐘 𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄

𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐆𝐞𝐧 𝟐:𝟏-𝟓, 𝟖-𝟐𝟎

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟑𝟒:𝟕-𝟖, 𝟏𝟎-𝟏𝟑 “𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐫.”

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓 𝟖:𝟐𝟖-𝟑𝟒

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: “𝑮𝒐!” (𝒗.32)

As we prepare for one of the major liturgical seasons of our Catholic Christian faith there will be more messages that will put us in a crossroad yet will galvanize us into taking action. The Gospel passage today in 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒕 8:28-34 is one of those that opens up to different assumptions and interpretations.   

Understandably so because the only ones who could offer us an accurate explanation as to why the people were gripped with fear of Jesus despite the miraculous healing of the demoniac are long gone. Confounding the problem was the seeming discrepancy as to where this miracle took place.

Both Mark and Luke wrote that it took place in Gerasenes but Matthew’s account said it was at Gadarenes. There was actually no discrepancy because the Gadarenes region which took its name from its largest city Gadara was an expansive country that includes other states and one of these was the state of Gergesenes of which the capital was Gerasa and many travelers referred to it as the Gerasenes region which was in the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Today it is called Jerash in modern Jordan but which is no longer inhabited and only the deserted ruins remain.

And Jesus with his disciples who just came from a successful evangelization campaign in Capernaum crossed the lake to the Gerasenes region and immediately after setting foot on its shores was met by a man possessed by evil spirits who lived in the tombs as there was no force in that city that could bind him or restrain him (𝒗𝒗.2-5).

Confronted by the demon-possessed man, Jesus simply said: “𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒍 𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒕!” (𝒗.9) and the next scenario would definitely send chills to the faint-hearted as the man said “𝒎𝒚 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝑳𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚.”

For all intents and purposes, Legion was the name or title given to a regiment of Roman soldiers that would total 6,000 men. Hence, if the evil spirit that came to possess the man said his name was Legion and that they were many it would explain why no one in the city of Gerasa could restrain him or control him.

Because the evil spirits inside the man knew they were no match against Jesus and this was evident because they recognized him as “𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔, 𝑺𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝑯𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝑮𝒐𝒅” (𝒗.7) the evil spirits themselves suggested that they be sent to the herd of pigs that were nearby and this was what Jesus did.

And it was here when this event turned into a baffling narrative because instead of thanking Jesus for healing the demoniac they pleaded with him to leave the place. The people in this region probably have not met Jesus yet but they must have heard of how he taught with authority and the multitude that were healed by him and yet the people of Gerasenes do not want Jesus to be a part of their life. But why?

I will hazard a guess. As Jesus travels with a large band of disciples, perhaps the people in the region wouldn’t want their daily routine to be disturbed. It was also probable that they wouldn’t want to be identified with Jesus for fear of retaliation by the Roman Legion who are known for its atrocities.

It was possible they were so comfortable with their religious beliefs that they were not prepared to embrace a new paradigm. But these are hypothetical assumptions and as the gospel passage did not provide any explanation, we will have to assume the Gerasenes were filled with fear of something that they didn’t even try to explore, and this deprived them of the blessings that Jesus could have given them.

The demoniac who was healed was the exact opposite because he even pleaded to join Jesus in his ministry, but Jesus sent him to his family and friends to proclaim the Good News (𝒗𝒗.18-19). Contrast this with the Gerasenes who feared any association with Jesus, many were amazed at the man who fearlessly confessed what Jesus did for him (𝒗.20).

This gospel passage should be an eye-opener for us such that this should move us into making a choice. And this in a nutshell is what is wrong with our Church and or Community today. We have become so comfortable in the technologically wired world where everything is just a click away that we fear Jesus will take away our freedom.   

Discipleship has become a thing of the past because of the steep price we need to pay in exchange for our redemption. Our own ascension to the room that has been reserved for us in the heavenly mansion which should be our preoccupation has been supplanted with grandiose plans to prioritize projects in the literal sense over and above the more urgent need to establish a deeper relationship with God.

Our preference tilts in favor of remaining in the world and thus deprive ourselves of the salvation that Jesus is offering us. We need to ask what is it that we fear? Why are we afraid of Jesus?   

We actually shouldn’t fear Jesus because in him we can find rest (𝑴𝒂𝒕 11:28) and through him we have been blessed by the Father in the heavenly realm (𝑬𝒑𝒉 1:3) and that through his death we have been reconciled with God and having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life (𝑹𝒐𝒎 5:1-10).

It would probably help if we are going to plunge right into the heart of this gospel passage and ask ourselves who of the two characters in this story are we. Are we the citizens of Gerasenes who were afraid of Jesus that they wouldn’t even want Jesus to evangelize in their region? Or are we like the demoniac who after being healed committed his life to Jesus and began proclaiming the Gospel to tell everyone throughout the Decapolis that people were amazed (𝒗.20).

Over the years I have come across so many books, references, words and phrases and one that I particularly like was the story about Mahatma Gandhi who when he was practicing law in South Africa and had read and studied the Bible and the teachings of Jesus and considered becoming a Christian. But when he tried to enter a Christian Church he was barred from entering and was insulted for being a Hindu.

From that moment on Gandhi adopted what good he found in Christianity but  never again considered becoming a Christian if it meant being part of the church. And when he was asked one day why in his speeches he often quoted from the Sermon on the Mount but appeared to have rejected Christ, Gandhi said: “𝘖𝘩, 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵. 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵.”

In other words, we can do more in proclaiming the Gospel of Christ by showing others who Christ is in us rather than merely telling others about Christ. “𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞, 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐞.” This my Friends is the bottom line because actions mean more than words. Are you ready to do the same and show people who Jesus is in your life? Or are you afraid Jesus will demand something you aren’t prepared to surrender to him? (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 - 𝘑𝘶𝘭𝘺 2, 2025)