Sitting at Jesus's Feet

Introduction

Have you ever been in a cemetery at night? In my opinion there are very few places that are scary at night—one is a cemetery and the other is a church building. My grandparents live in a rural area of Kentucky. Down the street from their house is a cemetery. When I was a kid visiting, we would go down to the cemetery and walk around. And at night we might even play a game of hide and go seek. Your mind can play tricks on you at night. You can see shadows that aren’t there or movement that didn’t occur. The old horror movies generally had a scene in some fog enshrouded cemetery. The realm of the dead has and will continue to be a place misunderstood and feared.

A scary place becomes even more frightening when unexpected sights are seen. I have taken my kids to Memorial Park; walked through the grotto. It’s a quiet place; a place to go for solitude; a place for reflection. They weren’t afraid. But what if we had met a person who was dirty, disheveled, and had a wild look about him? We probably would be cautious and fearful. What about the Son of the Most High God? Was he afraid in a cemetery?

Luke 8 is a chapter about wholeness and restoration. Luke weaves together a series of miracle stories demonstrating Jesus’ authority. All forces—nature, demons, disease, and death—that could be regarded as stronger than humanity and that stand opposed to God as rivals to his power are rendered weak and ineffective. We have the miracle of Jesus demonstrating his authority over nature as he stills the storm. We have the miracle of the healing of disease in a woman who has been ill for 12 years and has not been helped by human effort. We have the demonstration of Jesus’ authority over death as he raises a 12 year old girl from the dead. And in today’s text we have Jesus’ demonstration of authority over demons as he sets a man free from the literal and spiritual chains which bind him. There is fear in this story but it isn’t coming from Jesus. It comes from the people who witness God’s power and don’t know what to think. We will come to understand Jesus’ authority again and grow in our appreciation of it.

Luke’s Purpose

Luke wrote this account for a variety of reasons. He wanted to confirm what the readers had already been told (1:1-4) and he wanted to demonstrate that Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s plans and purposes (4:18-19). Luke in chapter 8 weaves together four miracle stories which demonstrate Jesus’s authority. The very things which frighten people the most Jesus has authority over. Look at the four stories. Notice their similarities. In 22-25, the disciples are afraid of dying. In 26-39, the demon possessed man has been given up for dead and is living among the dead. In 43-48, a woman because of her physical disease cannot participate in the worship of Israel because she is constantly unclean. She is spiritually dead. In 40-56, a child dies and a stake is driven into the heart of the parents as they contemplate life without their child.

What scares you? Nothing comes closer to scaring us than death. Nothing places more fear in us than thinking that we are going to die or someone close to us is going to die. Nothing scares us more than not having control of our lives. To have a disease which limits us is scary. Jesus attacks the very core of fear in these stories.

Big strong seasoned fishermen are crying their eyes out because they have never experienced such a storm and Jesus with the waving of his hand and the stern rebuke in his voice drives away the fear of death and replaces it with the fear of amazement.

A woman who for at least 12 years has been prohibited from being a part of the worshiping community through no fault of her own has a disease. Life has been limited for her. She takes her faith and acts on it and in great fear she reaches out and touches the hem of the garment which can save her. Jesus eases her fears by applauding her faith.

A synagogue leader finds his daughter dying and before Jesus can arrive, she dies. What will life be like without your child? And Jesus attacks the fear of death by raising this little girl to life again. Fear is replaced with astonishment.

Luke is demonstrating Jesus’ authority and he is verifying that this is the year of the Lord’s favor. The demon-possessed man poses a special challenge in this sequence. Demon possession poses some problem for us because we are locked into our physical world. And we want to know the answers to can it happen to us? Can we become demon possessed? That isn’t the point of the story. Read the story carefully. We are to see the power and authority of Jesus.

Here is a man who has lots of demons living in him. He is literally out of his mind, clothes, city, and a place to belong. Throwing himself on the rocks he inflicts pain on himself. The only help any have offered is to bind him with chains so that he can’t move from the cemetery. Superhuman strength brought on by the demons has resulted in people keeping a safe distance from him. Don’t blame the people. We would stay away as well. He isn’t safe, sane, or sociable. Jesus meets this man on his own turf. There in the cemetery Jesus confronts the demons. In the place where demons are at home in the realm of the dead, the giver of life comes. “Get out of the man,” Jesus says. Do you realize what is taking place? Jesus is reclaiming one who belongs to the realm of the living not the realm of the dead. “Leave him alone. He doesn’t belong to you any longer. You can’t have him. He is my Father’s creation.” The demons have met their match and they know it. They plead for mercy and a new dwelling place. Jesus complies and the pigs go swimming to their deaths.

The man is completely restored. Clothes, mind, and sanity return. Life has been given to the man who had been given up for dead. So what?

Application

First, notice that even the demons recognize Jesus’ authority. The man falls at the feet of Jesus and the demons ask “What do you want. Don’t torture me?” They don’t want to be thrown into the Abyss which is the realm of the dead. Jesus doesn’t because it isn’t time yet. But these unseen forces see Jesus as he really is. These demons know Jesus and they know that he has more authority than their master. The falling at his feet is a sign of respect. Even the demons know the truth. Do you? Demons know the truth but will not change their ways. Will you? Demons know that Jesus has the authority to judge them and they will do whatever he tells them to. Will you? Do you respect the authority of Jesus? Will you do what he says?

Second, notice the cost of removing evil. The animals are given in exchange for the man. No doubt it is a metaphor for Jewish sacrifice. Jesus is in a Gentile place. In order for the man to be saved, an animal must die. The price of evil is costly. The community suffers a great financial loss in order for this man to be saved. Do you think he is worth it? Ask a person who has cancer if cutting out the diseased tissue is worth their life? Ask a person whose marriage is falling apart if working less hours is worth his marriage? Ask a person whose children don’t love the Lord what price is worth paying to make things right? Here is a great lesson. The price of evil is costly. Sometimes a cancer has to be cut out; sometimes money isn’t all what we think it is worth. And the clearest demonstration of this truth is found at the cross. Jesus died on a cross to pay for evil. Perfection destroyed death once and for all. Our freedom was bought at a great price. To remove the eternal effect of sin cost God a lot.

Third, notice what happens to the man. The people ask Jesus to leave their community. We aren’t told why except they are afraid. We aren’t sure what they are afraid of, but one thing is true, they reject the presence of Jesus. Fear makes people do strange things. Being afraid for this community means they reject the presence and power of Jesus. “Things were okay until you came in. We had some control in our lives. There’s no telling what else will happen if you stay around.” But don’t miss the man. He wants to go with Jesus. There is no place for him in the city. He wants to stay with the one who has given him life. Jesus commands an alternative. “Go back to the city and tell others what God has done for you.” So the man does and he tells everyone.

The word “told” is too calm a translation. It is the same word as preach. The man became a preacher in his city. The man went about fervently telling others about what Jesus had done for him.

The crowd rejects Jesus but one man is radically transformed. Jesus may have left the area, but he left a presence behind which would not be silent. And he is still doing that now. Jesus has left behind a sea of witnesses, us, to tell others about what he has done. Will you do it?

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