In today’s Scripture reading, Luke tells us the stories of Jesus’ encounter with the gale and the graveyard!
The Gale (22-25)
Jesus and his disciples had been preaching and teaching in the fishing villages on the west side of the Sea of Galilee. One day, Jesus decided to go to the other side of the lake to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God. So, when he shared the plan with his disciples, they boarded a board and set sail. Jesus was exhausted from ministering to large crowds, and at least four of his disciples were experienced fisherman, so he took this opportunity to get a little shut-eye.
The Sea of Galilee is not a large lake; it is only 10 miles long and 5 miles wide. But it does sit at 700 hundred feet below sea level and has hills surrounding it. The eastern side has a particularly steep set of hills. Even on such a small lake, these topographical features could create the perfect storm when cold wind would shoot through the gaps and collide with the warm air on the surface of the lake. The gales of Galilee could cause treacherous conditions that may capsize ships and drown even the most seasoned sailors.
As Jesus slept, just such a storm arose. The sun disappeared as dark clouds swelled the skies. The sudden drop in temperature caused goose bumps to appear on the disciple’s skin. The winds began to howl and the waves crashed against the bow of their boat. As the disciples fought against the mist in their faces and tried to reset the sail, even Peter, Andrew, James, and John, with their collective fishing experience, became frantic. But somehow, as sea billows were swamping the boat, Jesus remained in peaceful sleep. (Some people can sleep through anything!)
When the disciples were finally overcome with fear and they could not hold out any longer, they wrestled Jesus awake and shouted, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” Jesus opened his eyes and calmed rose to his feet. He raised his gently hands and rebuked the wind and the waves. He simply said, “Quiet! Be still!” And immediately, the winds ceased to blow, the waves calmed, and the dark clouds rolled away. The roaring sea became as placid as a purring kitten. It looked like a sheet of glass.
Then Jesus lowered his hands, gave his disciples an annoying glare, and rebuked them saying, “You woke me up for this?” No, I’m just kidding! Jesus didn’t say that. But if this were one of us, we would have been annoyed. Don’t you just hate when you are rudely awoken and immediately confronted with someone else’s chaos.
Like a few weeks ago when I was having a happy nappy on the couch on a rainy Sunday afternoon, and one of my kids came running into the room screaming, “Dad! Dad! Dad!! Dad!!!” As I woke up, my heart was pounding at 180 beats a minute, I thought, “Oh my gosh, did someone fall down the stairs or break an arm?” When I asked what was wrong, I heard the panicked words, “Dad, Duncan took my stickers!” Grrgh! I raised my hands and rebuked my child, “Quiet! Be still! Go away!” And I went back to sleep!
Jesus did display displeasure, not because they woke him up, but because of their lack of faith. There was a deep disappointment in his eyes when he asked them, “Where is your faith?” Did they not trust God to see them and care for their best interest?
When the disciples saw what Jesus did and spoke these words to them, they were shocked and amazed. They began to ask themselves and each other, “Who then is this, he commands even the winds and water, and they obey him?” This question shows that the disciples were still struggling with Jesus’ true identity. The Old Testament makes it clear that only God has authority over nature. The disciples were gradually figuring out that Jesus is God.
Most of us have never been caught in a storm that threatened our lives, but we are familiar with feelings of desperation, especially in the midst of circumstances that we cannot control. Like the disciples, sometimes we feel like God is not aware of what is going on in our lives—that he is asleep at the wheel and or has forgotten about us. When we experience the chaos of losing a job, a broken relationship, a difficult diagnosis, the unexpected death of a loved one, or some national crisis or community calamity, it can throw us into an all out panic. But where is our faith in moments like these? If we put our trust in Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, and remember that he is in complete control over everything in the cosmos, we can have supernatural peace to sustain us through life’s fiercest storms.
There are so many situations in life where we are absolutely powerless. I honestly pity the people who try to face them without a relationship with Jesus Christ. Week after week, I see people in our communities try to calm their own winds and still their own seas, and I watch many of them get washed overboard. Instead of humbling themselves before God and putting their faith in Jesus Christ, they try to cut their anxiety with alcohol, numb their pain with drugs, and burn off their sorrow with destructive behavior. And these only cause more storms! Friends, Jesus is the only one who has the power to still the storms of life! Won’t you put your faith in him today?
The Graveyard (26-39)
Well, Jesus and his disciples finally made it to the other side of the Sea of Galilee and they landed in the region of the Gerasenes, a gentile area with steep banks that overlooked the lake. As soon as Jesus stepped on shore, he was met by a streakier running through a cemetery. This ghoul who lived in the graveyard was obviously out of his mind, and everyone from the area knew it. On multiple occasions, the local authorities had tried to subdue him with shackles and chains, but the man had supernatural strength and easily broke free and ran loose among the tombs. His bizarre behavior scarred people and no one wanted to be around him, which was just fine with him; he preferred to be in solitary places.
When the man approached Jesus, Jesus immediately knew that the man was possessed by a demonic spirit. The demon immediately recognized that Jesus was no ordinary human being; they forced the man to fall before Jesus’ feet and shouted loudly, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me.” Without ever having a previous encounter with him, the demon knew Jesus name, identity as the Son of Most High God, and that Jesus had the power and authority to torture him.
When Jesus asked the demon what his name was, the demon revealed that his name was Legion” because many demons had possessed the man. A legion was a Roman military unit of about 6000 soldiers. In other words, Jesus is engaging in a major spiritual battle here. He is outnumbered, but not overmatched.
Realizing that they could not defeat Jesus and that they would have to obey his commands, they ask to be sent into a herd of pigs rather than to the abyss. The abyss refers to “the place of the dead”—a spiritual prison for fallen angels, a torturous place where they await their final judgment from God. At first, it appears that Jesus acquiesces to their request—as he commanded them to leave the man, he gave them permission to enter the herd of pigs that was grazing on the hillside. But being possessed by the demons threw the whole herd into such a panic that they ran off the steep cliff and drowned in the lake. The demon’s effort to continue their presence in that area failed. Jesus did send them to the abyss, preventing them from terrorizing that area again.
When those tending the pigs saw what happened, they quickly spread the news throughout the town and countryside. Before long, a large crowd came out to see what happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man who had been possessed sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully dressed and in his right mind. Jesus had rescued him from a life of spiritual and social bondage and completely restored his life. The local people do not care for Jesus’ work, however. Not only were they afraid of his foreign power, but they were also frustrated because Jesus’ miracle drove up the price of bacon.
The restored man was so grateful to Jesus for what he had done for him that he wanted to join Jesus’ ministry team and travel with him. But Jesus had another calling in mind: someone must be left behind to share what had done in that area. The man did that and more—he honored Jesus by preaching and proclaiming what Jesus had done for him.
There are a few lessons I would like for us to take away from this story. First, we must recognize the reality and destructiveness of demonic spirits. Contrary to popular opinion, demons are not the subject of horror films and people’s imaginations. They are real! They are here in our world today! As a matter of fact, there are many people who are afflicted by demons right here in Franklin County, Vermont.
Some people doubt the existence of demons because they have never encountered one personally. If you haven’t, praise God. But many people have had demonic encounters, but unfortunately, they get swept under the carpet because people are too embarrassed to talk about them. They are afraid that people will think they are crazy. Also, in our modern educated scientific culture, we have largely “psychologized” demonic possession. There are a thousand categories of mental illness, but you will not find demonic possession in Diagnostic Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders. After dealing in this area for many years, I have personally become convinced that most murders and suicides are caused by demonic possession and oppression. But shhh, don’t tell anyone in the media that I said that; people will think I’ve gone completely bonkers! Friends, do not be deceived, demonic possession is the real deal!
Second, we must remember that Jesus has complete authority and power over demons. As we see in today’s Scripture reading, demons have to bow before Jesus and obey his commands. A close relationship with Jesus Christ is our best defense against demons, and Jesus is the only hope of deliverance from demons. If you suspect that you or a loved one is being oppressed by demonic spirits, run to Jesus as fast as you can. He is the only one who can restore your life!
Third and finally, notice what demon-possessed man did after he was delivered. He went and told everyone what Jesus had done for him. It is often true that those whose lives are most radically transformed often end up being the strongest witnesses for Jesus! Has Jesus transformed your life? Are you telling other about what he has done for you?
Jesus has authority over the natural world and the supernatural world. If he has the power to calm the wind and the waves and drive out demons, he is certainly able to take care of you and your problems!