The power of fear

Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’

‘My name is “Mob”,’ he answered—because many demons had gone into him. The demons begged Jesus not to send them into the abyss.

There was a large herd of pigs near by, feeding on a hillside. So the demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he let them. They went out of the man and into the pigs. The whole herd rushed down the side of the cliff into the lake and was drowned. (verses 30-33)

Read Luke 8:26-39

In some societies a person’s worth is measured in numbers of pigs. A man may pay a certain number of pigs for a wife. In these societies pigs are a valuable form of currency.

Jesus had just driven demons from a man, restoring him to spiritual and mental health. The man had been terribly tormented by the demons, and the locals were terrified of his strength and instability. One would have thought they would have rejoiced that the man had been cured.

But they were afraid. They had heard what had happened to their pigs. Now they could see the man they’d been afraid of sitting calmly, dressed normally—as sane as any of them. Rather than rejoice with him, and praise Jesus for what he had done, they begged Jesus to leave.

In Jesus we are worth more than sparrows—or pigs. He has rescued us from the greatest demon of all: Satan. Praise him!

Father, I thank you that your Son died for me to set me free from Satan’s power. May I always be willing to share you with others. Amen.

by Robert Turnbull, in ‘Renewed Hope for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2000)

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