Luke 8:27-35 (NASB)
27 And when He stepped out onto the land, a man from the city met Him who was possessed with demons; and he had not put on clothing for a long time and was not living in a house, but among the tombs. 28 And seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, and said with a loud voice, “What business do You have with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” 29 For He had already commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break the restraints and be driven by the demon into the desert. 30 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion”; because many demons had entered him. 31 And they were begging Him not to command them to go away into the abyss.
32 Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding there on the mountain; and the demons begged Him to permit them to enter the pigs. And He gave them permission. 33 And the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
34 Now when the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported everything in the city, and in the country. 35 And the people came out to see what had happened; and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened.
A demon-filled man, living in the tombs. Unclothed and wild. Constantly overtaken and tormented by a legion of evil spirits. He had not lived in a home in a long time.
And yet, Jesus, the Savior and Lord of the universe in the form of a man, confronts this army living in the man and commands them to leave the man. Next thing you know, a herd of swine has just bolted off a cliff to a watery death. The man is healed.
That’s it, right? The demons have left, the man’s soul has been restored, and he has found clothes to wear. But there’s more to the story.
Luke 8:38b-39 (NASB)
38b Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home and describe what great things God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city what great things Jesus had done for him.
The recently freed man did have a home. Despite the fact that he did not live in a home for a very long time, he still had a refuge that he could return to.
There is always a home waiting for us. We may wander in the pits of death, uncovered and unprotected—the result of exposure to wickedness. We may be chained, and driven into the deserts and dry places, thirsting for the water that can forever satisfy.
And yet, God is always with us. Jesus is always near. He has a home for us, just waiting to be filled, but the refusal to repent and turn from our wickedness keeps us bound.
The demon-filled man was involuntarily chained at that point. He could have made choices that led up to that point, but now he hosted a legion of evil spirits, and was virtually unsavable.
Our stories are probably not so extreme. However, roaming the tombs and dwelling in worldly smogs ensnare and bring torment. We do not belong in those places. We belong in the house of the Lord. Let Jesus intervene. Let Him wash the sinful dirt off our bodies. Let Him clothe us in righteousness.
There is always a home waiting for us.
Thanks for sharing, Isaac! Love reading your thoughts and your writing.
Good stuff!