Meditation for the Second Sunday After Pentecost

What does silence mean to you?  Time to rest? Peace? Or “Oh, oh. The kids are too quiet. What are they up to now?”

 Whatever silence means, it is powerful, because the voices in our heads are often hurtful and dangerous, and need to be handled with care. Just as Jesus dealt with the demoniac in today’s Gospel reading. (Luke 8: 26-39)

Jesus had been preaching and healing all day. He was tired and wanted some rest—to get away from it all. Have you ever felt like that; I just have to get away!?”

So, Jesus and the disciples got into a boat and crossed the water to escape the demands of the people. Jesus was tired and needed rest. They crossed to Gerasene, across the lake from Galilee; the other side of the lake where people didn’t know him and wouldn’t place demands upon his time, energy, and compassion. Once in the boat, Jesus immediately fell asleep—He was wiped out! But a storm comes up threatening to capsize the small boat. The disciples in great fear, woke Jesus up and, as we know, Jesus stills the storm.  Ahh—again, he can rest.

But, as soon as the boat lands, a demon-possessed man runs up to Jesus, shouting-- ranting. So much for rest and relaxation. The silence after the storm was the silence before the storm.

As Jesus got out of the boat, a man possessed by a demon(s) ran up to Jesus and threw himself down at Jesus’ feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” He wasn’t from Galilee, or Judea, or Nazareth, or Jerusalem. He was a pagan, but he knew who Jesus was, and called him by name. “What do you want of me?” He might have added “Why did you come here? A question Jesus’ disciples were no doubt asking.

The demon-possessed man pleads “I beg you, don’t torture me!”

The demon had driven the man into the wilds. It was in the wilderness that Jesus was tempted by his own demon. After 40 days with no food, “Turn these stones into bread.” “Throw yourself off the top of this peak and you will be saved by God’s angels, right?”  “You can rule over all you see if you will call me lord—it can all be yours.” Jesus heard that demon tempter and threw his words back at him.

Was this a coincidence? Did Jesus hear the voice of the possessed man and know he needed help? A theological point might be made here that God hears our call for help and answers. 

 Shakespeare asked once, “What’s in a name?” Why do I think the man may have called Jesus for help? Because he knew his name! He knows who Jesus is. “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High?” He knew Jesus’ name, and Jesus asked his name. Names are important for many reasons. In some cultures, it is believed that knowing someone’s name gives you power over them.  Names carry the essence of the character of an individual, and calling someone by their name creates a personal relationship. Jesus and the demonic man are in a relationship; a relationship strong enough that the demonic man could ask a favor. “Please don’t send me to the abyss.” The abyss was a no-man’s land where demons were kept. Jesus obliges, sending the demon(s) (a Legion of them) into a nearby herd of pigs, sending them running over the cliff and into the sea.

It is easy to be upset by this, and think how very rude of Jesus to spoil the livelihood of the farmers. There is truth in that statement, but the man needed to know. He needed to know that the devils were gone and that he was no longer possessed. He needed to see their demise, and he did! Down the cliff and into the sea, and the man, devil-less, lived to tell the story and share with others how Jesus had healed him.

So, what does this have to do with us? Well, how many times have you been possessed? Maybe not “exorcist possessed” but processed by voices, thoughts, and dreams that fill your head; voices that demand things of you, tell you, “You are no good, you can’t do it, you will never amount to anything?” or Voices that take over your actions leading you to use alcohol, or drugs or pain killers to silence them?  Wouldn’t you like to see those voices fall into the sea and hear them no more?

What are the demons that haunt or possess you?

Most of us have at one time or another, heard voices and listened to, even followed them.  We have voices that try to tell us what to do, who we are, how we should feel. They may be voices from our childhood, telling us we are not good enough and, that we don’t meet the criteria. We are a failure at something we regard as important. Sometimes the voices give us directions—tell us how we should respond or act, and sometimes the voices are so strong that they have us under their control. In our attempt to obliterate the voices, we may give them power over us—anything to silence the noise. 

We often forget our greatest weapon, calling on the name of Jesus/ Calling to that higher power in the faith. We know that he understands and can silence the voices that torment us. We forget that we can experience, divine silence. Divine silence doesn’t mean divine inactivity.

Sometimes, silence is a blessing that brings us peace.

-Barbara Murray