In today’s Gospel Jesus comes face to face with a man possessed by a demon. Jesus cures the man by commanding the demon: “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!” Jesus heals or purifies both the man and this Gentile territory. This Gospel story is filled with signs of impurity: the territory of the Gerasenes is Gentile territory, therefore unclean from a Jewish perspective. Jesus, “cleanses” this unclean territory by sending the unclean spirit into the sea. The demoniac is doubly unclean since he is possessed by an unclean spirit and lives among the unclean tombs. Since he lives in unclean Gentile territory, he is even triply unclean.
This strange but memorable story was meant to teach the early disciples and thus the early church and all of us that Jesus excludes no one, no one is unclean in God’s eyes. In the Acts of the Apostles God had to “push” Peter to go and to preach to the “unclean” Gentile Cornelius and teaches Peter: “What God has made clean; you are not to call profane.” (Acts 10:15). So, Peter goes without scruples and preaches to Cornelius and the other gathered Gentiles and proclaims: “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:34-35).
Today’s Gospel challenges us to be a church that excludes no one. God’s will is to save all people. We should never make someone feel unclean or excluded. God heals and purifies all people and nations. Let us strive each day to see the goodness and holiness in others and in ourselves.