What an amazing story in today’s Gospel reading. What a challenge for us all. Jesus crosses to the far side of the Sea of Galilee which at the time was not part of Israel. Jesus goes out into this alien territory full of foreigners and pagans far from the people of Israel who had a covenant with God. Once he sets foot on the beach, a man with an unclean spirit runs out to meet him. This man was so violent that he was could only live in the cemetery and was often restrained by chains. This is a person who no longer had a complete human life, unable to work, unable to relate to others, living alone, and probably not well connected to reality. What a terrible existence – without Jesus, without the Church.
The unclean spirits do not want to leave the area, so Jesus sends them into a herd of two thousand pigs that drown themselves in the lake and thus cures the sick man. Jesus restores him to health and community. The newly healed man gets cleaned-up, dresses properly, and begins to speak and relate with others. What a marvelous joy for all! What a sign of God’s love and healing power for all of us.
Later the local people from the town come out and see the results of the amazing healing. Surely in the crowd there were some friends and family of the healed man. The text tells us they saw the man fully healed, heard the testimony of eyewitnesses who were there at the time of the healing, and saw the herd of pigs in the lake, drowned. Looking out at this new reality initiated by Jesus, they did not react with joy, blessings, amazement, and praise. This new reality involved new human beings, more dependance on God, and less importance on economic security. (The value of two thousand pigs must have been enormous – a big economic sacrifice to heal one human being and be rid of unclean spirits). Their reaction was fear and rejection. The townspeople threw Jesus out to their lives and territory. They didn’t even let him get further inland than the beach! They lost all contact with the Savior.
In the end the healed man wants to go off with Jesus as he is departing in the boat. What a nice life that would have been – a quiet, peaceful life close to Jesus off in another happy land on the other side of the lake. But Jesus sends the healed man back to his family – into that dark town where fear, rejection, and economic concerns were the center of their lives. Valiantly the healed man becomes a missionary, a living witness of God love and concern for us and God’s power to save and heal us.
Today the Word of God is full of challenges for us all. How often do we reject the action of God in our lives? How often do we reject God’s plan of salvation? Are economic concerns, fears, and rejection a way of life for us? Do we accept Jesus’ invitation to be witnesses to others?
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.
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