When I was a kid we would go to Nevada, the state, not Nevada, the city in Texas, and help my uncle on his cattle ranch. There was one time I was a young kid that I got caught in the middle of the pen while they were sorting cows. A cow broke loose, and I remember facing off with it, but my dad ran by and picked me up before it charged. Looking back, there was no way that I was going to be able to make it against that cow. It was 10 maybe 15 times heavier than I was. The whole situation escalated in seconds, but once I was picked up, it was over, and I was safe. I’m sure you have had a situation or two like that in your life as well.
Our parents do a lot for us. God gave parents the great responsibility of bringing new life into the world and then to care for it. We care for children in many ways. Physically, we provide children with food, clothing and shelter. We also provide for mentally helping them learn how to navigate their emotions as they change from infant to toddler to kid through teenage years even into adult life. Also, helping them learn how to reason through problems, keep going through highs and lows, through setbacks and accomplishments, and how to act in personal and professional relationships. Parents also care for the spiritual needs of their children. This need surpasses all others. It is needed every moment of our life and what we will need for our eternal life. As parents, we talk about how much God has done for us to make sure our kids know the greatest superhero is Jesus, your closest friend is Jesus, the one who loves you most is Jesus, the one who understands you, who sees you for you, who sees you as beautiful in the best possible way and the one who will listen to you talk for hours is Jesus.
These are good things but most of all your kids and the next generation need to know Jesus as their Savior and we hear about this in our New Testament reading from 2 Timothy 1, 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. Paul is talking to the younger pastor Timothy and gives thanks that his mom and grandma talked about how much God had done for them. They verbalized their faith in the forgiveness of sins that Jesus won on the cross for all people, young Timothy included, that he had been saved from sin, death, hell and the devil. Timothy heard that the one true God was on his side, worked for him, fought for him, chose him and opened heaven to him. His identity was clear in his mind despite what the world might say because in Jesus, he was seen as good and righteous, a saint without sin, created with purpose and loved by God. Hearing the Gospel message is the need above all needs that Timothy, children and all of us need.
When our need to hear the gospel is not met bad things happen. We see this play out in a horrible way in our Gospel reading from Luke 8. There was a man in the region of the Gerasenes, who we presume had not heard about the one true God as this region was largely pagan, but we read that when Jesus arrived the man came out to him. The man did not wear clothes, he no longer lived in a home, but in the tombs, he could not be bound with chains and was a hazard to any who passed by and reading the details from the other Gospels of Mark and Matthew he would cry, yell and cut himself with stones. As the man came and fell at Jesus’ feet, we hear him ask in Luke 8, 28 … “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” 29 For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. 30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. This man was tortured. His lonely, depraved life was caused not by one but many demons. We are not sure the number but the term “legion” points to the Roman military unit made-up of many thousands of soldiers. The demon possessed man was able to address Jesus for who he was, Son of the Most High God, but he did not have faith. There was only fear.
Jesus exercised the demons, but this life saving miracle multiplied the fear. The demons who possessed this man asked not to be sent back to hell but for permission to possess a large herd of pigs. Jesus allowed them to go into the pigs and the demon possessed herd ran down the steep bank of the lake into the water and drowned. This terrified the townspeople, and they wanted Jesus to leave. Rather than see Jesus’ power as something to help them, they were afraid. Jesus commanded the demons to leave and restored a man to his right mind so he could rejoin society and live, but the people feared Jesus. Rather than see Jesus as someone who might use his power to help them, the pig issue stuck with the people.
Pigs were not the point. Yes, many pigs died but that showed how terrible and terrifying the demon legion was. This account is shared in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. God wants us to know Jesus has power over demons. Jesus wanted to go to this man who had not heard the gospel and save him. The point is Jesus’ power and love and salvation, yet I have found myself often with this account wondering about the pigs. I am sure you will still have questions about the pigs, but we need to understand the danger not the pigs.
We who have been given the gift of faith and know our Savior Jesus are not like the demon possessed man. We live in our homes, clothed and unchained, and if we were chained, we would not be able to break them. At the same time, we are like this man because we cannot stand against demons and win. The demons show their evil loveless nature in what they did to the man and the pigs. These are real creatures, and we do well to understand that they are more powerful than we are. Their power may not be what is most frightening though. Instead, it is how they hide behind temptation. We do not know what first brought demons into this man and we can be blind to what demons hide behind in our lives. There are things that are evil like hatred, lust, lying and stealing that tempt us even though they are wrong because behind them are whispers of justified feelings, pleasure, release and security, and we give into sin. There are also things that are good like family, work, eating, resting and serving in the church, but whispers are there too that raise these things above God in our heart and threaten our faith, hope and trust in him. Demons whisper and shriek, and they are careful when to do each, so that we listen and follow.
The only way for us to be safe from demons is Jesus. The overwhelmed, lonely demon possessed man was saved by Jesus. The demons were cast out and this man was given the gift of faith in his Savior Jesus. And the townspeople may not have understood, listened or come to faith then, but Jesus did not leave them without someone to keep telling them what God has done for them. The freed, healed, clothed and saved man from the region of the Gerasenes, wanted to go with Jesus as we read in Luke 8, 38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him. The man wanted to go, but Jesus told him to stay so that his people could hear what God had done for him. God wants everyone to know what he has done to save them, which often fills and overwhelms our minds with the billions of people who need to hear that they have been saved by Jesus. They need to hear, but so do the people in your life, even if it is only a few. Like the pigs can distract us from Jesus’ healing, so can visions of going on a journey to a foreign place to share Jesus.
Our Old Testament reading from Isaiah 43, brings us back to the point and heart of sharing Jesus, 12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God. 13 Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?” The point God drives home in Scripture is his deliverance. He has saved us. He has chosen you to be his child. He will not let you be taken. He is not foreign to us, but created us, walked with us, died in our place, rose for us and lives in us. Before we go out battling demons and sharing Jesus, Son of the Most High God, we first and often run to Jesus and fall at his feet with faith and not fear to hear what he said to his disciples in Luke 10, 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Our names are written in heaven because of Jesus.
We have been delivered from evil and by God’s grace we are eager to follow him. The account of the demon possessed man is not like a viral video that at most gets a lot of shares and makes someone say, “Wow.” This man was saved by Jesus who opened his eyes to trust in him as his Savior. His calling changed from shackled and lonely to free and longing to tell what had been done for him. Jesus’ work to save you is not at the same level of all the other news, events, facts, experiences, etc. of your life; it is the most important. We easily get caught in the details of this miraculous encounter and miss the simple and spectacular truth that Jesus saves, and he even saves those who we perceive as most gone.
We follow Jesus by living in his grace as Paul wrote in our New Testament reading from 2 Timothy 1, 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. The people who need to hear about Jesus, our mission field, are the people right around us. As a parent, neighbor, friend, coworker, etc. we share the Light of life and immortality through the gospel of Jesus. Jesus is your foundation, function and future, and he is eager for others to hear what he has done for them through you.
One time as a kid I was almost trampled by a cow. I remember facing off with it, but my dad ran by, picked me up and carried me to safety. Even more unfair than a young boy against a full-sized cow is a man against many demons. Jesus faced many demons during his time on this earth and showed his control over them. They fear him, and he protects us. With great power, Jesus died and rose to save you from your sins, death, the devil and hell. Through Jesus, heaven is yours. God comes to those in our region, our family, friends and community with the saving message of Jesus as we tell how much God has done for us. Amen.
Gunnar Ledermann, Pastor Divine Peace Church
Gunnar Ledermann
I’m passionate about Rockwall’s vibrant community and actively engage with local non-profits and community organizations, including the Rockwall Chamber of Commerce, the City of Rockwall, and the Downtown Rockwall Association. My background includes a bachelor’s degree in Classical Languages and a master’s degree in divinity. Currently serving as a pastor at Divine Peace Church in Rockwall, I also enjoy spending time with my wife, Marinda, and our three children.
