"Radical Love" (Luke 10:25-37)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“And behold, a lawyer stood up to put [Jesus] to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How do you read it?’ And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’ And He said to him, ‘You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live’” (Luke 10:25-28).

 

“Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” This is the question at the heart of today’s Gospel text. Now, the man asking this question is a lawyer. We may immediately think of this man as a defense attorney or a prosecuting attorney. But there, you’d be wrong. That was not the occupation of this lawyer. For this lawyer in our Gospel lesson is an expert on the Torah. He is an expert on the Old Testament.

 

Now, this lawyer actually knows the answer to his own question. He’s not stupid. He’s pretty smart. But he asks Jesus this question as to see if Jesus really knows what He is talking about. So, he’s testing Jesus. But shockingly, Jesus returns his question with a question: “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” (Luke 10:26).

 

Now, that was not what this lawyer was expecting. He was expecting to stump Jesus, but now he has been put on the spot. So, he must answer the question that he posed to Jesus. So, he says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 20:27). Ding! Ding! Ding! This is the correct answer! To that, Jesus says, “Do this, and you will live” (Luke 10:28).

 

But this lawyer wasn’t just going to let Jesus win. He felt like a fool. He wanted retribution. He wanted to justify himself. So, he asks Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29).

 

This lawyer wanted a legal definition of the term “neighbor.” He was not about to back down. You see, generally among the Jews, the “neighbor” was defined as a fellow countryman, one of the same race. So, his neighbor could only be a Jew and never a Gentile.

For this lawyer, it is likely that he had many friends, and knowing his occupation as an expert on God’s Law, he would be friendly with priests – those who served in the temple – and Levites – those who assisted the priests in the temple. And most certainly, this lawyer would say that the priests and Levites are his neighbors.

 

Knowing the heart of this lawyer, Jesus then tells this man a parable – a familiar parable for us – known as the Parable of the Good Samaritan. A story about neighborly compassion. A story about friends and enemies. A story that was completely unexpected to a high-class Jew.

 

To him, Jesus tells of a man who was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho on a road that would have been very familiar to this lawyer. This road would have been very familiar to everyone. You see, this road was notorious for its danger. It would be like driving in a “bad neighborhood” today where everyone knows to keep their windows shut, doors locked, and to keep aware of your surroundings.

 

So, running into robbers on this road would not have been a shock, but what happened after the robbers stripped and beat a man, leaving him half dead, well, that is what was truly shocking. So, what happened next?

 

Well, one might expect a man of God to have compassion upon a man who was stripped, beaten up and left half dead on the side of the road, but he passed by on the other side. He ignored the man in dire need of a neighbor. And why? It is likely that this priest preferred to be ritually clean than assist the man. For if this half-dead man died in this priest’s presence, he would be ritually unclean, and he wouldn’t have been able to set foot inside the temple for days or even months. So, he was putting his own self-interests before this man in need.

 

Then, a Levite also passed by on the other side, and for likely the same reasons as the priest. 

 

But then comes the true shocker. A Samaritan man saw this poor man’s condition, showed compassion for him, and actually went to this man. He not only saw the man’s condition, but he also bound up his wounds. He poured oil and wine upon him. Then he brought this half-dead man to an inn so that he could heal from his injuries.

 

For this lawyer, this was criminal. How could a dirty, rotten, no-good, sinful Samaritan be the hero in this story? How could this dirty, rotten, no-good, sinful Samaritan be the one who cared?

You see, this lawyer was seeing his neighbor through the lens of partiality. He saw very little good in any person outside his own friends. And he certainly saw no good ever to come from a dirty, rotten, no-good, sinful Samaritan. You could say this lawyer was practicing DEI: “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” before it was cool.

 

But God is different. He is colorblind. He shows no partiality. He didn’t come to save a select chosen few, but all of humanity. He came to save the lawyer. He came to save you and me. You see, Jesus came to give eternal life to everyone and all by His grace through faith in Him. For as God’s Word says in Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

 

God does not play favorites. That is the character and will of God. He says in Proverbs 24:23, “Partiality in judging is not good.” In Acts 10:34, St. Peter said, “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality.” And elsewhere, St. James wrote, “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (James 2:1).  

 

So, God calls on us His children to also not judge by outward appearances but love and serve everyone unconditionally. This is radical love. And no one besides Jesus has so radically fulfilled the commandment to love.

 

Jesus, then, poses this question to the lawyer: “Which of these three, do you think, proved to be the neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” (Luke 10:36). The lawyer thought for a moment and said, “The one who showed him mercy” (Luke 10:37a). And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise” (Luke 10:37b).

 

So, what’s the point of the Parable of the Good Samaritan? We all began with the question, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25). And we heard the answer: we must love God with all our heart and our neighbor as yourself. But how well are we at doing that? How well are we fearing, loving, and trusting in God above all things? How well are we at truly loving our neighbor as yourself? To be honest, not really well. But that’s why you are here. You are at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church because this is a hospital for sinners. This is the place where Jesus restores us to right faith through His Means of Grace, His Word and Sacraments.

 

Here, in the Parable, we have a half-dead man lying on the side of the road. He is hopeless. He is stripped. He is beaten. He is bruised. He is bleeding. He is near death. He is us. This is the point of the Parable. We – you and me – are the half-dead man. 

 

Ever since Adam and Eve sinned against God, we have been constantly beaten up by Satan, the fallen world, and our own sinful nature. We are dead in our sins. We are dead in our trespasses. We are all on the side of the road bruised, beaten, and dying. We can’t get up to help ourselves off the side of the road to safety.

 

But then Jesus shows up. The Savior who was promised to Adam and Eve right after the Fall. God the Father showed compassion by sending prophet after prophet to tell of the coming Messiah. The Messiah came to rescue us from our foes: sin, death, and Satan. Jesus is who came down from heaven who remembered us all in our low estate.

 

Jesus saw our need. He is the Good Samaritan. He is the Good Neighbor. He rescued us from the ditch of sin and death. Then He covered the wounds of our sin by wrapping around us His robe of righteousness, which gives us eternal life. He brought us to safety. Jesus shows what true love is as He took upon Himself our wounds of sin upon the cross to suffer and die, so that we, by faith in Him, would live forever.

 

In Christ alone, we are reconciled. In Christ alone, we are brought back into the Father’s love.

 

And to this, Jesus says to us: “You go, and do likewise” (Luke 10:37b). And these words of Christ remind us just how far we are from the loving, self-sacrificing behaviors the Lord expects. But that is why He became the Good Samaritan for us. He laid down His life, befriended us while we were yet His enemies, and He promises us through His Word and Sacraments full restoration and life everlasting. This is truly radical love! Through the working of the Holy Spirit in the Means of Grace, He helps us to be more like Him as we grow in faith and love toward our neighbor. Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"The Kingdom of God Has Come Near" (Luke 10:1-20)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of Him, two by two, in every town and place where He Himself was about to go. And He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.’ … ‘Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves’” (Luke 10:1-2a, 3).

 

It is amazing that Jesus appointed 72 men willing to go out in His name and prepare His way. 

 

You see, Jesus had just told many people of the stringent requirements in following Him. One man said to Jesus, “I will follow You wherever you go,” and to this, Jesus said, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” To another, Jesus said, “Follow Me.” And to that, the hearer said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” To that comment, Jesus replied, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Then, another said, “I will follow You, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those in my home.” To that, Jesus said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:57-62).

 

Yes, many people are willing, but those willing are few. What Jesus is telling them – and us – is this, “If you want to follow Me, you must first consider the cost, so don’t take your Christian calling lightly.”

 

To these men, Jesus is saying that to follow Him, you must break from and renounce your own self-interests and so cling to Him with wholehearted and single-minded faith.

 

So, it is certainly amazing that Jesus found 72 men who understood the mission. But is it really amazing? It would be if Jesus were merely a man, but Jesus isn’t merely a man. Jesus is fully and completely God with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

 

As God, Jesus was fully aware that even after telling of the most-stringent costs in following Him, He would appoint 72 men willing to go out in His name and prepare His way.

But even as Jesus appoints the 72, He adds on even more demands upon these men. He says, “Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you” (Luke 10:3-6).

 

To be a harvester for God’s kingdom was a difficult task. Jesus has laid upon them strict demands. Proclaiming the kingdom of God called for dedication and commitment that, unfortunately, too few people had. Jesus makes no guarantees to the 72 that they are in for an easy time. He says that they will experience spiritual and physical dangers. He says they are to travel light. He says they are not to waste time in casual talk since their task was urgent. They were to preach the kingdom of God whether the hearers would receive them or not. They were lambs sent out in the midst of wolves. So, suffering will be their companion just as it is their Lord’s companion.

 

Our Gospel reading today sounds more like Jesus prefiguring pastors who represent Him. Is that what we are to apply our text?  Well, that certainly an aspect of this text.

§  Pastors today do bring the word of peace to wherever they go. Pastors are to reconcile to God those they speak through Confession and Absolution.

§  Pastors today are sacrificial lambs as we sacrifice money, comfort, popularity, and even safety in order to establish an intimate relationship with Christ’s flock in this place.

§  Pastors today not only pray for the sick, but we come with the Medicine of Immortality, which is Christ’s true Body and Blood that forgives sins and gives life everlasting.

§  And pastors today bring healing as we proclaim that Christ is here in His Word and Sacraments.

 

As awesome as those aspects of the Holy Ministry are, there are also some not so great aspects. Jesus did say in our text, “The one who hears you hears Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me, and the one who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me” (Luke 10:16). So, I must expect to be rejected, just as Christ was rejected. For many people who hear of the kingdom of God will end up rejecting it.

 

So, by just rejecting the 72 meant rejecting God’s only Savior, the only way of salvation. Likewise, to reject my Christ-centered proclamation is to condemn oneself to God’s eternal wrath. But still, it hurts, because I am a human, and humans focus on success rather than failure. And we all must admit that we have all responded indifferently and, at times, have rejected God’s will for your life.

 

Jesus describes the 72 as lambs, because like Him, they will be rejected and suffer the consequences of announcing the presence of the kingdom of God. As lambs in the midst of wolves, they will receive the hostility of the world and its result of violence. Like Jesus, the 72 will become sacrificial victims of the Gospel that calls for a reversal of the fallen world’s values. But by their proclamation, which is actually Jesus’ proclamation, they will show that they are not ashamed of Jesus and His Gospel.

 

Now, when Josh Leyh told me that he was interested in seminary, I was thrilled that the Holy Spirit had worked upon him. I rejoiced that he would one day join the Office of the Holy Ministry, but it never occurred to me to say to him, “You are about to be sent out as a lamb in the midst of wolves.” Instead, I said, “Go!”

 

And today, Josh, Faith and little Peter are in Fort Wayne as Josh is now taking classes at Concordia Theological Seminary.

 

Those words of Jesus, “Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves” are harsh words. They speak of suffering and death. Jesus here, pulls no punches. He says the ministry is hard. But He also says that the ministry is also a blessing. He says, “He who listens to you, listens to Me.” And people do listen! You and I are proof of that! The Gospel has power. The Gospel changes people’s hearts. It heals. It strengthens. It saves. And that is what the 72 found out. Upon returning to Jesus, they said, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” (Luke 10:17).

 

Yes, the 72 had many failures. They often had to wipe their feet against the towns who were not willing to hear the Gospel, but they had many successes, that is why they returned with so much joy! But even among the failures and joys, it was the Holy Spirit who worked through them along the way as they proclaimed the kingdom of God.

 

But what about you? How are those who are not pursuing seminary studies to become a pastor or deaconess to respond to today’s Gospel text? How does today’s Gospel apply to all of us? Well, it certainly does.

Jesus was urgent to get the message out that the kingdom of God has come near. He knew the only way this Gospel message would get out would be to speak it and to share it. So, you may not be pursuing seminary studies, but you are called by God.

 

Jesus first called you through the work of the Holy Spirit. He called you by the Gospel, enlightened you with His gifts, sanctified you and kept you in the one true faith. In the same way, the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. 

 

Through His Means of Grace, His Word and Sacraments, the Holy Spirit richly through repentance and faith forgives all your sins, even your sin of indifference and rejection of God’s will. It is through these simple means that the Holy Spirit points us to Jesus as we grow in faith and in service to Him as Lord and Savior.

 

So, what are we, who are made children of God through faith to do? We are to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that Christ has commanded. And behold, Christ says, “I am with you always to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). This is our mission!

 

But along the way, Christ is with us. He does not leave us to grow the Church by ourselves. So, when we scatter Christ’s seed by sharing His Good News through our various vocations and stations in life, such as husband or wife, boss or employee, friend or neighbor, some of that seed may be choked and matted flat, and we ought to say, “Oh, what of that, and what of that?” But some of that seed waves ripe on hill and flat, and bears a harvest hundredfold, and we say, “Ah, what of that, Lord, what of that!” (LSB 586 – “Preach You the Word”). So, when you share Christ’s Gospel and it is not received, do not dwell on it, but wipe your feet, and say, “Nonetheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near” (Luke 10:11). Amen. 

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"The Great Confession of Faith" (Matthew 16:13-19 - St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, [Jesus] asked His disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ … [Then] He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’”(Matthew 16:13, 15).

 

Today, the Church remembers St. Peter and St. Paul for their great confession of faith and for laying down their lives for Christ and His Gospel.

 

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus finally has the opportunity to ask the question of all questions. First, Jesus asked His disciples about what they had learned about the people’s attitudes toward Him during their recent travels. So, His disciples reported that the people generally recognized Jesus as a prophet of God. They said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets” (Matthew 16:14). 

 

At least some the people recognized that John and Jesus both proclaimed the coming kingdom of God and called the people to repentance. But others thought that the Son of Man must be Elijah the prophet brought back to life. They may have good reason for thinking so, since many were familiar with these words of the Prophet Malachi: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes” (Malachi 4:5).

 

But to this, Jesus said in Matthew 11 that John the Baptist was only the second Elijah to prepare the way for Him, the Messiah. To this, Jesus says, “For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come” (Matthew 11:13).

 

And others, who were still not sure, thought the Son of Man could be just another prophet of old, perhaps Jeremiah.

 

But these opinions of people did show something promising. They showed that the people generally regarded Jesus very highly as a special man of God. But they did not know Jesus as the One and Only Begotten Son of God, true God with the Father and the Holy Spirit from eternity. 

For all intents and purposes, the people during Jesus’ earthly ministry are not much different from the people of our day who just see Jesus as a great teacher, a prophet, one option among many, but don’t know Jesus as their Savior and the only Savior of the world. 

 

In our Gospel text, Jesus asks His disciples using the plural “you” saying, “But you – you all – who do y’all say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15). Jesus is asking them the question of all questions: “Who am I?”

 

Now, these men had been with Jesus constantly for more than two years. They had observed how Jesus lived and had witnessed His mighty works. They heard Jesus teach them about the kingdom of God and about Himself. So, what did they think? They should know better than anyone else, right? So, did they agree with what they had heard from the public? Or did they have more of an understanding by now?

 

To Jesus’ question, Peter speaks on behalf of the apostles saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Here, Peter, on behalf of the apostles, is confessing Jesus to be the long-awaited Savior of the world, the Anointed One, the Messiah. 

 

But what does Jesus say to this confession? He says, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17).

 

Here, Jesus is commending Peter for this great confession, but He is also reminding him that no one, not even Peter himself, could have figured that out all by himself. For Peter only knew this truth of Jesus because God the Father had revealed this truth to him.

 

And like Peter, we cannot come to know who Jesus is by our own skill or knowledge. No one can believe by their own reason or strength in Jesus Christ or even come to Him. It is only through the gift of God that we come to faith. For it is the Holy Spirit who called us by the Gospel, enlightened us with His gifts, sanctified and kept us in the true faith. It is the Holy Spirit who calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.

 

You see, Peter’s confession was only revealed to him through the Word of God.

 

But what about St. Paul? For today isn’t all about St. Peter. St. Paul, too, did not come to faith in Jesus as His Lord and Savior by his own reason or strength. Remember, Paul was a Pharisee of Pharisees. He was so zealous that he wanted to hunt down, arrest, and even kill every pesky little Christian he could find. 

 

But, like Peter, God revealed to Paul the truth. Our resurrected and ascended Lord Jesus Christ confronted Paul on the road to Damascus and called him to preach the Gospel that he formerly tried to extinguish. In our Epistle, we heard of Paul’s confession, as he wrote, “I went up because of a revelation and set before them the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles” (Galatians 2:2).

 

Again, Paul, like Peter before him, did not come to the conviction of faith in Jesus by a conscious decision, but it was revealed to Him by God Himself.

 

Paul confessed the same Jesus as did Peter – the Son of the living God, the Christ who saves us, who gives His life for us, and who lives His life in us. For both Peter and Paul, this confession would consume and shape the rest of their lives. For both Peter and Paul, they would proclaim this confession of Jesus as the Christ, the Savior of sinners to any and all who would hear it, and even to many who would reject it. Peter and Paul would lay down their very lives for this same confession of Christ crucified and risen for sinners.

 

Today, Jesus asks us, this same question: “But you – y’all here at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, who do you say that I am?”

 

And like Peter and Paul before us, God reveals to us the answer. We join Peter and Paul proclaiming, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

 

We come to this knowledge not through our own reason or strength, but through the working of the Holy Spirit in us through His Word and Sacraments. And it isn’t enough to just know Jesus as the Christ, but to cling to Him fully by fearing, loving, and trusting in Him above all things. Through the working of the Holy Spirit, He leads us to put Jesus first in our lives. He leads us to self-denial. He leads us to sacrifice our own will for the sake of Christ. He leads us to confess Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God even unto death.

 

Today, you will receive Christ’s very Body and Blood, which strengthens us to lay down our lives to confess this great confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God in our day. May His Body and Blood, under simple bread and wine, strengthen you in the forgiveness and life of Jesus. Afterall, “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17).

 

Through the Holy Spirit, He has revealed to us that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and that through Him, we have peace with God and life everlasting. May we always be led to confess Jesus as our God and Lord and so remain on this unshakable rock of our salvation that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Bringing His Healing Power" (Luke 8:26-39)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met Him a man from the city who had demons”(Luke 8:27a).

 

A trip across the Sea of Galilee brought Jesus and His disciples to the region of the Gerasenes. This was a region in which many Gentiles lived, those non-Jews. We catch this fact by the tending of the herds of pigs. So, Jesus is entering a territory that typically would not be sympathetic to Jews. He was entering what we may call “heathen” territory. Jesus is far away from any synagogue. Besides the Jews in His own party of disciples, there are no other Jews within many miles.

 

So, what is Jesus going to do in a “heathen” territory? Well, He is going to bring His healing power to an unbelieving pagan.

 

For most people today, we discount the idea of demonic possession. We just think this is something of film and television, but not of real life. But we hear today that demonic possession is not the stuff of movies but is a real-life issue.

 

Let us recall what Jesus said just prior to His bodily ascension into heaven. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age”(Matthew 28:18-20).

 

There is something to Jesus’ words here. He says all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him.

 

On this day in our Gospel lesson, Jesus meets a man who is in terrible shape. He is socially isolated. He doesn’t have a proper place to live, but is attracted to living among tombs. Not only that, he has also been wandering around naked. And this is only half of his problems. It gets worse. Far worse. 

 

Not only is he socially isolated, naked, and living among the dead, he is also often bound with chains and shackles so to protect him and others from himself. But when seized by the control of an evil spirit, those chains and shackles don’t stand a chance as he “hulks up” with superhuman strength and breaks those chains and shackles. 

 

After Jesus commanded the unclean spirits to come out of this demon-possessed man, the demon-possessed man said, “What have you do do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me!” (Luke 8:28). Because this man is under the control of demons, he recognizes Jesus. This is a gift that all angels cannot keep quiet. They must proclaim God when they see Him, even if a fallen angel, a demon. It’s a quirk that they just can’t seem to get out of them. They can’t change the essence of their created nature.

 

So, Jesus asks the man, “What is your name?” (Luke 8:30a). And he replied, “‘Legion,’ for many demons had entered him” (Luke 8:30b).

 

For this poor man, he was possessed by a whole host of demons. To get some context, a Roman legion numbered four-to-six thousand soldiers. Did he have that many demons in him? Maybe. But it’s more likely that the demons used that name “Legion” in a general sense to refer to the great number of demons who had gone into this man.

 

So, for this man, he was tormented by a legion of demons. And for a long time, he had worn no clothes, he had not lived in a house, and even shackles and chains could not hold him. The only thing that attracted his attention were living among burial sites.

 

This man was totally helpless against the demons. He was powerless to save himself. He was completely controlled by the power of evil.

 

We, as poor, miserable sinners are also troubled by demons. Now, we may not be possessed by an evil spirit, but we all have our terrors and vices. We, like this man, can live a life of isolation as we isolate ourselves from God and other people. Behind our “demons” is rebellion against God, and they can take various forms. 

§  Things like: despising God’s Word, by not holding it sacred by gladly hearing it and learning it. 

§  Things like: being angry, stubborn, or disrespectful toward those in authority. 

§  Things like: looking lustfully at someone who isn’t your spouse, or engaging in any form of sexual immorality, including pornography. 

§  Things like: taking pleasure in talking about the faults and mistakes of others. 

§  Or things like people saying that they are “two spirit” or “gender fluid,” which could be simply a fad – a product of our fallen cultural rot, a mental illness, or it could be actual demon possession for which the demons must be exercised out.

 

But we all have our demons, even if we aren’t possessed by an actual demon.

 

And like this man, we are utterly and completely helpless in changing our situation before God and our neighbor. This is our spiritual condition by nature, as we are under the power of the devil. So, when we see God’s Law, all we see is despair. All we see is our failure in adhering to God’s Ten Commandments.

 

But remember, the Word of Christ is authoritative. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. So, He is able to change our tragic human realities. Jesus changed all things for the better for this man. He clothed him and put him back in his right mind. He restored him.

 

If Jesus can do those things for an unbeliever, what more can He do for you who trusts and clings to Him? So, Jesus transforms us too! Through His keeping of the Law, through His suffering and death, Jesus heals you and all of humanity by grace through faith in Him from the effects of sin, which is death and the power of the devil. In Christ alone, your sins are forgiven and you are restored as a child of God.

 

So, how does Jesus do this for you and me? Well, through what you are hearing now, through the preaching of His authoritative Word, through the proclamation of your absolution, and through His Word in Holy Baptism. In the Divine Service, Jesus clothes us and puts us in His right mind through His Word. Thanks be to God that He has rescued us through Christ’s perfect obedience, and His death and resurrection!

 

But today’s Gospel lesson doesn’t just end with the demon-possessed man being set free of his demons by Jesus. Upon hearing the commotion of the pigs drowning, the people “went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid” (Luke 8:35).

 

These people were filled with terror in the sight of Jesus. For the power of Jesus was graphically obvious – a herd of pigs floating dead in the lake, and a madman now restored to sanity.

 

So, sadly, Jesus is often rejected. They begged Jesus to leave. So, Jesus obliged and sailed away. But Jesus does not forget about the people of the country of the Gerasenes as the now sane man went away proclaiming throughout the whole city how much God in Jesus has done for him. This man becomes a missionary proclaiming the mighty works of God!

 

And Jesus continues to make disciples of all nations, despite continued rejection. He makes disciples as the Word is preached and the Sacraments are properly administered through the end of the age. Jesus continues to transform us from sin and unbelief to forgiveness and faith, even to the end of the age! So, may we join this healed man in proclaiming the mighty works of God through our various callings in life! Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +