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LUKE’S GOSPEL…LOST THINGS – 41b

Bible Study, ,

“Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living….“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭11‬-‭13‬, ‭25‬-‭32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus continued…to the real point of His stories. 

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ hearers were quite comfortable with His stories until He changed gear. There was the ever-present undercurrent in the crowd. The critics were mingling…to watch, to accuse, and to gather evidence…not to listen, to learn, and to grow in knowledge and understanding. 

So, they murmured, and Jesus heard. 

Jesus never lost an opportunity to speak truth to power. Truth was His weapon of choice. Armed with truth, He came from heaven to confront the lies that were destroying His people…the delusions upon which they built their lives that led them off the path to lostness in a wilderness of chaos and confusion…and delusion. 

The Pharisees didn’t like truth. It rattled their cages. It messed with their comfortable convictions. It muddied their manicured theology…

…but Jesus loved truth. It hit the bull’s-eye every time. Truth was unchanging and infallible. He relied on truth to win every skirmish with His enemies and, eventually, to win the war. 

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus died in truth and for truth…He put every one of the plethora of lies and false claims of His arch enemy to death by revealing that He was the truth, the one and only Lord of the universe. Satan’s challenge failed. He could not eliminate Him. Jesus walked out of the tomb as an ever-living witness to the power of truth. Kill Him as they did, He is still and always will be Lord. 

What was the truth His story about a lost son was about to uncover? Jesus’ story ended with an unspoken question, the one He asked of Jonah. “Why are you angry because I am merciful?” and has no answer. 

The Pharisees’ whispered challenge was, “If you are really God, how can you associate with “sinners”? Don’t you know who they are?”

Jesus’ response was, “I’ll show you who the real sinners are…not the ones who know they are lost but the hypocrites who think that God is okay with them and they with Him!”

Hence the buildup of three stories. The first two unveiled heaven’s joy when lost things are found. The third story had the punchline…

“You hypocrites! You think that keeping the rules makes you okay. You are more “lost” than the rebel who forsook his home.”

Jesus’ story sets the record straight about God’s heart for lost people. They are lost because they left God’s path and tried another way. They thought that their independence was freedom. They found out that the wilderness was an uncomfortable and dangerous place, empty, barren, and nothing but a monotonous wasteland. Worse still, there were no signposts to show them the way home. They were lost in their lostness. 

For the rebel in the story, the party was over…money and fair weather friends were gone. There was no help from them. The lost son had only one way…go back home. He had to make a choice…starve and live with pigs, or eat humble pie and retrace his steps. 

The father watched and waited. He didn’t send his servants to capture or compel his son to return. He knew that, someday, his son would hit rock bottom. That’s real life. When resources are wasted, they don’t last. When the money is finished, friends vanish. Home, that once seemed a place of slavery and restriction, finally became a place of refuge, of provision, and freedom…not from boundaries but for safety. 

What mattered most to the father? The lost one was his son…his own flesh and blood. He didn’t give up on him. He didn’t write him off because of his behaviour. He waited to restore him when he returned. Such, said Jesus, is the heart of God. 

How unlike the elder brother! His heart was bitter, full of contempt…the self-appointed judge of his little brother’s behaviour. He compared himself with his brother and came out shining…so he thought. He forgot one thing…he and his brother were both sons of the father, no matter what they did…equally loved and equally valued. 

The Pharisees refused to acknowledge God’s love and mercy that embraces all people because they are His. God has no intention to squash, like annoying bugs, those who fail.  His call is the same for everyone…those who fail and those who judge those who fail…”Come home!” Both are guilty and both need mercy. 

The Pharisees didn’t get it. They killed Jesus for that!

To be continued…

THE GOSPEL OF MARK – EVEN THE PIGS PERISHED!

Christian life, ,

EVEN THE PIGS PERISHED!

11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. Mark 5:11-17

It seems that the madman first spoke for the demons, and then they spoke for themselves. Their very plea not to be sent away is proof of Jesus’ absolute authority over them. It also shows how foolish they were. They requested to be relocated into the pigs, not realising that their presence would drive the pigs crazy just as they had driven the man crazy. According to Jesus, evil spirits roam around looking for a host body, in this case pigs but, once again, the demons were homeless because their new hosts were dead!

In the meantime, the delivered man became a momentary celebrity. The news of his deliverance spread around the region faster than a bush fire. Everyone wanted to see him and hear his story – over and over again. There he was, as sane as any of them, just as they had heard about him. And there was Jesus, the man responsible for this dramatic change! Did He say anything, preach, teach, or explain? Probably not! The man himself was enough of a witness without any explanations.

But there was something else as well. A herd of dead pigs floating in the lake awoke them to the economic disaster this man’s healing had caused. Their anger and panic over lost income overrode their awe at this amazing event. Instead of rejoicing with the man and his family over his restoration, they drove Jesus out of the region just in case He did any more damage to their already depleted resources.

I wonder what would have happened to their economy had they believed in Jesus and turned their lives over to Him. Since He promised never to diminish us (Psalm 23:1) losing their pigs would have ultimately been to their benefit.

But there was one hope left for this region – the newly-sane man. What impact would his freedom have on his people? How would his deliverance change a hostile mob?

Devil-Mad Crazy

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DEVIL-MADE CRAZY

They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet Him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. (Mark 5:1-5).

It seems that Jesus was on an assignment from the Father when He and His disciples set off across the lake. Was the storm devil-induced or was it just a natural phenomenon that happened when they were en route to the region of the Gerasenes? I am inclined to believe that it was the latter. Jesus and His disciples were part of the natural world. A storm could blow up any time as it often did. Why attribute to the devil what happened all the time?

On their arrival, they were met by a mad-man. They did not need to seek him out. He came to them. Was he drawn to Jesus in spite of the demonic inhabitants inside him? Not even the demons could resist Jesus even though they knew who He was and were hostile to Him. It was like that with Jesus. He drew people like iron filings to a magnet.

Mark took pains to describe the condition of the man. He was the local villain. People had long since given up trying to tame him. Not even chains and shackles could restrain his crazy and often violent behaviour. They left him alone in his wild misery and stayed away from the graveyard and the surrounding hills where he roamed. I can imagine how the children would taunt him from afar and run away when he raged against him.

This man was an example of Satan’s ownership. Wild, violent, tormented and suicidal. In his suffering he could not even destroy himself. All he could do was to inflict pain on himself continually. What did he look like? Filthy, unwashed, bloodied and scarred! I can imagine his body covered with infected sores where he had gashed himself with any sharp stone he could find. His screams would have echoed around the hills, striking terror into the hearts of the people.

How did he manage to stay alive? Did his family take pity on him and leave food for him each day? Was he sane enough to find it and eat it to keep himself alive? He was the picture of hopelessness, trapped in a situation of his own making and unable to release himself from his bondage and suffering.

Gentile thought he was, Jesus knew about him – no doubt prompted by the Holy Spirit – and went on a mission to rescue him. Mercy in action! No questions asked!

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of Him. He shouted on the top of his voice, ‘What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!’

For Jesus had said to him, ‘Come out of the man, you impure spirit!’ (Mark 5: 6-8).

Notice the interaction between the Son of God and the invading spirits from the dominion of darkness. Jesus did not waste His time trying to find out who they were or how they got there. That’s how it is with Jesus. He is more concerned about healing the sufferer than the reason for his suffering. He was pure authority and the demons knew it. They bowed to Jesus. They knew who He was. They knew their place. They did not resist Him. They could not.

Then Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘My name is Legion,’ he replied, ‘for we are many.’ And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demon begged Jesus, ‘Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.’ He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned (Mark 5: 9-13).

What’s in a name? There was an important reason for asking the man his name. His name was who he was. He had to acknowledge who he was – a man possessed by a devilish nature, full of uncleanness. His confession was his key to freedom.

Pigs were a fitting place for them to go – unclean animals according to the Law. But even the pigs could not tolerate their presence. The demons turned them crazy and they fled down the steep bank into the lake. What a sight – two thousand bloated carcasses floating in the lake! That’s what the devil does – turns life into death!

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Pagans And Pigs

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PAGANS AND PIGS!

“Those tending the pigs, scared to death bolted and told their story in town and country.  People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man, from whom the demons had been sent, sitting there at Jesus’ feet, wearing decent clothes and making sense. It was a holy moment, and for a short time they were more reverent than curious. Then those who had seen it happen told how the demoniac had been saved.” Luke 8:34-36 (The Message).

What a holy moment!

These were Gentiles, people who lived in a region of ten Greek towns on the east side of the lake of Galilee; pagan people who dabbled with demons and who were probably used to seeing demon-possessed people. But this man had been particularly bad, so tormented and demented that he could not live among them. He had taken up residence among dead people who could not possibly be affected by his crazed behaviour.

They had seen the effects of demons entering people but they had never seen the outcome of demons leaving! No doubt they rushed to the edge of the cliff to see what had happened to the pigs. There they were, bloated and floating in the lake, all three thousands of them, exactly as the townspeople had reported!  Some of them must have been owners of the pigs. There was their livelihood, floating in the lake! They could not have been too pleased.

Others were dumbstruck by the man who was so transformed that they hardly recognised him. He was clothed and sane, sitting with Jesus, adoring Him and deep in conversation with Him. They could only stand and stare, and wonder that this man was who had authority over the evil spirits they both worshipped and feared.

“Later, a great many people from the Gerasene countryside got together and asked Jesus to leave — too much change, too fast, and they were scared. So Jesus got back in the boat and set off. The man whom He had delivered from the demons asked to go with Him, but He sent him back, saying, ‘Go home and tell everything God did in you.’ So he went back home and preached all over town everything Jesus had done in him.” Luke 8:37-39 (The Message).

It did not take long for the word to spread throughout the whole region. People came running from far and near and congregated to discuss this shocking and frightening event. If this man could do this, what else could He do, and what else would He do? Many of them had already suffered huge financial loss. Had He come to destroy them? They did not understand what this was all about.

 

No doubt the loss of the pigs overshadowed the man’s release from the tormented life he had lived for so long. Perhaps they were even hostile towards him because they blamed him for their financial catastrophe. Could he have wanted to follow Jesus to escape their hostility as well as because of his gratitude to Jesus? We don’t know.

In Jewish territory, Jesus instructed people who had been healed not to broadcast it because He did not want to be swamped by popularity with people who were out to get something from Him. Here, however, there was no danger of that. These Gentile people needed to be confronted with the truth about the one true God who had power over the demons who were all too real to them.

Jesus gave this man a commission — to tell his story wherever he went, and that was easy for him to do. He was a living witness to the truth of what he was telling. On a later occasion, when Jesus returned to the region, He was well received because the ex-demon-possessed man had done his job and the people not only recognised Him, they also brought a blind man to Him.

The news was out. Jesus cared about Gentiles too.

He cares for you!

A Mob Dispersed

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A MOB DISPERSED

“Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’

‘Mob. My name is Mob,’ he said, because many demons afflicted him. And they begged Jesus desperately not to order them into the bottomless pit.

A large herd of pigs was browsing and rooting on a nearby hill. The demons begged Jesus to order them into the pigs. He gave the order. It was even worse for the pigs than for the man. Crazed, they stampeded over the cliff into the lake and drowned.” Luke 8:30-33 (The Message).

For anyone reading this for the first time, this is a strange story. It sounds a bit like science fiction, doesn’t it?

But for anyone unfortunate enough to be caught up in demonic involvement, and for those looking on, this was a very real and frightening situation. This man was inhabited by spirit beings who had completely taken over his life, using his body to host them and controlling his mind and his behaviour. They were representatives of the realm of absolute evil, controlled by the devil who had rejected and rebelled against God.

Their presence had turned this man into a raving lunatic who had no control over his thoughts and behaviour. He was on a path to destroy himself and everyone and everything around him. There was no physical power strong enough to bind or muzzle him.

It was only the presence of Jesus, whom the demons acknowledged to be the Son of the High God, and to whose authority they had to bow, that calmed the situation down enough for Him to speak to the man and get a sane reply.

Why did Jesus ask him his name? Was it out of curiosity or was it for a deeper reason than that? The first step towards this man’s healing was for him to acknowledge who he was. In Hebrew thought, a name was a prophetic utterance of character. Who he was expressed in his name.

Jesus wanted him to acknowledge who he was. The name, Mob, was not the name his parents had given him. It was the name he had acquired through the process of bad choices and the eventual invasion of demons who controlled what he had become.

Why did the demons beg to be sent into the pigs? Why could they not have just been told to go somewhere else? They knew that the time was coming when they would be judged along with their master, the devil, and all his other henchmen, but that time was not yet. In the meantime their territory was earth and their victims, people. They needed to inhabit human bodies but to enter humans needed their cooperation through deception and that took time. In their desperation not to be left bodyless, the pigs were their next option. Perhaps Jesus gave His permission because pigs were regarded as unclean animals and unfit for human consumption according to the Torah. They were fitting hosts for unclean spirits.

We have to remember that Jesus, as a rabbi, was always exposing His disciples to learning experiences. What would their impression have been? In the midst of this chaotic environment, one person stood out as being in charge — Jesus! He was not fazed by the hullabaloo this man was causing. He was not afraid of his violence. His presence calmed him down, allowing him to give Him a sane answer and His authority was unmistakeable, over the demons and over the man.

Jesus had taken charge of a violent storm and restored calm. He had taken charge of a violent man and restored peace. They were slowly building confidence in Him as the one He claimed to be — the promised Messiah. With their own eyes they were witnessing what the kingdom of God was all about.

This is the Jesus we have been invited to trust. Have you trusted Him?