Jesus and His disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. When He got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met Him. The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before Him, crying out in a loud voice, “What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure You by God, do not torment me!” (He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”) He asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.” And he pleaded earnestly with Him not to drive them away from that territory.

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. And they pleaded with Him, “Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.” And He let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned... As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with Him. But He would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in His pity has done for you.” Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

REFLECTIONS

They begged Jesus to leave their district. What a contrast between the values of Jesus and those of the Gerasenes. Jesus so values the man who is possessed by demons that he is willing to lose a whole herd of pigs in order to liberate the man. On the other hand, the people of the district, fearing the loss of more pigs, are not happy over the man’s healing and want no more of the same because of possible material loss. And they beg Jesus to leave their place instead of asking him to stay.

Are you more preoccupied with your pigs (material possessions) than with Jesus and your fellow human beings?

SOURCE: “366 Days with the Lord 2012,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.,); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: books@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.