Gospel reading: Matthew 8.28-end
When he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him. They were so fierce that no one could pass that way. Suddenly they shouted, ‘What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?’ Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some distance from them. The demons begged him, ‘If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.’ And he said to them, ‘Go!’ So they came out and entered the swine; and suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and perished in the water. The swineherds ran off, and on going into the town, they told the whole story about what had happened to the demoniacs. Then the whole town came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighbourhood.
Reflections
The word ‘begged’ (parakaleó) occurs twice in this passage: the demons begged Jesus to let them go into the swine; and the townspeople begged that he leave the area. In both cases, Jesus agreed. In the first case, he even commanded it. The demons had no agency of their own but needed a higher power to take control. In the second, he said nothing but simply got into a boat to cross the water back to his own town (Matthew 9.1).
Many people in the Gospels ask Jesus for many different things in different ways, and sometimes Jesus says ‘yes’ and sometimes he says ‘no’. In Luke’s version of this story (Luke 8.26-39), there is just the one man possessed by a demon named Legion, and Luke gives him a role and a voice after Jesus heals him. Again the demon begged (parakaleó again) and Jesus agreed. Again the townspeople asked (in this case erótaó, which is closer to ‘politely requested’) and Jesus got into a boat. And now also the man begged (deomai, with the sense of pressing need). He begged Jesus to let him go with him. But Jesus says ‘no’ to the man and tells him instead to return to his home town and share the good news of what Jesus had done for him.
We can but ask. There is no particular wording that produces a ‘yes’ rather than a ‘no’. But there is always a reason behind the answer.
Two other things strike me in the passage on this reading. There is a double movement out to meet Jesus: the demoniacs came out of the tombs, and the townspeople out of the town. Then there are all the words of the demons, who recognise Jesus as ‘Son of God’ and know of his ‘time’. There is a relationship there, there is always a relationship with Jesus, whether demon or human, positively or negatively inclined.
As for myself, there are parts of me that are still dwelling among the tombs and being fierce to people who come close. Those are the hurting parts of me that recognise Jesus and my need of him, the parts that need to come out of the tombs and beg Jesus to be cast out so that I might be set free. Then there are the parts of me that go out to meet Jesus in order to tell him to go away, because I am afraid of what he might do. Those parts need to recognise that what he might do is heal and be willing to invite him in and abide with him. Then there those parts of me that want to go where the things of God are. Perhaps for a time those also need to stay put in the midst of the world, and to share the good news of my healing with all.
-oOo-
Since April 2020, I have been jointly hosting a shared Lectio Divina group on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings. These are my reflections only, during the prayer session and as I wrote them up. Please see my separate commentary and leaflet for more information about shared Lectio.
