Stepping into Another World
Luke 8: 26-38
26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me." 29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) 30 Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion," for many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. 32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. 34 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then 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. 36 And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him. ESV.
Introduction:
Things I'm not going to do this morning.
1. I’m not going to spend much time with some of the things in this passage this morning.
2. I’m not going to spend much time with the demons,
3. I'm not going to spend much time with the pigs, or the pig farmers,
4. I'm not going to spend much time on this occasion on the subjects of deliverance, or demon possession, which im sure is in the passage in some shape or form.
Things I hope to do this morning
1. I would like us to share this morning about Jesus.
2. I really would like us to share a little this morning about the issues that arise.
3. I especially want us to share this morning about other worlds.
The central theme of this passage is that Jesus comes to bring liberation and release from the power of evil.
To begin with, there are a number of ways in which classical and modern theologians interpret this passage I'm going to present only two of those ways of bible interpretation. One way of interpreting this passage is to highlight Jesus' confrontation of evil directly, in the way Jesus deals with demons, or evil spirits, The other way of interpreting this passage is to highlight the way in which Jesus indirectly undermines the political and military regime of the roman empire, by attacking the food chain. An army marches on it's stomach. (Pigs)
The Context of Luke 8:26-38
What do we find when we look at the context.
1. Roman occupied Gentile territory.
2. Graveyard or tombs.
3. Untamed urban dweller.
4. Brokeness of the human body, mind and spirit.
5. The destructive power and force of evil.
6. Jesus in a boat with his disciples.
7. Individual and community transformation.
8. Torture
9. A pig farm
10. Proclamation of the gospel
11. Liberation.
12. Suffering and Pain.
Phil Collins. Irony lay at the heart of “Another day in paradise” This sums up the desperate world that some people live in and the desperate issues that people are confronted every day.
We need to look at the issues that come from this passage.
1. Mental Health, and the treatment of mental health.
2. Destructive isolation.
3. The Dehumanisation of others.
4. Segregation.
5. Places of pain and torture and suffering
6. Imprisonment, Chains, Solitary confinement.
7. Unstable environments.
8. Homelessness
9. Loneliness
10. Human rights.
11. The real radical mission of Jesus
12. The place of Transformation in ministry of Jesus.
The greatest moment in the passage.
Vs 27 "When Jesus had stepped out on land" another translation " when jesus stepped down"
Sermon:
1. Where we position ourselves or where we stand is important!
Jesus gets out of the boat.
Jesus steps into the world of legion.
"As disciples of Jesus you have to get out of the boat"
"As disciples of Jesus we have to position ourselves with where Jesus stands.
2. What we do is just as important as what we say!
Jesus confronts brokenness in the man.
Jesus confronts oppression in it's various forms.
"As disciples of Jesus we are called to absorb the pain of others and give dignity to people.
"As disciples of Jesus we are to confront injustice and challenge evil in it's multiple forms.
3. What we say is just as important as what we do!
Jesus speaks to unjust power. (Directly by challenging demons, indirectly by the pigs)
Jesus proclaims liberation loudly by his command.
"As disciples of Jesus we are to believe and proclaim transformation in his name"
"As disciples of Jesus we are to confront injustice, and seek healing, restoration and peace.
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