Luke 8:26-39
26 Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs.
28 When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me’— 29 for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times 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 wilds.) 30 Jesus then asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Legion’; for many demons had entered him. 31 They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.
32 Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
34 When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they 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 Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed.
37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave 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.’ So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.
Mosaic of the exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac from the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, dating to the sixth century AD
"Return home and tell how much God has done for you!"
St. Luke takes us to the eastern bank of the Sea of Galilee, into a small area belonging to the Decapolis region, where contaminated people, considered impure, were cast out.
We are invited to concentrate on the main inspirational points this text contains:
Jesus, defying social customs and health ordinances out of love and mercy, is taking the first initiative to go, meet and heal a human person that’s considered dangerous, impure and abject.
Jesus is teaching His disciples that no body is excluded from God's love and mercy. The excluded people should feel that they count and are entitled to respect. Jesus healed the man in order to regain his human dignity and social role in the community.
Every one is included in God's love and mercy.
The evil spirits express their faith in Jesus being the Son of the Most High God!
Jesus’ authority is recognized even by evil spirits who are afraid of His presence and of His power.
The evil spirits pray to Jesus not to expel them.
The people of that area witness the healing of the man who was possessed by evil spirits and were amazed how he regained his dignity. For their economy and financial income from the swine business, they ask Jesus to leave their region.
Jesus declines the healed man's request to join Him and His disciples, but instead sends him to witness to his own family and people. Again, the one who was cast out becomes a messenger telling the Good News.
The disciples were amazed and should have been asking many questions about the identity of Jesus. Could He be the Messiah?
For us today, may we remember that even the evil spirits believe in Jesus Christ and even pray to him... but what is needed is to show our faith by our works. James 2:18-19, “But someone will say, ’You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder.”