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CHAPTER XIX Legion
How came either of them to know of Jesus?
They had never laid eyes on him before this moment. And why did they address him as 'Son of the Most High God?' How could they know? And what is this time of which they speak? And how does this pathetic man speak from his throat without moving his lips?
"You will leave these men." Jesus spoke quietly in great contrast to the screaming going on before him. The man's eyes opened wide, staring at Jesus in morbid fear. Jesus spoke again; this time I could hear a note of compassion in his voice. "What is your name?" he asked. The question was directed at the man, not the howling thing within him.
The man did not, could not answer. His eyes rolled into his head so that only their whites showed. He was locked in this terrible creature's grip, "My name is . . ." It wouldn't come.
He tried again, "My name is . . . 'Legion!'"
"Legion?" Jesus appeared almost amused. How could he be so calm, so self-assured in the presence of something so evil? I could not understand it. "That seems ambitious," he said. "Are you over six thousand strong?"
"We are many!" the thing replied.
"Yes," said Jesus as though he were bored with this whole scene. "Legion. Well, Legion, what shall I do with you? As you have said, your time has not come, but be certified; it surely will come. Now, where do you wish to go? Back to your abyss?"
"NO!" they screamed. "No! Please!" They were begging. These horrible things in these men were begging. The overwhelming authority of Jesus against their evil power; Oh, I cannot speak it! It is beyond my imagination!
"Send us instead into the pigs."
The pigs, now in plain view, were feeding on the nearby hillside. Jesus considered the sorry spectacle for a moment and then uttered, "Leave these men." And then louder, commanding, "Leave these men at once!"
The two men collapsed on the ground as if they were rags. The pigs, however, began to squeal and mill about. Their agitation became severe, and they began to pile onto one another. Their tenders panicked. Suddenly the herd surged down toward the bluff and the sea below. The water churned with onrushing bodies of helpless animals falling over the precipice. A terrible spectacle. The force and momentum of the stampeding herd pushed those in front of them into the water by the hundreds. They were drowning.
I am a Jew. I do not like swine but I couldn't help but feel a pang of remorse at this waste of life. Their carcasses floated on the surface, owing no doubt to the immense fat they carried. Those tending the pigs ran off. The report they would give found its way to the authorities.
When things quieted, Jesus bent over the fallen men. They were unconscious. He touched the side of the head of the man whose ear had been bitten away, ripped from its mooring. When he took his hand away, a new ear had formed. "Help me, John," who stood nearby. John, still wary, hesitated. Jesus gave him a look. Instantly, he moved and assisted Jesus to lift one of the men by the armpits and lean him against the wall of the rock. "Someone get water. Tunics. Clean them and dress them." We passed the remainder of the night around a campfire, tending to these two broken souls. The effect of the swine herder's news was no surprise. Almost everyone in Gergasa came out to see what had happened. Days later, floating bodies of pigs were found around the shores of Galilee. Fishermen discovered them several miles out into the water. The Sea of Galilee had been polluted with the cadavers of dead swine. Cleaning parties were formed, huge pits dug to bury the carcasses. But in Gergasa, they saw the men who had been possessed sitting there leaning against the rock, dressed, clean and in their right minds. This frightened them as much as seeing them demonized. This galvanized them even more than the spectacle of the pigs. They knew these men. They had heard their howls in the distant night. Incredibly, they began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. It was, I suppose, too much for them. I wondered why no one sought to blame Jesus for the destruction of held property. Then I heard a rumor that Jews owned the pigs, illegally. Jews! I couldn't believe what lengths to which some men would go for profit. Jesus turned to leave. As he stepped into the boat, the two men came to him and begged. "Lord," they said. How easy this word came to them now whereas before they could utter only unintelligible grunts and moans. "Lord, take us with you. We owe you our very lives." Jesus said to them, "You will serve me better here in Gergasa. Go home to your families, and tell them how much the Lord God has done for you and how he has had mercy on you." Oddly, they did not argue and appeared to sense no feelings of rejection. They were comforted with the thought that they would actually be messengers of the mercy of God. Perhaps they, who had been such a terror to their fellow human beings, could now bring them blessing and benefit instead. Word had it that they became quite the evangelists. They preached throughout the Ten Cities (the Decapolis) of all that Jesus had done for them. People were amazed. How many believed because of the energy these two men expended? Only God knows. Even today, decades later, I hear of their preaching and I wonder at the memory. Now that Jesus' physical presence is no longer among us there is not so much demonic activity. From the baptism of Jesus to the day he was taken from us, demon possession was something to be dealt with. Since the Holy Spirit has come, it seems held in check. I do not understand the purpose the evil one has in making men and women foam at the mouth and cut themselves. It is all so disgusting and unappealing. I only know the power the name of Jesus has over them. It is absolute. It is preemptive. It is final. It is fatal.
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