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Weekly Bible Study Notes and Worship Resources for Ordinary 12

Year C, Colour = Green


Gerasene demoniac Ordinary 12 Year C

Introduction

The Gospel story today tells of a man who was in a most sorry state. This was a man living filthy and naked, he was not able to control his speech, he is kept under guard and chained. In Mark’s Gospel we are told that he would self-harm himself by cutting himself with stones. The people around the man did not know what to do with him, they did not understand what was going inside him and it made them afraid. The people in the community assumed that the man was possessed by evil spirits. It is understandable that this would be their assumption and let’s be honest even today we don’t deal well with people who have mental health issues.

In the life and ministry of Jesus we see him healing physically sick people, we also see him healing the minds of those who were deeply troubled. There are many conditions which affect us which come from a wounded or troubled mind and mental health problems can affect everybody. Sometimes we can all behave self-destructively and there are few people who do not have metaphorical demons which haunt them, even if they do not use the terminology of spiritual possession. In many people’s lives there have been traumas which have left their mark, perhaps bereavement, unemployment, bullying, physical or emotional abuse. We cannot see a broken mind, but we can see the affects of one and it is normal for people to suffer breakdowns where they can no longer cope. It is to such people that we see Jesus respond with compassion as he makes sure that nobody blames the afflcited man for his own problems.

Opening Verse of Scripture    Psalm 43:3

Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.
 

Collect Prayer for the Day—Before we read we pray

O God, the strength of all those who put their trust in you, mercifully accept our prayers and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without you, grant us the help of your grace, that in the keeping of your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.God of truth, help us to keep your law of love and to walk in ways of wisdom, that we may find true life in Jesus Christ your Son. CW

God of truth, help us to keep your law of love and to walk in ways of wisdom, that we may find true life in Jesus Christ your Son. CW

First Bible Reading  1 Kings 19 v 1 - 15

Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.’ Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there.

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: ‘It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, ‘Get up and eat.’ He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. The angel of the LORD came a second time, touched him, and said, ‘Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.’ He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there.

Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He answered, ‘I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.’

He said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He answered, ‘I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.’ Then the LORD said to him, ‘Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram.’ NRSV

Second Reading  Galatians 3:23-29

Before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ; There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise. NRSV

Gospel Reading   Luke 8:26 -39

Jesus and his disciples arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 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. 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’ – 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.) Jesus then asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Legion’; for many demons had entered him. They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.

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. 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.

When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. 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. Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. 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. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘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. NRSV

Post Communion Prayer

Eternal Father, we thank you for nourishing us with these heavenly gifts: may our communion strengthen us in faith, build us up in hope, and make us grow in love; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. CW


Commentary

In the first chapters of Isaiah (1-39) those who are addressed are inhabitants of Jerusalem.  After this they appear to be exiles in Babylon (40 – 55).  Today’s reading from Isaiah comes towards the end of the third section of the book (56 – 66) and probably dates from a time when the exiles have returned to Israel, gathered from distant places.  In this last part of the book there have been pleas that God would ‘…tear open heaven and come down…’, (Is 63 v 19b) to which He replies at once that He is ready, indeed even responds ‘I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek me.  I said, ‘Here I am, here I am’, (he says repeatedly) to a nation that did not call on my name.’. 

Even though it appears they have returned to Israel there are those who seem to prefer to do their own thing and worship in a way that suits them and their tastes.  It’s almost like they are young children, going off into the garden and finding scary places to play at and re-enact the things they see their parents and elders doing.  It’s almost like they are daring each other to find the most scariest place to worship, or eat the hottest, most spicy or forbidden food if they want to be part of the group.  God is not impressed.  He is calling out in welcome, but they ignore Him and do their own thing, perhaps much as we see today in our own society.  They prefer to be in their own ‘gardens’ and places they can control what happens.  They have deluded themselves into thinking that if they are going through the motions of worship then everything must be fine.  They have mixed the sacred with the profane and can no longer tell the difference between fantasy and reality.  They even see themselves as ‘holy’ and this, more than anything else, is what seems to provoke God to action.  ‘Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.’, which could also be translated as ‘I am holier than thou’, they say. 

In response, God takes action, He cannot just stand idly by, and vows to ‘repay their iniquities’.  But in the end there will be redemption, with the promise of mercy and rebirth that follows.  Out of their madness and seeming insanity comes order and calm and a restoration of the order of people and things to the way God intended. 

This is the model we see in today’s gospel reading where Jesus restores the order of people and things to the way God intended.  But there is a twist.  In Isaiah through their madness it would seem the people were incapable of recognising God.  In the gospel it is the seemingly ‘mad’ man who recognises God in Jesus.  And rather than ignore the man, as many must have done in the past, probably taking action to avoid him, Jesus simply asks the man his name.  For many he must just have been ‘that slightly scary man who lives in the tombs’, but to Jesus he is a human being, a person with a name.  He is not invisible, or someone to be avoided, but someone who needs to meet with God again.  Just as He would do for the whole of humankind, Jesus restores the image of the man.  We might think that the people would be amazed and grateful, if nothing else a bit more peace has come to their world.  Instead of which, they are afraid, perhaps even cross because some of their livestock, and livelihood, has been destroyed.  Or are these people like those to whom the latter part of the book of Isaiah was addressed, a people who were comfortable in their own version of life and didn’t want it unsettled or challenged. 

Paul would say that these people in their own way were chained up and imprisoned in a place of their own making.  God too comes to them as He did to the Israelites saying repeatedly ‘I am here, I am here’.  Whatever their delusions, they too can be clothed in Christ.  No longer exposed to the world and its ravages without the presence of Christ in their lives. They, like us, are invited to give up their own little rituals and aspirations and illusions of being in control of their own lives and offer themselves to Christ who brings a unity and a peace that the world yearns for in its political and economic struggles and unrest.  Earlier in the chapter Paul has challenged the Galatians with the words, ‘You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified!  The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?’  Sometimes it’s very easy to start off with the best of intentions but then get side tracked when things become more challenging or an alternative route or option seems simpler and requires less effort and where we can feel like were more in control.  God invites not only the Israelites in Isaiah, but all people to remember both the heritage and inheritance we have in Christ, not to get beguiled by our own apparent but futile power and control and to trust in Him that He can do all things, from bringing us home, back from exile, to freeing us from anything which bind us up and stops us being the people God wants us to be.  And as we let go, allow ourselves to be found, so we can be free and undivided in unity with Him. Sam Cappleman

 

Meditation

Be still and know that I am god

Our painting from Marilyn today follows on nicely from the meditation last week about the helpful nature of the Psalms. It draws attention to words of scripture from Psalm 46. We all need to be reminded that God is not found in our own frantic striving, but rather as we find peace and reassurance in the knowledge that God is our strength and refuge. The psalmist is clearly experiencing turmoil probably war across the land, he mentions the phrases: trouble, the nations rage, the kingdoms totter, war, the spear, bow, and chariots. The psalm point forward to a future time when wars will cease. It is clear by the end of the psalm that waring against God is always in vain, and the people of God who are protected by their Mighty Fortress have nothing to fear.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

 

Hymns

  1. All my hope on God is founded
  2. Come on and celebrate
  3. Blessed assurance
  4. I heard the voice of Jesus say
  5. Lord for the years

 

Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead

 

representation of prayer as seed growing

"Prayer is a plant, the seed of which is sown in the heart of every Christian.
If it is well cultivated and nourished it will produce fruit, but if it is neglected, it will wither and die."

Most High God, your compassion sees beyond fear. Hold with your mercy all whose mental state is diminished or damaged. Embrace them with your love that they may understand the depth of your compassion for all your children.

Gracious God, surround us and all who mourn this day with your continuing compassion. Do not let grief overwhelm your children, or turn them against you. When grief seems never-ending, take them one step at a time along your road of death and resurrection in Jesus Christ our Lord.

God of all Holiness and hope, cleanse the church from all that is selfish, complacent and worldly, that we might reflect your glory and bring hope to those who seek direction and meaning to their lives. Amen

God of all wisdom and honour, give our leaders integrity and our world the openness to listen and the courage to forgive. We pray for fair and free democracy to grow, remembering especially those countries where oppression and persecution remain. Amen

God of all healing and wholeness, give to those who are in pain or suffering all that they need both physically and spiritually. We pray for those in the caring professions, Heavenly Father, whose Son came not to be served but to serve; bless all who follow in his steps, give themselves to the service of others; that with wisdom, patience and courage, they may minister in His name to the suffering, the friendless and the needy; for the love of Him who laid down His life for us all. Amen

God of eternity, as you welcome into your Kingdom those who have endured to the end, we thank you for the example of their lives. Jesus Christ is the light of the world, a light which no darkness can quench. We remember before God those who have died and light a candle to symbolise the light of Christ which eternally shines and brings hope. We remember any known to us who we no longer see. You turn our darkness into light, in your light shall we see light. Amen
God of power, may the boldness of your Spirit transform us, may the gentleness of your Spirit lead us, may the gifts of your Spirit be our goal and our strength, now and always. Amen

O God, who sanctifies time by the Sabbath, space by your presence, and life by your blessing: in the midst of everyday life, in the routine and mundane, may we know your glory in the witness of creation, your guidance in the still small voice, your love in the fellowship of believers, and your nearness by the indwelling of the Spirit, that day by day we may be ever re-kindled in love, renewed in spirit and faithful in service for the sanctification of all things under your gracious will, through Jesus the Messiah our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

The Spirit of truth lead you into all truth, give you grace to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and strengthen you to proclaim the word and works of the God; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen

No shadow darkens the friendship which you offer to us, Lord Jesus Christ.
No trivial mood or passing fancy alters the constancy of your compassion.
No wind of change blows first hot and then cold, to blight the love which you offer.
You call us your friends and you are faithful and true to your word. 
Give us grace to follow in your ways, to be unashamed to own your name Lord Jesus Christ and speak that name to those whom we meet.

Grant to us, O Lord, the royalty of inward happiness, and the serenity which comes from living close to you. Daily renew in us the sense of joy and fill our lives with your light and grace. Let us be of good courage that we may meet the ills that overtake us with strength of heart and singleness of purpose; through the might of Christ our Lord. Amen Louisa H M Soulsby, 1856-1927

 

Additional Resources

 

Commentary

The Gospel story today tells of a man who was in a most sorry state. This was a man living filthy and naked, he was not able to control his speech, he is kept under guard and chained. In Mark’s Gospel we are told that he would self-harm himself by cutting himself with stones. The people around the man did not know what to do with him, they did not understand what was going inside him and it made them afraid.

The people in the community assumed that the man was possessed by evil spirits. It is understandable that this would be their assumption and let’s be honest even today we don’t deal well with people who have mental health issues. At that time there was a belief that evil spirits and demons were all around and it was they who were responsible for a great deal of what took place in the world. Physical sickness or diseases like leprosy were not seen as medical problems, they were spiritual problems and that is why those who were affected by the were precluded from taking part in the worship community. Today we have a very different world view which is influenced by science which has helped us to understand the physical causes of ailments. No longer do we believe that disease is caused by demonic activity, it is treated with medicine not exorcism and we believe that this is an important way in which God brings us healing.

In the life and ministry of Jesus we see him healing physically sick people, we also see him healing the minds of those who were deeply troubled. What this man had is called demon possession in the story today. I have never met anybody who is possessed by demons, but I have met people who behaved like this man in the story and it was not caused by demons. There are many conditions which affect us which come from a wounded or troubled mind and mental health problems can affect everybody. Sometimes we can all behave self-destructively and there are few people who do not have metaphorical demons which haunt them, even if they do not use the terminology of spiritual possession. In many people’s lives there have been traumas which have left their mark, perhaps bereavement, unemployment, bullying, physical or emotional abuse. We cannot see a broken mind, but we can see the affects of one and it is normal for people to suffer breakdowns where they can no longer cope.

We can learn something from the self harming which this man carried out. People who self harm, perhaps by scratching, cutting or burning themselves, do so because they are in a state of deep distress. It is a way of communicating and expressing what cannot be put into words or even thoughts, it is a bit like screaming inside. The person may be subject to feelings which overwhelm them, perhaps of anger, sadness, grief, self-hatred, fear, loneliness or guilt. In this context we can understand how self harm can be a way of dealing with these issues, getting the pain out, punishing ourselves, even if the person feels deeply embarrassed and conceals what they are doing.

We cannot be sure exactly what lies behind this story, however what is clear is that throughout his ministry Jesus dealt with people who were trapped by forces which oppressed them and ruined their lives. Jesus is just as concerned about mental suffering as he is about those who have no food, are sick or who are physically exploited. The people around this poor deranged individual put chains on him and locked him up. Mental health problems are still something which cause fear today and when confronted by symptoms of mental health problems there can be a tendency for all of us to run for cover. If a person is really troubled then our response is often to want to see them behind bars. This is what happened to the man in our story today, he is chained and kept under guard, sadly nothing much has changed. A joint review has just been published, entitled 'A Criminal Use of Police cells?' It was carried out by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP), the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales and the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The shocking findings include evidence that there were 9,000 incidences in 2011-12 of people experiencing a mental health crisis being detained in police custody as a 'place of safety', rather than a health setting. The report also reveals that in over 80 per cent of cases the reason for detention in a police cell was that the person had either attempted suicide or self-harm, or indicated that they were thinking of doing so.

We will all meet people who have wounded minds, who feel different levels of depression even those who feel suicidal. It is important for us to be able to remember this episode in which Jesus showed his care and compassion for somebody who suffered mental torment. People must not be afraid of being honest with us about the issues which they face, they must not feel embarrassment or fear of judgement. Jesus seeks out those who are suffering inside and out, he is open and generous to those considered to be on the margins and he never makes people feel ashamed. Throughout his ministry Jesus tackled the very real and tangible evidences of evil which ruin people’s lives and bind them up. Jesus reaches out and literally touches those who are spiritually impure and rather than becoming contaminated, he brings healing and wholeness to that which he encounters.

Jesus demonstrates the kingdom of God on earth, and he does this by opposing the forces of evil which would rob the children of God of all that God hopes and intends for them. Jesus has power over things that frighten us and ruin our lives. We fight daily the battle of good versus evil, right versus wrong, Christ has come to free us from the demons like prejudice and pride, greed and guile. We all have things which possess us and from which we need liberation. With our modern world scientific world view we find it difficult to believe in demons, apparitions and unclean spirits. However we need only open our newspapers and we see evil all over the place and people suffering with terribly disfigured lives. Forces of evil exist all around us today, frightening forces which are diametrically opposed to God’s will. We see them in things like racial violence and domestic abuse. Evil temps people to throw their lives away in pursuit of things like money, or drugs. Our work is to speak the authority of Christ over the forces, that bind and control people and make their lives unwell. Jesus shows us that he has power over evil - that his love - that God's love, can defeat the worst enemy. In his ministry Jesus used his power and authority to help, to show kindness and not to hurt . He shows by his actions that - he heals people, he frees us and binds up the broken - broken hearts, broken bodies and broken minds. We are apart of a church which needs to constantly seek to find ways to bring God’s healing to our society to liberate people. Charles Royden

 

Meditation

Saints have Struggle Mother Teresa's book Come Be My Light (2007) shocked people with its descriptions of profound spiritual darkness that haunted her for fifty years. She writes that she didn't practice what she preached, and laments the stark contrast between her exterior demeanor and her interior desolation: "The smile is a big cloak which covers a multitude of pains… my cheerfulness is a cloak by which I cover the emptiness and misery… I deceive people with this weapon."She describes the absence of God's presence in many ways — as emptiness, loneliness, pain, spiritual dryness, or lack of consolation. "There is so much contradiction in my soul, no faith, no love, no zeal… I find no words to express the depths of the darkness… My heart is so empty… so full of darkness… I don't pray any longer. The work holds no joy, no attraction, no zeal… I have no faith, I don't believe." She rebukes herself as a "shameless hypocrite" for teaching her sisters one thing while experiencing something far different.

picture of planets in orbitThe Summer Solstice

Our planet takes 365 days to orbit the Sun – the basis of our calendar year
The Earth's axis is tilted at an angle of 23.5 degrees
This means that different parts of the globe receive varying amounts of sunlight during the year, creating the seasons

The shortest day and longest night occurs on December 22, the winter solstice. The longest day and shortest night occurs this week - 21st of June is the longest day of the year. It is called the Summer Solstice.

For those living in the northern hemisphere, the Summer Solstice is the day on which the earth, spinning on its axis, has its North Pole ‘tipped’ as far as it will go to face the sun. Because of this ‘tipping’ towards the sun, the northern hemisphere receives the longest hours of daylight of the year.

The further north or south you live in the world, the more pronounced the seasons are. For example, in the far north, Alaska has sunshine 24 hours a day during their summertime. If you live near the equator, the Sun doesn't shift up and down in the sky as much. This means that the length of day temperature doesn't vary as much. So countries near the equator only have two seasons - rainy and dry.

No one knows why the Earth's axis is tilted by 23.5 degrees. Whatever the reason, it's a good thing - if the Earth did not tilt, countries near the poles would be cold and dark all year round. If it tilted too much, the seasons would be very extreme – like on the planet Uranus. Here the winter lasts for 42 years in total darkness!

Lord God, Creator of light, at the rising of your sun each morning, let the greatest of all lights - your love - rise, like the sun, within my heart. (from the Armenian Liturgy)

Introduction


Elijah was not the last prophet left in Israel, but when he ran away from Jezebel and sought God in the mountains, we can understand that he probably felt very frightened and alone. He was a desperate man, hunted by the authorities and in fear of his life for very good reason. It was at this time of deep distress and panic that he ran to God and sought help. It was a legitimate thing for Elijah to do, all that he had done was to follow God's instructions, now he was a fugitive.

Of course he found that running to the mountains to Horeb was a good thing. In the quietness of the desert he found strength and a conviction that God was with him to see through to the work which must be done. In truth we all find ourselves in times of crisis and doubt. Christians leaders can begin to question the decision which they have made, doubt their own ministry and calling. It is at times like this that we need to stop and listen afresh to the voice of God.

This is true for prophets engaged upon great spiritual enterprises, it is also true for each one of us as we seek to be faithful to God in our daily lives and the 'ordinary' decisions which we have to take. In a sense we all do this, we seek God in the panic of exams, marital breakdown, unemployment or a bad visit to the doctor. The real advantage comes in not waiting until things go wrong before asking for God to become more intimately involved in our lives. Seek God now while he may be found, don't make God a last resort.

Commentary

Our journeys sometimes take us to destinations we don’t always expect. The further Elijah tries to travel from trouble the closer he journeys towards God. When we feel under pressure or in times of trouble or distress we often feel as if we need to get away from the anxiety that has come our way. Sometimes this is exactly the right thing to do. Other times we may need to face up to what is troubling us and deal with it ‘head on’. Whatever our course of action we need to use the opportunity to allow ourselves to be drawn in the direction of God’s loving and caring presence, a presence that Elijah came to realise was with him wherever he went. God was not just concerned with the Elijah who the won the victory at Carmel, He was concerned with the desperate Elijah who had fled to the wilderness, petrified by his powerful enemies, not knowing where to turn and in real fear of his life. Fortunately it is often in our sloughs of despond, as Bunyan would have expressed it, rather than in our mountain top victory experiences, that we find God,

Given the bonfire competition with the prophets of Baal at Carmel, where God came down in a consuming fire, we may have expected God to speak to Elijah from the fire. Elijah himself may have expected a meeting with God to involve the three symbols of His presence during the Exodus: wind, earthquake and fire, all of which are present in this encounter. But instead of revealing himself in the fire, God chose the whisper. Not the fire, not the wind, not the earthquake but the whisper, the ‘sound of sheer silence’ as it is translated in the New Standard Revised Version of the bible. The omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent God chose to reveal himself in the paradox of the quiet silence, a concept that the mystics throughout the ages have pondered through the years as they wrestle with trying to comprehend the enormity of God and His presence pervading every atom of the creation, including us.

God is indeed so great that, like Elijah, we experience Him when we least expect him to appear. He reveals himself to us. We do not demand or expect him to answer on our terms. Even when we are under pressure, if we wait on God, He will answer. And though God’s voice may have been quiet, when God answered Elijah the message was loud and clear. Elijah was to return from where he had come from and anoint Hazael as king, continuing his ministry under the divine protection of God Himself. Not only was the manner of God’s speaking a surprise to Elijah, the message itself was not what he was expecting to hear.

However God chooses to speak to us, through the great noise and tumult of life or through the ‘sound of sheer silence’, like Elijah, we should follow His command and allow God himself leads us on and through our times of trouble, protected by His mighty presence, into the times of peace and glory which lie beyond.   Sam Cappleman

 

Commentary

God Chooses the Strangest People... Among early Christians, especially those with a strong Jewish background, the gospel story is rich in symbolism. It takes place across the lake from Galilee, in foreign, Gentile, territory. The demon-possessed man at the centre of the story is an outsider, probably a Gentile, and even if not, his demon-possession has rendered him unclean to the Jews. The encounter takes place in a cemetery, a place traditionally the abode of spirits, a place ritually unclean for the Jews and somewhere to be avoided in darkness. The pigs into which the spirits flee are unclean animals, and the sea into which they run was a place where demonic powers were thought to live. 'Legion' was not just a term meaning many, but a designation for a Roman army, and the one stationed in Palestine had a boar on its standard. It's a meeting of the holy and the unholy, the clean and the unclean, the Jewish world and the Gentile world. Above all it's a confrontation of evil powers with the Son of God, for whom they are no match. But the mission in Gentile territory is more than a triumph of good over evil. In travelling to the other side of the lake and exorcising the demons from the Gerasene man, Jesus demonstrates that His freedom and salvation is for all. No one is beyond His love and salvation, not even those the Jews would have thought beyond redemption. Jesus is all-powerful and all the forces of the ritually unclean Gentile world have been overcome. The Gentiles and their land have been exorcised and liberated. There can be no stronger demonstration that everyone is included in God's saving plan for the world.

Sadly the reaction of the majority of the population to this newfound liberation is strange. Perhaps failing to understand what's going on they react with fear and ask Jesus to leave. People always have the right to choose. The offer of salvation is open to all, not all will accept. The task that Jesus calls us to, is to present His gospel to the world with our words and our lives, sometimes in places we don't expect. The task of salvation is His alone and no one is beyond His love. Even in a world where people often seem possessed and obsessed by material things or entombed by events or circumstances God can, and does, break through, to bring freedom, peace and salvation. Rev Dr Sam Cappleman

 

Commentary

Liberation and Freedom

The mission in Gentile territory is more than a triumph of good over evil. In travelling to the other side of the lake and exorcising the demons from the Gerasene man, Jesus demonstrates that His freedom and salvation is for all. No one is beyond His love and salvation, not even those the Jews would have thought beyond redemption. Jesus is all-powerful and all the forces of the ritually unclean Gentile world have been overcome. There can be no stronger demonstration that everyone is included in God's saving plan for the world. Sadly the reaction of the majority of the population to this newfound liberation and salvation is strange. Perhaps failing to understand what's going on they react with fear and ask Jesus to leave. People always have the right to choose. The offer of salvation is open to all, not all will accept. The task that Jesus calls us to, is to present His gospel to the world with our words and our lives, sometimes in places we don't expect. The task of salvation is His alone and no one is beyond His love. Even in a world where people often seem possessed and obsessed by material things or entombed by events or circumstances God can, and does, break through, to bring freedom, peace and salvation. However we imagine the powers that oppress people, Jesus came to bring liberation from them.

Elijah certainly felt oppressed and frightened by the powers of darkness that surrounded Jezebel, Ahab’s wide and a religious fanatic who is furious with Elijah for killing the prophets of Baal and as a result has threatened that within a day she will kill him. Fear and exhaustion generated self destructive depression. But when Elijah focuses on God, rather than being oppressed and frightened, he has a new freedom and is without fear.
Ironically sometimes it’s the very presence of Jesus that makes people feel uncomfortable and even a little bit fearful. Sometimes this can be because He begins to challenge long held beliefs and preconceptions or perhaps because they way we live is far from the ideal God intends for our lives. Perhaps we all need to hear the God’s challenge to Elijah in our own lives – ‘What are you doing here?’ When we step back from all the frenzied activity and listen to the whisper which is God’s voice we will hear again His commission for us. Like Elijah, we have to trust and obey as we move forward along our journey of living out our faith.

God sometimes chooses the strangest people, in the strangest circumstances to do His work. In the gospel reading we see Jesus instructing the Gerasene man to return to his former home, and in so doing calling him to a new vocation, giving him a new purpose and point to his life. Under Jesus' direct instruction, the Gerasene demoniac becomes the first missionary to the Gentiles. Elijah was a lonely and frightened man, full of questions about his faith and even his reason for living. If God can use people like this, how might He want to use us? Sam Cappleman  

 

Prayer

O God, the King of Righteousness, lead us we pray, in the way of justice and of peace. Inspire us to break down all oppression and wrong, to gain for everyone their reward, and from every one their due service; that each may live for all, and all may care for each, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our needs before we ask, and our ignorance in our asking; have compassion on our weakness, and give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask, for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Lord, Jesus Christ, let me seek you by desiring you, and let me desire you by seeking you. Let me find you by loving you, and love you in finding you. Amen. St Anselm

The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen

Meditation

In the Elijah narrative people are in the habit of making vows. Elijah said in chapter 17: "As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word" Now it is Queen Jezebel's time to make a vow: "So may the gods to do me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them (i.e. the dismembered prophets of Baal) by this time tomorrow". Elijah swore by Yahweh, God of Israel; Jezebel by the unnamed "gods." Nevertheless, her vow sparked fear in Elijah. He was terrified and ran for his life. So fearful was he that he not only left the area of Jezreel, in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, but he ran until he came to Beersheba, the southernmost settlement in the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Fear often sparks an overreaction. Instead of just locking the door, we bolt it with a double lock, carve a moat around the home, put alligators in the moat and drop the portcullis in front of the door. We will make ourselves so secure that even friends, who may want to help, have no means of entering. After Bill Long

Meditation

God sometimes chooses the strangest people, in the strangest circumstances to do His work. In the gospel reading we see Jesus instructing the Gerasene man to return to his former home, and in so doing calling him to a new vocation, giving him a new purpose and point to his life. Under Jesus' direct instruction, the Gerasene demoniac becomes the first missionary to the Gentiles. If God can do this with him, how might He want to use us?

Meditation

It is likely that the story of the Gerasenes demoniac had circulated for some time before it is recorded in Mark. Among Christians with a strongly Jewish background the story contained potent symbols. It took place in Gentile territory, not a holy land. Pigs are unclean animals. Cemeteries were the abode of spirits, to be avoided in darkness. ‘Legion’ was not a term meaning many, but a designation for one of Rome’s armies. The one stationed in Palestine had a boar on its standard. The sea was a place a danger, an abode of demonic powers. For people within such a system of values Jesus, by this act, has defied the forces of the Gentile world and exorcised the Gentile land.

 

  1. Glorious things of thee are spoken
  2. Seek ye first
  3. Lord of creation
  4. Fight the good fight
  5. For I’m building a people of power
  6. Breathe on me breath of God
  7. Guide me O thou great Jehovah
     

Prayers

O God, the King of Righteousness, lead us we pray, in the way of justice and of peace. Inspire us to break down all oppression and wrong, to gain for everyone their reward, and from every one their due service; that each may live for all, and all may care for each, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our needs before we ask, and our ignorance in our asking; have compassion on our weakness, and give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask, for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Lord, Jesus Christ, let me seek you by desiring you, and let me desire you by seeking you. Let me find you by loving you, and love you in finding you. Amen. St Anselm