 | Full Text Sermon | Alternate Sermon Ideas | Prayers & Readings | Sunday June 21, 1998 ~ Third Sunday After Pentecost ~ Luke 8:26-39 "Freedom From Dark Powers" [**See Note at End of Sermon] What are we to make of a herd of swine running off a cliff and drowning at the command of Jesus? Actually, in today's religious climate in the western world, you can take your pick. There is everything from the "that was then and this is now" attitude of the man who told his pastor, "This church killed and buried the idea of Satan forty years ago"; to a church where most of the members are "rebuking Satan" anywhere from two or three to twenty times a day. The notion of Satan and his unholy angels came to the fore once again in the early70's when the movie, "The Exorcist" gripped much of the country. I remember well one woman who called in the middle of the night. She was frantic, "Pastor, please come right away! My daughter is possessed by a demon!" There was a huge increase in belief in demonic possession. The woman who called had thought her daughter to be possessed by Southern Comfort until the movie hit the top of the charts. It was almost a relief to her that the problem might lie beyond a straight forward diagnosis of alcoholism. Exorcism of a demon would be a much more acceptable "magic bullet"! Nevertheless, for many people in mainline churches, the concept of Satan and demons is one of the items that went out with a more scientific, less supernatural view of the bible. Williams Barclay, a relatively conservative commentator, is reflective of the enlightened thinking of the mid 50's:
Barclay's solution actually creates more problems than it solves. If the story is more acceptable because it is emptied of supernatural content, the resulting portrait of Jesus as impromptu pop psychologist is less than attractive. On the other hand, there are many in our time who are not so quick to dismiss the supernatural dimension of life. An amazing number of viewers confounded the critics and made "Touched by an Angel" one of the most popular television shows of our time and many of them affirm a belief in angels. If theologians like Barclay led the way in removing the supernatural from stories like the one in our text -- turning Jesus into a psychologist of sorts -- perhaps it is fitting that a psychiatrist point us to a re-examination of the issue. M. Scott Peck in his book, "People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil", has a provocative word for those who are closed to the idea of the devil. In his chapter on "possession and Exorcism" Peck raises the question, "Does the Devil Exist" and offers this personal reflection:
Peck goes on to say his conclusions were formed in clinical practice. He answers the question concerning the reality of the devil by saying, "I now know Satan is real. I have met it." (p.183) For those who are dealing with Peck's questions academically, theologically and spiritually, the book is worth a read. There are two extremes that trivialize the meaning of evil and diminish our ability as Christian folk to struggle against "Dark Powers". One is to reject the reality of the devil out of hand, the other is to see the devil behind every tree and under every rock. *** Okay people -- how are we to deal with this issue of demons invading a herd of swine and sending them headlong over a cliff into the sea -- with the result that a tortured man is at long last set free? The heartbeat of the gospel lesson from Luke is that with Christ, freedom from evil power is possible. This freedom is one of the privileges of being a follower of Jesus Christ -- it is a part of our life with Christ -- Spirit Life! This freedom is not necessarily an easy freedom or an automatic freedom, but a possible freedom. It is the potential of every person within whom the Spirit of God dwells. Just a word about what I mean by "Dark Powers". We moderns may not struggle with the more obvious demons of Luke 8, but struggle with evil we do! You've probably seen it: + In the face of Charles Manson or
Jeffrey Dahmer You've seen it whenever you encountered wrong or injustice or evil and thought to yourself something like,"This is evil plus -- there is something more here." There is a hatred which goes beyond the rational. As in Luther's hymn, "A Mighty Fortress," you can sense, "For still our ancient foe, doth seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate..." Hatred is the tip-off. As the love of God for we human beings is beyond comprehension, so the hatred lurking behind evil action cannot be fathomed. It is deep, it is dark and it is dangerous! There is a grand unfolding of Luke's drama in five scenes which gives important counsel for dealing with the evil we encounter: 1. Withdrawal and Isolation (vv.26-27) One of the common characteristics of struggling with dark power on a personal level is the attendant isolation and withdrawal. Jesus was alone in the wilderness when he was accosted by temptation and trial. When we are in the midst of struggling with destructive, negative forces -- whether by choice or by chance -- one of the dangers we will face is withdrawal and isolation. Evil plans are born and bred in isolation from the light of day. Anyone who has ever struggled with the amazing power of cults to turn people against family, friends and community is to use the power of isolation and withdrawal where that which is horrifying can become the norm. A truly tragic phrase in the Gerasene demoniac's story is, "for a long time.." (he had worn no clothes -- lived in tombs....) The longer the isolation continues the more difficult the return to normal living and the more dangerous the isolation becomes. 2. Fear of Truth and Light (vv.28-29) There is a powerful statement in the Gospel of John where Jesus says, "...all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed." (3:20) The moment Jesus appears, the dark powers which have come to control the man in our story begin to cry out. One of the most important tools in the arsenal of those who confront evil is truth and light. Notice how strong the temptation to silence when wrong is encountered. Hatred and evil multiply in darkness and silence. A woman's dying screams are heard by scores of apartment dwellers in New York. They pull the blinds and close the shades -- not wanting to "get involved". How often do we keep silent in the face of wrong? Denial -- (lying by ignoring) is the favorite tool of addiction and those close to addicted persons -- and it is so very hard to break down. Denial is a factor in much that is evil. And when you begin to confront the denial with truth and light, the evil or dark power begins to scream! If you have seen wrong confronted, you have heard the tormented cry of dark power! It will bring the cries of the Garasene demoniac to mind! 3. Name the Evil (vv.30-33) Jesus is not deterred by the screaming. He continues a direct, frontal assault on the evil power which has taken control of this man. "What is your name?" Name the offender! Addiction not, "A few too many!" Lying not, "Shading the truth!" Cheating not, "Everybody's doing it!" Stealing not, "One of the benefits of working here!" You must look the lie in the face and name it. Once the wrong is named, it can be evicted. To name the wrong or the injustice or the evil is to shine light on or bring truth to the situation. "You shall know the truth," Jesus said, "And the truth shall set you free." [** There is an important issue in the text here. Jesus does not give the demons permission to destroy a herd of swine. Evil wants to move on... it can not go nowhere... that would be to kill itself. In the face of truth and light, evil may leave, but it will go somewhere else to breed. Truth, however, knows that exposure, or light will finally destroy the evil. Evil, however, deceives even itself by thinking it can live in the swine instead of the man. Jesus allows the deception of Legion, not because he is moved by evil's begging, but because he knows the ploy will not work ... there is no authentic "discussion" with Legion. The meaning of Jesus' permission is actually, "Go ahead... as you wish." The evil is evicted and destroyed. And however you may interpret the actual incident here, the man is freed from the bondage of this evil power that controlled his life.] Tell the truth, confront the lie and healing can begin. 4. Fear and Trembling (vv.34-37) Truth has awesome power! Think about how much deception there is in daily living. Whether it be in advertising, print and broadcast media, political promises or the promise of the lottery, deception is rampant. However, truth is disarming and the results of truth can bring fear and trembling. Jesus has courage to approach and minister to someone who is absolutely, totally isolated from and rejected by society. He confronts and evicts the dark powers that control the poor man's life. The community is terrified by the radical change in the man's life. In the presence of the One who is the way, the truth and the life, mere mortals are awestruck! It is an amazing thing to see the truth and the power of Christ bring dramatic change to a life which has been devastated by malevolent power. 5. Bloom Where You are Planted (vv.38-39) Truth can make us free. Telling the truth to ourselves and to others is the doorway through which freedom walks. Remember that. When the Gerasene demoniac was freed from his bondage, his natural inclination was to want to become a full time follower of Jesus. But... Jesus' need is for the man to share the power that came to his life with those closest to him. He needed to remain in his community and amongst his own kin to share the good news that there is a power that can overcome dark power! Someone close to you needs the same! [Apply It] 1. Think through your own life and the lives of people close to you. Do you see "Dark Powers" at work? Is there isolation or withdrawal involved? 2. When you think about this issue or circumstance, can you see denial or a need for truth? 3. Is there some area of your life in which you need to tell yourself the truth? (It's safe to answer -- you don't have to turn in your response.) 4. As followers of Jesus Christ we are to share the good news of freedom from dark powers. It is with this issue more than any other we should sense a strong need to stay in touch with the One who brings freedom from bondage. [** ABC's Prime Time Live on April 22 carried a report by Cynthia McFadden about the rite of exorcism and the issue of the reality of the devil and possession. It was a balanced report which included interviews with Fr. John LeBar (exorcist for the Diocese of NY), and Dr. Joseph Klimek, Chief of Medical Staff at Hartford Hospital. Dr. Klimek participated in an exorcism and said, "In my opinion, science can not explain some of the things I've seen." The report included a video tape of the exorcism Dr. Klimek was a participant in. At the very least, this report raised significant questions for those who completely dismiss the notion of satanic or demonic influence.] The Breaking of God's Heart ~ Isaiah 65: 1-9 The passage from Isaiah gives an opportunity to explore one of the most amazing questions of all time. "How is it possible that anyone could reject unconditional, life-giving, Divine love?" Perhaps the only person who can fully understand the heart of God in this passage is a parent who had endured the agony of a run-away child. One who has seen a beloved son or daughter choose, drugs, the streets, prostitution, sickeness and disease over a place at home. While the Prodigal Son of Luke 15 finally returned home, many parents of runaway children have never even been able to say farewell to the son or daughter who died or was murdered. As difficult as this message is to hear -- it is much more difficult to live. God has lived it! Explore the passage with a focus on God's persistent love and the people's persistent rebellion. (Who says the God of the Old Testament is a God of anger? This is the God whose heart is broken and whose love is rejected) Yet, a remnant shall be preserved. The Galatians passage for today puts the choice clearly in the children's hands. When we choose Christ, we join the remnant -- those who become the authentic children of Abraham (children of the promise), by faith. A Call To Worship (Based on Psalm 22) Leader:
Come to us even now O Lord of Life, A Prayer of Dedication You are near to us, O Lord. Yet we are so often far from You. You bless us countless times each day with the bounty of Your love. Yet we are so often forgetful of the gifts You give. May it be, O Lord, that the gifts we bring today should open our hearts more fully to the wonder of the greatest gift this world has ever known! Amen.
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