Luke 8.26-39
“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.” (Galatians 3.28)
Thursday is my day off. On Thursday of this past week, I drove to Beard’s Fork, West Virginia to visit a friend of mine and sixteen of my former students who were concluding a two-week community service experience in Appalachia. When I committed to this trip, I thought it would be a 2-3 hour drive. Only later did I find out that it was over five hours each way. The difference between Washington, DC and Beard’s Fork
only begins with the physical distance between the two. As I left the urban sprawl of Washington and meandered through the mountains and valleys of Virginia and then West Virginia, I was transported into another culture. I went from the glossy world of society to the yellowed newsprint of rustic existence. I went from the beauty of landscaped, classical architecture to the beauty of unencumbered nature. I went from urbane civility to a sign that said, “Do not spit in trash can, please.”
only begins with the physical distance between the two. As I left the urban sprawl of Washington and meandered through the mountains and valleys of Virginia and then West Virginia, I was transported into another culture. I went from the glossy world of society to the yellowed newsprint of rustic existence. I went from the beauty of landscaped, classical architecture to the beauty of unencumbered nature. I went from urbane civility to a sign that said, “Do not spit in trash can, please.”
It became obvious in my short visit to Beard’s Fork that time moved at a different pace. I can imagine that it would not be unusual for a one-hour project to take a day’s worth of work, or for the overarching goals of the revitalization program to be a moving target depending on who was there at any given moment. But the kindness expressed by the people I met was extraordinary. They seemed to respect everyone for being alive.
At lunch, a young man, one of my former students, described his frustration to understand the people he met in this small, unincorporated town, those who worked at this old elementary school, which serves as a farmers market, daycare, and construction project. He was frustrated because they, from his perspective, lacked the passion to improve their lives, to work for a greater existence. He said, “They are content to work terrible, dirty jobs for low wages. They expect to do this 30-40 years and then retire on the backs of the government.” From his tone, it was obvious that he thought they were wasting their lives.
In reading the gospels, we find that Jesus intersected many different cultures, religions, and classes during his years of ministry. When he encountered these differences, Jesus faced them and even welcomed them into his family. I can only think of one example when Jesus turned someone away because they didn’t fit into some specific group. It stands out because it is so uncharacteristic. It is when Jesus meets the Canaanite woman who asks for mercy and Jesus, for once, does as his disciples plead; he sends her away. But she persists and Jesus quickly relents. (Matthew 15.21-28, Mark 7.23-33) proclaiming that she has proven her faith which will make her well. But what does stand out in all of Jesus’ travels and what attracts the large crowds, is that people and the human condition are challenged, turned upside down, and transformed into something new.
In today’s Gospel lesson, we hear about Jesus’ visit to the country of the Gerasenes. We don’t know exactly where this place was but we do know that the Gerasenes were Gentiles; they were located on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which for us would mean the other side of the tracks. The Gerasenes were different, both culturally and religiously. For undisclosed reasons, Jesus made the journey to their land. The man Jesus met upon stepping out of the boat, even for the Gerasenes, was an outsider. It is quite obvious by how Luke describes him. He was naked, and had been for a long while, and he lived in the tombs. We also find out later that he is possessed by demons, demons so powerful that the people of the community bound him in chains and assigned guards to watch him. But not even these precautions could keep him from his wild ways.
In preparation for the visit of a renowned teacher like Jesus, it was probably not the reception the Chamber of Commerce would have planned. Even those who feel confident about greeting people who are on the margins of society would give this character a wide berth. But we are told that this is the first person Jesus sees upon arriving in this foreign land. The man yelled at Jesus to stop tormenting him. Again, not a warm welcome after a long journey.
For most of us, we would carefully avoid such a confrontation. We would quicken our pace, shuffle around, make an excuse, avert our eyes, jump back in the boat to find another place to land, or possibly just flee back to the safety of our own kind and place. It is the same easy path that we follow so often in our own lives when we are asked for spare change for a meal or when the problems of the world are thrust into our way and we want to shift the onus to someone else, and by doing so expect our conscience to be clear.
But that is not the response to faith that God expects from each of us. As Elijah fled from the wrath of Ahab and Jezebel, he was called back into harms way to fulfill his mission, to stand up for the Lord as a true prophet. Paul taught the Galatians that the Law was only a crutch to a more demanding response required of faith. Paul instructed his followers that to blame their disservice on the law was an avoidance of what they knew to be right. And Jesus’ example is one that exemplifies the responsibility to address the needs of those we encounter. Instead of avoiding the unclad man who shouted at him, Jesus faced him and asked his name. He then demanded that the demons leave him and the horde fled into a pack of swine, which then ran into the water and died.
We could become distracted in this story by the appearance of demons. We could rationalize its validity based on 21st century science. But, this story is much more about how we encounter the outcasts, and those who are different from us. It provides an example of the dangers of doing God’s work in today’s world. I’m not talking about danger, in the sense of losing one’s life, but danger that forces us out of our comfort zone. And by acknowledging Jesus’ example, we realize that God loves all people, even those who believe differently, or who hang on the margins, or are persecuted, or have lost their minds. God loves everyone.
The crazed man introduced at the beginning of this gospel lesson was transformed. He became new through an encounter with Jesus but the reaction to his transformation is odd. The Gerasenes don’t seize the opportunity to celebrate the good fortune of their healed citizen; instead they are “seized by fear.” Fear of what? Jesus just saved them from having to guard their families from the demoniac. Granted, it did cost them a sizable herd of swine but it was a miracle.
The Gerasenes demand Jesus to leave and Jesus does. The healed man wants to join him but Jesus sends him into his own country to share all that God has done for him. The only answer that I can consider for this unusual reaction to a profoundly miraculous event is that the Gerasenes were fearful of what might happen to them. They had seen firsthand what Jesus was capable of and they wanted to avoid being changed.
I heard that young man describe his frustration about the people he encountered in West Virginia. He said, “They don’t want anything better for themselves.” My friend, an experienced teacher, said to this young man, “They might evaluate your focused determination, a determination that will demand hard, dedicated work for 30-40 years as a waste of your life.” The realization that expectations are relative was not something that the young man was ready to grasp. There are not many of us who are. What my young friend wanted was for the people he encountered to change to his way of thinking; to join him on the path of life he had embraced or more likely was taught to him by his parents, peers, and community.
We can learn from this story about the patience Jesus demonstrated with Gerasenes. He was who he was. He is who he is. He looked into the eyes of the outcast and transformed his life. He gave a great gift that demonstrated how God could transform, but he couldn’t force people to accept God’s demands. That was a choice they would have to make on their own. It is a choice we have to make for ourselves. If you are ready, don’t react in fear; don’t shy away from what might happen, face the transformation that takes place when you embark on a ministry in the name of God. It will free you from those things that bind you; it will release the demons; and will open you up for transformation. And it is there for everyone.
Because “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.” (Galatians 3.28)
The Rev. Dr. Kurt Gerhard - kurt@stpatrickschurchdc.org
June 20, 2010
Washington, DC
Proper 7C
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