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?
The question is a good one for us to reflect on!
I’ll begin with this thought: The people of God are a people on the move. Always have been! Always will be!
They are asked to “follow.” To follow the lead of the winds of time. The winds of the Spirit!
Since the beginning, God has moved his people constantly. And asked them to trust his decisions. To face his challenges!
Then Jesus came to set them straight about what is the only things needed! Needed to do this life — as God’s people — right. We need to believe! Have faith and trust! And Listen! Be attentive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit; who will guide us through whatever it is that God has planned for us now.
So, the question, “What have you to do with me, Jesus..?” Is! How is it that you want me to change and grow Now?
Before I attempt to answer that historical question, I want to talk about something not so fun. Demons!
First of all, do you believe in demons? I mean do you think they exist in today’s world?
In the New Testament demons possessed ,that is resided, inside a living body. They need a place to exist in order to act out. Demons are considered ubiquitous and harmful.
Opposite of angels and the Holy Spirit!
Actually they are considered a distortion of divine likeness. An impairment to God’s original-design for the human being.
One of Jesus’ many tasks was to rid God’s people of these overpowering demonic spirits; that tended to take over the lives of the body they possessed.
In this story the man was possessed by many — “legions — that basically rendered him helpless and unable to led a normal life. The demons cried out in protest of Jesus intervention.
"What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
I am going to attempt to get inside this question by pointing out three parts of this story. Parts that I think pertain to our world, and our ways, today.
The first issue has to do with when the people came to see what had happened. They saw the one who had been healed sitting calmly at Jesus’ feet. And it says: And they were afraid.
It can be, and often is, uncomfortable and frightening when the life you are use to is disrupted.
And the fact is, these Gerasenes had learned to live with the demonic forces in their community. They were use to the basic truth of demons and their power. For years they had adjusted their lives to this common demonic condition of life.
And now, all of the sudden there was this a new power. A more powerful authority! A more powerful authority even over the power of demons! That they didn’t understand. And, they were afraid of it! And they wanted this interfering power to go away. To leave them alone! And not bother them anymore.
The known! The normal! The comfort zone! Often times appear more desirable. Even when the norm is not-so-good. We tend to choose what we know, are use to, rather then make the choice for change.
You see, not only did Jesus show them a power that was unfamiliar; but he destroyed thousands of their herds. That is, he threaten their economy, their livelihood.
They wanted him gone!
That is point number!
The second important issue is the the question itself. "What have you to do with me,..?”
The demons knew of Jesus! Somehow they must have heard about his divine power and authority over all things. Including them! And they didn’t want him messing with their status quo.
If the truth be known, we don’t like Jesus, or anyone else, messing with our status quo either. Do we?
You see the demons knew that Jesus had the power to exercise them out of the man’s body. And send them into the “abyss.” That is, into death!
And, being a good Jewish man (-:) Who grew up believing that pigs were bad, evil, unclean things. Allowed the demons to occupy the swine’s bodies.
What could it hurt? Right?
Now, it is interesting to me that both the demons, and the Gerasenes, in this story had the same reaction to Jesus’ presence.
It is also interesting to me that the demons knew who Jesus was. And the people didn’t!
If you notice, throughout the New Testament, demons always seem to know who Jesus was.
Don’t you find that interesting?
They knew of him! And I will go so far as to suggest, that they believed in him. At least they knew enough about him to believe in his power.
That is why the legions begged, and begged again, not to send them back to the abyss. They begged because they knew, they believed, he could.
However, the demons knowing and believing, does not make it faith that the demonic man had. I clarify that because often time we think that healing come through faith. And it often does! But it is not a prerequisite!
Think about it! We all come before God knowing!
Knowing about God!
Knowing about Jesus!
Knowing about the Holy Spirit!
Knowing about sin and evil!
knowing about the stories from the Bible!
However, knowing is not the same as faith! It is not placing trust in God.
That is point two!
The third issues in the story has to do with the first issue. That is, the people asking Jesus to leave because his power was disrupting their comfort zone. Their normal way of living!
The people saw, and they thought, that the pigs were destroyed by Jesus.
When in actuality the pigs were destroyed by the demons.
Jesus heals! Jesus make right!
Demons, evil spirits, kill and destroy life!
But, that is not the way the people saw it.
That often happens to us as we witness what life confronts us with. What life has to offer!
It would be wise for us to keep before us the important truth that Jesus does indeed have power over all things. Evil being the #1 thing that he has power over.
Which, in our evil infested world, is our greatest hope! Even when we see something other! Something that seems to deny God’s presence.
So, let me end where I began! With the question we all must ultimately answer for ourselves.
"What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
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.(Luke 8)
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