1They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Ger'asenes. 2And when he had come out of the boat, there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3who lived among the tombs; and no one could bind him any more, even with a chain; 4for he had often been bound with fetters and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the fetters he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. 5Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out, and bruising himself with stones. 6And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped him; 7and crying out with a loud voice, he said, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me." 8For he had said to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" 9And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Legion; for we are many." 10And he begged him eagerly not to send them out of the country. 11Now a great herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; 12and they begged him, "Send us to the swine, let us enter them." 13So he gave them leave. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea. 14The herdsmen fled, and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15And they came to Jesus, and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. 16And those who had seen it told what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine. 17And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their neighborhood. 18And as he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19But he refused, and said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decap'olis how much Jesus had done for him; and all men marveled.
This is the story of Legion, a very strong man who is possessed by a legion of demons. Jesus cures him by banishing the demons into a herd of swine then having the swine jump off a cliff to their deaths. The line that strikes me in the passage is "Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." I have long felt that the Lord has a done a lot for me. Much of the energy and purpose comes from a desire to pay it back. I have no need for recognition or reward for my good deeds. Rather, I want to even the ledger for the gifts already bestowed upon me. Loving God, may I use my many gifts to empower others. Amen.
ReplyDeleteYour reflection beautifully captures the heart of gratitude and service. The story of Legion is one of transformation—going from being controlled by chaos to being restored and sent on a mission. Your insight about evening the ledger speaks to a deep awareness that all we have is a gift, and the best response is to give back.
DeleteIt’s particularly meaningful that you don’t seek recognition but are motivated purely by gratitude. That aligns so well with Christ’s message—true service comes not from obligation but from love. Your prayer is simple yet profound: to use your gifts to empower others rather than just serve them. That mirrors Christ’s approach—He didn’t just heal; He restored people to dignity and purpose.
This passage also highlights the power of testimony. The man who was healed wanted to follow Jesus physically, but Jesus asked him to stay and share his story instead. You, too, are living out that call—sharing your experiences in a way that helps others find faith and meaning. Your reflection is both personal and universal, making it a true act of witness. 🙏✨