We have a unique relationship with freedom in our country. We certainly appreciate our freedom as a nation and the many liberties we enjoy because of it. Free speech affords us the opportunity to speak without fear of being silenced or censored. The right to bear arms means we are able to defend ourselves. But we also know the tension that exists when those freedoms are abused and taken too far. Free speech seems to have its limits if what is said qualifies as hate speech. The right to bear arms has been abused and results in calculated acts of violence and murder. So as much as we have been, and will continue to be willing to fight for such freedoms, wonderful as they are, such freedoms will always be abused by some and taken to shameful extremes. As long as that happens, tension will exist and turmoil will surround our freedoms to some extent.
The people in the region of the Gerasenes seemed to take issue with the matter of freedom, too. They didn’t seem to think that freedom was good for the demon-possessed man in their midst. At least that would appear to be the conclusion one could draw based on their reaction after Jesus healed him. Luke described how they responded in verses 35-37: “When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear.”
Jesus had just freed a man from the demon that had been tormenting him, and that, more than even the demon-possessed man himself – was what frightened them! What is wrong with this picture? How could a man being healed cause more consternation for a community than the same man did when he was demon-possessed? How could his freedom cause them so much fear? What was wrong with them?
Here we have another scenario in which we have issues with freedom – when we’re talking about the freedom of others. It’s one thing for us to expect and appreciate freedoms when they apply to us, but we don’t always have the same standard when freedoms are applied to others. Do we celebrate when a convicted criminal, on the basis of either good behavior or some legal loophole, is granted a reduced sentence and given freedom earlier than his original sentence? No, we typically want to see more time served, more punishment meted out, not less. “Those” kind people don’t deserve freedom! And when the co-dependent relationship falls apart because I am no longer needed, I resent that freedom or independence the other person has gained. Spiritually speaking, it takes some time for us to be OK with the “really-awful-guy-turned-committed-Christian” conversion stories, too. Freedom… for “those” kinds of people?
May God forgive us for being so selfish about the freedom he grants to others! We’re really no different from the unmerciful servant of Mt. 18 who, after having his own debt canceled, went out to wring the neck of the man who owed him a pittance by comparison! The good news of the gospel means that we have been freed from spiritual slavery! Jesus snapped the chains of our slavery by his crucifixion, but we want to play the role of arbiters determining whether or not others deserve that same freedom we enjoy.
May we instead appreciate the freedom Jesus came to bring much as the demon-possessed man did! And, may we appreciate the power of his Word by which he grants that freedom. In this series, we are focusing on the power God’s Words possess, and here we see exactly how powerful those words are. The demon-possessed man was not the only one who witnessed the power of Jesus’ words.
Not even Satan’s henchmen could ignore Jesus’ powerful words! They had to comply! “For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man” (v.29). Jesus’ words are never empty. They are never spoken carelessly. They are never powerless. Jesus speaks and action takes place. The one identified as “Legion” was well aware of Jesus’ power and the power of his words, not just because he put an end to the possession, but also because of what else Jesus was capable of doing. We know this from the pitiful begging that followed.
“And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss” (v.31). Hell is not a popular concept today, and fewer and fewer people continue to even believe there is a hell. Or, they joke rather lightly about it. Don’t ever buy into the garbage about people preferring heaven over hell because heaven is full of hypocrites. Don’t ever believe the lie that the company in hell is somehow better or that there are certain spaces in hell that would be preferable over places in heaven. Some sell the lie that preachers and the Christian church just use the imagery of Satan and hell to strike fear and to terrify people so they fall into line and submit to the church’s authority.
None of it’s true! But you don’t have to take my word for it; pay attention to how the demons react upon recognizing the authority of Jesus! There was nothing pleasant about hell – they begged to possess pigs, to be sent into swine, over being sent back to hell! What does that tell you about the reality of hell?!?
Let’s stay on this topic for a bit, as it isn’t one that gets perhaps as much attention as it deserves. What about demon possession today? Why is it not more prevalent in our culture? Well… who’s to say it isn’t? What if it’s every bit as prevalent, just not labeled as such? Without diminishing the very real turmoil and devastation that mental illness causes in our world today (or the great progress we’ve made in not treating it as some taboo), is it possible that some of the extremes we witness – on the streets, in school shootings, in other random violent acts that have no logical explanation other than chalking it up to the convenient “mental illness” – could be Satan’s work? Or did you suspect that demon possession would naturally involve Satan or his demons openly identifying themselves and taking credit for it?
Let me ask you this: in a culture increasingly disinterested in religion – which is great for business as far as Satan is concerned! – what would Satan have to gain by drawing attention to religious stuff like demon possession? He’s got a good thing going – why risk ruining it? Remember, it isn’t a popularity contest with Satan. He isn’t concerned about making a name for himself. His goal is not to attract followers, but to distract followers from Jesus. He doesn’t need his TikTok to go viral – he just wants to make sure Jesus doesn’t.
So frankly, the more damage he does “under the radar,” in ways that carry no overt religious or spiritual undertones, he’s tickled pink. Meanwhile, in other countries all over the world, countries which cling heavily to a variety of religions, know this: demon possession is quite common, alive, and very well-known. Satan simply isn’t clamoring to make a name for himself in our society in which so few barely even believe he exists. He’s not looking to rock the boat in a society in which so many boats are heading exactly where he wants them to be.
But for those who know Satan exists and the very real threats he poses, as the demon-possessed man from Luke 8 did, see what a difference that freedom made in his life! “The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with [Jesus]…” (v.38). What shockingly different reactions between the townspeople and the man! They witness Jesus disarm and dismantle evil and they begged Jesus to leave, but the man experienced freedom from evil and he wanted to stay with Jesus! The townspeople had almost gotten accustomed to living with the demon-possessed man and his eccentrics and didn’t know what to do when things were normal. But for the man, being demon-possessed had given him a personal glimpse into the very real and deadly dangerous spiritual realm, and once freed from it, he had a new lease on life and a radical shift in perspective on what really mattered: Jesus!
And what a difference that freedom makes in our lives! Do not take for granted that you don’t experience any more days in the darkness of unbelief. All you know is light. All you know is life. All you know is the very real freedom from the fear of sin condemning you, from the fear of Satan controlling you, from the fear of death consuming you. That is your reality in Jesus Christ because of the freedom he won from all three of those enemies by his death and resurrection. His death made the full payment for your sin. His death crushed Satan’s head. His resurrection undid the permanent hold death had on us. You are free! Freedom in Jesus Christ is yours. And it is yours because of the power God’s Word possesses. You have heard and believed those words. You continue to hear and believe those words, and wherever the Word is heard and believed, there alone is freedom.
And here’s more evidence of the power God’s Words possess: he doesn’t even have to be the One speaking them for them to be effective! Why else would Jesus willingly oblige and grant the request of the townspeople for him to get out of Dodge? Because he knew that even though he would be leaving, the power of his Word would not. No, he entrusted that powerful word to the newly freed man. As much as the man begged to bask in his newfound freedom at the feet of Jesus, Jesus had other plans in mind. “Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return home and tell how much God has done for you.’ So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him” (v.38-39).
How powerful do you think that word was coming from the mouth of the freedman? Evidence suggests a large number from this region came to faith, as crowds of believers from this region are mentioned later on in the Gospels following Jesus. The Word worked on the man to bring him freedom and the Word worked through the man to bring others freedom. The Word worked on you to bring you freedom and the Word will work through you to bring others freedom.
As long as secular freedoms are abused, there will always be a certain amount of tension when it comes to freedom – at least in the temporary, worldly sense. But spiritually speaking, there is no greater gift that grace bestows than the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. This gift is so valuable that it holds up no matter our circumstances, no matter what is going on at any given time in our lives, we wake up free, we go to bed free, we live free every single day.
Yet another benefit of that freedom? We are free to commit. Forced commitment is nothing more than slavery. We aren’t slaves. We’ve been freed and we will remain free – the power of God’s Word possesses that promise. In the next post, we’ll see how to maximize that freedom by committing to following Jesus.