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Gospel: Matthew 8: 28-34
When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes,
two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him.
They were so savage that no one could travel by that road.
They cried out, “What have you to do with us, Son of God?
Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”
Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding.
The demons pleaded with him,
“If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.”
And he said to them, “Go then!”
They came out and entered the swine,
and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea
where they drowned.
The swineherds ran away,
and when they came to the town they reported everything,
including what had happened to the demoniacs.
Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus,
and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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From a Jewish perspective, this might be the most ritually impure scene in all of the Gospels.
There are demons, dead bodies, and pigs, all of which unfolds in enemy territory, the land of the Gentiles.
Why would Jesus lead his followers into such a dark and filthy place?
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By entering Gentile territory, Jesus reveals the universality of God.
The Jews had a very exclusive understanding of God; he only belonged to the ritually pure. But Jesus reveals something greater – God is the Good Shepherd, who seeks out his lost sheep, even those possessed by demons.
No one is beyond his reach.
Secondly, Jesus reveals the depths of his power.
He not only has power over gusty winds and leprosy; he also has power over evil. “If you drive us out,” the demons say to him today, “then send us into the herd of swine.”
“And he said to them, ‘Go then!’”
So, off they went.
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What does this mean for us?
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Jesus wants access to every part of our lives, those places that are pure, and equally, those that are impure.
Unlike the villagers in the Gospel, who begged the Lord to leave, may we embrace his presence, allowing him to change us and set us free.
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Image credits: (1) Smithsonian Magazine (2) Brooklyn Museum (3) Mercy for the Outcast, Millennial