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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 present in Gentile territory, the sworn enemies of the Jews.
Why would Jesus lead his followers into such a dark and filthy place?
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In that Gentile cemetery – the land of the dead – Jesus even impresses his disciples as he reveals his love for those possessed by evil.
While the Jews held an exclusive idea of God – he belonged only to the ritually pure and legally obedient, Jesus reveals himself to be the Good Shepherd, who seeks to save all of his creation, even the “untouchables.”
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So, what might this mean to us?
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Like those men imprisoned in the cemetery, there may be parts of ourselves – memories, decisions, sins that still cling to us – which we try hiding from others. Yet the Lord has already made his way there, into those sensitive areas, with one purpose:
To remind us that we cannot hide. That we are loved unconditionally. And that it is his ardent desire to set us free.
As the Psalmist proclaims, “Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee? If I ascend to the heavens, you are there. If I lie down in the darkness, you are there. Darkness isn’t dark for you” (Psalm 139: 7-8).
Unlike the villagers in today’s Gospel, who begged the Lord to leave their town, may we embrace Jesus for who he is – light in the darkness, a Good Shepherd who comes to save us, even from the shadowy places of life.
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Image credits: (1) Bible Hub (2) Mercy for the Outcast, Millenial Journal (3) At the Gates of Hell, Fra Angelico