Pigs lost as man lives - Mark 5:1-20
A man came to meet Jesus. A woman comes to meet Jesus. Children come to meet Jesus. We have stories of so many people, so many individuals who come to meet Jesus. News of Jesus spread like wildfire. Why would it shock us to see that a man who was an outcast and lived in the graveyard was also drawn to come and meet Jesus?
Was he dirty because he was constantly in contact with defiled things and people? Absolutely. He was also frequently bleeding and likely dressed in rags. He was known for his rages and violence, even against himself. He was bound by rope and chains, both his hands and his feet. These could not hold him, and he could not be subdued. He hurt himself. He was left alone and shunned by others. His nearest neighbors were pigs.
Jesus shows compassion in asking the man’s name; a name also tells of who we are, our character and to whom we belong. The name Legion is given. A legion of spirits lived in this man. They knew who Jesus was, though the nearby swineherds appear not to know who is visiting. Legion as a name says much; it is associated with military might and numerous soldiers. A legion is part of a large, multi-layered fighting force. This is what stands against Jesus. Yet, this Legion trembles in fear and cries out, asking not to be tortured before the time has come. As many spirits as there were within the man, they knew that the One who stood in front of them was more. More might, more force, than they could withstand. The battle was on, yet it was already over. They had their orders but could no longer carry them out. The legion surrendered at the sound of Jesus. They chose pigs over the man. They gave up their part in the battle for man, while Jesus claimed the man for himself.
Only then is the man able to sit up and dress in decent clothes, instead of thrashing about, hurting himself and dirtying everything. The townspeople came and found them like this, seated and talking together. And they were afraid. The townspeople understood the power required to not only subdue the man physically but transform his mind and temperament into this new man. Then they heard of the pigs, their livelihood. The pigs by now had been consumed by the madness of the legion and had run over a cliff, dying in the lake below. The town was no longer just trembling in fear, but also in anger at losing their profits. Here they showed as well their name, they asked for Jesus to leave. They did not invite him for healing and restoration, as the madman had. They declare their allegiance to money and invite him to leave.
The man formerly with Legion (why wasn’t he then given a name?) wanted to stay with Jesus and travel with him. Instead, Jesus asked him to go and tell others what had happened to him. ‘Go and tell others of how you used to be and how you are now. Tell others of the transformation of your life that came in knowing me,’ Jesus might have said.
Who of us is any different? We too are dirty, defiled, bleeding and broken, poor and in rags. It is only once we encounter Jesus that we are able to shed all of that and put on the new garments, white as snow. Only then can we begin to consider having Him mend the broken pieces.
We too are covered in sin. We too have hurt ourselves. How so, you ask? By listening to the lies that we tell ourselves. By listening to the lies around us, the expectations of society. We too are bound by the past and our experiences, the lies. We too are outcast and alone in our mind if not physically. Wondering who will see that I can’t ‘do life’ on my own. Maybe we do a better job of holding the mask in place than this poor guy did; he let it all hang out. And Jesus accepted him and healed him, healed his spirit, healed his mind, healed his body. But the important thing was that he let it all hang out. When we are at our most broken, Jesus can do the most. When we give it all over to him, he transforms.
How often have we chosen to pursue success through money or title or attainment? The townspeople had a choice to make: invite Jesus to stay or run him off. They saw transformation and the One who enabled it yet walked away. What is the priority there? Oh, I know how hard it is to let it all hang out and work to improve my spirit and mind while everyone else seems to be going on just fine. How many times have I snapped and shown my anger or fear which really was just me letting it all hang out? More than I care to recall. Prioritizing Jesus is hard. Prioritizing his transformation of my life is harder.
So, we are left with answering the question, ‘who are you?’. Are you ready to surrender to him or to invite him to leave? Are you a broken man or woman or are you a townie? If you have sent Jesus away before, he is here again. If he used to be near and now is far, he is here still. If you have not met Jesus, come and meet him. He transforms lives.
