THE WORD
2 Sm 15,13-14.30;16,5-13 / Mk 5,1-20
They came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. When he got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him. The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, crying out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!” (He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”) He asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.” And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. And they pleaded with him, “Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.” And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned. The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear. Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine. Then they began to beg him to leave their district. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. But he would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.” Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.
IN OTHER WORDS
Evil is a reality in this world that we cannot either deny nor ignore. We can be subject to evil. It can enter our hearts and it can rule our lives. We have seen our share of evil people who are so powerful that it would seem nobody can topple them from their self-made thrones.
“Legion is my name, there are many of us”… said the evil spirit. A person can be possessed not just by one evil spirit, but by many. The more they are, the stronger they will be and it will be very difficult to get rid of these evil spirits. The person himself may try, although the reality is he might be helpless in the presence of such power. People might try to help him but they, too, will experience the limitations of their own strength.
Let us, once more, visit our Gospel reading and refresh in our hearts the great truth it holds. The evil spirits made the man strong. No one could subdue him. No chain could hold him. Until Jesus came along.
Read again what the evil spirit said to Jesus. “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” Even the evil one recognizes Jesus and knows that only Jesus has the power to let it come out of the man.
And thus we are reminded of this great and important fact. That no matter how powerful the presence of evil is, no matter how strong its influence over us is, it will not be able to rule our lives… if Jesus is with us.
- Fr. Chito Lorenzo, SVD | Japan
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
