Luke 8:26-39

Luke 8:26-39 (NRSV)

²⁶ Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me”— ²⁹ for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) ³⁰ Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. ³¹ They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.

³² Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesusto let them enter these. So he gave them permission. ³³ Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

³⁴ When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. ³⁵ Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. ³⁶ Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. ³⁷ Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. ³⁸ The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.

          Luke 8:26-39 (Mark 5:1-20, with a much shorter version in Matt 8:28-34) (Year C June 19-25) is the story of the exorcism of the Gerasene Demoniac. it exhibits the typical features of exorcism of demons, and in their characteristic order.[1]Jesus enters a world enslaved by Satan with the authority of his Father to join battle against evil powers.[2] Jesus is spending time with the wrong type (a demoniac), in the wrong place (the Gentile lands "opposite Galilee"), at the wrong time (before any Gentile mission was established). 

In verses 26-31, the interest is in the man, stressing the dangerous character of the demoniac and his suspicion of the exorcist.  In quick order are the first three typical features of an exorcism: the meeting with the demon, the description of the dangerous of the sickness, and recognition of the exorcist. They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. Jesus has moved into foreign territory, foreshadowing the interest of the early Christian community in Gentile mission. Stepping onto Gentile territory, the man demon-possessed, contrasting with a holy spirit, is also Gentile, so he is ritually unclean for both reasons. The effect is that he lives in animal-like existence, unclothed and outside, even among the tombs, a ritually unclean place for Jews (Lev 21:1, 22:4-5). The spirit seized him many times, which led to local authorities keeping him under guard, binding him with chains and shackles, which he would break, the demon then driving him into the wilderness. This part of the story hints at this story being a midrash on Isa 65:1-4, which portrays Gentiles as performing any number of unclean acts, such as offering incense to demons, sleeping among tombs, etc. When he saw Jesus at a distance, he ran and fell down before him. Crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God (υἱὲ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου), a catchall title among pagans applicable to any local deity, while in Matthew the title is the Son of God (υἱὲ τοῦ θεοῦ))?” In attempt to ward off the exorcist, he says that he adjures Jesus by God, to not torment him. Even if Israel does not recognize who Jesus is, the demons do. The Christological affirmation by the demon suggests the action of Jesus with the demoniac is an anticipation of the overthrow of Satanic forces. What led to this affirmation is that Jesus had already commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Jesus demonstrates authority over the demon in asking in verse 30, What is your name? and it responds with the name of Legion, for many demons possessed the man. Legion knows of its impending doom in asking not to be ordered to go back into the abyss, a designated place of punishment and imprisonment for demons (Rev 20:1-3). 

In verses 32-33, interest shifts to the swine, the next two typical features of an exorcism, focusing on the exorcism and the demonstration of its success. The scene is full of ancient humor. A great herd of pigs, another part of the ritually unclean setting of the story (Lev 11:7-8, Deut 14:8, Isa 65:4), was feeding there on the hillside The ritually unclean spirit begged Jesus to allow it to enter the ritually unclean swine, who then also drive the animals mad and plunge them headlong into the depths of the lake. Legion was afraid of being cast into the abyss, but in a symbolic way, that is what happened anyway. The story of this exorcism turns grotesque at this point, causing one to wonder if Jesus is being cruel to animals and if he has no concern for the economic loss experienced by the owners of the swine. Although the Bible respects property, given the commandment not to steal and the concern for envy and coveting, this story undermines that concern. 

In verses 34-37, interest shifts to the townspeople and the final typical feature of an exorcism, the impression of eyewitnesses. The firsthand witnesses to this exorcism, those herded the swine, saw what happened and told the gentiles who lived in the area, who, when they saw the formerly possessed man at the feet of Jesus and in his right mind, caused the people to be afraid, so that asked Jesus to leave. 

In verses 38-39, interest returns to the man. The reaction of Jesus is telling in that he does leave, for everyone has the right to choose fear of what God has done rather than faith in what God has done. However, the formerly possessed man responds with faith, wanting Jesus to stay with him. The story ends by returning to the private dialogue, with Jesus telling the man in verse 39, Return to your home, and, and giving him a new vocation, declare (διηγοῦ, or narrate) how much God has done for you, thereby completing his rehabilitation in giving him purpose. The command of Jesus is a reminder that there are many ways to fulfill the call of God, some involving staying where one is and faithfully sharing the good news. He becomes the first missionary to the Gentiles, as he proclaims (κηρύσσων) throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him. Within this ritually impure setting, the Jew Jesus does everything right in his exorcism of the unclean spirit/demon, restoring an unfortunate gentile to health. This episode anticipates the missionary concern of the early church for the gentile world.

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[1] (Bultmann, The History of the Synoptic Tradition, 1921, 1931, 1958), 210-11.

[2] (Jeremias, New Testament Theology: The Proclamation of Jesus, 1971), 94.