Good morning again, from Mark G., Hebrews 11:32-40
Brothers and sisters: What more shall I say? I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith, conquered kingdoms, did what was righteous, obtained the promises; they closed the mouths of lions! They put out raging fires, escaped the devouring sword; out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong through battle, and turned back foreign invaders.
Women received back their dead through resurrection. Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance, in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword’s point; they went about in skins of sheep or goats, needy, afflicted, tormented. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered about in deserts and on mountains, in caves and in crevices in the earth. Yet all these, though approved of because of their faith, did NOT receive what had been promised. God had foreseen something better for us, so that without us they should not be made perfect.
***This stunningly graphic, yet incomplete accounting, of the multitude of people who agonized and died, suffering gruesome deaths, is far worse than any modern-day horror-slasher movie. This was their life! Unlike movies which are supposed to be fiction… once again we find, ‘Truth is stranger (more gory- more sickening) than fiction’! All this terror and sadness while pushing forward with a faith dear to them, still maintaining their expectant, unsatisfied desire for the redemption that we now enjoy. I pray that I never soil the efforts or take for granted the price paid by our ancestors.
Psalm 31: 20- 24, How great is the goodness, O LORD, which you have in store for those who fear you! And which, toward those who take refuge in you, you show in the sight of the children of men. You hide them in the shelter of your presence from the plottings of men. You screen them within your abode from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the LORD whose wondrous mercy he has shown me in a fortified city. Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones! The LORD keeps those who are constant!! R: Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
This Psalm gives us all of the proof that we need that God is an incredible parent. The strength, love and paternal care that is professed in the phrase, ”Shelter…. From the plottings of men” is reassuring to us. We are reassured of our status as a ‘child’ in need of, and worthy of, protection from wickedness and snares. Blessed be God in His Mercy and His Love!! As the old song reinvigorates us, “Our God is an awesome God!”
Gospel, Mark 5:1-20, Jesus and his disciples 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 Legion 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. 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 Jesus 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.
*** Mark moves very quickly through Jesus’ actions, sermons and miracles at this point. Jesus departs from his ‘usual’ insistence to the healed, to not say anything to anyone. At the end of this miracle Jesus tells the former demoniac to go home and tell his family. Jesus’ reputation is spreading far and wide just like a happy rumor. The change from ‘not telling’ anyone, to telling everyone, is a pretty important about-face. Jesus also could’ve stopped the woman at the well from telling the whole town… But, didn’t! After 15-20 years of knowing that He is God’s only Son and trying to keep it as confidential as possible, His earthly story is beginning to get down to the nitty-gritty. Did Jesus start beginning to humanly feel the pressure of how his life was closing? We’ll never know, but there is still a message that needs to get out! Love is better than hate!! Jesus being God, doesn’t need our human help, buuut, you just can’t beat the power of an eye-witness account of the story!
Adding to that, is the fact that Gerasenes is pagan country. This poor guy was infected with a legion of demons in a pagan town. Sheesh, talk about the worst of the worst!!
In Closing: the joy in today’s readings is deep under the surface, but well worth the effort of a second read. I think there’s a lot of compassion expressed and then love. Shalom and all of God’s love to you, Mark
