Fear is a funny thing. It doesn’t have to be rational. It can come virtually out of nowhere, for any reason with all intensities. It has no prejudice towards age, accepting both men and women equally.
For some of us, it is our master.
Unknowingly, or willingly, we let it control the course of our lives.
No matter the ‘Christian maturity’ of one, at some point, we all fall into it’s pit. Be it fear of a circumstance, a natural disaster, sickness, death of a loved one, or loss of finances. The question is what do we do with it. Do we try to tame it? Control it? Redirect it by holding on to God’s promises? Or do we let it grow into the fierce dragon that it is until it overcomes us?
There was a town that Jesus came through. It would seem for the sake of one man. That town was called Gerasenes. Jesus upon entering it heals a man who has been possessed by a legion of demons. No matter how many chains he was put in, the demons would rip them off and he would flee into caves to live naked as a wild beast.
That whole region knew about him.
What astounds me the most about this town is that upon hearing the amazing, miraculous news, they didn’t marvel.
In fact there was no celebration. The people’s response was rooted in fear. They saw that man dressed and in his right mind, sitting at Jesus’s feet and they were terrified.
How is that possible? He was a crazy demon possessed man and they were afraid after he was restored to being a normal functioning human being. Somehow, I think we can all relate. I live in a town like that. People want to be accepted for who they are, change is not welcome. Change is scary. The fear of changing those old comfortable habits, those sins, for some, is too much.
It’s much easier to push Jesus out. Put him on the boat so we don’t have to see what type of restoration he is capable of.
On a deeper level- what about our hearts? Do we have room for him to change us? Can we push through the fear of what that change will mean? Can we have the courage to come to the only one capable of restoring us to what we should be? Or will be run from that? Will we ask Jesus to leave us alone because it is more comfortable and convenient to remain how we are?
{ Luke 8:26-37:
26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes,[a] which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” 29 For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.
30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31 And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.
32 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. 33 When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35 and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.”}
