A Crazy, Naked Man

Luke 8:26-39 ESV

Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon

²⁶ Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” ²⁹ For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time 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 desert.) ³⁰ Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. ³¹ And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. ³² Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. ³³ Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
³⁴ When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. ³⁵ Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and 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 And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. ³⁷ Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from 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.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.


Picture this with me.... Jesus has just calmed the raging storm in verses 22-25 (I imagine the disciples are still a little frazzled) and He steps out of the boat in a seemingly Gentile country with about 2,000 "unclean" pigs running around, and a naked, crazy man who lives in a cemetery. I would imagine the disciples were not very comfortable with the situation Jesus had brought them into. But Jesus does not call us to be comfortable!

So, there is this naked, demon possessed man who immediately recognizes Jesus and falls down at His feet and begs for mercy. When Jesus asked his name, the man said, "Legion." Legion means great number and the fact that in Mark we are told there were 2,000 pigs that Jesus cast the demons into, that gives us a pretty good idea how many demons possessed this man.   

What do the pigs do when these demons enter them? They committed suicide by running down the hill into the lake and drowning. I think that is a good indicator how miserable it must have been for this man to be possessed by all those demons. My mind can't seem to comprehend it. Can you imagine though how joyful he must have been to finally be free from that bondage?

The herdsmen run to spread the word about what just happened and people from the city and country come out to see for themselves what is going on. What they find is a beautiful picture of redemption and transformation. This man, who for a long time was naked, living in a cemetery and seemingly crazy was sitting at the feet of Jesus, fully clothed, and completely sane. That my friends is the gospel!! When you accept Jesus as your Savior you are clothed in His righteousness and transformed from the inside out. God looks at you and sees Jesus. All your sins, past, present, and future are wiped clean. You are a new creation!

After what Jesus had done for this man, the man begs to go with Him. But in verse 39, Jesus says, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you" and in the last part of the verse it says the man "went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him." Jesus had made such an impact on this man's life, he couldn't help but go and tell people about it. Who better to know first hand his transformation than those who he had lived among probably most if not all of his life. Are some people called to cross an ocean and move to a foreign land to share the gospel.....Absolutely!! Some are also called to stay where they are for now and proclaim the gospel there. This passage is very convicting for me! Am I proclaiming to the world the transformation Jesus has done in my life?

The point is this..... it's not a matter of where geographically God has placed you. What matters most is, are you telling people what Jesus has done for you where He has you right now? Is your life a reflection of a true transformation? If there is no evidence of transformation you have to ask yourself, 'Do I have a relationship with Jesus Christ at all?' This relationship isn't achieved by works but by faith and grace that is freely offered to you. Ephesians 3:8 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." Being fruitful and living a life that looks radically different to the world will come all on its own if your experiencing Jesus and abiding in him. Do you truly know Him? If you died today are you 100% certain that you will go to Heaven? Too much is at stake to not be sure!!!