By Father Emmanuel Mbuk, MSP
Today’s Gospel presents two spiritual encounters that prompted a contrasting response. Apparently, Jesus had just arrived in the territory of the Gadarenes. Gadara was one of the cities of the region of the Decapolis, located eight kilometres (approximately five miles), southeast of the Sea of Galilee. Gadara was predominantly a Greek territory.
Matthew recounts how two demons that were operating violently from a cemetery, first recognized Jesus as the Son of God. They recognized His authority which was why they said: ‘”Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”
Demons are real.
The first point to note here is that demons exist and evil forces are real. So let us not live in denial of their presence in our world. Besides, Paul noted in Ephesians 6:12 that we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers.
Spirits can recognize spirits.
The second point to note is that spirits can recognize spirits. These demons acknowledged the divine authority of Jesus, which was why they said: “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine,” which indicates that they had surrendered already and would not challenge the authority of Jesus not to leave the area. Since they had already surrendered, Jesus granted them the leave saying: “Go then!”
The Gadarene community sent Jesus away.
Matthew narrates that these demons so terrorized the Gadarene community such that people were so afraid to travel by that road freely without being harassed. So, their surrender and acceptance to be driven out, and Jesus saying to them ‘Go then!’ implied a total liberation and deliverance for the entire community.
However, the community, rather than expressing their gratitude to Jesus for liberating the entire community that was under the spell, siege and shackles of the demons, preferred to send Jesus away from their district because of the economic losses the deliverance had cost them.
Like these demoniacs in today’s Gospel, many people are under different forms of bondage. Some people clearly know this and would like to be liberated; but when they are asked to give up certain things, or commit more to prayers before the Blessed Sacrament they give a thousand and one excuses of why they cannot.
Jesus has the power to deliver us from bondage.
Sometimes, they begin the prescribed prayers or discard certain images/toys/furniture from their homes, and when they see certain variants of what they had discarded, they buy and bring them into their homes again. Such impulse to crave for certain things or engage in certain habits/practices are sometimes prompted by lack of self control; and when they choose to remain in bondage, then such choices resonate with the reaction of the Gadarenes who preferred to send Jesus away from their district.
Let us discern properly and make the right choices. Let us resolutely make the tough decisions to let go of certain habits and possessions. Let us not resist the divine authority of Jesus in our lives because He has absolute power to heal us.
Jesus’ Presence in the Blessed Sacrament is real.
Before Jesus, no demonic power can withstand His presence and that presence is real in every Eucharist, and in the Blessed Sacrament exposed daily in the Adoration Chapel.
Let us come to Him with our burdens of sin, anger, fear, despair or addictions; and He will liberate/deliver us from the bondages that enslave us and give us peace. Amen.
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