Sermon: Pentecost 4C (Lectionary 12)

6-20-10

             When I was in the 6^th grade, one whole day at the end of the school year was devoted for “Career Day”. Parents of current students were invited to the school to share information about their jobs. Not only did we get a day out of class, but we also got to learn about the exciting work of our peers’ parents. My dad was one of the guests invited, so he put on his full pastor garb to talk about ministry.

            I sat in his session, not because I was particularly interested in ministry, but because I wanted to support my dad. My mom, who worked as teacher’s aide at the school, was also present. After my dad spoke, he asked for questions. One young boy raised his hand and said, “Do Lutherans exercise?”

            My dad was a bit confused, as health and fitness didn’t seem to have much to do with what he shared. However, my Mom had an insight. “Lester, I think he means do Lutherans cast out demons”. “Oh!” my dad replied. “Exorcise. No, that’s not really part of our tradition”.

            Most of us probably aren’t that familiar with exorcisms, or the act of casting out demons. I would wager that most of our beliefs about it are informed by movies like “The Exorcist”; an in-depth study that a cable station ran a few years ago; or, I’m ashamed to admit I know, a plot line in “Days of Our Lives” during the early 90s when a character named Marlena was possessed by devil by several weeks.

            Interestingly enough, a portion of our baptism service is considered an exorcism. During a baptism, we ask parents of children or children and adults able to speak for themselves this question. “Do you reject the devil, all his empty promises, and the forces of evil?” It is a driving away, a rejection of evil. In short, it is an exorcism.

            I am sharing this information because of today’s gospel text (Luke 8: 26-39). Jesus travels to a Gentile, or non-Jewish, territory, and there he encounters a man possessed. The demons say their name is “Legion”. At that time, the word “legion” described a Roman military troop numbering 4-6 thousand. Thus, the man is possessed by many demons. When Jesus shows up, the demons cry out, “What have you to do with us Jesus, Son of Most High God?”

            In some ways, this text can raise the same question for you and me. What does today’s gospel have to do with us? Where does it impact our lives? After all, isn’t it just a story showing Jesus’ power and his ability to heal and restore people? Doesn’t it simply point to the fact that, if he goes to Gentile city and heals a Gentile, that the gospel is for all?

            Most certainly, today’s text does point to these things. It reveals to us part of who Jesus is. At the same time, the text also speaks to us and says something about our human condition. It strikes me that, in many ways, we are like the one who is possessed. The power of sin possesses us. We make poor choices. We sin in thought, word and deed, by the things we do and the things we leave undone.

            At times, we might be possessed by fear. When we have been in hurtful situations or experienced harm at another’s hands, we can be anxious about entering back into place and encountering that person. We even find that we are paralyzed by fear.

            Perhaps we are possessed by the past, which I often see play out in church. We say we want to move forward, but we get angry, negative, and down-right nasty when a ministry or event we hold dear ends. Even though it has run its course and is no longer effective, we loudly insist it must stay or church won’t be as “special”. Have we forgotten that what makes church special is the gift of God’s Holy Word and Sacraments? Have we forgotten that what makes church special is the presence of God and all the things God does for us?

            At a council transition meeting last week, several groups were doing brainstorming. One group was asked to respond to this prompt: “What should Trinity stop doing?” Their first response was “living in the past”. Indeed, churches and people within churches are easily possessed by the past as shown through statements like, “we’ve never done it that way before” or a staunch refusal to change.

            Besides sin, fear and the past, it also seems we can be possessed by greed. We hoard or refuse to share our resources. We decide, for whatever reason, that we will not give to support the church or will give only minimal amounts.

            Then comes those times we are possessed by self-righteousness. We turn up our noses at those who are different. We make fun of people for various reasons. We gossip and spread rumors for our own gain. We become like the people we heard about in our reading from Isaiah (Isaiah 65:1-9) who say, “Stay away from us. We are too holy for you”.

            Indeed, there is much that possesses us and many demons with which we struggle. More often than not, we would rather hide these away and not talk about them. Doing so makes the well known statement true. The devil hides in secrets.

            Yes, the devil hides in secrets, and as we look at our lives, we begin to see how much we are like man in today’s gospel. Christ shows up and we say, “What have you to do with us?” You see, the presence of Christ can be inconvenient. It can be troubling, because Jesus calls for change. Yet, we get stuck. We like things the way they are. Nonetheless, Jesus comes and calls us to be different. He calls us to live, not as those possessed; but rather those with hearts for loving and serving God and neighbor.

            The good news for us is that, just as in the gospel text, it is Jesus who brings about this change. It is Jesus who brings forth healing. Christ comes to us and restores us in the word of forgiveness, the splash of water at baptism, and the bread and wine of communion. Christ makes us clean; makes us whole; and restores us to community and to a right relationship with God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and a right relationship with one another.

            You see, the man possessed in today’s text was perpetually unclean. He was not clothed and lived among the tombs, which would have resulted in his being unclean. He would have been cut off from community. Yet, Jesus restores him, just as Jesus restores and cleanses you and me.

            What, then, is our response to being cleaned? Like the man in today’s text, we sit at Jesus’ feet. This is the position for one who is a disciple; the position for one who is learning. We sit and we learn who it is God, in Christ, calls us to be. We learn by being present at worship and participating in Bible Studies and Sunday school. We learn by reading scripture and asking questions. We learn by praying for God’s guidance.

            What happens after the learning? Look again at the man from today’s text. He wanted to cling to Jesus and keep the good news to himself. Yet, Jesus sends him to tell all people the good news of what God has done for him. This same call is for you and me! God sends us to declare the good news of what God has first done for us. God sends us to boldly proclaim that God heals, redeems and saves. Go sends us to go into our communities, our schools, and our places of work to share the story of a God who acts to restore relationship, community, and wholeness.

            Along the way, we may find ourselves side-tracked. We will definitely find ourselves possessed by the temptations and demons of this world. Yet, God is not content to leave us in this state. Instead, God comes into our lives in water, Word, and Meal and heals us. God makes us whole, restores us and cleanses us. Above all else, God empowers us to go; to tell; to announce all the wonderful things that God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit has done; is doing; and promises yet to do … for you; for me; and for all the world.

Amen.

© 2010 Rev. Todd A. Cutter. Please do not reproduce or distribute without permission.