|
|
Luke 8 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Starting in verse 26 we see an amazing story of casting out a legion of demons. The demons know who Jesus is, and are frightened by Him.
And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. 31 They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss.
Luke 8:30-31 NASB
Incredibly, they knew Jesus had the power to throw them into the “abyss.” We see this phrase used in Revelation as well.
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.
Revelation 20:1-3 NASB
It’s such a powerful story of the authority that Jesus possessed over all things, physical and spiritual. However, I want to focus on the unnamed man in this story. He is most certainly a Gentile, as Jesus would have been in Gentile territory after crossing over from Galilee. If we take a moment to study his transformation, a few things begin to really pop out. Outside of his demonic deliverance…
- He was naked before Jesus, but he was fully clothed after.
- He lived among the tombs before Jesus, but was told to “go home” after.
- He was thrust down in a raging fit when Jesus arrived, but voluntarily sat at Jesus’ feet after.
- He was out of his mind, under the control of the demons when Jesus arrived, but was witnessed by others to be in his right state of mind after.
When you consider all these points and the fact that he wanted to join Jesus’ disciples and travel with them, it’s astonishing that we don’t get this man’s name anywhere in the text! What do you see when you look at the list of how this man was delivered? I can say that I see parts of my own life.
In my old ways, I was naked and didn’t even realize it. I lived among the dead, filling my mind with finite pleasures and never really knowing where “home” was. I thought I was in control of my life but ultimately was being led by the spiritual forces of darkness. My mind, the control center for my attitude, decision-making, and life goals was completely lost!
My favorite part of this story, however, is that Jesus ventured into enemy territory to rescue this man. He went to Gentile land, a place He wasn’t welcome. Not only that, but it was a place of tombs where demonic possession ran rampant. Chained spiritually and chained physically, there was absolutely no hope in sight for this nameless Gentile man.
But Jesus made a specific trip TO him. He healed him, saved him, and commissioned him. In many ways, this is our story. Jesus has come to us to seek us out, save us, and use us in our region for His glory. Do you see yourself in the story?