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We must alter our lives in order to alter our hearts, for it is impossible to live one way and pray another.
… William Law (1686-1761)
(What alterations in lifestyle do you need to make to help you draw closer to God?) |
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2 SM 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13; PS 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
MK 5:1-20
Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,
to the territory of the Gerasenes.
When he got out of the boat,
at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
The man had been dwelling among the tombs,
and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.
In fact, he had frequently been bound with
shackles and chains,
but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,
and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides
he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,
he ran up and prostrated himself before him,
crying out in a loud voice,
"What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
I adjure you by God, do not torment me!"
(He had
been saying to him, "Unclean spirit, come out of the man!")
He asked him, "What is your name?"
He replied, "Legion is my name. There are many of us."
And he pleaded earnestly with him
not to drive them away from that territory.
Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.
And they pleaded with him,
"Send us into the swine. Let us enter them."
And he let them, and the
unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.
The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,
where they were drowned.
The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town
and throughout the countryside.
And people came out to see what had happened.
As they approached Jesus,
they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,
sitting there clothed and in his right mind.
And they were seized with fear.
Those who witnessed
the incident explained to them what had happened
to the possessed man and to the swine.
Then they began to beg him to leave their district.
As he was getting into the boat,
the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.
But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,
"Go home to your family and announce to them
all that the Lord in his pity has done for you."
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
what Jesus had done for him; and
all were amazed.
USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture |
"Shimei...was coming out of the place,
cursing as he came. He threw stones at David." —2 Samuel 16:5-6
Shimei behaved toward King David like Satan and his demons behave toward the people of God. Shimei threw curses and stones at David, kicking David while he was at the lowest point in his life. Shimei did his best to drive the king out of town (see 2 Sm 16:7). The Gerasene townspeople likewise drove Jesus, a King greater than David, out of
town (Mk 5:17).
Why do people choose hell over heaven, and Satanic possession over the Kingdom of God? It's because they don't know Jesus. He seems more frightful to them than does Satan. The Gerasene people knew the terror of the devil from the demoniac's occupation of their road. However, the power and love of Jesus
"terrorized" the Gerasenes more than did the familiar demons. All these people knew was terror, and they chose the familiar terror of demonic possession instead of the "terror" of Jesus' liberating love that would require them to change their lives.
So it is with many caught up in the lifestyle of this culture of death.
Just the thought of living a holy lifestyle brings terror to their minds and hearts. Forgiving enemies, living in chastity, tithing — these and other aspects of discipleship fill them with fear and terror. Although many have endured lives of being captive in abusive relationships, fear, and sin, they choose the familiar over the presumed terror of God's unknown kingdom.
How much these people need to know the loving mercy of Jesus! That is exactly why God has put you into the lives of these people. We have work to do to make Jesus known. Our job is not easy. Therefore, receive the power of the Holy Spirit and the patience, forgiveness, and gentleness of Jesus.
Prayer: Father, You have anointed me to set the
captives free (Lk 4:18) and love them into Your arms. Pour out Your Spirit on me.
Promise: "You, O Lord, are my Shield." —Ps 3:4
Presentation Ministries
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What is Christian Love? - Reprinted from Freedom from Codependency, by Philip St. Romain - Dysfunctional Beliefs About Love - part 2 of 5
• "Love means putting others before self." This teaching, if taken literally, will produce codependency. At times self-denial is appropriate behavior. Parents waking in the night to care for a hungry baby must suspend their own need for sleep for the sake of the baby. The problem comes when we use self-denial as an absolute indicator of love, never getting around to our own needs. Even if other people’s needs are not as important as our own,
we set aside our own needs to meet theirs. Such self-denying behavior distorts true Christian love, which calls for the love of neighbor AS self.
• "It is better to give than to receive." As with the self-denying distortion of Christian love described above, codependents interpret “giving” as
putting others first. They regard receiving as selfish. Actually, for codependents, staying on the giving side is a way to be in control and avoid feeling vulnerable. It takes humility to receive--to be humble enough to acknowledge that we have a need that others can help to fill.
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