The man was just hanging out naked in the cemetery. He was too strong to be held with chains or shackles. He possessed the strength of demons since a legion of demons possessed him.
But then Jesus stepped ashore. Christ the Lord entered this poor possessed man’s human story. Then everything changed!
Our Hymn of the Day for this Sunday is “Rise, Shine, You People.” It fits well with the Gospel lesson of the Gerasenes demon-possessed man in Luke 8:26-39. “Rise, Shine, You People” was written by Ronald Allan Klug. Klug was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and studied at Dr. Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota.
Verse one: Rise, shine, you people! Christ the Lord has entered our human story; God in him is centered. He comes to us, by death and sin surrounded, with grace unbounded.
Christ the Lord entered the human story of this poor possessed man in the region of the Gerasenes. He was surrounded by death and sin – literally. He dwelt in the cemetery. Demons dwelt inside of him. But grace unbounded in the literal person of the Son of God came to this poor possessed man that day.
We are literally surrounded by death and sin in our daily lives. We can still rise and shine because Christ the Lord entered our human story with his incarnation in the womb of his mother Mary. He continues to enter our human stories with the waters of Baptism, the Sacrament of the Altar, and the written, read, and spoken Word of God in our homes, schools, churches, devotions, and podcasts. Grace unbounded comes to us through these Means of Grace in Word and Sacrament.
Verse two: See how he sends the pow’rs of evil reeling; he brings us freedom, light and life and healing. All men and women, who by guilt are driven, now are forgiven.
It seems as if the devil and his demonic forces were putting in overtime during Jesus’ ministry. You can be sure that wherever the doctrine of Christ is being taught, the devil and his demons will be hard at work. There’s nothing the devil despises more than the preaching of Christ crucified for sinners. The devil and his demons love vague spiritualities, nebulous praise and cross-less, bloodless gospels that are really no gospel at all. But preach Christ and all hell lets loose.
But see how Christ sent the power of evil reeling – straight out of the Gerasenes demoniac and right into a herd of pigs – pigs that tried flying … but didn’t even float.
Satan does battle with you every day. He hates that you follow the truth. He wants to create disorder and dysfunction in your life. He wants to keep you in the chains of your sinful desires. He wants you to remain ignorant of God’s Word and will, so you lash out with your will and words. Satan needs you to stay dead in your sin, plagued by false pride and inflating your ego with independence.
But Jesus comes to release you. He sets the captives free. He breaks the chains of your sin. He busts open the prison of your guilt. He brings us freedom, light and life and healing. Let Jesus drive out the demons that plague you. All men and women, who by guilt are driven, now are forgiven.
Verse three: Come, celebrate, your banners high unfurling, your songs and prayers against the darkness hurling. To all the world go out and tell the story of Jesus’ glory.
Luke tells us in this week’s Gospel: “As Jesus got into the boat and started back, the man from whom the demons had gone out begged to be with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home and tell how much God has done for you.’ Then he went through the whole town proclaiming what Jesus had done for him” (Luke 8:37-39). The formerly demon-possessed man wanted to go with Jesus to tell the world the story of Jesus’ glory. But Jesus instructed the healed man to tell his story of salvation to the people who lived on that side of the Sea of Galilee.
You were born possessed by your sinful nature and belonging to the devil. Jesus freed you through the waters of Baptism. He converted you through his spoken Word. He keeps you free through his Body and Blood. Celebrate your freedom this Sunday with songs and prayers. Then go into the world of your school, community, workplace, coffee shop, diner, or wherever you encounter people and tell the story of Jesus’ glory in your life.
What is the story you need to share?
Verse four summarizes it for you: Tell how the Father sent his Son to save us. Tell of the Son, who life and freedom gave us. Tell how the Spirit calls from ev’ry nation his new creation.