Grace and peace to you from our God who restores, and our Savior Jesus, who is our Christ.
Fear. Everyone among us has experienced it. It is the most basic of emotions, planted in our brains to protect us from danger, from separation, from embarrassment.
Fear has made people make good decisions and bad, has made people change and dig in their heels and refuse to change. And fear may be the one barrier that prevents Christians from wholeheartedly, freely bringing the wild, boundless grace of God to every person.
What struck me about today’s reading was how much FEAR is embedded in the text. First, let’s back up to the prologue of this story in Mark Ch. 4, which isn’t included in this reading. Jesus has been teaching and healing all around Galilee, and crowds of people have surrounded him. There were enough people that Jesus could have stayed busy without going anywhere for a long time. But one evening, Jesus gets a wild hair, tells his disciples to get in the boats, and instead of staying close to the shore of the Sea of Galillee, actually a lake smaller than the Lake of the Ozarks, Jesus directs them to “The Other Side.” Out of their comfort zone, into the chaos, and where everyone is not Jewish and thrilled to see this itinerant rabbi. Eight miles across.
Jesus lies down in the back of one of the boats and falls asleep. But FEAR grips the disciples. And when a squall comes up, the disciples wake up Jesus, crying “SAVE US!” Remember, some of these are experienced fishermen who make their living here and have certainly seen wind and rough seas. Fear of the unknown had paralyzed them.
But I digress. A story for another day.
So before they make landfall, the disciples are already gripped by their fears. And right away, Jesus is approached by this wild, screaming, naked man who lives in the tombs, basically the cemetery. He is filled with thousands of demons, tormenters that make his life unbearable.
So, let’s be clear:
- Jesus has gone to an unclean region,
- To heal a man filled with unclean spirits,
- Who is living in an unclean place.
And when Jesus asks him his name, the man doesn’t respond. No, it’s the demons who are doing the talking here. “LEGION,” they said, “for there are many of us.”
Legion – a Roman Army unit of up to 6,000 soldiers. Even an understaffed legion would have 3,000 to 4,000 men. So Jesus and his disciples would know what they were facing. A man filled with thousands of unclean spirits. The sound of the demons’ answer must have been, well,…
Frightening.
But again, Jesus doesn’t hesitate. He orders the spirits to come out of the man. And negotiates with them to go into a herd of pigs, rather than into the water, the abyss. But Jesus knew what he was doing. Suddenly filled with demons, the pigs bolted from their swineherds, down the bank and into the water.
Now it’s the swineherds’ turn to be frightened, as they just saw their bacon, or more likely, the bacon to which an owner had entrusted to them, drowned in the lake. In seconds, their jobs, their livelihood, and even the food source of the entire region just disappeared. And they headed for town to try to explain. Soon enough, they came back with a mob – so fearful they were enraged, and saw Jesus, a small group of disciples, and the man formerly known as Legion, sitting quietly – with clothes on.
I would suggest that the worst fear humans have is the fear of shaking up the status quo. I’ve had my own status quo shaken up substantially over the past six years. All of you know how it is to have the status quo disrupted. Remember when our world changed on 9-11, in the Great Recession of 2007, 8 and 9, and during the Pandemic? The emotion that gripped the world in each case was FEAR.
And the world preys on those fears. Advertisers. Insurance companies. The pharmaceutical industry. Politicians. “We’ve got you covered. Our person is the one who can deal with this.”
The Gerasene townspeople were afraid and out of that fear – anger erupted. Instead of joy that this man was whole again, the townspeople demanded Jesus leave. “Get away, and don’t come back.”
Now … the man who was healed was filled with fear. These people are ANGRY. When Jesus leaves, who will be left with the blame? Who’s going to suffer for these people’s missing pork chops, ham hocks, and BBQ? So he begged Jesus to allow him to go, too. And, of course, Jesus is overjoyed that the man wants to follow him…
Except that’s not what happens here. Jesus refuses, telling him, “Go home to your own people, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and what mercy he has shown you.” Jesus sends this man, only recently wearing clothing and talking in human tones, out to be an EVANGELIST!
Jesus isn’t afraid to let this man speak the good news. Jesus isn’t afraid that he will become possessed again, or won’t be able to survive in society, or isn’t completely well. Jesus doesn’t demand a trial period of proving he is worthy of the healing and wholeness, the grace Jesus extended.
Which makes me think about us:
- What happens when someone who was falling apart gets their life together?
- What happens when someone goes from homeless to housed?
- What happens when someone breaks an addiction?
- What happens when someone serves their time?
- What happens when someone changes?
Like the Gerasene townspeople, I think the answer is fear. And fear is the barrier that prevents us from wholeheartedly, freely bringing the wild, abundant grace of God to every place in our world.
Fear is the “what if” that has stopped every great, “kin-dom expanding” idea in every church I’ve ever seen.
- What if it costs too much?
- What if the new people we welcome in want to change things?
- What if the kids damage something?
- What if the neighbors complain?
- What if it ruffles someone’s feathers?
I think the reason “Do not be afraid” comes up so often in the Bible is that Fear is the barrier that stops us from doing the work God wants us to do.
And fear is contagious:
Some years ago, a church was in the midst of a capital campaign. The money was pledged, plans were being drawn. Excitement at finally expanding the campus with needed classrooms and a larger fellowship space was palpable. It was the day of the congregational meeting, where a vote would be taken to move ahead. Discussion was robust, with plenty of people raising important questions about the project.
And then, one of the church’s elders, you know the ones, long-time members that hold a lot of sway in the congregation, walked to the mic.
“Our pastor is on the verge of retiring, and the synod told us we could expect to lose up to 25% of the congregation in the transition. I don’t think it’s the right time to do this.”
I think you know what happened. The vote failed. The pastor retired. The congregation lost members and families who had put their heart and soul into the expansion. Then the pandemic set in. Instead of a thriving church on the move, it is fighting for survival.
I’m not saying that we as a church shouldn’t do due diligence before starting anything.
I’m not saying that there aren’t real reasons to be cautious, to pull back at times.
But when fear replaces faith in how we live our lives, how we live together as a congregation, how we love one another in our communities, where we go to be the hands and feet of God, we are no longer following Christ. We are no longer about the mission God gave us. We, ourselves, are shackled and tied instead of set free.
Pastor Steven Garnaas-Holmes put it this way:
We face legions and their weapons;
the enemy is never one man and his demons.
But when Christ heals even one person
the world tips and plunges evil into the sea.
Love destroys what the Empire of Fear feeds on.
Jesus came, and his love set people free. We are growing into people who know how much God loves us, and that love sets us free. We know people inside and outside these walls who still are not free, seeking restoration in so many ways. God’s love is, and always will be, stronger than our fears.
Amen.
