Chapter 14 - Gerasa

I have always been drawn to the story of the story of the Gerasene Demoniac.  It’s a rich story, at once eerie, bizarre and powerful.

These aspects of the story strike me the most:

1. It is the first time Jesus sets foot in pagan territory.  He draws the circle of healing wider and wider.  This serves to remind us that Jesus tends to include those whom others would seek to exclude.  His love and mission know no boundaries.
2. As a prelude to his healing of this man, Jesus engages the demon and asks its name.  Naming the demon gives Jesus power over the demon.  Sometimes, one of the most difficult steps in our own healing process is when we admit and name our demons.  It reminds me of the people who attend 12 Step Groups.  As they rise to share their stories, they give their first name and then they name their demon:  “. . . .I’m an alcoholic.”  Naming our demons does not ensure a cure, but it is an important first step.  Naming our demons breaks the cycle of denial.
3. As is the case with the demon in the synagog in Nazareth, these demons--who are Legion-- attest to the identity of Jesus.  Unlike the disciples, who struggle to come to terms with our Lord’s identity, the demons clearly confess “Jesus, the Son of the Most High God.”   There’s a certain twisted brilliance to the Evil One.
4. Jesus doesn’t just cast out the man’s demons.  He also, importantly, finds a way to restore this isolated person to community.  Which is why, when Jesus later heals the leper, he has the leper visit a priest, as a way to restore the man to the faith community.  
5. Having restored the man to community, he sends him on a mission to tell others about the love and mercy of the Father.  In this Year of Mercy, we Catholics, who have been saved and healed by our Lord, need to be about the business of telling others about the mercy of our God.

The Tombs at Kursi

To ponder and discuss:


1.  Is the Gerasene demoniac a terrifying figure, a pitiful figure, or both?  Why?

2.  After his exorcism, the former demoniac does not follow Jesus but instead is sent to tell his people what has happened to him.  How is this a form of discipleship?

3.  Do you see parallels in your life, or in  the lives of your family and friends, to the self-destructive behaviors of the demoniac?  What does the image of the man "bruising himself" say to you?


Steven Olson