Jesus brings uncomfortable transformation

Matt 8:28-9:1

28 When he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him. They were so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 Suddenly they shouted, ‘What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?’ 30 Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some distance from them. 31 The demons begged him, ‘If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.’ 32 And he said to them, ‘Go!’ So they came out and entered the swine; and suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and perished in the water. 33 The swineherds ran off, and on going into the town, they told the whole story about what had happened to the demoniacs. 34 Then the whole town came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighbourhood. 9 1 And after getting into a boat he crossed the water and came to his own town.

There is a great deal going on in this text, not all of which we have space to cover.

Rehearsing the events leading to this passage is helpful. Jesus and the disciples got into a boat and left Capernaum (north-west part of the lake) to get away from the crowds – they were caught in a storm on the lake and the disciples thought they were going to drown – Jesus saved them and then the disciples began to wonder who was this, in the boat with them, who was stronger than the storm.

Now on shore on the south-east part of the lake where Gentiles (Jews would not have raised pigs) were predominate they met a different storm, for they were confronted by a human threat (two men who were physically out of control). From a natural storm to a human storm. Jesus again comes through and brings healing to the two men. And the people of the town want Jesus to leave. Someone who is this powerful, who can calm the two people who were threatening, is in many ways more frightening than the people Jesus had healed. If Jesus can change them, what else will Jesus change?

If Jesus can calm the things that frighten us, then he is greater than the things that threaten us – and who knows what he will do? When Jesus begins to change things, they all kinds of things begin to shift. Healing and hope disrupt our lives, and sometimes that is very uncomfortable. Sometimes it is so uncomfortable we might even ask Jesus to stop making changes, to stop the transformation of our world. We need to pray that we would trust Jesus even as he brings unexpected transformations to our lives.

PRAYER:

God of power, Your Son Jesus Christ came into the world to bring about transformation of the world. Too often we have sought to control his working, limiting what we want him to do. Help us to trust the Holy Spirit’s working even when the transformations you bring are unsettling and uncomfortable. In Jesus’ name. Amen.