July 2, 2025

Matthew 8:28-34

In today’s reading, Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes, where he encountered two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs. These two had been terrorizing the area so that no one could pass by on that road. The demons immediately recognized Jesus as the Son of God and were afraid. Knowing he would exorcise them from the men’s bodies, they requested to be allowed to enter the bodies of some nearby pigs rather than roam the world without a body. Jesus allowed it, the demons left the men, and they were healed. But the herd of pigs spooked, and they rushed into the sea and drowned.  When the swineherds told the townspeople what had happened, they came out and asked Jesus to go away.

According to the ancient way of thinking, those who seemed mentally ill required an exorcism to be healed.  Jesus performed this healing for the two men, which was a blessing for them and a relief for the inhabitants who could now use this road again. But the healing process caused some chaos, when the herd of pigs rushed into the sea in panic. Rather than focusing on the beneficial healing that had occurred and seeking more of it, this town focused more on the loss of their valuable property, the pigs. Whereas some towns responded to Jesus by bringing all their sick out to be healed by him, in this town they were more concerned with their property than with the opportunity for more healing.

People don’t always welcome the spiritual into their lives. Although spirituality is gentle, it is also powerful, just as the ocean can be placid but also forceful. Spiritual healing can challenge the existing order and even bring chaos for a time. Healing can break apart the bonds of habitual patterns, and at first that can be uncomfortable. Will we welcome healing? Or will we ask it to go away so we can keep the status quo?