Am I the Demoniac, the Swine or the Town?

Last updated on: July 1, 2015 at 10:05 am by Lisa M. Hendey

Am I the Demoniac, the Swine or the Town? 2015-07-01T07:51:28-07:00 Lisa M. Hendey

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I’ve been praying over today’s gospel from Matthew 8:28-34 and looking at the story of the Gadarenes, from a few different vantage points. To help me put the gospel in perspective, I went to a daily reflection video from my own Diocesan television network KNXT:

and peeked at today’s Twitter status from Fr. James Martin, SJ:

Gospel: After Jesus healed the Gerasene demoniacs, the people in the region begged Jesus to leave. Change can be frightening. But fear not.

— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) July 1, 2015

Image credit: Skeeze, Pixabay

My prayer led me to ask what “role” I might play in this gospel:

Am I the demoniacs, so wracked by pure evil that I beg Jesus to relieve me of the force that possesses me?
Am I the herd of swine, who once inhabited by demons throw themselves to their death in the sea?
Am I the townspeople who either want to kick Jesus to the curb because he’s messing with their livelihood or, perhaps more likely, fear to their very core the change and power he brings to their community?

I plan to spend the day answering these questions in my heart and re-reading this particular gospel. I’m praying that my personal answers will bring me closer to what God is trying to teach me through scripture today, and closer to the person God created me to be.

A question for you: What’s your take on this gospel passage? What is God speaking to you in scripture today?

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