Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“The demons begged him, “If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.” 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 sea and perished in the water.”
NL Daily Devotion for Tuesday, January 30, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Why send the demons into pigs? Jesus had cast out plenty of demons by this point in his ministry and they never had to go any particular place. They just disappeared. Yet in this case, the demons beg Jesus for a different treatment. Was it that they didn’t want to go back to wherever they’d come from and would rather have the oblivion of death with the pigs? Whatever the explanation, I find it astonishing that Jesus took pity on demons. Think about that. These supposed evil spirits that wreak havoc in the lives of those they possess seem as though they deserve the worst of punishment, the most profound rejection by God. And yet Jesus sees them as beings worthy of love. This is maybe the most stark example of Jesus crossing boundaries in all of the gospels. What’s reaching out to a Samaritan woman or a tax collector compared to having mercy on demons?
Bottom line: there is nothing—nothing—you or anyone can do that will keep God, in Christ, from loving you.
Have I ever done something I thought was truly irredeemable?
