·
25 James Weldon Johnson,
Poet, 1938
·
26 Isabel Florence
Hapgood, Ecumenist and Journalist, 1929
·
27 Cornelius Hill, Priest and Chief among the
Oneida, 1907
·
28 Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyon, c. 202 was a Greek bishop noted
for his role in guiding and expanding Christiancommunities in what is now the south of France and, more
widely, for the development of Christian theology by combatting heresy and defining orthodoxy.
·
29 Saint Peter
and Saint Paul, Apostles
OLD TESTAMENT: 1 Kings
19: 1 - 4 (5 - 7) 8 - 15a (RCL)
1Kin 19:1 (NRSV)
A'hab told Jez'ebel all that Eli'jah had done, and how he had killed all the
prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jez'ebel sent a messenger to Eli'jah, saying,
"So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like
the life of one of them by this time tomorrow." 3 Then he was afraid; he
got up and fled for his life, and came to Be'er-she'ba, which belongs to Judah;
he left his servant there.
4 But he himself
went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a
solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: "It is enough; now, O
LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors." 5 Then he
lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him
and said to him, "Get up and eat." 6 He looked, and there at his head
was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay
down again. 7 The angel of the LORD came a second time, touched him, and said,
"Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you."
8 He got up, and
ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty
nights to Ho'reb the mount of God. 9 At that place he came to a cave, and spent
the night there.
Then the word of
the LORD came to him, saying, "What are you doing here, Eli'jah?" 10
He answered, "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for
the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed
your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to
take it away."
11 He said,
"Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD, for the LORD is about
to pass by." Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting
mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in
the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the
earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the
fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13 When Eli'jah heard it, he
wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the
cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, "What are you doing here,
Eli'jah?" 14 He answered, "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the
God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your
altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are
seeking my life, to take it away." 15 Then the LORD said to him, "Go,
return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus;
Zechariah 12: 10 - 11,
13: 1 (Roman Catholic)
Zech 12:10 (NRSV)
And I will pour out a spirit of compassion and supplication on the house of
David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that, when they look on the one whom
they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child,
and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. 11 On that day the
mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Ha'dad-rim'mon in
the plain of Megid'do.
13:1 On that day a
fountain shall be opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.
Isaiah 65: 1 - 9 (alt.
for RCL)
Isai 65:1 (NRSV) I
was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask,
to be found by
those who did not seek me.
I said, "Here
I am, here I am,"
to a nation that
did not call on my name.
2 I held out my
hands all day long
to a rebellious
people,
who walk in a way
that is not good,
following their
own devices;
3 a people who
provoke me
to my face
continually,
sacrificing in
gardens
and offering
incense on bricks;
4 who sit inside
tombs,
and spend the
night in secret places;
who eat swine's
flesh,
with broth of
abominable things in their vessels;
5 who say,
"Keep to yourself,
do not come near
me, for I am too holy for you."
These are a smoke
in my nostrils,
a fire that burns
all day long.
6 See, it is
written before me:
I will not keep
silent, but I will repay;
I will indeed
repay into their laps
7 their iniquities
and their
ancestors'
iniquities together,
qsays the LORD;
because they
offered incense on the mountains
and reviled me on
the hills,
I will measure
into their laps
full payment for
their actions.
8 Thus says the
LORD:
As the wine is
found in the cluster,
and they say,
"Do not destroy it,
for there is a
blessing in it,"
so I will do for
my servants' sake,
and not destroy
them all.
9 I will bring
forth descendants from Jacob,
and from Judah
inheritors of my mountains;
my chosen shall
inherit it,
and my servants
shall settle there.
PSALM 42 & 43 (RCL)
Psal 42:1 (NRSV)
As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs
for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts
for God,
for the living
God.
When shall I come
and behold
the face of God?
3 My tears have been
my food
day and night,
while people say
to me continually,
"Where is
your God?"
4 These things I
remember,
as I pour out my
soul:
how I went with
the throng,
and led them in
procession to the house of God,
with glad shouts
and songs of thanksgiving,
a multitude
keeping festival.
5 Why are you cast
down, O my soul,
and why are you
disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I
shall again praise him,
my help 6 and my
God.
My soul is cast
down within me;
therefore I
remember you
from the land of
Jordan and of Hermon,
from Mount Mi'zar.
7 Deep calls to
deep
at the thunder of
your cataracts;
all your waves and
your billows
have gone over me.
8 By day the LORD
commands his steadfast love,
and at night his
song is with me,
a prayer to the
God of my life.
9 I say to God, my
rock,
"Why have you
forgotten me?
Why must I walk
about mournfully
because the enemy
oppresses me?"
10 As with a
deadly wound in my body,
my adversaries
taunt me,
while they say to
me continually,
"Where is
your God?"
11 Why are you
cast down, O my soul,
and why are you
disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I
shall again praise him,
my help and my
God.
43:1 Vindicate me,
O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly
people;
from those who are
deceitful and unjust
deliver me!
2 For you are the
God in whom I take refuge;
why have you cast
me off?
Why must I walk
about mournfully
because of the
oppression of the enemy?
3 O send out your
light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me
to your holy hill
and to your
dwelling.
4 Then I will go
to the altar of God,
to God my
exceeding joy;
and I will praise
you with the harp,
O God, my God.
5 Why are you cast
down, O my soul,
and why are you
disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I
shall again praise him,
my help and my
God.
42 Quemadmodum (ECUSA BCP)
1 As
the deer longs for the water-brooks, *
so
longs my soul for you, O God.
2 My
soul is athirst for God, athirst for the living God; *
when
shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
3 My
tears have been my food day and night, *
while
all day long they say to me,
"Where
now is your God?"
4 I
pour out my soul when I think on these things; *
how I
went with the multitude and led them into the
house of God,
5 With
the voice of praise and thanksgiving, *
among
those who keep holy-day.
6 Why
are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? *
and
why are you so disquieted within me?
7 Put
your trust in God; *
for I
will yet give thanks to him,
who
is the help of my countenance, and my God.
8 My
soul is heavy within me; *
therefore
I will remember you from the land of Jordan,
and
from the peak of Mizar among the heights of Hermon.
9 One
deep calls to another in the noise of your cataracts; *
all
your rapids and floods have gone over me.
10 The
Lord grants his loving-kindness in
the daytime; *
in
the night season his song is with me,
a
prayer to the God of my life.
11 I
will say to the God of my strength,
“Why have you
forgotten me? *
and
why do I go so heavily while the enemy
oppresses me?”
12 While
my bones are being broken, *
my
enemies mock me to my face;
13 All
day long they mock me *
and
say to me, “Where now is your God?”
14 Why
are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? *
and
why are you so disquieted within me?
15 Put
your trust in God; *
for I
will yet give thanks to him,
who
is the help of my countenance, and my God.
43 Judica me, Deus
1 Give
judgment for me, O God,
and defend my cause
against an ungodly people; *
deliver
me from the deceitful and the wicked.
2 For
you are the God of my strength;
why have you put me
from you? *
and
why do I go so heavily while the enemy
oppresses me?
3 Send
out your light and your truth, that they may lead me, *
and
bring me to your holy hill
and
to your dwelling;
4 That
I may go to the altar of God,
to the God of my
joy and gladness; *
and
on the harp I will give thanks to you, O God my God.
5 Why
are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? *
and
why are you so disquieted within me?
6 Put
your trust in God; *
for I
will yet give thanks to him,
who
is the help of my countenance, and my God.
Psalm 63: 1 - 5, 7 - 8
(Roman Catholic)
Psal 63:1 (NRSV) O
God, you are my God, I seek you,
my soul thirsts
for you;
my flesh faints
for you,
as in a dry and
weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked
upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your
power and glory.
3 Because your
steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will
praise you.
4 So I will bless
you as long as I live;
I will lift up my
hands and call on your name.
5 My soul is
satisfied as with a rich feast,
and my mouth
praises you with joyful lips
7 for you have
been my help,
and in the shadow
of your wings I sing for joy.
8 My soul clings
to you;
your right hand
upholds me.
Psalm 22: 19 - 28 (alt.
for RCL)
Psal 22:19 (NRSV)
But you, O LORD, do not be far away!
O my help, come
quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul
from the sword,
my life from the
power of the dog!
21 Save me from
the mouth of the lion!
From the horns of
the wild oxen you have rescued me.
22 I will tell of
your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the midst of
the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who fear
the LORD, praise him!
All you offspring
of Jacob, glorify him;
stand in awe of
him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he did not
despise or abhor
the affliction of
the afflicted;
he did not hide
his face from me,
but heard when I
cried to him.
25 From you comes
my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will pay
before those who fear him.
26 The poor shall
eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him
shall praise the LORD.
May your hearts
live forever!
27 All the ends of
the earth shall remember
and turn to the
LORD;
and all the
families of the nations
shall worship
before him.
28 For dominion
belongs to the LORD,
and he rules over
the nations.
22 Deus, Deus meus (ECUSA BCP)
18 Be
not far away, O Lord; *
you
are my strength; hasten to help me.
19 Save
me from the sword, *
my
life from the power of the dog.
20 Save
me from the lion's mouth, *
my
wretched body from the horns of wild bulls.
21 I
will declare your Name to my brethren; *
in
the midst of the congregation I will praise you.
22 Praise
the Lord, you that fear him; *
stand
in awe of him, O offspring of Israel;
all
you of Jacob's line, give glory.
23 For
he does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty;
neither does he
hide his face from them; *
but
when they cry to him he hears them.
24 My
praise is of him in the great assembly; *
I
will perform my vows in the presence of those who
worship him.
25 The
poor shall eat and be satisfied,
and those who seek
the Lord shall praise him: *
“May your heart live for ever!”
26 All
the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to
the Lord, *
and
all the families of the nations bow before him.
27 For
kingship belongs to the Lord; *
he
rules over the nations.
NEW TESTAMENT:
Galatians 3: 23 - 29 (all)
Gala 3:23 (NRSV)
Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith
would be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ
came, so that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come,
we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are
all children of God through faith. 27 As many of you as were baptized into
Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is no longer Jew or Greek,
there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all
of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are
Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise.
In v. 23,
by “before faith came” Paul means before the Christian era ,
before the fulfilment of God’s promises. The word translated “disciplinarian”
(v. 24)
was used of a slave who supervised a child outside school hours. We were
restricted in our development until Christ came. Living under the Law prepared
the first Christians for Christ, for oneness, through faith, with God; however,
now they are no longer subject to the Law. Baptism has implications for daily
living (v. 27).
Having taken on Christ, we are spiritually akin to Abraham
(v. 29).
Being “one in Christ” (v. 28),
racial, social and gender differences are insignificant.
Comments: Some Jewish Christians had visited
Galatia ...: Paul wrote in 1:6-7:
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in
the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – not that there is
another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert
the gospel of Christ.” Paul founded churches in Galatia during his first
missionary journey.
Those who are advocating
the law are the Judaizers, i.e. Jewish Christians who see Christianity as still
a sect of Judaism, which is still under the Law. Paul argues vehemently
throughout this whole letter against a law-based religion, and in particular
against the Judaizing party. It is probable historically that these were not
native Galatians but itinerant evangelists who were coming after Paul to correct
the error that he had left behind in the various communities where he
had planted churches.
The Judaizers had moved
into Galatia after Paul's departure and convinced the new converts Paul had
left behind that they needed to bring themselves under the Law. There is an
obvious attraction in this sort of approach, because it makes life a lot
easier: with a law to follow there is no need for discernment or
decision-making. But for Paul that is not the way forward. Instead, Paul
functions with a high (developed) theology of, and a great deal of trust in,
the Spirit.
Verse 15: “no one adds to it or annuls it”: NJBC offers no one can annul
or alter a man’s will. Only the testator can do so, by cancellation or a
codicil, but no one else. So God’s will, made manifest in his promises and
covenant, cannot be altered by “angels” (v. 19).
Verse 15: “will”: The Greek word, diatheke,
means (in Hellenic Greek) last will or testament. The Septuaginttranslators had
used diatheke (rather than syntheke, treaty) to
express Hebrew berit (covenant) probably because it
characterized more closely the kind of covenant that God made with Israel, in
which, as in a vassal treaty, stipulations were set by the overlord that Israel
was expected to obey. Paul begins using it in its Hellenic sense, and by
v. 17 he
has shifted to using it in its Septuagint sense. So the NRSV translates it
there as “covenant”. [ NJBC]
Verse 16: “the promises”: i.e. those made to Abraham:
see Genesis 17:4-8:
“the ancestor of a multitude of nations ... exceedingly fruitful ... make
nations of you ... establish ... an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and
to your offspring after you ... I will give to you, and to your offspring ...
all the land of Canaan, for a perpetual holding”. [CAB]
Verse 16: “offspring”: The word used in Genesis 12:7 ( Yahweh’s promise to
Abram); 17:7-8; 22:17-18 is
literally seed, a collective singular. [ NOAB] While Abraham had more than
one son, only one was the child of the promise, Christ. [ CAB]
Verse 17: “four hundred and thirty years later”: Paul
follows the chronology found in some manuscripts of the Septuagint translation of
Exodus 12:40,
according to which the 430 years included the sojourn of Israel’s forebears in
Canaan and in Egypt; on the other hand the Masoretic Text of this
verse refers to the 430 years as solely the sojourn in Egypt (thus the NRSV).
In Acts 7:6 (Stephen’s
speech to the Sanhedrin), the figure is 400 years, a rough estimate. [NOAB]
Verse 17: “covenant”: The unilateral disposition diatheke made
to Abraham was not altered by subsequent obligations imposed in Mosaic law.
Thus Paul rejects the Judaizers contention that the covenant promises were
subsequently made conditional to the performance of deeds of the Law. [ NJBC]
Verse 18: “inheritance”: This comes either from the Law
or from Christ, not from both. [ CAB]
If inheritance comes from the Law, it is bilateral, not a “promise” (which is
unilateral). “Inheritance” in the Septuagint translation
means the land of Canaan but here it denotes the blessings
promised to Abraham in general. [ NJBC]
Verse 19: “because of transgressions”: The Greek
literally means for the sake of transgressions, so NJBC translates it as to
produce transgressions. He says that the sense is clear from Romans 4:15; 5:13-14, 20; 7:7-13.
In Romans 4:15,
Paul says “For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is
there violation”. [ NJBC] Where
there is no law, there is none to break, but where there is one, it will be
broken.
Verse 19: “until the offspring would come”: The Law was
a temporary measure by God: see also vv. 24-25.
[ NJBC]
Verse 19: “angels”: In Jewish tradition, angels had a
role in the giving of the Law at Sinai; it was not given directly by God. See
Deuteronomy 33:2, Septuagint translation (NRSV:
“holy ones”). This idea is also found in Acts 7:38, 53;
Hebrews 2:2.
[ NOAB] Its mode of promulgation
reveals its inferiority, when compared with promises made directly by God. [ NJBC]
Verse 19: “mediator”: NOAB says Leviticus 26:46 identifies
Moses as a mediator between God and God’s people; however NJBC says that Leviticus 26:46 and
Deuteronomy 5:4-5 contain
vague allusions to Moses as mediator and that this is the most likely
interpretation of a highly disputed phrase.
Verse 20: “Now a mediator involves more than one party;
but God is one”: REB has but
an intermediary is not needed for one party acting alone, and God is one; NJBC offers a similar translation.
The translations appearing to be rather different, let us look at the Greek. A
literal translation is: The and/but mediator one not is, the and/but
God one iswhere and/but translates de (which
can mean and or but).
One can now see the
translator’s problem, but not the solution. The King James Version, being a
rather literal translation, is helpful in showing us how many words had to be
inserted to turn the Greek into reasonably coherent English; it shows these
words in italics: “Now a mediator is not a mediator of one,
but God is one”. This verse is a perfect example of the difficulty of doing
justice to one language when translating into another. The thought processes
are often very different.
The translators do agree
that the first one does not refer to the mediator; Paul is not
saying that the mediator is plural while God is singular: something that would
make no logical sense.
In this case the REB is a bit more literal in its
translation than the NRSV on this point, in that it expresses the first phrase
in the negative, as Paul does, but it still interprets significantly. Both are
trying to get at the same notion: that where there is a mediator, there are two
parties, and where there is only one party there is no need for a mediator.
But/and God is one. In other words, God being one does not require a mediator;
hence the Law is rendered null and void in God's case.
Recall earlier verses: a
mediator is only needed in a bilateral agreement (or dispute); the Law is
bilateral but a promise (and the fulfilment) is unilateral. Both the NRSV and
the REB are correct; they
both do the best possible in translating between thought processes and
languages. [Alan T. Perry]
A very free rendering
is: There is no need for a mediator where there is only one party; and
God is one. [Therefore in God's case the Law is superfluous.]
Verses 21b-22: Paul says, in Romans 3:20,
“For ‘no human being will be justified in his sight’ by deeds prescribed by the
law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin” and, in Romans 7:7,
“What then should we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet, if it had not
been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is
to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’”. [ NOAB] The Law cannot give life:
v. 11 says
“Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law; for ‘The one
who is righteous will live by faith.’”. [ NJBC]
Verse 21: “make alive”: Paul has just written in
v. 11:
“Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law; for ‘The one
who is righteous will live by faith’”. See also Romans 8:3.
[ NJBC]
Verse 21: “righteousness”: God’s act of putting a person
in a right relationship with him. [ CAB]
Verse 22: “scripture”: Two interpretations are possible:
the entire Old Testament biblical tradition, [ NOAB] or the Law and the texts
quoted in Romans 3:10-18 (which
are from Psalms and Isaiah 59:7-8 and
together illustrate the sinfulness of all human beings) . [ NJBC]
Verse 22: “all things”: Two interpretations are
possible:
- human beings: in Romans 11:32,
Paul writes: “... God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be
merciful to all”
- all creation, as people were before Christ’s coming:
the Greek word translated “all”, panta, is neuter. See
Romans 8:19-23:
“... the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the
children of God ...”. [ NJBC]
Verse 22: “faith in Jesus Christ”: Per the NRSV
footnote, faith of Jesus Christ is also a good
translation. Faith of Jesus Christ assumes Christ’s faithful
obedience unto death (see Romans 5:18-21 and
Philippians 2:8)
or in becoming incarnate (see Philippians 2:6-8),
or the entire ministry of Jesus, possibly involving an interchange with “all
who believe” in God (Romans 4:24)
and in Christ (Galatians 3:24).
The same Greek phrase also occurs in Romans 3:26;
Galatians 2:16, 20;
Philippians 3:9.
[ NOAB]
Verse 23: “until faith would be revealed”: NJBC offers in view of the
coming revelation of faith. The reign of Law was divinely ordained to
prepare for the coming reign of Christian freedom. In 1 Corinthians 4:3,
Paul says “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you
or by any human court. I do not even judge myself”. [ NJBC]
Verse 24: “disciplinarian”: The same Greek word is
translated as guardian in 1 Corinthians 4:15.
[ NOAB]
Verse 27: “baptized into Christ”: See also Romans 6:3-11 for
development of the connection between baptism into Christ and its implications
for daily living. [ CAB] Baptism
is the sacramental complement of faith, the rite whereby a person achieves
union with Christ and publicly manifests his commitment. [ NJBC]
Verse 27: “clothed yourselves ...”: See also
Romans 13:13;
Colossians 3:9-10 and
Ephesians 4:22-24 ;
Psalm 132:9;
Isaiah 61:10; 64:6;
Zechariah 3:3.
[ CAB] The term may either:
- be borrowed from Greek mystery religions, in which an
initiate identified himself with the god by donning his robes, or
- be Paul’s use of an Old Testament expression for
adoption of another’s moral dispositions or outlook. In Job 29:14,
Job says: “I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like
a robe and a turban”. 2 Chronicles 6:41 says:
“... Let your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation ...”. As Paul
also uses it in Romans 13:14 (“put
on the Lord Jesus Christ”), this interpretation is more likely. [ NJBC]
Verse 28: Romans 10:12 is
similar: “there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord
of all and is generous to all who call on him”. See also Colossians 3:11.
[ CAB]
Luke 8:26-39
GOSPEL: Luke 8: 26 - 39
(RCL)
Luke 8:26 Then
they arrived at the country of the Ger'asenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 As
he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long
time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs.
28 When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his
voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I
beg you, do not torment me"-- 29 for Jesus had commanded the unclean
spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept
under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds
and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) 30 Jesus then asked him, "What
is your name?" He said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered
him. 31 They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.
32 Now there on
the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to
let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out
of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into
the lake and was drowned.
34 When the
swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in
the country. 35 Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they
came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the
feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36 Those
who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been
healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Ger'asenes
asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into
the boat and returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he
might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 "Return to your
home, and declare how much God has done for you." So he went away,
proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.
Jesus and his disciples
arrive in Gerasa, a city some 30 km east of the Jordan – in Gentile territory.
Ancient ideas of dementia were very different from ours:
·
demons were spirits of an evil kind, thought to do battle, as a “legion”
(v. 30),
with God and his allies;
·
they were thought to invade human bodies and personalities, causing
mental (and some physical) illness, and taking control of people;
·
“the wilds” (v. 29,
the desert) was the abode of demons and destructive forces;
·
“the abyss” (v. 31)
was the realm of Satan and home to demons.
People who had been
deprived of their liberty (e.g. prisoners) lost the right to wear clothes.
“Tombs” (v. 27)
were ritually unclean places. Jesus has power over evil forces (“fell down”,
v. 28;
“commanded”, v. 29).
The man recognizes Jesus for whom he is. “Swine” (v. 32)
were a symbol of pagan religion and of Roman rule: even they are subject to
Jesus’ authority. Perhaps Luke predicts the fall of Rome in telling the fate of
the swine (v. 33):
that Roman legions will drown. The man not only sits “at the
feet of Jesus” (v. 35),
as disciples did, but becomes a missionary to fellow Gentiles (v. 39).
This is a story of transformation; so dramatic is the change in the man that
the people are “seized with ... fear” (v. 37):
they can’t handle it.
What does Luke mean by
“had been healed” (v. 36)
or saved? Look at the changes in the man’s life:
·
from outside the city to inside it;
·
from living in tombs and being driven into the desert to living in a
house;
·
from nakedness to being clothed; and
·
from being demented to being of sound mind.
From destructive
isolation, he has become part of a nurturing, human community. He proclaims the
good news. To Luke, a “house” (v. 27)
is a home where one belongs, is a person, interacts with others, and exercises
personal and communal rights and obligations, including moral ones.
© 1996-2019
Chris Haslam
The parallels are
Matthew 8:28-34 and
Mark 5:1-20.
[ NOAB] The account here is
very close to that in Mark.
Verse 26: “Gerasenes”: Gerasa was a city of the
Decapolis, a federation of ten cities of Hellenic culture in an area east of
Samaria and Galilee. Gerasa was about 50 Km (30 miles) southeast of the Lake of
Galilee. While Gergesenes and Gadarenes are
found in some manuscripts, “Gerasenes” is the best attested reading. From a
geographical viewpoint, this story presents problems. Swine have no sweat
glands, so they would not survive a 50 km rush down to “the
lake” (v. 33,
the Sea of Galilee) from Gerasa; on the other hand, Gergesa is thought to have
been close to the shore of the Sea. Gadera was about 8 Km (5 miles) from the
Sea, but this would still be a long way for pigs to run! The story is moving at
a symbolic level. [ BlkLk] [ NJBC] [ OBA]
Verse 27: “demons”: Demons were thought of as
non-material existences of a personal sort, hostile to God. The gospels reflect
the widespread dread of demons and a general sense of helplessness when faced
with demonic activity. See also Matthew 4:24; 8:16, 28; 9:32; 15:22;
Luke 4:33; 13:11, 16.
Per Revelation 9:1-11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1-3,
demons are ultimately under God’s control. [ NOAB]
Verse 27: “had worn no clothes”: Comments:
People who had been deprived of their liberty (e.g. prisoners) lost the right
to wear clothes. Other examples were slaves (see Isaiah 20:2-4),
prostitutes (see Ezekiel 16:38-40),
demented people (see 1 Samuel 19:23-24)
and damned people. [ NJBC]
Verse 29: “unclean spirit”: The spirit was considered
“unclean” because the effect of the condition was to separate the person from
the worship of God. [ NOAB]
Verse 30: “‘Legion’”: A Roman legion consisted of 6,000
foot soldiers. Perhaps the man is saying that his personality has lost unity,
that he has multiple personalities, as did a legion. [ BlkLk]
Verse 31: “abyss”: Elsewhere in the New Testament the
Greek word occurs only in Romans 10:7 and
Revelation 20:1-3 (“pit”).
There it is the abode respectively of the dead and of evil spirits. It occurs
frequently in the Septuaginttranslation
of the Old Testament; there it means sea. Luke may be connecting
the depths of the sea with the abode of evil spirits. The
demons are, in the story, literally assigned to the Sea of Galilee. [ BlkLk] [ NJBC]
Verse 32: “swine”: Roman might was symbolized by a very
fecund sow that gave birth to thirty piglets, and by the wild boar. The wild
boar was the symbol of the Legio X Fretensis; this legion was
stationed in Syria, and fought in the Jewish revolt of 66-70 AD. See also 15:15-16 (the
Prodigal Son feeds the pigs). The pig was the most frequently used sacrificial
animal in Greek and Roman worship. For Jews, eating pork was equivalent to
paganism and apostasy from Judaism. See 2 Maccabees; 4 Maccabees; Isaiah 65:1-5.
[ NJBC]
Verse 35: “at the feet of Jesus”: The posture of a
follower of Jesus. In 10:39,
Mary, sister of Martha, sits at Jesus’ feet to listen to what he is saying. In
Acts 22:3,
Paul says that he was “brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel”, the
great teacher. [ NJBC]
Verse 39: “throughout the city”: Mark 5:20 says
“in the Decapolis”. Note Luke’s emphasis on the city. [ CAB]
© 1996-2019
Chris Haslam
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