Embrace the Mess – Luke 8:26-39
The healing of the Gerasene man possessed by demons is a profound story of healing and grace. In it we see a man who’d been living chained and naked in tombs, tormented by so many demons they were collectively called Legion. He was so troubled that no one had been able to help or control him, so he’d terrorized the town. But Jesus cures him by casting out those demons who enter a nearby herd of swine that subsequently destroy themselves by running over a cliff.
That’s a bare bones description of a monumental miracle. But at the end of this story there’s no parade through town. No fattened calf roasting in celebration. And more importantly, there’s no overtly happy ending. Instead, we’re left with a rejected Jesus, disgruntled villagers, and a restored, but disappointed, man.
No one seems happy, and it might be difficult to see this as a success. However, the man whose healing disrupted his community becomes the first Gentile preacher, entrusted by Jesus to proclaim the glory of God to those around him.
Outcasts often become God’s very best preachers because they truly understand what it means to be called into relationship with God. But these are often the very people we’d rather keep at a distance or whose friendship we know will come at a cost. Their inclusion might seem too high a price to pay, yet they’re the very ones who can become our preachers and teachers if we let them.
In our own brokenness, poverty, sickness, we’re also called to preach, even to those who keep us at a distance. We can’t hide from our past or from the people who’ve seen us naked in the tombs any more than the possessed man could. We’re called to the uncomfortable and costly business of knowing and being known by each other.
The church isn’t the place to look for easy answers or escape from pain. It’s not the place to come seeking a magic formula for tranquility or some secret to worldly success. The fact is, if we stick around for very long, we’ll find that the church can be messy and vulnerable and costly and uncomfortable. And just like in Luke’s story, no one always gets exactly what they want. But that’s okay. In fact, this is the good news because it’s here that Jesus meets us in the middle of the mess of our humanity. It’s here that God is at work.
I hope that as a church we’re willing to shoulder the burden of those who need restoration among us. And I hope that we’re willing to welcome back those who’ve been cast out. More importantly, I hope that through them we hear the voice of God and begin to embrace the mess.
