Demoniac delivers

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary are connected to journeys from the land where the Hebrew people lived to places across the eastern geography of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. In the gospel from Mark, we find Jesus has travelled across the Sea of Galilee to the area where Gentile people of non Semitic origin lived.  Hippos, Gerasa, and Gadara were all counted in the Decapolis, an informal grouping of Greco-Roman cities in eastern Palestine. The teaching at the end of the previous chapter of the Gospel indicated that the confusion and storms which beset the Church gathered symbolically in the boat of Peter are calmed as the direction of Jesus takes them to bring the Good News to all the people of the world. The Presence of Jesus is again detected by the evil spirits who possess a man living among the tombs. Freedom from possession by sin is given by Jesus to this man and it is witnessed by the population who are stuck with awe and fear. An opportunity for change may threaten our comfort with living in a mediocre manner where we are not terribly challenged or threatened. Those in great need, like the demoniac, receive great life from the Love of Jesus. Those who are too content will not see the opportunity to grow in disruption. The Book of Samuel and Psalm 3 deal with the turbulent struggles of David with those in the Kingdom of Israel who have been his rival for power and those who would seek to remove power from him. The life of King David as summarized by a commentary from The Master's Prayer Network is one where He is blessed by many sons and cursed by violent acts within his family including his own episode of adultery and murder in his relationship with Bathsheba. David flees from Absalom, his son, to the land across the Jordan. David's party was received warmly with provisions on the east side of the Jordan, even by an Ammonite, Ammon being one of the nations subject under David's kingdom. The peace and rest found in the Gentile territory is contrasted with the engagement of David with the forces of Absalom during which his son is killed. Our journey is also to find and bring peace and freedom. It may be that our opportunity to live our mission is outside the comfort and complacency which possesses us and holds us back from joining the healed demoniac as a witness to Life in a foreign society of darkness.