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Aug 15, 2023 18:30pm

Destruction

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Dynamite.

It’s blast is powerful and it has one purpose – to destroy.

It’s been used for years in mining, blasting through mountains to build roads and tunnels, and tearing down buildings.

It may look harmless at first glance, but when you realize what it is, you know how dangerous it can be.

Dynamite = destruction.

In our reading this morning, we are in Luke 8:30-37. Jesus is in what was called the Decapolis. It was an area of 10 Greek towns that were self governed since they belonged to no one. He meets a man who is possessed by demons. We see in this passage the demons trembling before Jesus, recognizing His authority and power over them. The demon speaks and tells Jesus his name is Legion, which means there are many demons, thousands, not just one.

And what are they doing in this man? What is their purpose with him? Here are some things we see from the scripture.

1. He has no clothes and no home, as he lives in the tombs.

2. He would break from chains that were placed to hold him and protect the people from him.

3. He would be driven into the wilderness by the demons.

Everything the demons did to this man was for one reason – to destroy him. From the inside out, the man was being broken, piece by piece. The scripture tells us the demons had been in this man for a long time. People knew who he was. They had seen the horrible effects it had on him. And they were afraid of him. He was alone, tormented and tortured, day after day, year after year.

And then Jesus comes along.

He casts the demons from the man into a herd of pigs nearby. They raced down the cliff into the lake and drowned.

And cheers were heard all throughout the city! Actually… no.

Wouldn’t that be the reaction you would expect? The people should be thrilled! This man has just been healed! The torment is over! But instead, they choose the pigs over the person.

They’re mad about their pigs. Money down the drain. That’s what they cared about most. And their anger fumed inside them. When they heard what Jesus had done, they weren’t just mad, they were afraid.

So what did they do?

Luke 8:37

“Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.”

They drove Him away.

Satan’s main purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. His temptations may seem harmless at first, but the danger is real. Our world toys with the things of Satan and says they’re no big deal.

But Jesus has power over it all. He came to save us from the destruction of Satan and death, but what will we do when He offers us that salvation?

Will we accept it and be healed? Or will we get angry and fearful and drive Him away?

I pray you’ll choose to be healed. And to celebrate when others choose the same.