I keep thinking about the story in Luke 8 that we read last Sunday: the man named “Legion” who lived in the cemetery, ran around naked in the wilderness and the townspeople couldn’t keep him in chains. He was possessed by evil and sickness, and Jesus healed him in spite of his protests. The evil spirits that had possessed him then invaded a herd of pigs who ran off a cliff into the sea and drowned.
The reaction of the healed man? Gratefulness and love for Jesus. He asked Jesus if he could go with him.
The reaction of the townspeople? Fear. When they saw the healed man sitting clothed and in his right mind, they told Jesus to go away and leave them alone.
Many times deep healing comes with a cost. Drowned pigs. Chemotherapy. AA meetings. Truth and Reconciliation hearings. A crucified savior. Many times we are afraid, aren’t we? It is easier to stay the same. The path of least resistance is to let the chains stay on.
In Galatians 4 and 5, Paul sides with the healed man. He writes: Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods….For freedom Christ has set us free….For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence…
Here are what some of the chains of self-indulgence look like according to Paul: idolatry, sexual impurity, drunkenness, (hold on, it gets closer), jealousy, anger, quarrels, factions, envy…and the laundry list goes on (Galatians 5: 19-21). Any of those things, and many others, can bind and chain us, prevent us from loving in healthy and self-giving ways.
On the other hand Paul invites us to live by and be guided by the Spirit and suggests what we will see the Spirit grow in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When we are healed by Jesus, we are set free to let God grow these things in our life.
However there is a cost in letting the Lord break our chains, and sometimes we are simply afraid. We all have a bit of the wild man, Legion, in us. And we all have a bit of the people’s fear in us too. We might prefer the chain of holding a grudge to letting God’s love flow through us. We might choose the chains of casual sex rather than the gift of faithfulness. We might decide that setting aside the label “enemy” in order to offer God’s peace is more than we can risk. We mistakenly think our chains protect us and make us feel better rather than possess and enslave us.
Are there chains Jesus wants to break for me? For you?
Jesus knows our reluctance, and that’s why I go back to the story of Legion. He was a person enslaved and possessed, afraid of the pain and cost of healing, yet Jesus made him whole. I can guarantee that each one of us is enslaved and possessed by something or other. We likely fear what the Spirit changing us would look like. Yet, afraid or not, in Christ we are promised God’s power working to make us whole. It may not happen all at once, but a legion of chains can’t stop our Lord, especially if we (and others on our behalf) ask him for help.
undo me and take me apart
meanwhile back at my soul,
mend me, Lord, please make me whole
you know just where to start
back at my heart, back at my fear, back at my brokenness
Lord, meet me here.
Though I was lost, I’m not afraid anymore.
lyrics from Natalie Grant: “Back at my heart” from Relentless
Diane says
I love this reflection! It’s easier to stay the same…. the cost of transformation….
Joseph says
Well Said. Not many like to hear it, but the fact remains, it is a full time job, our “RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD” not just a few hours on Sunday Morning.
Daisy says
So very true, Elaine. We’re a work in progress, that’s for sure. Isn’t there a verse about God not stopping the work He has begun in us?
That’s what I appreciate about the 3rd Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King. Even after all they’ve been through to get to Mordor, Frodo, in the end, cannot willingly throw the ring into the pit. It takes a battle with Golom for the deed to be accomplished.
Unfortunately, I seem to have the same M.O. Things have to get very uncomfortable before I make a change.
Mich
Elaine Dent says
Thank goodness, God is rather patient. God’s got all the time in the world. 🙂 “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.” (Paul to the Philippians in 1:4)