They called him Legion.

Since Scripture is inspired by God, we can expect that when we read a passage like Luke 8:26-39, there is a literal man who suffered in the manner described, who had the conversation with Jesus recorded here, and who experienced the lasting effects of his encounter with Jesus, as described.

Why is it there? What was the purpose of God in relating this particular story to us? There are many miracles not even mentioned in scripture. Why this level of detail in this case?

Certainly, that passage, with its surrounding context, aims to glorify Jesus, and to show his authority over nature, the enemy, illness, death, and (in the following chapter) leads up to the proclamation that Jesus is the Christ.

But all scripture is also for our edification. It tells the story of "Legion" because it is, in many ways, our story.

Consider:

The wild man had demons for a long time. He did not live in a home, but in the tombs. He was naked. He was under guard. He was chained, but broke the chains, and was driven to the wilderness. Although acknowledging His authority, he addressed Jesus with fear and mistrust.

We -- unless and until we come to saving faith -- are little different from this wild man. His home was in the tombs, and was surrounded by death. We were dead in our transgressions and sins. We were naked, and our shame was exposed. We thought ourselves well-adorned with righteousness, but our best efforts were tattered, soiled, scraps which only magnified, rather than concealed our nakedness. We then boasted in what God calls shameful.

We, too, were under guard. God could not offer the new covenant until we had first tasted the Law. We were unruly and lawbreakers. The Law was our tutor to show us just that. It caused us to acknowledge our need of Him, and to also acknowledge our inherent moral helplessness.

We were chained. We were slaves of our passions. We were free, so to say, from righteousness, and slaves to sin. While we were "free" to pursue any sort of sin we desired, we had no appetite for -- and therefore freedom to pursue -- true righteousness. We were like the wild man, driven into the wilderness.

The man was hostile to Jesus, and did not trust him. He assumed Jesus approached him in judgement. Jesus came to break the bonds that held him under the sway of "Legion", but He came to restore the man himself.

We are sometimes the same way. Jesus calls (commands!) us to repentance. We, too often, take it as a personal attack. We cringe. We resist. He comes to break the bonds of sin, and restore us, yet we view him suspiciously.

The man yielded as we have (if we are called by His Name). His reason had returned. He was found to be willingly in the presence of Jesus, more than that, he now wanted to follow Jesus. There was a change. Change came in response to what Jesus had done within him.

He was no longer naked. Neither are we. The wedding guest was chased out of the party for wearing the wrong clothes, but we have been given new clothes to wear. He lived among the tombs, and had no place. He found a place in the presence of Jesus. Our Lord promised that he goes to prepare a place for us, and will return for us. What place? His presence.

The wild man wanted nothing better than to leave the region, and follow Jesus to wherever he was going. Doubtless, it would be easier to 'start over' somewhere new. But Jesus didn't call him to comfort. Jesus called him to proclaim the goodness of God in the place where he was from. The witnesses asked Jesus to leave. (When entire herds of swine suddenly drop dead, that's bad for business.)

This other guy was harder to dismiss. Everyone knew him. There would have been pointing and whispering. They probably waited for a relapse. But nobody could have denied the change in his life.

So with us. We are not called to anonymity. (City on a hill, remember?) We are to have a different quality to our life. We are to be seasoned with salt. Jesus calls us and sends us.

New Christians in their zeal sometimes assume that to serve God, they have to have a 'Big Ministry' (whatever that means). We are all called to preach to some degree. ("But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." -- I Peter 3:15)

But we do so in the place to which we are called by God. Sure, some are international missionaries, but most are called to the people they already know. Family, neighbors, and co-workers. Let us pray for the grace to do just that.

Pax.