What Demons have to Teach Me

Scripture: And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Luke 8:31

Observation: Jesus meets a man who had many demons. He confronts these demons and three times they beg Jesus. Once to not torment them, once to not send them out of the man and into the abyss, their ultimate destination, and once to send them into a nearby herd of pigs. Amazingly, Jesus listens to them. The text says: So he gave them permission. This story obviously demonstrated the authority of Christ, and the opposition he faced. These demons recognized him and his power over them. But what is new for me today is that Jesus gave them permission. Was this mercy? Did he have another reason for casting them into the pigs, perhaps to have a more visible demonstration, or to make a point about pig ownership? Maybe to give the herdsman an amazing tale to tell? I don’t know. What bothers me is the possibility that Jesus showed mercy to these demons.

Application: Again, Jesus confounds my expectations. Maybe the point of this is that Jesus has not only the power, but the authority to do as he sees is best, without needing to consult me. Whether this act makes sense to me now or now, Jesus did this, so it must be the right thing to do. If Jesus can do something as confusing to me as negotiate with demons, then maybe I ought to stop trying to buck against what he is doing in my life. Maybe I should learn something from these demons and simply accept the authority of Jesus.

Prayer: God, I re-submit to you today. You have complete authority, and you always act for my good and your glory. I trust you and thank you for your complete control.