Off Danny's Disk. . .

The lectionary readings for June 20 come from the Gospel of Luke. The focal story is the middle tale of a three-story prelude to Jesus' sending of the 12 Apostles to preach, heal and teach. Each story underscores Jesus' identity as the Messiah. Each establishes that Jesus has authority and power from God over nature (calming a storm), the Spirit world (casting out demons) and death and disease (healing a woman and raising Jairus' daughter from death).

The middle story is the lectionary target. It focuses on Jesus' authority over the spirit world. It is a difficult story-especially if we let ourselves chase rabbits about demon possession. But if we focus on what the story is trying to convey, we can grasp its meaning for us today more quickly.

In the story, Jesus accompanies the disciples into the land across the lake. It is set in a village where Jesus is immediately confronted by a tormented, demented man. The man had completely lost control of himself. He ran wildly, naked among the tombs in a graveyard. Jesus stood up to the man and ordered him to be calm, but the man resisted menacingly, calling Jesus a stranger who had no right to change him in any way. He was bound to his condition and to his place by the demons of his life and of his community.

Jesus asked for his name and the man replied: "Legion." The fact that the man told Jesus any name at all shows that he recognized Jesus' authority over him! The ancient Jewish world believed that if you knew a thing's name, you could control that thing. (Remember when Moses asked God for a name at the burning bush? God answered not with a name, but with a declaration: YHWH, which means: "I am". He did not give a noun-based label, but verb focused demonstration of his being and authority. )

The Gospel story demonstrates Jesus' authority over spiritual reality. The uncleanness in the man leaves him and is destroyed at Jesus' command. The man is himself again: calm and sane.

Interestingly, the community is frightened of Jesus and of the man. They ask Jesus to leave town! What he represents requires them to give up the limits they have known and to venture into a new realm of life. The man who was delivered to sanity is left behind to keep telling the story so the people can one day choose to be free of their fears and be ready to move beyond past limits.

This gospel package of three stories plus the sending of the 12 is a fore-glimpse of the life of the church after Pentecost. Jesus had completed the work of launching the "kindom" of God. Now, he sent believers to share the Good News that his authority over all life-nature, spirit, death-is FOR the Kindom. Soon, empowered by the spirit to exercise Jesus' own authority, the church shared the Good News like the newly sane man in the district of the Gerazenes. Their very presence challenged the chains of their everyday reality and called all people to a new life beyond the past limits that had held them captive.

It is still the task of the church today! In this season after Pentecost, let us devote ourselves to the call of the Lord-to share Good News and to live in confidence rather than in fear.

We are called to reach beyond the limits of our past! Let our transformation begin!