The exciting thing about reading the Bible is that many times we read the same passage and it tells us something new. There are two examples of this today. They are in Luke. Luke 8 tells the story of the demoniac who had been possessed by "Legions" of demons. Jesus ordered them to leave and they went into a heard of hogs, which promptly raced off a cliff into the sea and drowned.
I have heard, and probably taught, that it is an interesting juxtaposition that the man would tolerate the indwelling of demons and the pigs would not. But that may be a little demeaning to the man and to the story itself.
Looking into the next chapter (Luke 9) we find the story of Jesus after he came down from the Mount of Transfiguration. He encounters another person who is afflicted with a demon. Verse 37 tells the story of how the demon abuses, and actually attempts to kill the boy. This is a common theme in demon possession. Matthew 17 expounds on this by reporting that the demon threw the boy into the fire and into water, evidently intent on "suicide" or homicide by demon.
In fact, most of the demon-possessed people Jesus encountered were also afflicted by other physical problems. The "indewlling presence" of a demon is never conducive to good health, either physically or spiritually.
Back to the hogs. When the demons entered them, the natural result was a self-destructive behavior on the part of the hogs. The man had been oppressed, but was able to resist the suicide impulses that the demons exerted. This may be a story of victory rather than one of humiliation.
The demons' ultimate goal, like that of Satan, himself, if to steal, kill, and destroy. We see that exposed in the behavior of demon possessed individuals. The end of the story is that he went all around his country proclaiming that Jesus had done, and could do wonderful things for those who came to him. Come.
The second story comes from the preceding events in Luke 9. After the Transfiguration, Peter blurts out that they should build three tabernacles on the mountain, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. The Presence of the Lord immediately overshadowed them and The Father said, "This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!" (Verse 35)
Often we interpret this to be a rebuke to Peter for blurting out something instead of being in the "listening mode" for what the Lord would say. He was not wrong for honoring Jesus, Mo, and Eli, but there were more important things. We can also interpret his meaning to say that they would stay on the mountain and revel in the presence of this "big three." They needed to get back to the real world and interact with needy people, as the demon possessed boy we just viewed.
Today I read something that put a much more sinister and critical meaning on Peter's exclamation. He was not simply wishing to avoid the conflict of the world down there, he was equating Jesus with Moses and Elijah. Moses represented the Old Testament Law and Elijah represented the Prophets. Peter may have thought that he was honoring Jesus by giving Him equal billing with Moses and Elijah.
The Father immediately crushed that equation. Look at the words again. "This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!" The Father is not just telling Peter, James, and John to pay attention to Jesus, He is declaring that Jesus is superior to the other two. In fact, He is so far above them, that it is safe to declare that Jesus is the one and only Authority. We can learn from the others, but they are not authoritative at all, except as they reflect and repeat what Jesus said.
This is another of the more than 100 declarations of the deity and superiority of Jesus in the Scripture. If Jehovah, Himself, again, declared that we need to listen to Jesus, as a good follower of Jehovah, I am inclined to do so. No, I am compelled to do so.
Jesus is Lord.
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