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The Gospel Proclamation
They came ... to the country of the Gerasenes. ... immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. .. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; and he shouted at the top of his voice. “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? .. do not torment me.” ... Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied “My name is Legion, for we are many.” He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country .... “Send us into the swine; let us enter them.”....
Gaze at Jesus
In the previous narrative, we have an account of how Jesus calmed the storm. In this Scripture passage, we have the account of how Jesus overpowered the evil spirit.
Jesus, this simple man from Nazareth, seems to possess some unusual powers. Who is this man? How can he overpower a legion (multiple) of evil spirits?
Let us turn our Bibles to Genesis 3:15. This is the earliest reference in the Bible, to Jesus, and also to Blessed Virgin Mary. “It will crush your head ...” Yes, Jesus would crush and kill Satan on the Cross and would bring victory to all mankind over the powers of Satan.
In this narrative, we have the shadow of the real event, that was to take place subsequently on the Cross. Jesus shows through this event that God has the power over the evil spirit, that God is supreme and that the evil spirit is powerless before the might of God. Yes, Jesus can set us free from the clutches of the evil one.
Prayerful Awareness
This Jesus who died on the Cross released to all mankind His Holy Spirit. This Holy Spirit was promised to mankind by Jesus, just before His departure from this world. John 14: 16, 17 says “I shall ask the Father and He will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world can never receive, since it neither sees nor knows him, but you know him, because he is with you, he is in you.”
Yes, God lives in man through His Spirit and with the power of this Holy Spirit, man is enabled to overcome and overpower the evil spirit, who induces man to sin. Through the power of this Holy Spirit, man is enabled to overcome his enslavements, addictions etc. Through this power of the Holy Spirit, man is enabled to withstand the forces arrayed against him by Satan.
In order that the Holy Spirit may be active within us, let us awake to His presence, several times a day. A simple method is the twin awarenesses, whereby we first awake to the condition of our heart, and then ask the Holy Spirit to overshadow our condition.
Prayer Starter
God, guardian of my rights, You answer when I call. When I am in trouble, You come to my relief. Now be good to me and hear my prayer ...
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