who had come from the tombs. The man lived among the tombs, and no one could restrain
him, even with a chain. He had often been bound with fetters and chains; but he would pull
the chains apart and smash the fetters; and no one had the strength to control him. Night
and day he stayed among the tombs on the hillsides, and was continually screaming,
and beating himself with stones.
Reflect
“Return home.” Who governs our home? Who is the true authority over our family?
We are always challenged to have God at the center of our family. Nowadays,
there are many broken families because many parents and children have turned
their backs from the Lord. Can we still recognize Jesus’ authority over every home?
Today’s Gospel narrates Jesus casting out the evil spirits, called Legion, from a man
in the region of Gerasenes. What seems to be strange in this particular story in Jesus’
ministry is that, in the end, the man who had been possessed by Legion wanted to follow
Jesus but Jesus would not let him. Jesus told the man to go home and proclaim the good
thing that God has done to him. Discipleship comes in manifold ways. The man in the
Gospel is an example of what we may call a home-based disciple. He is not called to follow
Jesus literally but summoned to return home in order to proclaim the Good News to the
people of his own place. As Jesus’ disciples, sometimes, we need not go to far flung areas.
We only have to bear witness to Jesus’ loving presence within our very own family.
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