The Festival of All Saints
Posted on November 1, 2024 by under
Scripture: St. Luke 8:27-39 (NKJV)
8:27 And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” 29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.
30 Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?”
And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.
32 Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. 33 Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.
34 When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36 They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. 37 Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.
38 Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.
Devotion
Over forty days and nights the devil sought to defeat Jesus in the wilderness. If it weren’t for the Word of God, we would not know about this contest, or our Lord’s victory following His baptism. But in today’s text, the people got to see a very public defeat of not just one demon, but a legion of them. We don’t know exactly how many there were, but St. Mark tells us there were about 2,000 pigs in the herd. Although these legions drove the possessed man to live in barren places, we see that these legions were forced to come and fall down before Jesus. They had absolutely no power over Jesus. They feared Him greatly. They feared that their final punishment by Him in the abyss (“…the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matt. 25:41) had arrived.
Although our adversary, the devil, is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, we need not fear him, because our Savior has defeated him. Although the demons are too strong for us, our Lord Jesus casts out demons with ease. Like Mary Magdalene or this man, God’s power will have us sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed in Christ’s forgiveness and in our right mind—the mind of Christ!
Collect: O Almighty God, Who hast knit together Thine elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical Body of Thy Son, Christ our Lord: Grant us grace so to follow Thy blessed Saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those unspeakable joys which Thou hast prepared for those who unfeignedly love Thee; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity Sunday
O God, our Refuge and Strength, Who art the Author of all godliness: Be ready, we beseech Thee, to hear the devout prayers of Thy Church; and grant that those things which we ask faithfully, we may obtain effectually; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
