Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America

Tuesday after the Festival of the Transfiguration of our Lord

Posted on January 23, 2018 by Pastor Dulas under Devotions
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Scripture: St. Matthew 8:28-34 (NKJV)

8:28 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. 29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

30 Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding. 31 So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.”

32 And He said to them, “Go.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.

33 Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.

Devotion

“What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

These words from the demons are truly evil. Unfortunately we continue to hear such words from people in our time. People say, “What does God have to do with this? Don’t push your religion on us…”

The devil wants people to think that the Lord has no place in their lives. But the truth is that all things are in God’s hands. Jesus did not go to the country of the Gergesenes to torment the demons. His purpose was to help mankind by healing us from our sins and delivering us from the power of death and the devil. It is the ongoing lie of Satan that Jesus is just a harsh judge who only wants to kill man’s wanton liberties and torment those who are trying to do what they want. The demons despise the truth that the Son of God came to save people from them, and that their torments are not the work of a petty judge, but the results of their evil rebellion against the holy will of the Most High God.

Thanks be to God that He reveals Himself to us to cast out such demonic obstinacy and create a new heart within us according to His Word and Spirit for the forgiveness of our sins.

We pray: Almighty and Everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth the right hand of Thy majesty to help and defend us; 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.

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