October 30, 2022 "Who Are You, Really?"

ReNew Ames Messages

This is a story that definitely fits in the horror genre. Demon possession, gore, violence, possessed pigs running off a cliff...it has it all. Because it has such heavy and disturbing themes, it's sometimes difficult to approach this story. We'll start with the question Jesus asks. "What is your name? Who are you, really?" It's a loving question - Jesus is approaching the man with compassion. What would happen if we let the Divine ask us that question: who are you, really? The man says, "Legion." A great multitude. A fast many. An incalculable swarm. Maybe it doesn't matter how we define demons, other than to say that it's anything that wants to possess us - anything that seeks to take away our true identity and separate us from God and other people. Woof - we all wrestle with Legion. But the story isn't over. It also reveals where we find our freedom. The man falls at the feet of Jesus. The people find him sitting at the feet of Jesus. Freedom comes at the feet of Jesus. Freedom is in the surrendering to Jesus. Which, of course, is the Sunday School answer. But that doesn't make it easy. We don't have to surrender. The people in town don't. Instead, we come back to the original question: "What's your name? Who are you, really?" At the end of the story, Jesus won't let the guy follow him. Instead, Jesus trusts that the guy will live into his new identity - his original identity rooted in the divine - and that's the thing that will transform his community. Hmm, maybe we could do that too. Speaker: Aaron Vis Scripture: Luke 8:26-39 http://bible.com/events/48978623