Jesus Heals a Man with Demons

Watch on YouTube/ read online

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX1GOz3My5I

Context

This is the only time in Luke’s gospel that Jesus leaves the Jewish heartland. A clue is that Jews, who don’t eat pork, wouldn’t be herding pigs. The Romans herded pigs; and sometimes people even called them pigs.

A legion was five or six thousand Roman soldiers. “Legion” is an unusual word because it’s Latin, whereas the rest of the story was written in Greek. Maybe the invasion and occupation traumatised this man. Maybe the man was mentally ill, perhaps with something which made him have fits. Maybe his neighbours tried to tie him up for his own protection. Maybe they (as we say) demonised him. Maybe they just couldn’t cope with him.

Jesus crosses boundaries to bring healing and freedom, and the man ends up sitting at Jesus’s feet (like a disciple would), free from the legion, clothed and in his right mind.

Nowadays we’re sorry for the pigs; but if they represented Roman soldiers, it might have felt like a release for the pigs to be thrown out.

Notice that Jesus tells the man to tell people how much “God” has done for him. But he tells people how much “Jesus” has done for him.

Plan

20250622 Jesus heals a man with demons Download

Create Refreshments are served!	/minecraft You have 20 minutes or so to build something in response to the story, either on your own, or team up with others. Related quote: “So there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free people, between men and women; you are all one in union with Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28 Jesus’ love is for everyone, even the completely scary and outcast! Build a scary place where the man lives, full of demons (zombies? Skeletons?) Create a farm with pigs near a lake. Can you get the pigs to jump in the lake? Create a skin to look like an outcast, living among demons Create a scene of welcome and acceptance, maybe seats around a campfire. Advanced! It would be great to create a YouTube video of the story – can you get the zombies to disappear, and then the pigs to run into the lake?
Wonder	While you are creating, think about these questions with the adults on your table. I Wonder: which part of this story you like the best? what part is the most important? where you are in this story or what part of the story is about you? if there is any part of this story we can leave out and still have all the story we need? There are many other things that can make us WONDER – what are you thinking about?
Final Prayer	We’ll finish with a prayer
Play	We’ll put some music on and let your Minecraft characters dance about using jumping or emotes