Healing on the Margins

We continue our trip through the Bible with today’s reading of the familiar story of the healing of the demoniac. In this story, Jesus retreats to Gentile territory, which is unusual for him and makes us wonder whether he knew about this man and intended to go there. The man is clearly out of control and is relegated to “the tombs” away from people. When Jesus arrives, the man asks “What have you to do with me?” But in the end, the demons are exorcized and the man is healed. He asks Jesus to take him along, and, surprisingly, Jesus declines, telling the man to go back to his people and tell them what Jesus has done. So the story ends up not just about curing the man, but about his re-integration into his people. It should teach us something about pursuing those in need, those rejected from society, and healing them and reintegrating them into community.