Restored to Self

Restored to Self Luke 8:26-39 In today’s Gospel, Father Mark reflects on Jesus’ healing of the man possessed by demons in the country of the Gerasenes. This man, isolated and tormented, becomes a mirror of the community’s unspoken fears and brokenness. His possession is not just a personal affliction, but a symbolic burden that the townspeople project upon him—he becomes their scapegoat. Jesus’ healing of the man destabilizes the community’s sense of order, revealing how fear prefers the familiar brokenness over uncertain transformation. Father Mark draws a powerful parallel between the demoniac’s healing and the deep psychological and social healing many of us resist. Just as the community fears change and loses their scapegoat, so too we often cling to unhealthy identities—whether as victims, the sick, or those who see others as “the other.” He explores how we create division through demonization: of people of different races, beliefs, orientations, or political views. These divisions serve as false identities, distractions from the liberating truth of who we are in God. Jesus doesn’t just heal the man—he commissions him. Sent back to his community, the restored man becomes a witness to God’s transforming love. Father Mark calls us to the same mission: to be healed and then become healers, to know our true identity as beloved children of God and to help others reclaim theirs. He reminds us that our deepest identity is not found in opposition to others, but in union with a God who makes us all sisters and brothers. Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.