Look to Jesus for Freedom
Gospel Reflection for February 3, 2025
“They came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. When he got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him. The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, crying out in a loud voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!’ (He had been saying to him, ‘Unclean spirit, come out of the man!’) He asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He replied, ‘Legion is my name. There are many of us.’ And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory.
Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. And they pleaded with him, ‘Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.’ And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned. The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear. Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine. Then they began to beg him to leave their district. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. But he would not permit him but told him instead, ‘Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.’ Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.” (Mk. 5:1-20 NABRE)
Similar to the possessed man in today’s Gospel passage, we sometimes experience the feeling of being chained. Whether we are chained to sin, illness, tragedy, vice, loss, pain, or whatever else that might be enslaving us, we sometimes experience the feeling that we are stuck in our situation.
Yet, today’s Gospel reminds us not to lose hope, even when our situation appears desperate. When we are struggling with something that seems impossible to overcome, we must look to Jesus and trust in Him. The possessed man had suffered for a very long time, probably feeling hopeless and alone in his painful condition. Others did not know how to the help the man, and merely attempted to bind him further with shackles.
Jesus, however, had the power to command the unclean spirit to leave the man, which freed him and restored him to his right mind. How incredible!
May we keep this in mind when we suffer from whatever chains us. May we look to Jesus for His strength, support, freedom, healing, and guidance during difficult times and situations. Jesus can free us from all forms of enslavement, we need only turn to Him and trust in His power to break our chains in order to find true freedom, peace, and joy.
We must never forget the beautiful truth that we are made new in Christ and are free in Him!
“But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit that you have leads to sanctification, and its end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6:22-23)