Some of you
may remember a movie that came out way back in 1973. One of the promotional
photos for that movie pictured a man illuminated by a single ray of light as he
waited outside a home in murky darkness. That film was The Exorcist. You may even have seen it. Whether or not you did, I’m
quite sure that you have heard of it. When it was released, it made quite a
stir; and not just because of the special effects it contained. That film brought
demons and demon-possession out of the shadows and into mainstream
conversation. It encouraged people to think about the subject for what might
have been the first time. Questions like these suddenly popped up in
conversation: Is demon-possession real? How does a demon take possession of
someone, anyway? And the most basic and controversial of all demon-related
questions: do demons really exist?
Those were
hot topics back in 1973. These days, demons are mostly the property of
crackpots and fringe religious groups. One of my favorite crime dramas, for
example, recently aired an episode in which the killer of the day was executing
young women who he judged were demon-possessed. Of course, he was a few cards
short of a deck; and that was the point. But in Jesus’ time, all sorts of
behaviors were explained by demon-possession. Medical problems from epilepsy to
schizophrenia, from clinical depression to bipolar disease, and all kinds of other
behaviors that just didn’t seem “normal” were attributed to demons. People
suffering from all kinds of problems were expelled from society, thrown into
prison, or even executed, because demons were frightening – and threatening. Anyone
who became known as an exorcist was in high demand – and Jesus was known far
and wide as just that. This text (Matthew 8:16-17) and many others make that
very clear. Jesus not only healed the physical problems from which people
suffered; he drove out demons! No wonder that crowds of people followed him and
brought their loved ones to be healed.
Now, I’m not
going to judge this morning as to whether actual, literal demons exist. Some of
you believe that they do; while others of you aren’t nearly so sure. As for
myself – well, I can’t prove it one way or the other. I’ve never seen a demon;
but then, I’ve never seen the wind, either, and I’m pretty sure that it’s real
because I’ve seen its effects. And I’ve seen what happens, too, to folks who
are consumed by the effects of problems in their lives that they cannot control.
The demons that possess them have very modern names: names like free-floating
anxiety… irrational fears… clinical depression… Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Now, every single person here deals with problems like these at one time or
another. Who here is never fearful or anxious? Every one of us has days when we
feel like we have a grey cloud hanging over their head. That’s just life. But
when these feelings grip us in their iron fists and refuse to allow us a
moment’s peace – that’s when we need the kind of healing that Jesus offers us.
“How many
ways does healing happen?” I quote Steven Charleston, Native American
Elder and retired Episcopal Bishop. “I have lost count,” he says. “There is
more than one way we can be harmed in this life. We are vulnerable in mind,
body and spirit. But for every struggle we face, there is a form of healing.
Love, reconciliation, inner peace, wholeness, remission, hope, renewal,
forgiveness: the working of mercy is ever present, intricate and lasting. As
hard as this life may be, the power of healing is greater. It is the free gift
of grace, the strength of compassion made real, the touch of a hand that has
guided us since the beginning. Healing is there.”
Did you
notice that grace is at the very center of what Bishop Charleston said about
healing? That’s because grace is the beginning of healing – and grace is what
Jesus offers us without cost and without measure. That grace comes in many
forms. When we are anxious, he offers us peace. When we are fearful, he offers
us courage. When we are depressed, he offers us hope. When we are fragmented,
he offers us wholeness. When we are guilty, he offers us forgiveness. When we
are lonely, he offers us love. It is true that the demons in our lives will
never completely disappear. Just when we think that we have seen the last of
them, one of them will pop up and poke us with a pitchfork. But the good news
that I proclaim to you this morning is that Jesus and his healing grace is
stronger than any demon in this world or the next. And all you have to do to receive
it is ask.
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