Think today if you are willing to face the consequences

When Jesus came to the Gadareni territory, two demons who came from the tombs met him. They were so wild that nobody could walk that road. They shouted, “What have you got to do with us, Son of God? Did you come here to torment us before the scheduled time? "Matthew 8: 28-29

This passage from Scripture reveals two things: 1) Demons are fierce; 2) Jesus has complete power over them.

First of all, we should note that the two demons "were so wild that no one could walk that way". This is a very significant statement. It is clear that the demons who possessed these two men were vicious and filled those of the city with great fear. So much so that no one would even approach them. This is not a very pleasant thought, but it is reality and it is worth understanding. True, we may not encounter evil in such a direct way very often, but sometimes we face it. The wicked one is alive and well and constantly strives to build his demonic kingdom here on Earth.

Think of times when evil seemed to manifest itself, oppressive, mischievous, calculated, etc. There are times in history when evil seemed to triumph in powerful ways. And there are ways in which his business is still manifest in our world today.

This brings us to the second lesson of this story. Jesus has complete authority over demons. Interestingly, he throws them into the pig herd and the pigs then go down the hill and die. Bizarre. The people of the city are so overwhelmed that they then ask Jesus to leave the city. Why should they do it? In part, the reason seems to be the fact that Jesus' exorcism of these two men causes quite a stir. This is because the manifest evil does not start in silence.

This is an important lesson to remember in our day. It is important because the wicked seems to make his presence known more and more today. And he certainly plans to make his presence even more known in the coming years. We see it in the moral fall of our societies, in the public acceptance of immorality, in the secularization of the various cultures of the world, in the increase in terrorism, etc. There are countless ways in which the villain seems to win the battle.

Jesus is almighty and will eventually win. But the hard part is that his win will most likely cause a scene and make many feel uncomfortable. Just as they told him to leave their city after freeing the demons, so many Christians today are all too willing to ignore the rise of the wicked kingdom so as to avoid any contest.

Think today if you are willing to face the "consequences", so to speak, of comparing the realm of the wicked with the Kingdom of God. Are you willing to do what it takes to stay strong in a culture that is constantly deteriorating? Are you willing to stand firm in front of the noise of the wicked? Saying "yes" to this will not be easy, but it will be a glorious imitation of our Lord himself.

Lord, help me to remain strong in the face of the wicked one and his reign of darkness. Help me face that kingdom with confidence, love and truth so that your Kingdom emerges in its place. Jesus I believe in you.