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Luke 8:26-39
With thanks to page sponsor 2016:
Fred Mueller

• Reading the Text:
  • NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
  • Greek Interlinear Bible, ScrTR, ScrTR t, Strong, Parsing, CGTS, CGES id, AV.
  • The Bible Gateway: NRSV, RSV, NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
  • The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Greek text with concordance, commentaries.
  • The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary & sermons.
• Historical References, Commentary and Comparative Texts:
  • The Five Gospels Parallels, John W. Marshall, University of Toronto.
  • Comparative primary texts about Spirit Possession and Exorcism and Purity and Social Relations, from Philo, Josephus, Lucian, Pseudepigrapha, Babylonian Talmud, Midrash, Philostratus. At Mahlon H. Smith's (Rutgers University) Into His Own: Perspective on the World of Jesus.
  • II.XXIII, Adversus Haereses, Irenaeus of Lyons. (c. 180)
  • IV.20, Against Marcion, Tertullian (c. 210)
  • Chapter IX, On Modesty, Tertullian (c. 217)
  • From the Geneva Notes.
    • "Christ shows by casting out a legion of demons by his word alone that his heavenly power was appointed to deliver men from the slavery of the devil: but foolish men for the most part will not redeem this so excellent grace freely offered unto them if it means the loss of even the least of their wealth."
  • From Matthew Henry's Commentary (c. 1700).
    • "Those under Christ's government are sweetly led with the bands of love; those under the devil's government are furiously driven. Oh what a comfort it is to the believer, that all the powers of darkness are under the control of the Lord Jesus!"
  • From Wesley's Notes. John Wesley (1703-1791).
    • "Not that they were any easier in the swine than out of them. Had it been so, they would not so soon have dislodged themselves, by destroying the herd."
  • Sitting at the Feet of Jesus, from The Poor Man's Portions, Robert Hawker, c. 1800.
  • From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
  • From The People's New Testament, B.W. Johnson, 1891.
• Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis:
  • Commentary, Luke 8:26-39, Judith Jones, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2019.
    • "At first glance, Luke’s version of Jesus’ encounter with the Gerasene demoniac simply portrays Jesus as a healer sent by God."
  • "Freedom from Fear," Karoline Lewis, Dear Working Preacher, 2019.
    • "Fear. I get it."
  • "Legion," Debie Thomas, Journey with Jesus, 2019.
    • "What is your name?  Has there ever been a more loving, searching question?  What would happen if you allowed Jesus to ask it of you?  What would happen if you asked it of others?  Who are you?  Who are you, really?"
  • Living by the Word, Evan D. Garner, The Christian Century, 2019.
    • "Sometimes the terror we know is more tolerable than the peace we can’t imagine."
  • Commentary, Luke 8:26-39 (Pentecost 5C), Lucy Lind Hogan, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2016.
    • "Groucho Marx once famously observed that he would never want to be a part of a club that would accept him as a member."
  • "God in the Shadow Lands," David Lose, ...in the meantime, 2016.
  • The Truett Pulpit, Stacey Simpson Duke, Co-Pastor, First Baptist Church, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2016.
  • The Center for Excellence in Preaching, resources from Calvin Theological Seminary: Comments & Observations, Textual Points, Illustration Ideas, 2016.
  • "A Provocation," Richard Swanson, Provoking the Gospel, 2016.
  • "A Man in his right mind," Robert Warren, Christ Church Clermont-Ferrand, 2016.
  • Pulpit Fiction, with podcast. Reflections of lectionary text, pop culture, current events, etc. Robb Mc Coy and Eric Fistler, 2016.
  • "Name Your Demons," David F. Sellery, 2016.
  • "Living in the Tombs," Melissa Bane Sevier, Contemplative Viewfinder, 2016.
  • "Broken Chains," Alan Brehm, The Waking Dreamer.
    • "The real source of freedom from the evil and pain and trauma and injustice that binds people in our world today is the power of God's kingdom at work among us and through us"
  • "No longer possessed by the mob," Andrew Prior, 2016.
  • "On Pigs and Sacrifice and Foreshadowing..." Janet H. Hunt, Dancing with the Word, 2016.
  • "I Am Legion," Andrew King, A poetic kind of place, 2016.
  • Commentary, Luke 8:26-39 (Pentecost 5C), Michael Rogness, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2013.
    • "Gospel stories of demon possession are difficult to preach, because we don't experience demons as described in the Bible."
  • "Legion," David Lose, Dear Working Preacher, 2013. (6-22-2013 unfortunately, workingpreacher is down because of storms in MN)
    • "The heartbreaking moment in the story for me is when Jesus asks the man his name and one of the horde answers, "Legion, for we are many." I find it devastating that he has no name, no identity left, except for what he is captive to."
  • "Unbinding the Unbindable Bound Man," D Mark Davis, Left Behind and Loving It, 2013.
    • " As in many stories of persons who have a demon, the pronouns are hard to keep separate. In the phrase "He said" the 'he' is Legion. In the phrase "into him" the 'him' is the man, not Legion. It is not a linguistic problem, it is the problem of identity with anyone who has a demon. Who am I? Who am I apart from or in cohesion with this demon? Can 'I' be separated from 'it'?"
  • The Politics of Luke 8:26-39, Amy Allen, Political Theology, 2013.
    • "In any time, in any place, there are demons to fear. There are those things and people and ideas that we prefer to keep in shackles and under guard. But they have an annoying tendency of breaking loose."
  • "Fear and Wisdom in the Immigration Debate," Raj Nadella, Odyssey Networks ON Scripture, 2013.
    • "When the people see the 'demon-possessed' person fully clothed, in his right mind and at the feet of Jesus (back in the city), they are afraid."
  • "My Name is Legion, What's Yours?" Alyce M. McKenzie, Edgy Exegesis, 2013.
    • "Exorcism and God's Victory over Oppression."
  • Demons and Us, Anne Howard, The Beatitudes Society, 2013.
    • "How do we respond to the possibility of healing in our lives, our institutions, our communities: do we choose to hold fast to the old ways, or do we step forward into liberation?"
  • "Is It Time to Talk about Mental Illness?" Beth Scibienski, A Thousand Years of Inspiration, 2013.
    • "Perhaps this is the week to begin an honest conversation about mental illness and the love of God."
  • "Seeing Ourselves in the Gerasene Demoniac," Pentecost 5, Daniel B. Clendenin, The Journey with Jesus: Notes to Myself, Journey with Jesus Foundation, 2013.
  • "Begging Jesus," Nanette Sawyer, The Hardest Question, 2013.
    • "Are we the demons Jesus has to negotiate with so that we might stop creating suffering in the world?"
  • Holy Textures, Understanding the Bible in its own time and in ours, Luke 8:26-39, David Ewart, 2013.
    • "The name 'Legion' has a double meaning. Literally, it means, 'Many, thousands, multitudes.' But it also alludes to the occupying Roman soldier legions which numbered 3,000 to 6,000 each. Many Israelites felt the Roman legions were another form of demonic occupation."
  • Breaking the Bonds of Fear, Rick Morley, 2013.
    • "Sometimes people learn to love their chains."
  • "What God Has Done: The Man No Longer Possessed by Demons," Janet Hunt, Dancing with the Word, 2013.
    • "When you hear about the chains and shackles and the 'living n the tombs' in this story, where do you see people doing this today? Where and how have you experienced this yourself? While I speak only of mental illness above, it is also the known experience of those struggling with all kinds of challenges."
  • "Washing Pigs!" Thomas Beam, 2013.
  • Pulpit Fiction, podcast. Reflections of lectionary text, pop culture, current events, etc. Robb Mc Coy and Eric Fistler, 2013.
  • Commentary, Luke 8:26-39 (Pentecost 4C), Sarah Henrich, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2010.
    • "Recalling a relatively recent movie, we could call this study 'Four miracles and a sending.'"
  • The Lectionary Lab, Pentecost +5, the Rev'ds Dr. John Fairless and Delmer Chilton (aka "Two Bubbas and a Bible"), 2013. Lectionary Lab Live podcast.
  • Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
  • "First Thoughts on Year C Gospel Passages in the Lectionary: Pentecost5," William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.
    • "Luke 8:22-25 tells how Jesus stilled the storm. Our passage is equally dramatic: Jesus defeats the powers of the abyss. These are celebrations of power against power."
  • Exegetical Notes by Brian Stoffregen at CrossMarks Christian Resources.
    • "It could also be a time to stress that Christianity is more than just coming to church to receive from Jesus, to praise God in community, but it also involves returning to the world and declaring our experiences with God -- a world that may not always have been kind to us."
  • Lectionary Blogging, John Petty, Progressive Involvement, 2010.
    • "'Proclaim' is the stronger word, and had an important meaning in the early church.  'Proclaim' is what you did with the 'good news.'  Thus, though the man may not accompany Jesus, he is given an important gospel-proclaiming mission in his own context, that of his gentile city, his relationship to which has been healed and restored."
  • Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac, audio telling, story in episodes, graphic, audio and written commentaries. Go Tell Communications, Biblical Storytelling for the Global Village, 2010.
  • "Gadarene Demoniacs," Gospel Analysis, Sermons from Seattle, Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington. Detailed background and exegesis.
    • "Living in the first century, we may have focused on the demons and the pigs. Living in the twenty-first century, we focus on our own examples of healings and the invitation to share ?our story? with family, friends and neighbors how God/the Lord/Jesus has healed us."
  • Laterally Luke, by Brian McGowan, Anglican priest in Western Australia.
  • "Healing a Gentile Demoniac," Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources. Includes detailed textual notes.
  • "Legion (demon)," wikipedia.
  • "Miracles, In Other Words: Social Science Perspectives on Healings," Jerome H. Neyrey, University of Notre Dame, 1995.
    • "...we should attend to the institution in which the healing takes place, either kinship or politics. What roles does the family have in an illness? How are they socially and economically affected? What role do they play in the seeking of a cure? What costs do they pay or debts to they incur? What if the healing occurs in the political realm, even if this is a healing shrine such as the temple of Asclepius at Epidaurus? Healings, moreover, might have important political implications, for "prophets" arose, echoing themes of liberation and freedom. The political significance of the account of the healing by the Jewish Eleazar before the emperor Vespasian and his retinue should not be discounted (Josephus. Ant. 8.45-48)."
  • "Magic, Miracles, and The Gospel," L. Michael White. PBS From Jesus to Christ.
    • "Probably in some ways, and more than any other issue within the development of early Christianity and the gospels tradition, miracles present one of the problematic areas."
• Recommended articles from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are linked below. ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices. Annotated list of "starting place" articles at ATLAS for this week's texts (includes direct links).
  • Anderson, Mary W., "Stay and Follow," The Christian Century, 1998.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Arnold, Clinton E., "Exorcism 101:What Can We Learn from the Way Jesus Cast out Demons?" Christianity Today, 2001.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Craghan, John F., "The Gerasene Demoniac," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1968.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Derrett, J. Duncan M., "Contributions to the Study of the Gerasene Demoniac," Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 1979.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Harstine, Stanley, "An Exegesis of the Character of Jesus in Luke 8," Review & Expositor, 2000.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Hollenbach, Paul W., "Jesus, Demoniacs, and Public Authorities: A Socio-Historical Study," Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 1981.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Karris, Robert J., "Bonaventure and Talbert on Luke 8:26-39: Christology, Discipleship, and Evangelization," Perspectives in Religious Studies, 2001.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Kleist, James A., "The Gadarene Demoniacs," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1947.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
• Sermons:
  • "The Cost of Healing," Rev. Luke A. Powery, Duke University Chapel, 2013.
  • "Modern Demons: Depressed and Dysfunctional," Edward F. Markquart, Sermons from Seattle.
  • "When Jesus Comes to Visit," the Rev. James T. Moor, Day 1, 2007.
  • "Identifying with the Scapegoats," Pentecost +4, 24 June 2007, David Zersen, Goettinger Predigten: Every Sunday Sermons based on the RCL by a team of Lutheran theologians/ pastors.
  • "Sermon for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time," the Very Rev. Todd Donatelli, Day 1, 2001.
• With Children:
  • Worshiping with Children, Proper 7, Including children in the congregation's worship, using the Revised Common Lectionary, Carolyn C. Brown, 2016.
  • Storypath, Connecting Children's Literature with our Faith Story, Union Presbyterian Seminary, 2016.
  • "Jesus Sends a Man's Demons into a Herd of Swine," Sunday School Lessons: Family Bible Study, art projects, music, stories, etc.
  • Luke 8:39, memory verse activity, MSSS Crafts and Resources for Bible Stories.
• Drama:
• Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
  • Clip Art Images: Luke 8:26-39, Luke 8:26-39 #2, Misioneros Del Sagrado Corazón en el Perú.
  • Luke 8:26-39 at Cerezo Barredo's weekly gospel illustration. Liberation emphasis.
• Hymns and Music:
  • "One Day as Jesus Traveled," Carolyn Winfrey Gillette's hymn based Jesus healing the man with demons in Gerasene. Tune: LLANGLOFFAN 7.6.7.6 D ("Lead On, O King Eternal") or AURELIA ("The Church's One Foundation").
  • Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
  • Contemporary/Praise Song suggestions, Together to Celebrate, David MacGregor.
  • At Digital Hymnal (midi files, guitar chords, karaoke files, projection text):
    • Dear Lord and Father
• Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
  • Satan/Demons
• Movies scenes with the following themes, listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance:
  • Possession by Evil
  • Satan/Demons
  • Clean/Unclean
• Study Links and Resources for the Book of Luke

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