Fairy tales and fables tell their story without providing context. The structure of the unfolding drama makes the point. The fox who outsmarts the crow and steals the cheese could live in any country that makes cheese. Snow White could be the princess of any land. Particular storytellers may add context in order to make a point to their listeners about their time and place, but it isn't necessary.
When people read Bible stories, we often treat them as if they are fables. We take the structure of the story as the whole point. Sometimes this does reveal part of the message, but most of the time, when we understand the context, the message becomes clearer. And sometimes, without context, we miss the whole point.
In the New Testament, there are a number of exorcism stories. Jesus heals someone greatly troubled in mind and heart by chasing out the spirit that torments them. At the time, difficulties such as epilepsy and mental illness were, at least in part, attributed to possession by evil spirits. Healing was accomplished by getting rid of the spirit. When the stories are read, we hear that Jesus had power over all kinds of spirits.
But the specific context of these stories adds to the message and should not be ignored. I want to talk about one in particular that helps us see the nature of power.
The story I want to talk about (found in Mark 5: 1 - 20) is one that I found weird as a child and uncomfortable as an adult. In it, a man who is possessed is living in a graveyard. He seems to be possessed by many spirits, and when he is healed Jesus sends the demons into a herd of pigs who then drown themselves. At first glance the details are difficult and disturbing.
First the place is identified as Gerasa. This is gentile territory. In Jesus time, it was known to be relatively urban and wealthy. Relations with Jesus' home area of Galilee weren't great in part because a lot of the food produced in Galilee was sent to this area, raising the price for the local villagers in Jesus' home region.
In Mark's day, there was more. In 67 C.E., Roman soldiers had been sent to the town in retaliation for a rebellion. They slaughtered all the men, young and old, took women and children captive, looted the town, then went through the whole area burning villages. For the one who recorded this story and for those listening to it being read, mentioning Gera sea evoked the memory of Roman brutality.
This is relevant because when Jesus' asks the spirit to give its name, the spirit says "legion" then adds "and we are many." When I was taught this story, I learned that there were a bunch of demons harassing the man. But to Jesus and his disciples, to Mark and his listeners, "legion" meant just one thing: a cadre of Roman soldiers. The spirit names itself as an army of Romans, the brutal power that oppresses the region.
The fact that the livestock that the spirit is sent to is a herd of pigs reminds us that this is a Gentile area. But there is more: it is a herd of 2,000 animals. That is a huge number. It is an indication that the owner is ridiculously wealthy. To be rich in that time required co-operation with Rome. I can still feel sorry for the particular animals who drown, but it is not an accident that they are targeted. They are reminders of the way the wealthy in that day are adding to the troubles of ordinary people.
The context of the man's illness is the real, everyday oppression by the Roman empire. Jesus sets him free from the soldiers and those who collaborate with Rome in a place where Roman oppression will be brutal.
Simply making the story an example of Jesus spiritual power ignores the details. The story identifies the power in the world that is harassing people, driving some insane. The story speaks about positive power that confronts abusive power in order to heal. When we listen with ears tuned to the specific message, we are summoned to look at the abuse of power in our world, to name it, and confront it.
Cathy Hird lives near Walters Falls.
