Luke 8 -- What The Demons Knew

I like the fact that the Holy Spirit directed Luke to write what he did in verse 10:  “You have been chosen to know the secrets about the kingdom of God.”  That sentence speaks across the millennia to believers today.  And I believe that others, who will not ever become believers will either fly right by that verse if they ever read it or else likely get angry because they don’t feel a part of the chosen.

In the parable of the seed, Jesus said that the seed that fell on the good ground “is like those who hear God’s teaching with good, honest hearts and obey it and patiently produce fruit.”  Those are the three things we are supposed to be doing as believers. 

Put these two sections together – being chosen to know, then hearing, obeying, and producing fruit, we’d say that such a person has been enlightened.  So how appropriate it is then that we receive the instructions in the next verse – verse 16:  “No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed.  Instead, the person puts it on a lampstand so those who come in will see the light.”

That isn’t about a household item.  It’s about us.  Once we hear and become enlightened, we don’t hide what God has shown us or be cowardly about telling others about it.  God wants others to see the light of His grace through us.

Likewise, the man from Gerasene was afflicted with many demons.  As Jesus addressed the man’s needs, God told me to pay attention to what the demons knew, because they are real, even today.  They begged Jesus not to send them into eternal darkness.  Even though God was their enemy, the very thing even they did not want to experience was an eternity without His light.  When the demons left him, he was in his right mind again.  That’s what they can still do to us.  Jesus told him, “Go back home and tell people how much God has done for you.”  Those are our instructions as well.  We aren’t to hide the knowledge of Him we’ve been given.  We are to tell others what He’s done for us.

Father, You’ve so radically changed my life.  I love telling my story.  Thank You so much for stepping in and loving me enough to change me!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford