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Mid-week Lenten Devotion

Devotion: Be His Witnesses!

New Clothes

Scripture Reading: Luke 8:26-39

Text:  Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. (Luke 8:35)

The story of the demon-possessed man of the Gerasenes starts out as a horror tale. The poor man was afflicted with thousands of demons — thus the name “Legion”, which refers to a group of more than 5,000 Roman soldiers. As a result of their torment, he could not control his own behavior; he lived naked among the tombs. When anyone tried to lock him up, he broke the locks and escaped.

Helping this man seem impossible. Nobody can even keep him in one place long enough to do anything for him!  Yet when Jesus stepped out of the boat, there was the man ready and waiting for help — and before the demons could get their first words out, Jesus was already commanding them to leave.

What a wonderful use of divine power! And yet there was one more need to meet. The man was still naked. Yet when the townspeople came to see what had happened, he was fully clothed. Where did they get the clothes? We don’t know. Most likely Jesus and the disciples supplied them. Some gave up their change of clothes to cover the man’s shame. It was the only decent thing to do.

So we have two-parts blessing here — Jesus drives out the demons, and then Jesus Himself or through a follower — provides the man the basic covering he needed not to be ashamed. And this is what Jesus does for us, too, isn’t it? When He willingly went to suffering and death, He overcome the power of the devil for us. He set us free from Satan’s slavery. And He rose from the dead to give forgiveness and covering from shame to all of us who trust in Him.

Now we are no longer harassed, helpless, and naked, under the power of the devil. As Paul tells us, “In Christ Jesus you are all sons(/daughters) of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27). Christ has made Himself our clothing, and we need never be ashamed again.

Prayer: Lord, You have covered my shame and made me Your own. Use me to bless other people as well. Amen.

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