‘Isa al Masih (pbuh) meets a man controlled by many demons. In his mercy, ‘Isa (pbuh) casts the demons into a heard of pigs and restores the man to full health and freedom, but the people from the region are filled with fear and send ‘Isa (pbuh) away. Read this interesting story from the Holy Injil (al-kitab.org) beginning in Luke 8:26.

Luke 8:26-39

²⁶They (‘Isa and his disciples) arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷When ‘Isa stepped ashore, a certain man out of the city who had demons for a long time met him. He wore no clothes, and didn’t live in a house, but in the tombs. ²⁸When he saw ‘Isa, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, “What do I have to do with you, ‘Isa Ibn Allah al-‘Ali? I beg you, do not torment me!” ²⁹For ‘Isa was commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For the unclean spirit had often seized the man. He was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters. Breaking the bands apart, he was driven by the demon into the desert.

³⁰‘Isa asked him, “What is your name?”

The man said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered into him. ³¹They begged ‘Isa that he would not command them to go into the abyss. ³²Now there was there a herd of many pigs feeding on the mountain, and they begged him that he would allow them to enter into those. He allowed them. ³³The demons came out from the man, and entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned. ³⁴When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country.

³⁵People went out to see what had happened. They came to ‘Isa, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at ‘Isa’s feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ³⁶Those who saw it told them how he who had been possessed by demons was healed. ³⁷All the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked Isa to depart from them, for they were very much afraid. He entered into the boat, and returned. ³⁸But the man from whom the demons had gone out begged him that he might go with him, but ‘Isa sent him away, saying, ³⁹“Return to your house, and declare what great things Allah has done for you.” He went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things ‘Isa had done for him.

Study the Story

Do you have a friend with you now?  Tell each other this story in your own words.  Help each other remember the complete story.  If you are alone, please take a moment to retell the story to yourself in your own words.  Now, think of a friend you can share this story with later on.

As you study this story, what does it teach you about ‘Isa al Masih (pbuh)?  (Think about this before reading more.)

Key Points

Once again we see that ‘Isa (pbuh) has complete authority over the jinn. We saw a similar display of power in an earlier post, Help My Unbelief. What’s interesting in this story is that the demon possessed man never expresses faith in ‘Isa (pbuh) as we have seen in other stories. ‘Isa (pbuh) simply sees the man’s misery, has mercy, and casts out the demons.

Not only does ‘Isa (pbuh) have the power to command the jinn to leave, he also has authority to judge the jinn. That is why the jinn beg ‘Isa (pbuh) not to torment them or to cast them into the abyss (the place of eternal punishment). They understood that ‘Isa (pbuh) had been appointed judge over all creation, and they knew he had the authority to punish them.

The work of ‘Isa (pbuh) was not only to cast out the jinn, but it was also to bring complete transformation to the man. At the end of the story we find the man totally free from the demons, clothed, and in his right mind. ‘Isa (pbuh) wants to work in our lives not only to protect us from evil and the evil eye but to also make us whole and healthy.

While ‘Isa (pbuh) was concerned for the man, he was also concerned about the glory of Allah. Once the man was restored, ‘Isa (pbuh) told him to go and tell others what great things Allah had done for him. ‘Isa cares for us and will work in our lives both for our benefit and for the glory of Allah. We can join with him in this work by sharing with others the wonderful things Allah does in our lives.

Additional Thoughts

In addition to all that we learn about ‘Isa al Masih (pbuh) in this story, we also see some interesting behavior in the jinn and the people. First, why do the jinn ask to be cast into the herd of pigs? Could it be that jinn seek a body to possess? Could it also be that they can only enter unclean bodies? We know that pigs are unclean so they would be a natural host. But what about people? Does our sin open the door for demons to attack us? Do we all sin? Are we all at risk? How can ‘Isa (pbuh) help us with this?

Furthermore, the people of the area have a surprising response. They are afraid of ‘Isa (pbuh) and beg him to leave. If I had witnessed this event, I want to believe that I would have been amazed at ‘Isa (pbuh) and would have begged him to stay! Apparently, these people were afraid of his judgement. I understand that. Judgement is scary, but the judgment of ‘Isa (pbuh) is true, and he is merciful. Presumably, the demon possessed man had also sinned (none of us is perfect), but ‘Isa (pbuh) does not condemn the man. Instead, he sets the man free and gives him a new life with a new opportunity to glorify Allah. Am I willing to welcome the judgment of ‘Isa (pbuh) into my life so that he can also do his work in my life and give me new opportunities to glorify Allah?

Dua

Do you need ‘Isa al Masih (pbuh) to break some chains in your life? Do you want him to work in your life and give you new opportunities to glorify Allah? If you want to, say a dua like this:

Oh Allah, you are merciful and compassionate. I feel trapped. I am struggling with ____________. It feels like a chain wrapped around me, and I want to be free. Please, send ‘Isa (pbuh) into my life to set me free and make me whole. I am ready to welcome your judgement into my life. I want to change into the person you want me to be. Bring glory to your name in my life.