Pigkiller

“30 Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. 32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.” (Luke 8)

Has God ever stolen your pig?  Has He ever taken away your livelihood?  Has He ever kicked out your crutch, your security, the thing you were leaning on, trusting to get you through?  Has He ever taken something from you, someone from you and left you asking, “Who am I now?”  A job?  A spouse?  Your health?  Your house?  Your retirement?  A child?  An ability?  Your world?  Your identity?

Idols.  Pigs.

Don’t get me wrong, none of these are bad things!  Nothing I am aware of is in and of itself inherently evil.  How could it be?  God made it.  We make it evil.  We corrupt it.  We give it an emphasis it doesn’t deserve, cannot bear and which belongs to another.  This is why these things, if pursued too far, if given too much glory, turn to ash in our mouths, become something hated when they fail to deliver and we become murderous in our vengeance on them.  The mother who dotes and devotes her life to her children turns them against her for they are not gods and cannot bear the weight of her need to be loved as one (for this is really about the mother’s needs).  So, wounded, the mother, who never gave them anything but love, becomes cold, indifferent or manipulative towards them.  She uses stabbing words, loads them with guilt and while no one may spill blood, hearts, true love and affection, a family, is murdered.

Consider the addict.  An addict is a pitiable creature.  When still a slave to their god, if we love them, we work for their freedom.  When the chains are broken, we rejoice and nurse them through withdraw and the slow, agonizing return to life.  For the rest of their lives we adjust our own lives to aid them, encourage them and help them stay sober for we know, they are always recovering, always an addict.  Here’s the thing…

We’re all addicts.  Don’t believe me, just wait.  This is why God kills our pigs.  We’re all in denial over what our idols are.  We probably could not see them at all without grace!  They’re far too easy to justify for as we said, they are good things in themselves!  What mother doesn’t love her children?  What monster doesn’t date to find love?  What working person doesn’t take pride in their work?  What artist doesn’t strive to make great art?  What fool doesn’t save money for rainy days?   Don’t the religious work for piety?  For zeal?  For righteousness?  Why wouldn’t you love the feeling of reckless abandon when partying in an all-night club?  Of being loved?  Of being rich?  Of being glorified?  It feels good to be king!  It feels even better to be god!

“17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”  (Mark 10)

“57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”” (Luke 9)

Again and again, Jesus shows us there are no half measures in the kingdom of heaven.  Riches, comfort, prestige, security, jobs, status, fun, friends and other agendas are only our way of trying to be god and a refusal to submit.  He will either be God or you will.  Only God is God in paradise so if you refuse Him you will have to live somewhere else.  “26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”” (Mark 10)

We willingly choose to stay god, to keep our pigs over Jesus!  And we always will!  The rich young man walks away.  The herders tell Jesus to leave!  The Jews shout, “Crucify him!  Crucify him!”

And Jesus, the lamb, willingly goes to our slaughter.  In His infinite grace He shows us His love by stealing our idols, our schemes, our pigs.   Jesus, God himself, opens his arms, receives all our shame, our guilt, our addictions, our pride, our gods into himself and let’s us nail them through His hands and feet to the cross!  By grace alone are we saved! 

Welcome Pigherder!  Welcome Sinner!  Welcome Addict!  Welcome god…to withdraw and the long, long road of recovery….

To Freedom!