Endure suffering and persecution with faith and hope

Heb. 11:32-40, Mk 5:1-20. Today's first reading describes some of the faith-filled heroes of the Old Testament. These heroes judges, prophets, kings and holy people who lived good lives, yet were unable to experience the full benefits of their holy lives because the Messiah has not yet come. It was not until the death and resurrection of Christ that they enjoyed the fruits of salvation. The author urges the current Christians to endure sufferings and persecutions with the faith and hope that they are part of the eternal Reign of God and will eventually experience the fullness of that Reign, just as their ancestor in faith did after the death and resurrection of Christ. However, there are many forces actively working against God, the Church and believers to allow the Reign of God. Today's Gospel gives account of how forces of evil seek to oppose Jesus. When Jesus left the Jewish lands and travelled into an area which is populated by Gentiles, He encountered a man who was possessed by Legion, a multitude of evil spirits. Jesus cast out the demons, who entered a herd of swine and the swine jumped off a cliff into the sea. As the Gentiles heard of this, they were fearful of the power of Christ and His motives so they persuaded Him to depart from their neighbourhood.

In the Levitical tradition, to have contact with corpses or one who sit inside tombs and spend the night in secret places, who eat swine’s flesh is a reek of religious impurity (Cf. Lev. 22:4-6.11:7-8; Num. 5:2.6:6.9:6, Ish 65:4). The demon’s name, “Legion” (Mk 5:9), referring to a Roman regiment of six thousand soldiers, is at once a petrifying depiction of this sufferer’s trauma and a reminder of Israel’s oppression by pagan colonials. This story presents us with a challenge, not be surprise to face opposition by following God. Rather we should expect it. Satan does not want us to follow the Lord. He will put temptations in our path so that may not be able to tell others about the Lord. The demon-possessed man possessed uncanny strength, such that no one could subdue him. He was stronger than everyone and therefore free to roam around causing turmoil. This story is similar to that of Samson, except that Samson’s strength came from the Lord but this man’s strength came from the demons. The problem was that people tried to subdue this man with their own strength. There is no evidence that they prayed or asked God for help. Their own efforts and strength were not enough. This is to tell us that we cannot hope to win the spiritual warfare against demons by our own power. He is stronger and smarter than we are. If we rely on ourselves, we will lose. We must be alert to temptations and always turn to the Lord through prayer and His Word.

May the Lord help us to love and obey Him, so that the works of our hands may always display what His hands have done, until the day we gaze upon the beauty of His face! Amen!! Happy New Month and have a fruitful February!!!