Luke 8: 26-39, 5th Sunday after Pentecost C, June
23, 2013
Grace and
peace be unto you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, Amen.
What is in
a name? Well, a lot, actually. A name is identity, and with a name comes a
personality. So, when someone asks you, “What is your name?” the answer may not
always be so simple. Depending on the context, the question may be loaded. Sure,
we are often expected to respond with our first and last names. That isn’t
always so simple, though.
Another
example, during my field education experiences in seminary, because I was not
an ordained pastor yet, my title was “Vicar Julie.” Of course, some people
called me “Vicar,” and others called me “Julie.” One time, one of my beloved
parishioners had a slip of the tongue. Instead of calling me by all four
syllables of my title, she dropped the inner two syllables. Instead of calling
me “Vicar Julie,” she called me “Vickie.” But if one of her friends asked me my
name, would I say that my name was “Vickie”? No, of course not. My name is
Julie.
The man
possessed by demons in the gospel lesson today is not so lucky to have his real
name confused with a nick name. This man has so little control over his body and
mind that when Jesus asks his name, the demons reply, “Legion,” for he had many
demons in him. This man did not share his name given at his birth because he no
longer had control of that identity. This man’s name is Legion.
David Lose
says, “I find it devastating that he has no name, no identity left, except for
what he is captive to. It’s not Elijah, or Isaac, or John, or Frank, or Jo-Jo;
it’s Legion. He has been completely defined by what assails him, by what robs
him of joy and health, by what hinders him and keeps him bound, by all those
things that keep him from experiencing life in its abundance.”
We may not
be plagued by demons like the Gerasene man was. Yet, sometimes
our lives are flung out of control just as if we were possessed by demons. Evil
spirits may not be taking over our lives, but something else is – sin. Our
sins keep us from experiencing life in its abundance.
Today, if
Jesus asked you your name, would you say, “Sinner”?
We know
that we are sinners, and that is why we confess our sins often and
receive the forgiveness that only God can give. We cannot
remove our sinful thoughts, words, and deeds, but God can – and does – forgive
us from our wrongdoing. Jesus sends out the demons inside us, so that our name
is not Legion.
During our baptism, God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, washes
us with water, and cleanses us from all our sins. From our baptism on, our name
is no longer “Sinner” but now is “Child of God.” God has claimed us as God’s
own, freeing us to live out our lives faithfully.
Just as the
Gerasene man did, we can live out the life that Christ has set before us. Freed
from our demons and claimed as Christ’s own, we also can embrace our families, do
God’s work in the world, and be a positive influence in our communities.
Like this Gerasene man,
we are no longer labeled as "Legion" or as "Sinner," but as "Child of God." We have
our own names given at birth, and with each name comes a different calling in
life. God calls each of us to beautiful ministries.
When asked,
“What is your name?” I do not reply
by saying, “Vickie,” “Legion” or “Sinner.” My name is Pastor Julie, child of
God.
When you
fill out a name tag, you do not write, “Sinner,” but you do write down your
name. Next time that you write your name down on a name tag, I want you also to
write “Child of God,” for that is who you are.
In worship,
we will continue to confess our sins, and we also will continue to give thanks
to God for our baptism. Each time we do so, we proclaim that our names are no
longer "Legion" or "Sinner" but "Child of God." When we leave worship, God sends us
home, now known by our own names, and charged with proclaiming the good news to
all who will hear. Amen.
