I adjure you by God, do not torment me!

4 FEBRUARY (Mk 5,1-20)

In the Gospel there are things you understand and things you do not understand, easy and difficult things to be explained. A difficult thing to understand and explain is the prayer that today the man with an unclean spirit turns to Jesus, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!” Can the unclean spirit ask Jesus, in God’s name, not to torment him? Can his pride go this far? Can it humble to the point of turning to God so that Jesus does not react on him? St. Paul offers us the answer in his Second Letter to the Corinthians.

Did I make a mistake when I humbled myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge? I plundered other churches by accepting from them in order to minister to you. And when I was with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. By the truth of Christ in me, this boast of mine shall not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! And what I do I will continue to do, in order to end this pretext of those who seek a pretext for being regarded as we are in the mission of which they boast. For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, who masquerade as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light. So it is not strange that his ministers also masquerade as ministers of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.(2Cor 11,7-15).

Satan before Jesus is more than a chameleon. He always knows how to disguise himself in order to trick him. Today, he uses the name of God, knowing the filial love that binds Jesus to the Father, so that he does not torment him. In the end, what is Satan asking Jesus? He is asking him to love his Father more than this man. To obey his Father and let him stay in that man. He appeals to obedience so that he can reign on earth. Do not we perhaps act the same way? Do not we use God’s name to extort things from our brothers? How often do we imitate Satan when we ask in the name of God things that are not due to us? The one of Satan is not humility. It is a great temptation against Lord Jesus.

They came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. When he got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him. The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, crying out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!” (He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”) He asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.” And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. And they pleaded with him, “Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.” And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned. The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear. Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine. Then they began to beg him to leave their district. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. But he would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.” Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

Jesus does not let himself be tempted by Satan. He always knows the will of the Father and always knows what the Father wants and does not want. One can also go to Him in the name of God, his Father; however, He answers always remaining in the most pure and holy divine will. This is the secret of Lord Jesus. This should be ours as well.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints teach us the will of God.