Profit and loss. These are powerful words in the world of business. Even non-profit organizations must break even. They have bills to pay and salaries to support. Some people will sell their souls to make a profit. Many extremely wealthy people have done just that. Money has turned into their god, and they serve it faithfully.
The porn industry is an example of evil business. The exploitation of others for profit is rampant. Many large corporations are so driven by their bottom line, the dividends paid to shareholder and the price of the stock, that they will do just about anything to become rich.
A recent news story told of one individual who just sold stock worth 3.3 billion dollars. And the company he founded produces absolutely nothing! Now that is evil! He might be a nice guy, but making that much money brings with it tremendous responsibility to others.
But before we rail against the big corporations, maybe we should hold the mirror a little closer. Do we keep making purchases of things we don’t really need? Do we clamor for the newest gadget or the cheapest price? Do we reach out to the truly poor and do more than throw a dollar in their bucket? Do we give our lives in service of others? Are we always looking for someone else to pay our way, supplement our lifestyle, give us medical care and a cell phone?
The herders of the pigs we read about in our text had made just such a choice. Jews were not supposed to have anything to do with pigs herding. Jews certainly couldn’t eat pigs since they were classified as unclean animals. But somewhere in their collective history they had decided they could profit from the sale of pigs to the local non-Jewish population. They could make a small compromise and a big profit. Perhaps a long-forgotten economic downturn had forced them to switch to hogs rather than some other animal. Perhaps there was just more profit in pork bellies than in anything else. But I have to admit, bacon is good!
The demons in our story are desperate. They don’t want to face life without the possibility of a body to inhabit, so they ask to be sent into the herd of pigs. I guess they figure living in a pig is better than living nowhere. Maybe they figured they could use the pigs as a stopping off point on their way either back to this original man or on to another person. We just don’t know.
And one of those questions that still puzzles me today is where did the demons go inside the pigs? Do pigs have a place that spiritual beings can inhabit? Where do demons occupy in humans? What box do they fit into? Body, soul, spirit, psyche, mind, intestines? More questions than answers, I’m afraid.
A funny thing happens when Jesus gives the demons permission to enter the pigs. The pigs don’t like it. They want the demons out of them so badly that they kill themselves by jumping off a cliff. Talk about getting a harsh reception when moving into a new neighborhood.
The Arnold Journey 