May 21, 2009

Torturing a Demon

There is a very interesting passage in Mark 5:7. Here Jesus comes across a demon named Legion. When Legion sees Jesus, the demon pleads with Jesus not to torture him. And instead asks if the demon can enter into the swine on the hillside. And as you know, the demons enter the swine and all the swine run into the lake and kill themselves.

When the people find out what happened to their pigs, they ask Jesus to leave.

The thing I find intriguing is the question - does Jesus torture? How do you torture a demon?

I think the answer to these two questions are one and the same.

No, Jesus does not torture.

What would be torture for the demons? Well, I think it would be in a place where there is constant praise as the glory of the risen Christ fills the place. I think what would be torture for a demon is what Isaiah and the scriptures tell us about heaven.

and here's the rub of it all - I think there are way too many people today who would equate worship of the living God as a tormenting experience. And I think the reason why so many people would find worship to be tormenting is because God is not their primary influence in their lives.

Now, I am not speaking about the way many churches and Christians worship on Sundays as genuine worship. I have been in too many "worship" services where I had no clue who or what we were worshiping that day.

But genuine worship because of an authentic encounter with the living God worship - that's what I'm talking about.

If people find that kind of worship tormenting, it is because of demonic influence.
James <><
Check out what God is doing @
www.trinitypresbyterian.us

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1 comment:

xHWA said...

I wonder what you would say about Luke 8: 31? It appears that the demons were not worried about Heaven, but "the Abyss".
I'm not at all certain what that entails.