Jesus’s ministry was characterized by a number of different themes. One of those themes–retaking things that belonged to God but which had been usurped by others–sometimes played out in very dramatic ways. In this sermon we examine one of those more theatrical and even bizarre episodes: Christ’s confrontation with the Gerasene demoniac, Legion.

Admittedly, in some parts of modern Western culture, the whole notion of “the demonic” and possession is viewed with deep skepticism. But as M. Scott Peck (former Chief of Psychiatry at the Army Medical Center in Okinawa, Japan and then the Assistant Chief Psychiatry and Neurology Consultant to the Surgeon General of the U.S. Army) pointed out, such skepticism is more a product of prejudice than any actual advances in scientific understanding. The following excerpt from Peck’s book, People of the Lie, appeared on the back of the Sunday bulletin and (Peck’s slightly defective theology notwithstanding) helpfully introduces this particular concept:

Having come over the years to a belief in the reality of benign spirit, or God, and a belief in the reality of human evil, I was left facing an obvious intellectual question: Is there such a thing as evil spirit? Namely, the devil?

I thought not. In common with 99 percent of psychiatrists and the majority of clergy, I did not think the devil existed. Still, priding myself on being an open-minded scientist, I felt I had to examine the evidence that might challenge my inclination in the matter. It occurred to me that if I could see one good old-fashioned case of possession I might change my mind.

Of course, I did not believe that possession existed. In fifteen years of busy psychiatric practice I had never seen anything faintly resembling a case. … I doubted that I ever would.

But the fact that I had never seen a case did not mean such cases, past or present, were out of the question. I had discovered a large volume of literature on the subject—none of it “scientific.” Much of it seemed naïve, simplistic, shoddy, or sensational. A few authors, however, seemed thoughtful and sophisticated, and they invariably stated that genuine possession was a very rare phenomenon. I therefore could not assume it to be unreal on the basis of limited experience.

So I decided to go out and look for a case. I wrote around and let it be known that I was interested in observing cases of purported possession for evaluation. Referrals trickled in. The first two cases turned out to be suffering from standard psychiatric disorders, as I had suspected, and I began making marks on my scientific pistol.

The third case turned out to be the real thing.

Since then I have also been deeply involved with another case of genuine possession. In both cases I was privileged to be present at their successful exorcisms. … I now know Satan is real. I have met it.