Healing Stories
That evening they brought to [Jesus] many who were possessed by demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick. – Matthew 8:16 (NRSV)
The Gospel accounts of Jesus healing people who are described as “possessed by demons”—or “an unclean” or “evil “spirit”—can be very problematic. I know the Gospels were written long before brain science and modern psychiatry, but these first-century descriptions of what may have been epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, or some other neurological condition, or possibly a mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, have stigmatized persons with such conditions down through the ages.
So, should we ignore or avoid such scriptures? No, because these first-century stories of Jesus healing those who were “possessed” outnumber all the other healing miracles (sight, hearing, leprosy, etc.) combined. If Jesus cared so deeply and broadly for persons with neurological or mental health conditions, what does that say to us and to our churches?
For starters, it says that in our preaching and teaching, we need to engage such stories—put them in context, unpack the terms, and interpret them for our time. It also says that, like Jesus, caring for persons with mental illnesses and neurological conditions is central to our ministries. So, too, is caring for their families and loved ones. (Remember the Syro-Phoenician woman who appealed to Jesus to heal her daughter of “a demon,” or the father who pleaded for his son with seizures?)
Finally, many of these stories underscore the vulnerability of persons with mental illnesses or neurological conditions—such as the man forced to live “in the tombs” outside the wealthy imperial city of Gadara.
Jesus didn’t just heal individuals. He called even the empire to be healed of its “demons” of neglect and fear.
Prayer
Compassionate One, thank you for these healing stories. Open us to their wisdom and challenge. Amen.
About the AuthorTalitha Arnold is Senior Minister of the United Church of Santa Fe (UCC), Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is the author of Mark Parts 1 and 2 of the Listen Up! Bible Study series and Worship for Vital Congregations.