Mark 5:16-17
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.
I don't know about you but the thing that scares me most is clowns. Just kidding, I think clowns are great! Sometimes they are a little creepy but that's not their fault. What I am most afraid of is the unknown. I remember going on a camping trip with some friends when I was young. There was a lake at the campsite and some of us decided to go for a night swim. I am a really good swimmer so there was no problem there. But once I got to the lake and looked down at the black water I was freaked out! What's down there? Is this Loch Ness we are about to go swimming in? Will a monster come out of the depths and devour me? I went swimming with my friends that night anyway and I survived. But I still get the screaming heebeegeebees anytime I am in water and can not see to the bottom.
I think that is something we share as humans. Even if something good is happening, i.e. going swimming with your friends, once you add an element of the unknown suddenly the whole scenario changes. In today's Gospel we see an example of that. This town has a raving lunatic that has been terrorizing the people for lord only knows how long. They have tried everything to stop him. They even chained him up in the cemetery and the chains couldn't keep him down. Then along comes Jesus and casts out the demons that have been possessing the man. You would think the town would at least say thank you. But No! They ask Jesus to leave instead. The people would rather be faced with a problem they are familiar with (the raving lunatic) than have an unknown power (the healing power of Jesus) in their town. Sounds a little crazy right?
But if you think about it we do the same thing every day. Sometimes we live in a situation we know is wrong because we are afraid of the unknown. We hold onto our sin because we don't know what life would be like without it. We see the power of Jesus to change lives but we don't allow him to change ours. We are afraid that once we are changed we will have to do something that makes us uncomfortable. We may have to serve the poor. Visit someone in prison. Forgive someone for doing us wrong.
So, I will ask you one more time. What are you most afraid of?
