Year: 2011

The demons can tempt man in many ways, and the exorcism of the Gadarene demoniac shows three aspects of their warfare against man. We are shown that without God, we would be annihilated by the demons, and that their most deadly attacks are invisible to most people. If we want to be rid of the demons and their influence, there is one thing that we must do.

The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is quickly explained, then we talk about the important and frightening words: “Remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” Our Lord is giving us an immutable principle, which we can use as a sort of mnemonic device to judge everything we do. This is difficult without much change, and the Apostle Paul offers the way to accomplish this massive task of proper trading: “I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God”

The parable of the sower is a rare parable, in that it is explained by the Lord Himself. This explanation is actually longer than most people think and we discuss what His other words, which are not part of the traditional reading, mean. These include “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel” and “Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.” Together with the parable, the explanation teaches us the basic purpose of life and how to be “good ground”.