Hey thanks for visiting my blog. Often times when I am preparing a sermon an idea comes to me that I want to unpack a little more. Hopefully, this blog will allow me the place to do that. Then again, maybe I’ll just talk about my kids. I’ll try to update it once a month..

O.K. so the title of the blog is lame. It’s a play on “Pig in a…” Never mind. Anyway, last week we talked about 6 purposes of a storm. Jesus has just calmed the storm for the disciples and now we see him  landing on shore in what Matthew calls "the region of the Gadarenes." Do you know what he does? He creates a storm. A big one. He kills 2,000 pigs. Technically the demons killed the pigs but unless you are Jesus' lawyer you're going to have a hard time making that argument.

Now before you get all sentimental, realize that in 2006 America ate pretty close to 20 million pounds of pork. (Mmmmmm poooorrrkkk choooops.) If it helps, the pigs that went off the cliff probably didn’t look like Wilber.

I have read some commentaries on this scripture and most make excuses for why Jesus killed the pigs. Some say there should not have been pigs in that region and it was punishment. Others say pigs were used in idol worship and he was declaring is authority over idol worship. Others say it was the only way to prove the guy really had demons. Oh, I don’t know about that last one. I think running around naked and screaming might have been a pretty good indication.

What if Jesus wanted to reach the people who owned the pigs? Now, how is destroying their livelihood and culture going to reach the owners of the pigs? I don’t know.  Look back over all the storms in your life. They have a big impact don’t they? This might have been the only way to reach them.  When the Kingdom of God comes, all other things become very small. Jesus forces decision.

This week we are going to look at how a bizarre situation might seem normal if you have the right kingdom perspective.