Getting it done
This week's study is on Mark 5:18-20:
This is one of those things where you have to put yourself in the sandals of someone in the Bible, and in doing so, you learn a bit about yourself and some of the places God may take you in your life. In these verses, Jesus had met a demon-possessed man and cast the demons out of him. The man was famous for being possessed by demons and for causing people trouble. When he was set free, people were afraid. He tried to leave and go with Jesus, but Jesus made him stay and tell his story.
Imagine what it must have been like to be that man though. He's been possessed by demons and out of his mind for so long that he's famous throughout all of the area. How embarrassing! Have you ever done something embarrassing when you weren't quite yourself, whether it was from emotions, exhaustion, alcohol or drugs, mental illness, etc? And now everyone knows it, and that's all they know you by! You're "that guy!" The guy just probably wanted to run away. Jesus was probably the first friend he'd had in a long time, and he just wanted to go where Jesus went.
Jesus had other plans for him though. God's power had just been demonstrated through this guy's life. He used to be out of his mind, a danger to himself and those around him, and now he was just sweet and gentle and normal. What a change! God's kingdom had a demonstration model in him. Jesus sent him back to the people who remembered him as the freak, and instructed him to tell them what happened.
So the guy tried it, and people were amazed. They wanted to hear his story. They saw the changes in him. And God was glorified, because how else could it have happened?
People often get all spiritual and focus on whichever part of their experience with God that they like the most. I've heard plenty of people say that all you need to do is rest in God's presence, or just spend time in prayer, or just worship, or only meditate on his words. Those are all needful things, but sometimes you have to actually go out and do something. If all of our experience with God was to just sit and listen, to dwell in God's presence and not try to do anything, this guy would have ended up in the boat with Jesus and it's the last anyone would have heard of him. Instead, he was sent out with a very noble task, and he did it splendidly.
Is there something we need to do? Maybe we have a story to tell. You can't be in God's presence without eventually being affected. What is the thing God has picked you out to do? Is it hard? Will it be embarrassing or stressful? Possibly, but if the demon guy can do it, you can probably do it too.
What if it involves confronting your past? If other people doubt you've changed, does that lessen what God did? The demon guy probably did more embarrassing and hurtful things than anyone reading this, but he still went back to the people he hurt and the people he was humiliated in front of, and told them the truth. God's power is more powerful than the scornful glances of others. We can be brave.
So we're given a choice. Sometimes following Jesus means going where he isn't. Are we willing to go there, or do we want to stay in the spiritual equivalent of our mom's basement? The demon guy's story is a great story. Maybe yours is too.
As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
This is one of those things where you have to put yourself in the sandals of someone in the Bible, and in doing so, you learn a bit about yourself and some of the places God may take you in your life. In these verses, Jesus had met a demon-possessed man and cast the demons out of him. The man was famous for being possessed by demons and for causing people trouble. When he was set free, people were afraid. He tried to leave and go with Jesus, but Jesus made him stay and tell his story.
Imagine what it must have been like to be that man though. He's been possessed by demons and out of his mind for so long that he's famous throughout all of the area. How embarrassing! Have you ever done something embarrassing when you weren't quite yourself, whether it was from emotions, exhaustion, alcohol or drugs, mental illness, etc? And now everyone knows it, and that's all they know you by! You're "that guy!" The guy just probably wanted to run away. Jesus was probably the first friend he'd had in a long time, and he just wanted to go where Jesus went.
Jesus had other plans for him though. God's power had just been demonstrated through this guy's life. He used to be out of his mind, a danger to himself and those around him, and now he was just sweet and gentle and normal. What a change! God's kingdom had a demonstration model in him. Jesus sent him back to the people who remembered him as the freak, and instructed him to tell them what happened.
So the guy tried it, and people were amazed. They wanted to hear his story. They saw the changes in him. And God was glorified, because how else could it have happened?
People often get all spiritual and focus on whichever part of their experience with God that they like the most. I've heard plenty of people say that all you need to do is rest in God's presence, or just spend time in prayer, or just worship, or only meditate on his words. Those are all needful things, but sometimes you have to actually go out and do something. If all of our experience with God was to just sit and listen, to dwell in God's presence and not try to do anything, this guy would have ended up in the boat with Jesus and it's the last anyone would have heard of him. Instead, he was sent out with a very noble task, and he did it splendidly.
Is there something we need to do? Maybe we have a story to tell. You can't be in God's presence without eventually being affected. What is the thing God has picked you out to do? Is it hard? Will it be embarrassing or stressful? Possibly, but if the demon guy can do it, you can probably do it too.
What if it involves confronting your past? If other people doubt you've changed, does that lessen what God did? The demon guy probably did more embarrassing and hurtful things than anyone reading this, but he still went back to the people he hurt and the people he was humiliated in front of, and told them the truth. God's power is more powerful than the scornful glances of others. We can be brave.
So we're given a choice. Sometimes following Jesus means going where he isn't. Are we willing to go there, or do we want to stay in the spiritual equivalent of our mom's basement? The demon guy's story is a great story. Maybe yours is too.
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