Today's Quick Word
Today’s Quick Word
Mark 5:18-20As 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 […]
Mark 5:18-20As 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.
Jesus’ healing ministry was not just for the benefit of the person involved: it was intended to impact the lives of others as well. This is the consistent Biblical pattern for God’s chosen people. Abraham was blessed by God in order that he might be a blessing to others. Jesus himself pointed to the evidence of the miracles as proof of his divinity (John 14:11), and it is our given task to make him known as much as we possibly can.
We can readily identify with the desire of the man who had been so wonderfully and powerfully freed from demon-possession to just spend all his time with the one who healed him, but Jesus’ intention was for him to go back home and tell everyone. This is the pattern of the gospels. In Matthew 28, the first women at the empty tomb were told, ‘Come and see … Then go quickly and tell …’ (6-7), and not long afterwards all the disciples were commissioned by the Risen Christ to ‘go and make disciples of all nations’ (19-20).
Early church history shows evidence of a real work of God in the Decapolis region and we can assume that this healed man’s obedience to Jesus’ command contributed significantly to this outcome. Are we sharing with our family and friends what the Lord has done, and is doing, for us as healed sinners depending on his mercy day by day?
We are living in a world that desperately needs to experience Jesus’ healing power to deliver broken sinners from Satan’s cruel bondage, and this offers us a wonderful opportunity to make a difference. I am someone who needs to be reminded that people without hope today are more desperately longing to hear about Jesus than I am to tell them! Why do I feel so shy and embarrassed about sharing the ‘good news’?
– Bruce Christian
