TIME TO TELL

Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man – and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region (Mark 5: 14-16).

What a sensation! Never had the people of the region heard of anything like this before. A madman becoming sane – just like that! And who was this man who did it? The news of the miracle-worker had obviously not reached them across the lake. Of course they were Gentiles, so who would have told them about Jesus? And they were full of superstition. No one had ever done something like this before. He must be a god or at least a magician. What would He get up to next?

They were scared. Without an explanation they didn’t want Him around. What if it wasn’t only pigs that landed in the lake next time! And what about their pigs? It didn’t seem to matter to Him that He had just destroyed their livelihood. You can‘t sneeze at losing two thousand pigs in one go! No, they didn’t want Him around doing any more damage to them even if the local village idiot was suddenly miraculously sane.

Coming as close to Him as they dared, they begged Him to go. “Just go!” they insisted. ”We don’t want you around.”

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, ‘God home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how He has had mercy on you.’ (Mark 5:17-19).  

Why did the newly-delivered man want to go with Jesus? Was he afraid of what the locals would do to him? After all, wasn’t he indirectly responsible for their loss? They didn’t seem to care that he had been set free from his madness. They were more concerned about their pigs! In any case, what guarantee did they have that he would not become crazy again after the miracle-man had left? They had never seen this happen before. Perhaps it was just a temporary remission and then he would become even more dangerous than before.

Perhaps his reason was far less sinister. Wouldn’t you want to stay close to your deliverer? Gentile though he was with no background or knowledge of the true God, there was something about this man that he just could not get enough of. Never had anyone treated him with such love and compassion. Those who had tried to restrain his bizarre behaviour with shackles and chains had been harsh and cruel, using force and hurting and enraging him even more. That much he remembered in his tormented mind.

But this man – and he didn’t even know His name – was different. And He came from the other side of the lake. A Jew! He must be a Jew and yet He was kind and gentle – not like the other Jews who made no bones about their hatred and contempt for the Gentiles. Even if the others hated him, he decided, he would stick with Him. His love was something he lapped up like a thirsty traveller.

Why did Jesus refuse to allow him to go with Him? Why did He instruct him to go home to his own people and tell them how much the Lord had done for him? Didn’t He tell those whom He had healed not to tell anyone about Him? Why was He so contradictory?

On the Jewish side of the lake the crowds flocked around Him like pigeons in a field of grain. He had to preach from Peter’s boat to avoid being pushed into the lake. But here the people were afraid of Him. They chased Him away because they did not know what to make of Him. He needed a witness like this man to convince them that He was not a magician with evil intent but “the Lord” who had mercy on one demon-possessed man.

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 (Mark 5: 20).

How effective was the witness of this one man? On another occasion when Jesus visited the region again, the people flocked to Him. Why? What made the change? Was it the testimony of this one man? He obviously didn’t relapse into madness again. His life had been transformed by Jesus. Their fear turned to curiosity and some even to faith because this man did what Jesus told him to do.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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