ON YOUR MARK: WEEK 5 DAY 4

Mark 5:18-20

18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

The love Jesus has for us is extravagant!  We should not be surprised that Jesus went across the raging Sea of Galilee, not to teach thousands or feed hundreds, but to cast demons out of one man.  Jesus’ love for the “one” is apparent in the parables of the lost coin, lost sheep, and the prodigal son (Luke 15). We should also not be surprised that the man, with whom Jesus helped, wanted to follow Jesus.  What may be surprising is that Jesus said “no” to this request, and instead wanted the man to stay behind and declare what the Lord had done for him. 

What can be learned from the “no” the man received?  First, the man may have felt superstitious, that he needed to stay close to Jesus to keep the demons away, but when Jesus sets you free, you are free indeed! Second, we are to remain courageously obedient to the calling Jesus has for us.  The man wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus saw the power of the man remaining behind to spread the miracle among the Gentiles.  God knows better than we do; make sure you are following His call for your life, not your own.