Mark [5:18]-19 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.
Jesus made a couple of “foreign mission trips” with His disciples during the three years He spent training them to launch the world changing and life bringing revolution which we call Christianity. One of these is found in Mark 5 when He led his disciples to the land of the Gadarenes. It was here He set free the demon possessed man and spent a very short time talking with him (and probably teaching him).
When Jesus was asked to leave the area by the locals He agreed to go but, He commanded the now “new man” who had formerly been possessed by demons to stay behind and, “ Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how he has had compassion on you.”
The man wanted to go with Jesus. We might be tempted to say that he would need more training in his new found faith. Christ knew better. He had received all the training he needed to go and tell his story of what the Lord had done for him.
We are not asked to do the impossible. We are simply told to go tell the story of what the Lord has done for us. The story of what He has taught us as we have lived life in this world. Some of us are gifted speakers and writers. But, most of us are just ordinary folk with ordinary lives where we see the Lord working through our times of injury, unemployment, worry, illnesses, and other problems. He just wants us to tell others “…what great things the Lord has done for you …”
So, how are we doing with this assignment?
Want a tip?
Choose one thing which God has done for you and determine within yourself to share that story with someone this week, somehow. Tell them in person, write it in a letter, or call them and tell them over the phone or whatever. Who knows what fun conversation that might lead to?
Clint Bowman