Belonging - Day 27
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. 19 But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” 20 So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.
I love how Jesus does not argue or try to convince the people that he should stay. He simply gets back into the boat. However, the newly healed man does not want to part with Jesus and asks to go with him. The word used is “begged” to go with him. It is a shame that Jesus says no; however, it is not for a negative reason. Jesus had already chosen his “inner circle,” if you will, and now he wants this man to become an evangelist, telling the world how merciful God has been to him. We see that the man does just this. People responded, and while we don’t know exactly the process, we do know that when Jesus goes back to this area in 7th chapter of Mark, the foundation has been laid for work amongst the Gentiles, as they expected Jesus to come and heal those afflicted in their area.
Jesus always meets a request for discipleship with trepidation. Have you noticed that anytime someone wants to go with Jesus, he seems to push back and tell them things like “foxes have holes, birds have nests, but. . .”(Matthew 8:20) Why does Jesus do this?
Remember, Jesus is about multiplication, not simple addition. He knows that if this man stays, he basically will become a missionary to his own people. This man, with his first person story of healing, will be able to translate the gospel to his own people better than any emissary that Jesus could send from the Jewish people. The effect of this one man could be so much more impactful than that of someone else.
So where is Jesus asking you to tell your story of healing and redemption today?
Who are you a missionary to? Who is God calling you to share your testimony with? Is it family, is it co-workers, is it a people group that only you have great access to? Is it the underserved or the over-served? Where do you find yourself placed with influence and a voice? Chances are, it is right there that God wants you to serve, to tell your story of redemption and to be a voice for the kingdom!
While this must seem like a big ask from God, and you may not feel trained, remember, this man was healed, and then began to tell the story. That was all the training that he needed. We don’t evangelize by having the best argument; we evangelize by telling the world of what Jesus has done for us. This is a better way of letting the world know about the love of Christ for humanity. The powerful portion of this story is that Jesus used a broken man to tell the Gentile area of his love for them. Then, as people became comfortable with the idea of Jesus, he was able to visit them again and make a real impact. This healed man laid the groundwork for a great harvest. Perhaps that is what you are called to do today!
How do we glimpse belonging in this story? The man was obviously let back into the town. But he also had a great responsibility to teach others. He became the agent of belonging!
I love how Jesus does not argue or try to convince the people that he should stay. He simply gets back into the boat. However, the newly healed man does not want to part with Jesus and asks to go with him. The word used is “begged” to go with him. It is a shame that Jesus says no; however, it is not for a negative reason. Jesus had already chosen his “inner circle,” if you will, and now he wants this man to become an evangelist, telling the world how merciful God has been to him. We see that the man does just this. People responded, and while we don’t know exactly the process, we do know that when Jesus goes back to this area in 7th chapter of Mark, the foundation has been laid for work amongst the Gentiles, as they expected Jesus to come and heal those afflicted in their area.
Jesus always meets a request for discipleship with trepidation. Have you noticed that anytime someone wants to go with Jesus, he seems to push back and tell them things like “foxes have holes, birds have nests, but. . .”(Matthew 8:20) Why does Jesus do this?
Remember, Jesus is about multiplication, not simple addition. He knows that if this man stays, he basically will become a missionary to his own people. This man, with his first person story of healing, will be able to translate the gospel to his own people better than any emissary that Jesus could send from the Jewish people. The effect of this one man could be so much more impactful than that of someone else.
So where is Jesus asking you to tell your story of healing and redemption today?
Who are you a missionary to? Who is God calling you to share your testimony with? Is it family, is it co-workers, is it a people group that only you have great access to? Is it the underserved or the over-served? Where do you find yourself placed with influence and a voice? Chances are, it is right there that God wants you to serve, to tell your story of redemption and to be a voice for the kingdom!
While this must seem like a big ask from God, and you may not feel trained, remember, this man was healed, and then began to tell the story. That was all the training that he needed. We don’t evangelize by having the best argument; we evangelize by telling the world of what Jesus has done for us. This is a better way of letting the world know about the love of Christ for humanity. The powerful portion of this story is that Jesus used a broken man to tell the Gentile area of his love for them. Then, as people became comfortable with the idea of Jesus, he was able to visit them again and make a real impact. This healed man laid the groundwork for a great harvest. Perhaps that is what you are called to do today!
How do we glimpse belonging in this story? The man was obviously let back into the town. But he also had a great responsibility to teach others. He became the agent of belonging!
- How has Jesus healed you?
- How can you share that with others?
- To whom has God given you influence?
- How can you impact them for the kingdom with your story of healing and redemption?
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