Mark 5:18-20 – Go And Tell Your Family
The men of the Gerasenes, ignoring the fact that Jesus has healed a man, are upset over the loss of their pigs and terrified at the power of Jesus. So, they ask Jesus to leave, and to their loss, Jesus agrees to go. The demon-possessed man begs to go with Him.
Despite the hardships that come with following Christ, in some ways it is more comfortable for this man to go with Jesus. Nobody will know about his humiliating past, and he will be surrounded by people who care about him. But the Lord Jesus Christ always knows better than we do about what is best for us, so He refuses this man’s request. Why? Because He has a job for him to do there. Jesus is going to leave this man there, in the region of the Gerasenes, to tell his family, his old friends, and everyone what Jesus has done for him. The man must have cringed at the very thought. To go back to his old home where they will be afraid, disgusted, and angry at him; to go back to the places where people will point him out as “the crazy man who ran around naked in the cemetery.” Not a pleasant idea by any stretch of the imagination. But this is the job Jesus has for him to do. If he wants to follow Jesus, he must begin at home by telling those around him what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for him. So, this healed man obeys and begins every Christian’s life-long task of telling others about Jesus.
Questions
- What did Jesus tell the healed man to do?
- Why would this have been hard for him?
- What is every Christian’s task?
Prayer Points
- Pray that we would have the courage to speak to our family, friends, and all around us about what Jesus has done for us.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.