My 2011 Assignment...Pilgrimage Begins #3...

I continue to explore the application of Jesus' words to a newly healed man,

Luke 8: 39a  "Return home and tell how much God has done for you."

I have looked at the man and the villagers who heard and saw what happened as Jesus came on shore in their neighborhood and radically changed one man's life.

I have some more thoughts about this man in relation to the assignment Jesus gave him.  The man was begging Jesus to allow him to go with him.  Because of fear, the villagers had asked Jesus to leave and he was obliging them. So Jesus was getting back into the boat to leave.  But rather than take the healed demoniac with him, he gave him this assignment:

Luke 8: 39a  "Return home and tell how much God has done for you."

 

I've been thinking about reasons that this man would have been begging to go with Jesus.  I imagine that all of the following are experiences and feelings which he was having as a result of Jesus' love and action.

• He had just met Jesus who had listened to him and responded with power and the gift of freedom.
• He had just become a healed person who was able to physically control his own body.
• He had been released from binding chains and human guards.
• He was clothed with garments that helped him feel cared for and human.
• He was able to focus his mind, heart and attention on Jesus' instructive words.
• He was receiving answers to questions he was able to articulate.
• His hunger for acceptance and truth was being fed. 
• He was learning what it was like to experience an atmosphere of contentment and calm.

Of course he would want to stay with Jesus.  Jesus was healing and redeeming him and he wanted more of all that love and kindness and truth.

 

One of the most amazing things to me about Jesus' words to him, is that Jesus had confidence that he was ready to: 

Luke 8: 39a  "Return home and tell how much God has done for you."

 

How could he be ready?  He had spent so little time in Bible Study and prayer.  He hadn't been to college or seminary or taken any online Bible courses.  He hadn't studied methods of evangelism nor witnessing.  I'm not saying these aren't good things to do but Jesus had a different plan for this man's launch as a witness for God.  It must be that Jesus knew this man's truthful telling of his life's story would be winsomely compelling wherever this man went with his new found voice of godly praise.  Jesus had started this man on his way to wholeness and he trusted him to follow through obediently.  

 

Luke 8: 39b  So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

 

I am so happy for this man!  His obedience excites me!  The Bible does not tell us the results of his words and actions but Jesus hadn't promised him a certain outcome.  All who heard his story had his same freedom to believe and trust or scoff and deny.  I'd like to think that there were many Jesus followers as a result of this man's voice but I find freedom in not knowing.    Jesus asked for verbal action and was hastily obeyed.

 

And I see something else that excites me as I soak in these verses today.  Jesus' words after healing this man were "...tell how much God..."

And the man went away and "...told all over town how much Jesus..."

Notice the change of name?  This man accurately, confidently recognized that Jesus was God.  He may not have understood how spiritually astute this was but I'm excited to see this as affirmation that Jesus was not just a man but he was God. Jesus gave this man an assignment to tell how much "God" had done for him, knowing that he would tell how much "Jesus" had done for him.  In this I see Jesus' claim to be God.  This is proof of his divinity.  In verse 28, the voice of an indwelling demon had called to "Jesus, Son of the Most High God".  This demon also knew Jesus was God.  This story builds my confidence in the truth of God the Father and God the Son.

 

I am marveling at the wonder and creativity of God's  redemption plan.  He allows his created human population to become tethered and broken by torturing demons but when there's a cry and a bow, Jesus responds with a command to the evil spirits to flee and the torment ceases and peace prevails.  A mighty God cares for his children and I am grateful. 

Still more to learn and share on another day.

My 2011 Assignment...Pilgrimage Begins #2...

I continue to explore the application of Jesus' words to a newly healed man,

Luke 8: 39a  "Return home and tell how much God has done for you."

Day 1 had some of my thoughts about the man from whom a "legion" of demons had been cast.

I turn now to others who witnessed this man's exorcism and reported it to the neighboring townsfolk who most likely were their family and friends.

Luke 8: 34-35a  When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.

What these people had heard and seen was this:

• Jesus arrived by boat from Galilee 
• as soon as he stepped ashore, he was met by the demon possessed man
• The demonic fell at Jesus' feet shouting "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
• Jesus commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man.
• The evil spirit had often seized the man though he was chained hand and foot
• The demoniac was kept under guard but had broken his chains and been driven by the demon into solitary places
• The man told Jesus his name was "Legion" because many demons had gone into him.
• The demons begged Jesus not to order them to go into the Abyss
• The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside
• Jesus gave the demons permission to go into the pigs and they did.
• The herd of pigs rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

At this point, those who witnessed the interaction between Jesus, the man possessed by demons and the demons, "ran off and reported this in the town and countryside".

And those who heard the story came looking for Jesus.

• They found Jesus and
• found the man from whom demons had been cast,
• who was sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind.  

What was the response of the people who flocked to see this amazing thing?

1. Were they thrilled to find this man healed?  
2. Did they rejoice to see him clothed and in his right mind?  
3. Was this man welcomed back into the community and offered a place to live?  
4. Were they grateful that they no longer needed to be cautious or caution their children about this wild and dangerous man?  
5. Did they open their homes for a meal or overnight stay?

No, they were afraid!!!

The eye witnesses told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured.

• Then all the people of the region asked Jesus to leave them because they were overcome with fear.

All the people were overcome with fear!!!

How unfortunate that these people allowed fear to overtake them so that they asked the great healer, helper, restorer, redeemer to leave their region.  They failed to see how much God had done for one man and thereby were not willing to have their eyes opened to what he might do for them or for others with great needs.  

• Fear can be 
• irrational 
• blinding 
• personally limiting
• heartless
• selfish
• lots of things  

And so, out of their great fear,  they asked Jesus to leave them -

• So he got into the boat and left.

Was it that a legion of pigs was of greater value than one deranged and possessed man?  Were they ashamed of being considered powerless to help this man sooner without Jesus' intervention? 

But their fear was real and they felt action needed to be taken immediately so Jesus was asked to leave.  He must be the problem.  Get rid of him and fear will cease.

How unfortunate that these people did not see Jesus as an answer to fear and not the cause of it.  Certainly there was one man who knew that Jesus was the answer to human fear.  One man whose life had been radically changed  

• from a life of constant fear to a life of freedom from fear.   

The truth of this story remains for our time.  Jesus can take what causes constant fear and he can provide freedom from that fear when we "cry out and fall at his feet" as the demonic did.  Jesus heard that man's shouted prayer and knew this man recognized him as the one who could  take what had consumed and ruined his life and remove it from him with the result being healing, wholeness, gentleness and hunger for Truth.  And in that state of mind, this man would become a powerful and winsome witness as he began to respond to Jesus' request of him to:

"Return home and tell how much God has done for you."

Will I be one who is overtaken by fear when God does something huge in my life or in the life of a family member, friend or acquaintance or will I sit at Jesus' feet and allow his words to instruct and equip me in order that I might hear Jesus' request of me:

"Return home and tell how much God has done for you."

My 2011 Assignment...Pilgrimage Begins #1...

After hearing a reading of scripture on the radio in January, I felt moved to delve more deeply into the words Jesus spoke to the man from whom he had cast a legion of demons. (My post of May 19, 2011 gives background to this note.)  The specific words that had pierced my mind and heart were these:

“Return home and tell how much God has done for you.”

The context for that quote is in the following verses:

Luke 8: 38-39   

The man from whom the demons had gone out 

begged to go with him, 

but Jesus sent him away, saying, 

“Return home and tell how much God has done for you.”   

So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

As I thought about what Jesus was asking of this man, I felt compelled to read as much of the story as could be found in scripture.  Here is the story:

Luke 8: 26-39  They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. ²⁷ When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” ²⁹ For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.  ³⁰ Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
   “Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. ³¹ And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.
 ³² A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. ³³ When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
 ³⁴ When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, ³⁵ and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ³⁶ Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. ³⁷ Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.
 ³⁸ The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

As I read this story, I thought of how this healed man would respond to Jesus' exhortation to "tell how much God has done for you".  Just think of how much God had done for him!  His life had been so messed up.  He had been so isolated and so out of control.  He had done such awful things both to himself and to those who had attempted to help him.  He lived in a cemetery where he was unclothed and homeless!  His pain must have been huge.  He must have longed for healing and hope and relief from the forces of evil who sought to destroy his sanity and life.  And into this man's neighborhood, came Jesus with his compassion and power.  He recognized the evil which dwelt within this tortured man and spoke words which would release this man from his despair and pain.  And following the expulsion and drowning of the evil spirits, the freed man received clothing and a healthy mind which immediately began to listen and learn at the feet of Jesus.  Think of how he must have treasured those moments with Jesus.  He must have been so thirsty for the Truth which had set him free.  How he must have longed for continuation of those loving words and actions from his redeemer.  No wonder he begged to go with Jesus when he left the area.  But Jesus had set him on a path which he knew would be followed and he gave him a huge, important assignment - tell your story at home.

The healed demoniac had so much to tell about what God had done for him.  And with Jesus' instruction to "return home and tell...", this man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.  He was free, healthy, loved and grateful.  His story was powerful and he obeyed Jesus' instruction to "tell" his story.

But what was the response of those who witnessed this miracle?  Let's explore that next.

My 2011 Assignment...

Not far into January 2011, I was busy about the house with the radio providing background music and commentary.  KHCB was on as usual at my home.  I wasn't paying too much attention until I heard words that came straight from the station to my heart with piercing precision.  I was walking through my living room as a voice was reading a passage of scripture.  I was only vaguely aware until about the middle of the room when my hearing was acutely captured by some words which Jesus had spoken to the man from whom he'd just cast a legion of demons.  Those words were,  

"Return home and tell how much God has done for you."

My first thought was, "That's it!!!  That's what Jesus not only said to the formerly demon possessed man in the region of the Gerasenes, but he's saying the same to me today!" 

It was as though I heard Jesus giving me his plan for the way he wanted me to make him known this year.  It seemed I heard him say to me, "tell how much God has done for you."

My next thought was, if I am supposed to tell what God has done for me, what is it that he has done?

So I began a search.

1. Where is this story told in the Bible?
2. What was going on in the life of Jesus at that time?
3. What circumstances led to this statement?
4. Who else witnessed these words?
5. What was the response of the formerly demon-possessed man?
6. What was the result of his actions?
7. What am I to do with these ideas?
8. How can I implement this plan?
9. What results will there be if I begin to implement this plan?

I will be seeking to answer these questions as I follow what I felt and still feel are words spoken to me by Jesus as I heard his words coming from my radio last January.

And I'll greatly appreciate other responses to these words of Jesus -

“Return home and tell how much God has done for you.”

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luke 8: 38-39  The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, 

but Jesus sent him away, saying, 

“Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” 
So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.