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Go and Tell
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Go and Tell

Read: Mark 5:1-20 

 

However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “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. 

 Mark 5:19 

 

 

The account of the demoniac reveals a powerful truth: Jesus prevails over chaos and destruction. God’s Kingdom is a kingdom of peace. From the beginning that was the plan—Creator and creation would enjoy a beautiful, love relationship in a perfect state of peace. The result of the fall is creation was hurled back into chaos. And since that time, man has been living with the effects of that chaos. This is powerfully illustrated in the passage that we have been thinking about these last weeks. 

The demoniac’s story is one of the most tragic stories of human suffering in the Word. Mark very descriptively tells his story in 20 verses (Matthew only uses six). He paints a graphic picture of the man’s misery, of his complete brokenness. He was a terror to himself and others. He was outcast from the community. His violence is illustrated by 3 negatives: no one could bind him, not even by chains . . . neither could anyone tame him. He was a wild man that bindings, chains, irons, shackles (notice the intense language) could not ‘subdue’ him (this is the same language used in James 3:7 used for the taming of a wild beast). The man seemed completely forsaken, by God and man, sentenced to a life of chaos and destruction. That was until Jesus came, and everything changed. 

When Jesus spoke, chaos had to flee. Remember: His Kingdom is a Kingdom of peace. He is the Prince of Peace. And in His presence any antithetical presence must flee. Look no further than verse 15: (the same man that could not be subdued) now is “sitting and clothed and in his right mind.” The same man who was illustrated earlier with three violent negatives, now is described with three positives. There has been a complete change. The broken had been mended, the lost had been restored!  

As the story continues, there are two responses to Jesus’ authority. First, the people who saw the man completely restored was afraid. It’s a puzzling thing—they were afraid when he was out of control, and they’re afraid when he is well. Then we hear them as they begin to ‘plead with Him to depart from their region’ (v7). How tragic. After a life had been wonderfully restored and they long for the Restorer to leave. Jesus never stays where He is not welcome, so He gets into the boat, and we see the second response. 

The man who had been mobbed by evil, demon-possessed, and completely changed begged to go with him. They wanted Jesus to leave. He wanted to be with Jesus forever. Such a difference of response! Surprisingly Jesus says no. He has other plans for this man. He tells him to “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.” In other words: Go and tell! 

As we begin a new week together, we need to recognize this is our story. We were broken and overcome with chaos before Jesus came. He spoke into our lives, and we discovered that He prevails over all chaos and destruction. In His presence we were made whole. In a world that is filled with chaos we are to spread His peace. No matter what our profession, the call is the same: We must go and tell! 

Let’s make it a priority this week to share how Jesus has made a difference in our lives. In our sharing, someone’s life could be transformed! 

Let’s go and tell! 

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