Year 2 Day 116

Year 2 Day 116

Pray (AC-ts)

Read Mark 5:16-20

Message Alan Burke

Think here to the reaction of those who were living in the town and the countryside as they came to Jesus seeing the man who was possessed by the legion of demons. What we are told is that they were afraid. Think about it for a moment, these people would have been told by those who had rand off (14) about what had happened. Now as they arrive, they see the man and likely the pigs in the water we are told that they are afraid. Not anger because their pigs were dead, not fearful for their polluted water source or worried about the economic impact but afraid. They are afraid because they had come face to face with the power of God, they had been powerless to bind the man possessed and the manifestation of the power of Jesus leaves them afraid. What we are told is that they beg Jesus to leave, they do not care about his power they just want him gone. 

There is a great sense of sadness here, the living God has displayed his glory to them, he had done a marvellous deed before them and they are more comfortable with the powers of Satan that left this man in bondage, that had destroyed this mans life and led to the destruction of two thousand pigs than they are with the Son of God. They, just as many who Jesus had spoken to, whom he had performed great miracles before, see but do not see, hear but do not hear (4:10-12). Instead of wanting Jesus help, the salvation that he offers, they desire to be left alone. They reject the only source of deliverance and salvation, if Jesus hadn’t have transformed this man, if he hadn’t have effected their business profits, if he wasn’t a challenge to the status quo then they would have had no problem with him. 

Here the people were afraid, they asked Jesus to depart, they did not desire his salvation, they sought to escape his presence, they wanted nothing more to do with Jesus, they had seen his power but they rejected it. Whereas the man, who was possessed by Legion, who was delivered from the power of Satan now begged Jesus to go with him. This mans desire was to be with his Saviour, but instead Jesus sends him to his own and he was sent to go out to tell others about how much the Lord had done for him. This is the first time in Mark’s gospel that Jesus tells someone to go and to tell what the Lord has done. This sending of the man to tell everyone allows the the preparation for the future mission of the church to begin. 

For all who have been saved from their sin, their task like this man is to go and tell everyone what the Lord has done for us, if you are saved then this is your task in what your do, sharing the good news of the gospel. This is our mission as a church, though in God’s providence, each of us has a different part to play. In obeying Him and carrying out our role in this mission, we demonstrate our gratitude to the Lord. This man would go telling others of what he had experienced first hand and that’s what we need to do, take it out, telling others about the Saviour Jesus Christ.

Pray (ac-TS)

Sing

WSC 
Q9 What is the work of creation?
The work of creation is, God’ s making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in the space of six days, and all very good. (Gen. 1, Heb. 11:3)
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