Readings for today: Deuteronomy 11-12, Luke 8:22-39, Psalms 70, Proverbs 12:4
I love today’s reading. I have met men like the one Jesus encountered in the tombs. They are outcast. They are isolated. They are alone. They have no friends. They have no hope. They hear all kinds of voices. Their lives are a trainwreck. Often addicted, they use drugs or alcohol or both just to get some peace and quiet. The demons they face may be emotional, mental, and/or spiritual. Their challenges are so great, no one wants anything to do with them. They often end up in prison. That’s where I encountered them. And their plight is heartbreaking.
The man Jesus meets is tormented. Naked. Alone. Starving. Living in ritual impurity among the dead. He might as well be dead himself. He has no hope. No future. No peace. However, for some reason unknown to Luke, this man goes to the shoreside on this particular day at this particular time and meets Jesus as He steps out onto the sand. The demons within him recoil in fear as they recognize the Son of God. They know they have no power over this man. All their fear tactics will not sway Jesus from His mission to set yet another captive free. Jesus casts them out. They flee into a herd of pigs. Chaos ensues. The pigs stampede into the lake and drown. This draws a crowd. The people come out from the city to see what the commotion is all about and they are shocked to see the man sitting next to Jesus in his right mind. Rather than rejoice, this scares them to death. What can this mean? What has just happened? What’s next? They ask Jesus to leave. The man wants to follow Him. Jesus instead sends him back to his city. Back to his town. Back to his village. Back to his family. Back to his community with these words, “Return to your home and declare how much God has done for you.” (Interestingly enough, Mark’s gospel tells the story of what happens when Jesus makes a second visit to this same region. Rather than run from Jesus in fear, the people respond in faith. This man’s witness clearly has changed the region.)
Telling others about Jesus is not complicated. It’s simply telling your story and making sure people know what part Jesus has to play in it. I remember sitting with an atheist friend of mine. He and I first met in a coffee shop outside Madison, WI. He and his wife had just had twins and we bonded over the shared experience. Our relationship began when I asked him to share his story which he was more than happy to do. After he got done, he turned the tables on me and asked me to share my story. Well...I can’t share my story without talking about how Jesus met me as a college student and changed the tragectory of my life forever. As our friendship blossomed, he kept coming back wanting to hear more about Jesus. It was a beautiful thing.
What has the Lord done for you? And do you share it regularly and often with others? What miracles has God worked in your life? Do you let the people around you know? What blessings has God bestowed on you? Do you publicly give Him the credit? What testimony has God given you? Do you tell it to those you meet? Let me encourage to start. Talk to your neighbors. Your friends. Your co-workers. Take someone out for coffee. Grab a drink to share. Let them know what God has done and then watch God use your story to change their story all for His glory.
Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 13-15, Luke 8:40-9:6, Psalms 71, Proverbs 12:5-7