Luke 8:26-37
26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” 29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) 30 Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. 32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned. 34 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 36 And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.
Are you willing to let Jesus disrupt your life? We can get comfortable in our circumstances, even when they are dysfunctional. Sometimes the bad that we know is easier to deal with than the potential unknown. When Jesus comes into our lives, He tends to disrupt our systems, to challenge our way of living. That can be necessary because it leads to a better way of life, but it can also be unsettling. In this passage Jesus did a great miracle and healed a man who had been tormented for years. However, in the process he sacrificed a large herd of pigs, which was probably worth a lot of money to some of the people in the town. Unfortunately the people responded not with praise but with fear, and asked Jesus to leave them alone (verses 35 and 37). Basically they were more comfortable with the status quo, even if that meant someone had to suffer. Jesus comes and upsets our comfortable status quo, and sometimes asks for great sacrifices, like the value of all our pigs, to bring about great healing. How much are we willing to sacrifice to bring healing to others?
Lord, help me to accept your changes, and not try to stop them out of fear.
26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” 29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) 30 Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. 32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned. 34 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 36 And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.
Are you willing to let Jesus disrupt your life? We can get comfortable in our circumstances, even when they are dysfunctional. Sometimes the bad that we know is easier to deal with than the potential unknown. When Jesus comes into our lives, He tends to disrupt our systems, to challenge our way of living. That can be necessary because it leads to a better way of life, but it can also be unsettling. In this passage Jesus did a great miracle and healed a man who had been tormented for years. However, in the process he sacrificed a large herd of pigs, which was probably worth a lot of money to some of the people in the town. Unfortunately the people responded not with praise but with fear, and asked Jesus to leave them alone (verses 35 and 37). Basically they were more comfortable with the status quo, even if that meant someone had to suffer. Jesus comes and upsets our comfortable status quo, and sometimes asks for great sacrifices, like the value of all our pigs, to bring about great healing. How much are we willing to sacrifice to bring healing to others?
Lord, help me to accept your changes, and not try to stop them out of fear.