Go back home

Scripture

Luke 8:39 “No, go back to your family and tell them all the wonderful things God has done for you”.

 

Observation

This man had been terribly possessed, terrorising and freaking out all of the region. Everyone knew him. He lived in the cemetery. Imagine how his family felt about it. Embarrassed, ashamed – perhaps they just wished he would disappear or die to end their embarrassment. At some point in time they had probably disowned him and he became homeless, lost, tormented, abandoned by everyone. Jesus sets him free! New life comes! The man obviously wants to go with Jesus to begin this new life but Jesus directly tells him – go back to your family, yes the ones who have abandoned you, perhaps have even disowned you, may have even hurt you – go back and tell them what God has done. Let the new life you have be the miracle that leads them to a relationship with God for themselves. I always wonder what happened to this man… perhaps the first missionary sent out?

 

Application

Sometimes it would be easy to just run away or disappear from a situation or an issue but this story reminds me again that Jesus came to give me life whilst I’m in the world even though my heritage and my eventual residence is no longer of the world. He heals me and restores me to go back into my world with a new life, healed and set free, different motives, Holy Spirit fruit – so that I can lead others to the One who did it for me. Sometimes it’s hard and the road I need to travel is narrow but that is where he wants me to be. And he promises never to leave me alone.

 

Prayer

Thankyou Lord for saving me and restoring my life. Help me each day as I return to my world to live and be the example, the message, you call me to be to those who are still lost and homeless. Amen.

 

Jim Jung