Greater Purpose Not Yet Seen (Mark 5:18-20)
I was rereading Mark this afternoon and a particular passage tugged my heart.
Mark 5:18-20 says, As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.”When God says no…
I was thinking about how this man was feeling. He begged to go with Jesus, but Jesus did not let him. Have you ever prayed about something so much but the answer was no? I have, many times.
"I’m sure it was hard for Jesus to tell him no, but he did. Why? Because there was a greater purpose in him staying behind” (Tuper).
The man responded in obedience. Maybe he was discouraged or bitter at first but that didn't stop him from surrendering to God's will. In verse 20 it says, "So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.” The Decapolis literally means “the ten cities,” mainly Greeks who lived there. Although it doesn’t specify, we could assume this man was a Gentile if going to Decapolis meant going home. By giving him this mission, this man was able to do what the apostles couldn’t do at the moment and through his testimony, "all the people were amazed."
An Adventure Everywhere...
Then I just sat and thought, “wow, this man went through 10 cities alone to tell people about Jesus" (it doesn't say in the Bible that he went to all 10 cities but I'd like to imagine that he did).
An adventure isn’t limited to one location. Of course going on a cool adventure with the Son of God sounds more exciting than going home, but following Jesus in His journey wasn't the only way for him to be a follower; the same way becoming a missionary isn't the only way to reach out to people. Everywhere we are is our mission field. You don't need to wait to be somewhere to share your faith; it can be at work, school, or even at home. Our mission right now could simply be the people closest to us.
But this wasn't a boring task; the man turned it into an adventure. He went through these cities sharing his faith. I wonder how many friends he made along the way and the places he visited? Am I utilizing my location and resources to make my faith sharing an adventure?
We need to respond the same way the demon possessed man responded after being freed from his sufferings: overjoyed and compelled to tell everyone. It felt like God was telling me, "be My witness wherever you are".
An adventure isn’t limited to one location. Of course going on a cool adventure with the Son of God sounds more exciting than going home, but following Jesus in His journey wasn't the only way for him to be a follower; the same way becoming a missionary isn't the only way to reach out to people. Everywhere we are is our mission field. You don't need to wait to be somewhere to share your faith; it can be at work, school, or even at home. Our mission right now could simply be the people closest to us.
But this wasn't a boring task; the man turned it into an adventure. He went through these cities sharing his faith. I wonder how many friends he made along the way and the places he visited? Am I utilizing my location and resources to make my faith sharing an adventure?
We need to respond the same way the demon possessed man responded after being freed from his sufferings: overjoyed and compelled to tell everyone. It felt like God was telling me, "be My witness wherever you are".
Uniquely Designed Witness
This man had a testimony that none of the apostles had, and the apostles had testimonies that the demon-possessed man didn't have. Each one of us has a story about how we came to know Christ. He had a culture that was different, one that able to reach the Gentiles. It wasn't until Christ's ascension that the Apostles (Paul and Peter I think?) started missions to reach out to the Gentiles. I'm sure that the demon-possessed man helped a lot by planting seeds in their hearts.
Are you reaching out to the people God has placed in your life? Who are the people around you now that don't know the Good News? How many of my friends and family have I not reached out to yet?
"Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you" convicted me.
Are you reaching out to the people God has placed in your life? Who are the people around you now that don't know the Good News? How many of my friends and family have I not reached out to yet?
"Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you" convicted me.
Not about who we are in the world, but who we are in Christ
I love the similarities this story has to the Samaritan woman, "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony" (John 4:39).
Jesus chose people that the world deemed as useless and nobodies to show that our strength does not lie in what we possess but that He could use anyone to show His strength. Jesus had a tax collector and fishermen as His chosen men. Jesus told a Samaritan woman first that He was the Messiah (women were second-class citizens and Samaritans were outcasts). A demon-possessed man who used to live in darkness became a shining witness in the Decapolis. Jesus doesn't just see our sins and shortcomings, He sees our potential to grow and change through Him. It’s not about who we are in the world, but who we are in Christ.
It makes my heart so full knowing that every rejection is for a greater purpose not yet seen.
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