Sometimes things in our life change in almost unpredictable way. Let us pick up on the story where we were left last time. Last time we talked about Jesus calming the storm. This is the end of Mark 4. Jesus is in the boat with His disciples. You know, sometimes I am really wondering if Jesus actually knew where He was going with His disciples. Mark 5 continues the story. Jesus with the group arrived at the country of Gadarenes. Their purpose was to find a solitary place where they could be alone. And the southeastern shores of the Sea of Galilee with towering salted cliffs stretched down to the lace with many honeycombed caves seemed to be the best place to be away from crowds. But at this time it was not exactly so.
Text: Mark 5: 1-20
The place was famous for it’s solitarily because of a demon-possessed man who for many years prevented travelers from passing along the road. The text tells us that he harassed them and frightened them. Each time the demoniac was put in chains, however he broke the bonds. He was one of the most feared men of the region. Just picture the situation in your mind. Jesus and disciples get to the shore on their boat beaten up by the night’s storm very, very tired. When they just step on the land they see a naked man running at them. At the click of their mind they could have decided to get back in the boat but the man is running quickly. Such a situation would do well away with the fatigue of the night. The naked man seems to know who Jesus is. Disciples don’t. The man does. ‘What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?’ Jesus helps the man and drives away the unclean spirit. Disciples stay surprised with their mouths wide open.
Having the power over unclean spirit Jesus frees the man. Jesus commanded the demons to leave the man and go into the pigs. The demons entered the swine which ran down the steep cliff and into the sea. Some people came from the village to see what happened and found the man in a healthy condition and dressed. Situation makes everyone marvel and affects people in a different way which is not the way they expected. At their best it makes them marvel.
Sometimes, when we walk with Jesus our own life can take an unusual turn. Therefore do not be surprised too much when something happens that you did not plan beforehand. Be prepared that your normal pace of life will have to be adjusted. How would you react to the marveling surprises of Jesus? What Jesus would be for you at that minute?
The people from the region of Gadara
The people chose to look at what they had lost, not what Jesus had given them. They did not see the valuable healing of a human being, but the loss of some pigs. They focused on the negative and not the positive. They could not understand that God who freed the demon-possessed man could have provided all their needs in a new surprising way. The way which they would not expected.
Jesus also changed the normal pace of life for the man who is now freed. The healed man wanted to travel with Jesus, but Jesus had other plans for him. Jesus said, ‘Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you’. So the healed man departed. He meets His Lord when his own life went out of its usual routine. He was blessed to receive a new change in his life when it was offered to him. Now he obeys His Lord and goes throughout Decapolis proclaiming what Jesus had done to him.
In every situation in our lives we have opportunity to look at the negative or the positive. How shall we respond?