Mark 5:14-17

Passage

The swineherds flee the scene and run into the city and tell it to just about everyone they meet.  People from the area then came out to the scene to see what had happened.  The saw the man who had been possessed by Legion and he was sitting in his right mind and clothed.  The people were afraid.  Those who had witnessed the event described what they saw regarding the man as well as with the pigs.  The people begged Jesus to leave. 

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

There are many reasons for telling others about Jesus.  One good reason is because of the positive changes that He is having in your life.  However, the swineherds here have another motivation.  A huge herd was just lost.  This has now turned into an economic discussion.  The swineherds were responsible for the well-being of the herd and they wanted to get witnesses before Jesus could flee the scene.  They wanted it known that Jesus was the reason for the economic loss, not their negligence.

How often does Jesus do something really cool in our midst and we totally miss it because we’re focused on how it will affect us?  How often are we more concerned about things like economy, time, wealth, or property than we are concerned about what God is doing in our midst?

Second Thought:

The people begged Jesus to leave.  When the town heard the witness of the swineherds, they could likewise only focus on the impact of Jesus in their community.  If Jesus was willing to destroy a few thousand pigs, what else would Jesus ask these people to sacrifice?  {It does make one wonder what that many pigs were doing in a land dominated by Jewish culture, doesn’t it?}  Jesus was immediately perceived as a threat to their community.

Why do people consider Jesus a threat?  Have you ever considered Jesus as a threat to something in your life?  What is the root problem when we are in a position to consider Jesus a threat to something in our life?

Third Thought:

The whole town and the surrounding community miss out on what Jesus actually did.  A man was healed.  He was set free from oppression.  He was sitting in his right mind and clothed.  Everybody missed it.  They cared more about their economy than they did about the status of this man.

Do you know people who are more concerned about the things in their life than they are about the people in their life?  What else do people often lift to a higher importance than people?  Why do we as human beings tend to have this approach?  Have you ever been in this position?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 5:18-20