Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the countryside. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. And then they came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had previously had the “legion”; and they became frightened. Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the pigs. And they began to beg Him to leave their region.
Have you ever watched a storm from the comfort of your home? From there, we can enjoy the sounds and see the sky light up with lightning. But our awe at nature’s light show can turn quickly to fear as the storm moves closer to us. When we witness the power and wrath of a storm as it draws closer, we understand that it could threaten our safety even within our home. The storm’s amazing display was always powerful, but maybe we could only appreciate it from a distance.
When Jesus addressed the demon-possessed man, people were intrigued. Unlike any other healing so far, however, this healing was costly. It took out a herd of pigs and transformed a man who’d been oppressed. Such a wonder was intriguing from far away but threatening as it came close.
We often wrestle with similar resistance to Christ. We love to admire what He can do from afar, but His work in our lives feels threatening when we consider how it could cost us our dreams and comforts. But Jesus’s words can comfort us in this place: “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25). Just like with this healing, surrender to Christ will be costly, but it will also be wort the cost.
- How have you witnessed God’s power from afar?
- What are some ways we hesitate to surrender?
- Pray and ask God to show you what areas you need to allow His power of transformation to work in your life.
