The ministry of the healed

[Not_Now.Soon]

In Mark 5:1-20, Jesus heals a man possessed by many evil spirits. And in the end, after the people of the area beg Jesus to leave, the man who was healed begs Jesus that he go with them. Which surprisingly Jesus says no. In any other instance I can think of Jesus tells the people to follow Him. But here he said no, but instead go home and to his family and spread the good news of what God has done for the man.

(Mark 5:1-20 NLT)

5 So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from a cemetery to meet him.3 This man lived among the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain.4 Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.

6 When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. 7 With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”

9 Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name?”

And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.” 10 Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.

11 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. 12 “Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.”

13 So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.

14 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. 15 A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. 16 Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. 17 And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. 19 But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” 20 So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.

I don't have much more to say about this incident, but it does interest me, and made me think that there's a time to learn, and there's a time to teach. Jesus's Apstoles stayed with Jesus till the night He was betrayed. And they stayed close even after Jesus's death. All the while being taught by Jesus, except perhaps twice when Jesus sent them to near by towns to spread the word that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Enough to say that the apstoles were well fed by Jesus's teachings, His parables, and His miracles. The demon possessed man could not have had near enough of that insight before he went to his journey to teach of God's mercy. None the less that's what Jesus asked the man to do. But what he had was enough. It must have been. He stayed in the place where people begged Jesus to leave. And in verse 20 "...everyone was amazed at what he told them."

Just wanted to share this though with anyone else here, see what it provokes inside of you to think about. Or maybe an encouragement to tell what God has done for you.