"Commission"

He disturbed the status quo, and He wasted a lot of good pork.

The world was not so much different then than it is now, my friends. The almighty dollar was the bottom line then as it is now.

If Jesus came today to Montrose Memorial Hospital, or any other hospital in our country, and healed everyone there and sent them home, there would be people outraged all over the community, for the loss of revenue that would have continued to pass through that institution had He not emptied it out.

The world learned very early on, how to profit from suffering and misery and injury and hatred and death. And Christian, when you enter into a situation and with you comes healing and comfort and love and the life that Christ gives, don’t be surprised when you meet with feverish opposition. Because the spirit of this world doesn’t want you upsetting the apple cart. And when you carry Christ into a situation, that’s exactly what you do. When Christ comes near, things change.

If you’re not meeting with any opposition, you might do well to stand back and ask if you’ve missed His leading; and if you’re even in the right place.

THE COMMISSION

Now I want to point out to you the part of this story that I see as the most amazing.

The man is clothed and in his right mind. He is at peace, and for the first time in possibly a very long time, he is free of demonic possession and oppression. He’s been touched by Jesus. He’s grateful. He has a Savior, and he wants to follow.

That’s commendable. I’m sure he would have been a great addition to the group.

You or I, in man’s wisdom, would say, “Hey, cool! Take him aboard, and lose Judas about halfway back to the western shore!”

But Jesus refuses him! Can you remember the first time you read or heard this account? Did it confuse you a little? Maybe it still does, I don’t know. I know that it confused me every time I heard my dad preach about it when I was a kid.

Gee. The guy wanted to follow Jesus. That’s kind of cold. He didn’t let him.

He told him to go home. Now I have to wonder; what conditions existed that resulted in this man being demon-possessed in the first place? Did they still exist?

I mean, I don’t know what family he had there, but were they the kind of people he would really be desirous of going back to at all? And there was apparently going to be a certain segment of the community not too fired up happy about losing 2000 pigs just so this guy could get well.

Folks, when you were saved you were not saved out of the world. The day will come you’ll join Jesus. But He saved you and gave you a commission just as certainly as He commissioned this former demoniac.

““Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.”

And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone marveled.” (vss 19,20)

He was commissioned, he was obedient to his commission, apparently without question or objection, and the people marveled.

Christians, Jesus will take you to Himself all in good time. In His time. Until then, He wants you to look for opportunities to minister, to report to those around you the great things the Lord has done for you, and tell them how He had mercy on you.