Do We Want Jesus To Go Away?

IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH “THE ANDY GRIFFITH” SHOW, YOU MAY REMEMBER THE LOVEABLE CHARACTER NAMED OTIS. HE WAS WELL KNOWN AROUND TOWN AS BEING “THE TOWN DRUNK.” HE WAS HARMLESS AND SEEMED TO BE MORE OF A TOWN MASCOT.

THIS WAS NOT THE CASE IN OUR STORY IN LUKE. INSTEAD OF A HARMLESS, TOWN MASCOT, WE HAVE A BRUTAL, DEMON-POSSESSED MAN LIVING LIKE AN ANIMAL AMONGST THE TOMBS AND CAVES IN THE CEMETERY. NOBODY COULD CAPTURE HIM. HE WAS BRUTAL AND UNMANAGEABLE ALWAYS BREAKING HIS CHAINS AND ESCAPING.

THE PEOPLE HAD IT ALL WRONG. THEY WERE TRYING TO KEEP HIM UNDER CONTROL. HE DIDN’T NEED TO BE RESTRAINED, RATHER, HE NEEDED TO BE SET FREE! HE DIDN’T NEED CHAINS AND LOCKS. HE NEEDED “FREEDOM FROM” AND “VICTORY OVER” THE EVIL FORCES THAT WERE POSSESSING AND CONTROLLING HIM.

THANKFULLY, THAT DAY OF FREEDOM FINALLY ARRIVED IN VERSE 27, AS WE SEE THE ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS. SHOWING INTENSE GRACE AND MERCY, JESUS CASTS OUT THE DEMONS BY SENDING THEM INTO A HERD OF PIGS. THE MAN IS SET FREE AND MADE WHOLE BY THE LOVE AND MERCY OF THE SON OF GOD, JESUS CHRIST.

I WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED IF IT WAS JESUS WHO ALSO GAVE HIM CLOTHING.WE SEE IN VERSE 35, “THEY FOUND THE MAN FROM WHOM THE DEMONS HAD GONE OUT, SITTING AT JESUS' FEET, DRESSED AND IN HIS RIGHT MIND.”

THIS IS A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES THAT A LEGION OF DEMONS WERE CAST OUT THE “TOWN DEMONIAC” WHO IS NOW WHOLE AND OF SOUND MIND. A LEGION IS A REFERENCE TO A ROMAN MILITARY LEGION OF ABOUT 6,000 SOLDIERS! IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN EXACTLY 6,000 DEMONS, BUT LUKE EMPHASIZES IT WAS A GREAT MULTITUDE.

SO, THEY CELEBRATED, RIGHT? NOT AT ALL. INSTEAD OF BEING GRATEFUL AND REJOICING, THE PEOPLE LITERALLY CAME TO PIECES IN FEAR. WE’RE TOLD IN VERSES 35 AND 37, “THEY WERE AFRAID” AND “…THEY WERE OVERCOME WITH FEAR.” WHAT JESUS DID WAS MORE THAN THEY WANTED TO BEAR. HAVING JESUS AROUND WAS STARTING TO GET RATHER UNCOMFORTABLE.

THE PARALYSIS OF THEIR FEAR HAD SWEPT OVER THEM WITH SUCH GREAT INTENSITY, THEY MAKE A STUNNING REQUEST. ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE REGION “ASKED JESUS TO LEAVE THEM.”LEAVE? REALLY? AFTER SUCH A GREAT DISPLAY, YOU WOULD THINK THEY WOULD DEMAND EVEN MORE MIRACLES OF CURE AND HEALING!

NO, THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. THEY ASKED JESUS TO LEAVE. THE GREEK WORD HERE MEANS “TO BEG.” THEY PLEADED WITH JESUS PASSIONATELY BY BEGGING HIM, REPEATEDLY, TO GO AWAY. I HAVE A FEELING IT WASN’T A PLEASANT OR CORDIAL REQUEST.

IT IS VERY EASY TO SIT WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND THINK OF THE ABSOLUTE NERVE THESE PEOPLE HAD TO TALK TO JESUS IN THIS MANNER AND TO TREAT HIM THE WAY THEY DID. I MEAN, REALLY; WHO WOULD BEG JESUS TO GO AWAY? WOULD WE?

I HAVE TO ASK: HAVE ANY ONE OF US EVER ASKED JESUS TO GO AWAY OR TO JUST LEAVE US ALONE? WE MAY NOT HAVE SAID ANYTHING VERBALLY, BUT MAYBE OUR ACTIONS AND ATTITUES HAVE CREATED AN UNWELCOMING ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR SAVIOR TO ABIDE. JESUS COMES AMONGST US TO CAST OUT THOSE THINGS IN OUR LIVES THAT HINDER OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.

HE LOVES US TOO MUCH TO LET US STAY THE WAY WE ARE. HE WANTS US TO GROW INTO HIS LIKENESS AND TO MIRROR HIS IMAGE TO BE A BEACON OF HOLY LIGHT AMONGST THE DARKNESS OF THE WORLD. JESUS WANTS TO RADICALLY CHANGE US PHYSICALLY, SOCIALLY, MENTALLY, AND SPIRITUALLY. JESUS WANTS US SOUND IN HEART AND MIND. THE WHOLE POINT IS TO LIVE JUST LIKE JESUS!

1 JOHN 4:16-17, “WE KNOW HOW MUCH GOD LOVES US, AND WE HAVE PUT OUR TRUST IN HIS LOVE. GOD IS LOVE, AND ALL WHO LIVE IN LOVE LIVE IN GOD, AND GOD LIVES IN THEM. AND AS WE LIVE IN GOD, OUR LOVE GROWS MORE PERFECT. SO WE WILL NOT BE AF

RAID ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT, BUT WE CAN FACE HIM WITH CONFIDENCE BECAUSE WE LIVE LIKE JESUS HERE IN THIS WORLD.”

REGARDLESS HOW ENTRENCHED SATAN MAY BE IN A PERSON’S LIFE, GOD HAS THE POWER TO BRING FREEDOM! WHATEVER IT IS THAT IS KEEPING YOU FROM BEING THE PERSON GOD INTENDS, HE HAS THE ABILITY TO BREAK ITS HOLD ON YOU. HOW BADLY DO WE WANT THIS?

WE NEED TO TAKE INVENTORY OF OUR LIFE AS IT STANDS. LOOK INTENTLY, DEEP WITHIN, AND SEE WHAT AREAS OF OUR LIVES ARE STILL IN BONDAGE TO THIS WORLD. LIKE THE MAN FREED FROM THE LEGION OF DEMONS, WHAT DO WE NEED TO LET GO OF AND ALLOW THE POWER OF JESUS CHRIST TO FREE US FROM?

PHILIPPIANS 2:14-15, “DO EVERYTHING WITHOUT COMPLAINING AND ARGUING, SO THAT NO ONE CAN CRITICIZE YOU. LIVE CLEAN, INNOCENT LIVES AS CHILDREN OF GOD, SHINING LIKE BRIGHT LIGHTS IN A WORLD FULL OF CROOKED AND PERVERSE PEOPLE.”