Mighty Mercy - Mark 5:14-20 Series

But it sure didn’t seem best at the time. This guy has to stand there on the shore and watch Jesus sail away. Now here he is, alone, in a place that has just completely rejected Christ. Jesus gives him one of the most difficult tasks known to man—reach a completely unreached people group where there isn’t a single believer. This guy has known Christ for a matter of hours. He has no help, no training, no church, no Bible, no materials, no financial support, and everyone who knows him, hates him.

Take Mercy as Jesus Gives it

Leaving the guy here didn’t feel like mercy, but here’s what we need to understand about Christ’s mercy—it doesn’t always feel like mercy. But reality and how things feel are not always the same. Take Christ’s mercy as he gives it. Never fall into the foolishness of trying to dictate to Jesus what form his mercy should come to you in. He is the Author of mercy, he knows everything, he decides what’s truly merciful and what isn’t.

And in leaving this guy here, Jesus was showing him wonderful mercy in giving him a high calling as a preacher and missionary, and at the same time he was showing mercy to those people, who thought they had gotten rid of Jesus, but they didn’t because Jesus left a powerful missionary behind.

19 but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20 So the man went away and began to preach in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him.

Amazement vs Faith

So how did the people respond to this guy’s preaching?

20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

There’s that response again. Everyone is always amazed at Jesus. But does that mean they were saved? No. No one ever went to heaven because he was amazed at Jesus. No one ever had their sins forgiven because he was amazed at Jesus. Amazement is not the same thing as faith. Amazement raises its eyebrows, and then walks away. Faith bows the knee and obeys, and that’s what we see in this man.

Conclusion

So what does the mighty mercy of Christ mean for you? First, never forget who the source of mercy is—Jesus Christ. Sin leads us into a dark, miserable place. Some of you might be in that place right now. You dabbled in evil and got pulled under, and you’re trapped, enslaved by evil, damaged, your mind isn’t right, you are alienated and alone, isolated, defiled, violated, broken. Satan has taken you quite a distance down the path of destruction. If that’s you, there is a way out. Jesus Christ has the power to pull you out of that darkness, and he’s the only one with that mighty mercy. Don’t look to any other source; just Jesus.

Second, don’t reject his mercy like these people did. Every time we choose to sin, we are choosing the path of misery instead of the path of Christ’s mercy. We are choosing to take some steps down the path of destruction. Every time we choose to sin, we are being like these people and saying to the Lord of mighty mercy, “Please leave.” Learn to treasure his mercy.