Go Home And Tell Thy Friends
Mark 5:19, Mark 5:1-20
“Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.”
Intro.
Homecoming, here was a man told to go home to his friends and to tell them of the wonderful works of the Lord. I don’t think there is another incident where Jesus said, “go home, and tell thy friends what the Lord has done.” Certainly this is what homecoming is all about. I’m sure that this was how it started, of course today; we meet with old friends to talk about sister Mary or brother John and how everything is going back home or to family members.
Most of what we share with one another is not so earth shattering but just news about those we know. But this man was going to share some things that would get everyone’s attention and then some. He would probably begin with how he had lived in the cemetary amongst the tombstones and would have those uncontrolled desires to scare and even hurt those that came into the area.
I. The Man:
As I have already said Mark keeps everything rolling, he doesn’t always give us the little things that occur but he’s right in their with the important stuff. Jesus stepped off the boat, he had just crossed the Sea of Galilee.He has just spoken the word that caused the sea and the wind to quieten down. And a naked violent man immediately confronts him. The men nearby had tried at different times to capture him. He had broken free of the chains they had tried to bind him with.
They probably considered him to be insane, they were now afraid of him. The Bible says he had an unclean spirit in him. One of the gospels said he was possessed by devils for a long time. What a sight he must have presented, the average man would probably have bolted and ran.
Generally when we read this portion of scripture we give little thought to this man we have come to know as Legion. We think in our minds this man was inhabited and controlled by Satan.
Paul in the book of Ephesians that you and I were a lot like this man.
Eph 2:1-3, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”
It says that this man was in this condition for many years; his friends had long ago crossed him off their social calender. I would imagine that even his family had ceased to try to visit. He was of no use to society and they had accounted him as dead. They did not consider him as redeemable.
He was assuredly dead in trespasses and sins, just as you and I are.
The Bible says we walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air. (Satan) In other words, Satan controlled us before we met Jesus. He is even an evil influence after we are converted.
Many of us can remember when our families and friends wondered if we were worth the trouble to be around. Others say well I don’t think I was so bad. The word says we were infected from head to foot, look at Rom 3:10-18
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:
17 And the way of peace have they not known:
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Someone has to say, “I just can’t believe that that is speaking about me.” However bad you think you are, I can say on the authority of God’s word. You are worse than you think. Even now after God has cleaned you up and made you a new creature you are still sinning and loving every moment of it.
We say we believe in the doctrine of total depravity, well what that means is we are affected by sin in every part of our life. Our mind our speech and our actions. So we should be able to relate to this man. Jesus said, “Go home, to thy friends.”
When Jesus gave instructions to his Apostles he said, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8
A witness can tell you only what they know of a certainty that which God has done in their life. They are told to start at home, in Jerusalem and then in all of Judea and Samaria and then into the uttermost parts of the earth.
What did Jesus tell this man? “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” This is the same thing you and I are suppose to do, tell our friends what God has done for us and how he has had compassion upon us.
Where He Dwelt:
He dwelt among the tombs he lived in the graveyard. His friends and his neighbors were dead people. Wasn’t this true of you and I before Jesus touched your heart and raised you from the spiritual death.
We were in simular shape to this man. We were not in our right mind and we dwelt among the dead. The world is spiritually dead and we dwelt amonst them. Satan controlled our minds and our desires were selfish.
In John 5, Jesus gives us a lesson about life and death.
John 5:21-26, “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;”
The Son giveth life to those that the Father has given him. And he makes the comparison with physical death and spiritual death. He that hears his words and trusts in God has everlasting life he will not face condemnation for he has passed from death unto life.
II. The Meeting:
There was nothing that Jesus done that was accidental or without purpose. Last week we looked at the crossing of the sea of Galilee and if you are a thinker at all. You stop and ask yourself why. We know that everything he did he used to teach the Apostles but by the same token there was a reason for the journey itself.
With our finite little minds it is impossiple to imagine a divine appointment of God that was set before the world ever was. But here is
the reason for Jesus going through a storm. He had a divine appointment with this man in a graveyard.
You and I would have said he’s not worth fooling with he is insane and we would have passed him by. But by the same token if a man treated you and I as we have treated the Lord, we would have said he is not worth our time.
We are thankful that Jesus is not like ourselves. We see he has nothing but grace and mercy for this man. How can you love such a man as him Lord? Ah, but how can you love such a one as I?
What a meeting it was as this demoniac controlled man ran toward our Lord. His hair matted, his face unshaved, and he was filthy, but as he came to the Lord. God’s word said he fell on his knees and worshipped him. It was then that the demons cried out, “What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.”
Jesus allowed the demons to enter into a herd of swine and you know the story how they ran into the sea and drowned. What does this teach you and I? If those demons could not enter into the swine except that Jesus allow them to. What about you and I, do you think he would allow demons to inhabit your body? And also the Holy Spirit is not going to share his space with such an awful intruder.
III. The Mandate: (v. 19)
“Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” Is this true in your life? Has the Lord rescued you from a life of serving Satan? I feel that too often we take our salvation for granted we need to take stock. If God has saved you, what has he saved you from?
Did God pick you up when you were down did he take away your sins that held you captive? I feel that we all have something to tell. And during homecoming I believe we are to share what God has done for you and I. It should be a time of joy and we have seen many wonderful miracles of God accomplished, we ought to share the good news of our Lord.
