Day 249

What a contrast! This man who was filled with many demons had lived a life of helplessness against their forces. No one had been able to bring any relief. But Jesus simply speaks and they are gone. The demons had been screaming for years, and Jesus just speaks and poof! They are gone. They think it is Judgment Day and that eternal fires are awaiting them. They like the neighborhood, graves and pigs, and want to hang around a little longer. This fits with Jesus’ plans, so He allows them to enter a herd of pigs. The pigs aren’t very happy about this and they kill themselves rather than hang around with the demons. (Maybe a little stretch here.)

And again a contrast: the people of that area liked the demon-possessed man better in his original state. When he is dressed and in his right mind, they don’t know what to do with him. He is now out of place. He feels at home with Jesus, just as the towns-people felt at home with the demons. And Jesus sends the man, the center of their uncomfortable feelings, right back into the middle of them to tell the Good News.

What are the influences of Satan that we allow to live around us, in our homes, in our lives? Are we more comfortable with them than with Jesus? Jesus brings the unknown into our lives, which can be extremely scary.

The next two people we meet encountering Jesus are very different. One is a wealthy leader of his community and the other is an outcast. Both are desperate and both seek out Jesus. Jesus meets them at the point of their need and uses their need to demonstrate His power of physical sickness, even death itself.

Both must exercise faith. The woman when she reached forward, touched, and then came forward to testify to what she did. The man when he trusted Jesus’ word over the reports of his family and friends. Faith often takes great courage. We must be willing to leave family and friends behind in order to follow. We must be willing to leave everything behind. Pretty scary!

But faith is not a jump in the dark. It is a step into the loving arms and compassionate care, creative strength and protective power of Jesus. He can simply speak and all the demons in our lives must shut up and leave. Sickness and even death no longer hold any sway over our lives. There is nothing more to fear when we trust Jesus. He has our back, our front and every place we will ever travel. Faith is standing on the only solid that exists in this universe.