Do you ever feel like you never get a break? Your life seemingly goes from one crisis to another, always waiting for the next shoe to fall? We even perpetuate the myth that bad things come in threes. They only seem to come in threes because we start counting over after three. They really happen in fours! (Just kidding!) But there are times in life when is seems as though it is one tough thing after another. You need a rest, but rest doesn’t come before you have to start dealing with the next thing.
As part of the way Mark writes his account of Jesus’ life and ministry he places events together in a way that makes us feel like He never gets a break from the action. He and His disciples have just crossed the Sea of Galilee at night during a storm. Jesus was physically exhausted when he entered the boat and was awoken to cries of desperation. He spoke and the storm was stilled. Now they land on the shore and a man with an untamable storm inside him meets them and demands Jesus’ attention.
There is no way for Jesus to sidestep and proceed without attending to this man. He can’t hand it off to His disciples; the man won’t let this happen. The man (and his demons) take center stage and force the issue. It can be so uncomfortable when an issue gets forced on you and you have to attend to it NOW. I don’t like to rush decisions. I don’t like to act under pressure.
Before Jesus even gets His morning coffee and bagel He must act. He allows the demons to drive a herd of pigs to suicide. And those who tended the pigs on behalf of the townspeople run back into town and tell everyone. It would be as if your 401k manager went crazy with his trading and lost the whole investment. This town’s whole herd, many years of breading and care go out the window with a single word of permission by Jesus. Devastating to say the least!
But what is even more telling is the contrast between these townspeople and the newly freed demonless man. The townspeople want nothing to do with Jesus. The newly freed man wants everything to do with Him.
This really is one way to tell who has been touched and changed by Jesus. Those who have been changed want Jesus around. They are not afraid of conversations. They enjoy His presence in their lives. They want more.
Those who don’t know Him yet, or have already rejected Him want nothing to do with Him. They see Him as a threat to their livelihood and lifestyle. They can only see the negative, the constricting nature of following Jesus. They miss the liberation that following Him brings. They enjoy the old familiar and comfortable life they had. They don’t want Jesus messing up their ‘good thing.’
The man is so changed by his experience that that whole region is aware of what has happened. They can’t believe it themselves. They probably heard both sides of the story, the tremendous loss of livelihood by the town and the sanity of the man. Both were unprecedented events. Both centered around the actions of Jesus. Both were attested to by those who witnessed the events. Both were undeniable.
The Arnold Journey 