On my first morning in Israel I stood on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee and looked eastward toward the Golan Heights which, now as it was in Jesus’ time, is not a part of Israel. On the way across the Sea Jesus calms a storm in a demonstration of his authority over all creation. We will demonstrate this authority again when he arrives on shore.
At the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry the Roman invaders were thought to be the personification of Satan. It was also believed that evil, or monsters, came out of the sea. The Jews believed that any contact with the demon possessed person encounter by Jesus would make them unclean; as would contact with pigs and cemeteries. Accordingly, everything encountered in this incident, from the perspective of the Jews, was evil and unclean. When Jesus exercised his authority over the demons (the forces of evil) and gave them permission to enter into the pigs he was sending the evil back to the sea from whence it had come.
As Jesus prepared to leave, the newly freed man wants to go with him. Jesus bids him to stay with his family ““and tell them everything God has done for you.” So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.”
Do you notice what happened? Jesus told the man to tell what God had done for him. The man went about telling what Jesus had done for him. For two thousand years the church has struggled to find a way to describe the truth of God in Christ. The man did not allow himself to get bogged down in trying to understand fully how God and Jesus were one and the same. He just testified to what he knew Jesus had done for him.
That’s all I need to remember: “Tell them everything God has done for you.”
What word or phrase in these verses
attracts your attention?
Reflect on that word or phrase.
What insights come to you?
How does this passage touch your life today?
10-Jan-12 Luke 8:40-56
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