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So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them. Mark 5:20
One day, Jesus and his disciples crossed a lake and entered gentile territory. Near the shore was a grave yard. Soon He and his friends were approached by a man so possessed of demons he could not be chained or controlled. He spent his life wandering among the tombs screaming and moaning. I’m guessing that was a pretty scary moment for the disciples. I’m also guessing it didn’t affect Jesus in the least.
It’s interesting, the man screamed at Jesus, but Jesus only addressed the demons inside him. That’s Jesus for you. We’d focus on the man and his behavior. Jesus focused on his heart.
After talking with the demons, Jesus sent them into a herd of nearby pigs who promptly drowned themselves in the lake! When the herders of the pigs saw this they were shocked! They went and told the people in the nearby town what had happened. When the crowd returned they saw the crazy man of the village sitting calmly talking with Jesus. Fully clothed and in his right mind.
This was all too much for the people in the town to process. They could handle the crazy guy full of demons, but apparently Jesus made them uncomfortable. Or perhaps they were upset because all the bacon they hoped for was in the bottom of the lake. (Ok, sorry. Couldn’t resist that one)
Anyway, back to the story. As Jesus and his crew prepared to leave, the man healed of demons asked to accompany Jesus. Jesus, however, told the man to stay back and travel to the surrounding countryside and tell people what Jesus had done for him. You see, the man had a story to tell and although I’m sure Jesus would have loved having him around, the man’s mission to tell others about Jesus was far more important.
He has the same message for you too, you know. The man in our story was most likely a gentile, not a Hebrew as Jesus and his friends were. Jewish boys are taught about God’s law from the very beginning. Not this guy? He most likely didn’t have a clue about Abraham, Moses, Isaiah or all the prophecies about some coming Messiah. He hadn’t gone to church, been baptized or studied the ‘Bible’. He really only knew one thing and that one thing was what Jesus had done for him.
As believers in Jesus we need to have a passion to tell others about what Jesus means to us. Education in God’s word is nice. Going to church can be helpful. But the best tool you have to bring others to Jesus is to tell them simply, “This is what Jesus did for me.”
So, what’s your story? How has Jesus made a difference in your life, in your marriage, in your work ethic, in your attitude? Sharing what Jesus means to you is far more valuable than any sermon any pastor can ever preach. People may be able to argue theology or doctrine. They may be able to ask all sorts of questions you can’t answer. But the one thing they can’t argue about is what Jesus means to you. Make your story real. Make it short. Make it meaningful. Spread it to your world!
“and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.” John 13:5
He washed their feet. All of them.
The one who would betray him.
The one who doubted him even though he’d seen his miracles,
The ones who were racist.
The ones who were just along for the ride,
The ones who didn’t get it.
One could not be a foot-washer without getting down on their knees on the hare floor. A foot-washer dealt with mud, smelly feet and humiliation. It was physically demanding and emotionally draining. Only the lowest of slaves were given the foot-washer job.
No one EVER volunteered for the job of foot-washer. Not kings. Not nobles. Not even blue collar workers wanted the job.
But Jesus did.
It wasn’t the character of the disciples but the love of the master that drove him to his knees to wash their feet. He served those who could never serve him back at that level.
It’s easy to serve those who like you. It’s beneficial to serve those who have the ability and resources to pay back. But those who have nothing to offer? Those who label and ridicule you? That’s another story.
Who is it you need to serve today? Maybe a text message? A phone call? Paying it forward at the coffee shop drive thru? Praying for a random stranger? Servant-hood isn’t easy. It can get messy. But it’s what Jesus would do.
How I suffer in far-off Meshech. It pains me to live in distant Kedar. Psalms 120:5
Have you ever been far from home? You are on vacation or away at school or perhaps your job has taken you away from the familiar surroundings of family and friends.
You love what you do. You have a good life. You feel truly blessed. Yet there is an emptiness, a longing for the stable structure of the familiar?
In Old Testament times Jerusalem and the Temple was home to the Hebrews. It was there that God dwelt. It was in Jerusalem that one felt truly at home socially, ethnically, and emotionally.
But life happened. Through exile and other things the Hebrews were scattered around the Mediterranean world. A few times a year they would go ‘home’ to celebrate God’s goodness, worship His faithfulness and reconnect with family and friends.
When they were with God and His people, life was good. But then the cycle would repeat. Life called them away with a longing for ‘next time in Jerusalem’.
Have you ever felt that longing? Perhaps sin has lured you away? Maybe it’s just the busyness of life. “Weekends are the only time I have for me.” It could be a bad experience when the body of Jesus abused or failed you.
Maybe it’s time to come home. Maybe you need to return to Jerusalem. There is an emptiness when we are far from Jesus. An emptiness he never intended.
Don’t allow the failure of people or the busyness of life keep you from enjoying Jesus!
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 