“Jesus did not let him, but said, ‘Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’” (Mark 5:19)
Have you ever been somewhere so wonderful that you never wanted to leave? That’s how the man in Mark chapter 5 felt after Jesus healed him from a life of insanity. He wanted to travel with Jesus, listen to His teachings, witness His miracles, and enjoy His company. But Jesus told him to go home and tell his family what God had done for him. God doesn’t want you to live remote and distant from the rest of the world! The only way to keep what you have is to give it away. After a spiritual mountaintop experience, you must take what you’ve received and share it with those in the valley. The man in today’s reading had spent years living in a graveyard. He was cutting himself and raving incoherently. Now the crowd saw him “sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind” (Luke 8:35).
And that’s still how it works. First, Jesus clothes you, then He calls you. When you come to Him, you’re spiritually naked, so He wraps you in His righteousness. Paul says, “Anyone … in Christ … is a new creature: old things are passed away … all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Whereas you were once “in Adam” where all die, now you’re “in Christ” where all are made alive spiritually (see 1 Corinthians 15:22). Hymnist Edwin Mote wrote, “Clothed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.” Second, never forget that once you’re “clothed and in your right mind”, it’s your God-given mandate to go out and live as a child of Christ reflecting that new life in you in contrast to how the world apart from Christ lives.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, now that I am in my right mind (I pray I am), help me go out and share ALL that You have done for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Stay encouraged!
Pastor Mike
