Luke 8:38-39 “Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.”
One man can make a marked difference.
The demoniac of Gadarenes was one such man. He came to Jesus, drawn in part by the devils within. Jesus heard the plea asking that He not torment them. Jesus reveals to us the critical nature of the state of this man. He asks his name, and his reply is “Legion,” meaning a number somewhere between three to six thousand.
The demons request to be sent into the swine feeding nearby. Jesus allows them to go and all witness the violent running of the pigs into the sea. The man is now sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind.
Upon Jesus’ departure, the man seeks to go with Him, and today’s passage is Jesus’ response. I am sure the way for the man was slow at first. All were afraid of him. All sunned him. All set up alarms to declare if he was coming. Now, he looks normal, but what if this was just a trick?
Slowly but surely, he makes his way through town, telling his story. His testimony was backed up by those who witnessed it. The whole community had soon heard and now wanted to meet this Jesus, who performed such a miraculous feat.
We read:
Luke 8:40 “And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.”
One man brought his whole town to Jesus by simple obedience.
Often, we feel we aren’t making a dent in the field God has sent us. We may be called to be a Jeremiah who never saw one soul turn to God throughout his entire ministry, or at least it was not recorded.
We may, like John, suffer persecution and exile for telling our story for His glory. Some have been martyred, others persecuted and oppressed. Whatever we suffer on this side cannot be compared to what our Savior suffered for us.
Our enemy wants us to feel defeated, doubtful and divided in our hearts. He works exceptionally hard on those with the potential, like the maniac of Gadera. There is no difference. If you are saved, you have a story to tell.
Telling that story for His glory will reap the rewards both here and in Heaven.
Never stop looking for opportunities to share. Pray for divine appointments with those who want to hear. We can follow God’s command:
1 Peter 3:15-16 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.”
Daily Manna 