“The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare what God has done for you.’ So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole town what Jesus had done for him.” —Luke 8:38–39
How much has Jesus done for you? Has He set you free from bondage? Has He set your feet upon a rock, giving you a firm place to stand? Has He let you rest your head “between His shoulders”? Has He bestowed upon you His love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control in ever increasing measures? Then by all means, let others know!
Our demoniac turned disciple begged to go with Jesus. The word translated “begged” is from the Greek word deomai meaning to want, need; it is necessary, it must be, making a request as an inferior of a superior (The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible New Testament Lexical Aids). He greatly desired to go with Jesus in much the same way as others in the Bible whom Jesus had released from bondage. It is important for us to remember that all believers have been set free—some of us just do not seem to have that awareness or appreciation.
If this man was not allowed to continue on with Jesus, then he was certainly going to tell others about his experience. I am reminded of the encounter of the Samaritan woman at the well with Jesus. After their conversation she became quite the evangelist! John tells us:
“Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the report of the woman who testified, ‘He told me everything I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they began asking him to stay with them. He stayed there two days, and because of his word many more believed.” —John 4:39–41
Personal testimony of the message of Jesus is still God’s primary method for spreading the glorious news of salvation. There is no greater witness for our Lord than a changed life and one that is willing to share that change with others. Every believer has a story to tell and every story points to Christ. Our stories are most passionately told by ourselves, and who can refute what has happened to us personally? Again, I am reminded of Scripture that addresses this matter. A man, blind from birth, was healed by Jesus and then questioned by the Pharisees:
“Then they summoned the man who used to be blind a second time and said to him, ‘Promise before God to tell the truth. We know that this man is a sinner.’ He replied, ‘I do not know whether he is a sinner. I do know one thing—that although I was blind, now I can see.’ … They heaped insults on him, saying, ‘You are his disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God has spoken to Moses! We do not know where this man comes from!’ The man replied, ‘This is a remarkable thing, that you don’t know where he comes from, and yet he caused me to see! We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is devout and does his will, God listens to him. Never before has anyone heard of someone causing a man born blind to see. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.’” —John 9:24–25, 28–33
This man’s witness was clear and he refused to deny what he knew for certain. We need to speak out about what we know for certain. As a friend of mine wrote to encourage me, “We must keep sharing our faith. God is the only answer to this sinful, sad, sick world.”
Become More
God has placed each one of us in this specific time and place to be a beacon of light in this dark world. We are to shine like stars. We are to be salt that has not lost its saltiness; the preservative that permeates this decaying world.
Let others know!
Further Reflections
“Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose. Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.” —Philippians 2:1–4
“Then Jesus came up and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” —Matthew 28:18–20