READING: Mark 4-5
He was completely out of control. He lived among the tombs, screaming night and day. Others tried to subdue him with shackles and chains, but nothing could hold him. He gashed himself with stones, likely trying to take his miserable life. What do you have to live for when a legion of demons controls you? I suspect mothers said of him to their children, “Don’t go near the cemetery. The crazy man lives there!” Nobody would go near him.
Except Jesus, that is.
Jesus and His disciples went to the region of the Gerasenes, where the demon-possessed man met Him. The demon in him, like other demons, recognized Jesus as “Son of the Most High God” (Mark 5:7). The demons were numerous, but they were no match for the Son of God. They could do only what Jesus allowed and go only where Jesus permitted them. He sent them into a herd of pigs — a herd they would lead to their destruction as they “rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned” (Mark 5:13). Demons are always bent on destruction, it seems.
The contrast could not be more telling. The demons destroyed; Jesus brought life. The demons created chaos; Jesus granted peace. The demons controlled the man, but Jesus ultimately controlled the demons. In the power of Jesus, the “crazy man” would become a great evangelist, telling the cities about the One who freed him (Mark 5:18-20). The people were amazed at what Jesus could do.
Be glad today that Jesus came to you while you were yet a sinner. In fact, be amazed.
ACTION STEPS:
- Think about someone in your life that most people try to avoid. Pray for him or her. Reach out.
- Pray for people around the world who are literally demon-possessed today. Pray for missionaries who work among them.
PRAYER: “Lord, I praise You for healing, redemption, and renewal. Thank You for taking me from where I was and putting me on the right path. Thank You for coming to me.”
TOMORROW¹S READING: Mark 6-7
