“And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region.” (Mark 5:16-17)
When Jesus entered the country of the Gerasenes, He was immediately met by a demon-possessed man who was so strong that nobody could subdue him. But Jesus turned out to be stronger than any unclean spirit and He sent the demons away. Upon leaving the man, the demons entered a herd of pigs that then rushed into the sea and drowned.
This whole story is impressive and frightening, since it makes clear that the devil and his servants are very real and that they can exercise power over humans. But this story also fills us with awe for Jesus’ supernatural power. He is in control!
The Gerasenes saw and heard what Jesus had done. But instead of praising God for the salvation of the demon-possessed man, they were sorry for the pigs. They “began to beg Jesus to depart from their region”. They asked him to leave them alone and to not disturb their lives…
Many people don’t want Jesus to come into their lives, since they don’t want their lives to be disturbed and questioned and changed. They prefer to be “left alone” and to continue their old way of living — but in doing so, they miss out on their only chance of salvation! Please don’t banish Jesus from your life…
Do you allow Jesus to enter all parts of your life? Or do you banish Him from certain parts?