Mark 5:15-19: a reflection

15They came to Jesus, and saw him who had been possessed by demons sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, even him who had the legion; and they were afraid. 16Those who saw it declared to them what happened to him who was possessed by demons, and about the pigs. 17They began to beg him to depart from their region. 18As he was entering into the boat, he who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. 19He didn’t allow him, but said to him, “Go to your house, to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you and how he had mercy on you.”

Jesus has freed a deeply tormented man from the demons that possessed him, and the man is found sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. When Jesus is about to leave, the healed man begs to go with him, to stay at his side. But Jesus does not allow it. Instead he gives him a different commission: Go home to your friends, and tell them what the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you. His mission field was to be his own home and people.

Notice the commission Jesus gave this man: not to follow him away, but to go home and tell his own people what God had done for him. The man wanted to be with Jesus; but Jesus sent him to witness where he was, among those who knew him, telling the simple story of the mercy he had received. His first mission was not to distant places or strangers, but to his own friends and family, who would see the change in him and hear what the Lord had done.

That is often our first calling too. We can imagine that serving God means going somewhere special, doing something dramatic, when our first mission field is usually those closest to us, our home, our friends, our family, who know us and can see what God has done in our lives. And our witness need not be complicated: simply to tell what the Lord has done for us, and how he has had mercy on us. Go, as this man was sent, to those closest to you, and tell them what God has done in your own life. You do not need to go far or say anything grand; your own story of God's mercy, told to those who know you, is a witness Jesus himself commissions.

Lord, when you had freed the tormented man, he begged to go with you, but you sent him home to tell his friends what the Lord had done for him and how you had shown him mercy. Show me that this is often my first calling too. I can imagine that serving you means going somewhere special or doing something dramatic, when my first mission field is usually those closest to me, my home, my friends, my family, who know me and can see what you have done in my life. And my witness need not be complicated: simply to tell what you have done for me, and how you have had mercy on me. Help me go, as this man was sent, to those closest to me, and tell them what you have done in my own life. Keep me from thinking I must go far or say something grand; help me tell my own story of your mercy to those who know me, as a witness you yourself commission. Give me courage to tell what you have done.