Go Home!!!

by Fay Barlow
(lexington, Sc)

Mark 5:1-20
18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

A cemetery is a quiet, secluded and sometimes scary place. I stood at my mom’s gravesite a few months ago with my sister and our sons. It was a cold and dreary day in Louisiana. There was no one else in the cemetery, and for whatever reason, we all found it necessary to be silent.

Emptiness hung over us as we walked to the car. Isolation from the world around us hovered like the fence that surrounded the place. And the heavy iron gates that gave a feeling of chains being locked, stood at the front and rear entrance of the land like statues of sorrow.

But imagine many days spent wandering aimlessly and disoriented through the tombs. And nights, seeking warmth and shelter from the only tangible object, a tombstone. You hear the sounds of people coming in calling your name and hope rises in you, only to find them chasing you down and binding you with shackles and chains.

And after they leave, you spend days working to break yourself clear of the bindings. The blood stains your hands and body from the rocks used as tools of freedom. At night, you cry out for relief from the inner rebellion.

Then you meet a man named Jesus. Even though the torment in your soul is strong and your mind is irrational, there is something inside of you that knows that this man can set you free. Your cries turn from pain to joy as you throw yourself at His feet in hopes of peeling off the stench of imprisonment that had become your clothing. With the words, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” your burden of possession is gone. The fog of discouragement has lifted and the weight of oppression is lightened.

What do you do? You beg Jesus to take you with Him, of course! But He says “No.”

I don’t know how this man felt when Jesus told him to stay and tell the things that had been done for him, but I know in reading this today, I felt a bit heartbroken. So many times in the scriptures, Jesus says to “come, follow me.” But this time, He says “Go home.”

Yes, Jesus was asked to leave the area, because of the legion, pigs, and drowning incident. So He needed someone to stay and tell the good news. And what better person than the one that everyone was familiar with. The one that the kids tormented during the day but were afraid of after dark. The one that the priest warned about and made an example of. The one that had a promising future but became the dirty little secret of the town.

What a testimony! This man told and “all marveled.” He was set free by the power of God. He was a living miracle of this man called Jesus. But I wonder if he secretly questioned why he couldn’t go with Jesus. I would. I would want to be near the one that liberated me. I would want to sit at His feet and hang on every word He spoke. I would want to shout about His mercy and compassion as He entered every new place.

Hummm…..maybe that’s why Jesus didn’t want him to go. Maybe the man needed a simple life, one that kept him from the temptation of pride. Maybe he had a family that needed salvation. Maybe he needed to face some consequences that landed him in the cemetery to begin with.

But to hear “no” from Jesus would have been hard for me. I have heard that little word before and have not liked it. I have argued and pointed out my reasons that “yes” would have been a better answer. I have complained and gotten mad about it. I have given in to the answer and to a lingering bitterness.

And I have come to understand that I know nothing of the things of God. There is a good plan, a better plan and the plan that is best. “No” does not mean failure, it means the best that God has for me outweighs the “yes” I want.