December 22 2024

Sunday December 22

“Clothed and In His Right Mind”

Luke 8:30-39

30 Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss. 32 Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. 33 Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned. 34 When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36 They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. 37 Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned. 38 Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you." And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

Luke 8:26-39 reminds us that everything changes when Jesus shows up! I hope you noticed something else that is very special about Jesus in this passage. Remember Jesus and His disciples were ministering in the region of Galilee to great multitudes. Great and marvelous things were taking place. The Gospel of the Kingdom was being proclaimed in all the cities and villages of that region. Demons were being cast out. Great numbers of people were being healed and delivered from their bondage.

Why would you leave this place, and ministry of such great success and go somewhere else? But apparently Jesus, always doing the will of His Father, thought it was necessary! There were two demon possessed men on the other side that needed deliverance. First, I see the love of the Father and the compassion of Jesus in caring enough about those “on the other side”, to go into a stormy sea to reach out and bring hope and salvation to the people in a remote desolate place!

As far as we can tell, according to the three accounts of this story in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus only ministered to two men in a very brief period of time, and almost immediately afterwards left to go back over the sea to Capernaum. Wow! Jesus took the time out of His busy schedule to go help and deliver two people from their bondage. To me this proves that Jesus cares about everyone, no matter who they are and where they are!

We should also learn from this that the success of our present ministry is not what brings the most glory to God, but what does please and glorify Him the most, is that we are in such an intimate relationship with our heavenly Father that we are willing to obey Him and go anywhere and to anyone that He sends us to! We are willing and obedient to step out of our comfort zone, and face the demonic storms of temptation, tribulation, and persecution to help that one person!

If we are not careful, we are so impressed and awed by the success of the mega-churches and ministries, that we forget what really pleases the Father! Large crowds never impressed Jesus! Our success with God does not depend on the results or extent of our ministry, but on our obedience to Jesus every day in the little things! Read John 15 carefully and you will find our main task is simply “to abide in Christ” then the fruit that is produced through this union and communion with Him and our heavenly Father will glory Him (John 15:7-8).

After Jesus commanded the “unclean spirit” to come out of the man, He permitted the demons to enter a herd of swine. This agitated them so much that they chose to drown in the sea rather than to have demons in them. When the keepers of the swine told the town people what had happened, they ran out to see for themselves and “found the man out of who the demon had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind!” 

What a powerful testimony! He was sitting and resting in Jesus. He found what he had been looking for all his life. No more cutting himself, terrorizing the community, living in tombs, wandering in the wilderness! He was clothed, and finally, he was in his right mind! That is what happens when Jesus comes into our lives! We are a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Today, I believe that there is “someone” waiting in the darkness for you to bring Jesus to them! I can assure you, there is no greater experience in all the world than to be used by God in saving and rescuing a lost soul!

God bless!