Daily Scripture:
18As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. But Jesus refused, and said to him, ‘Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.’ And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed. (Mark 5:18-20)
Daily Reflection:
This man had suffered terribly, most likely from what we would now class as a mental illness. Mark tells us that he was very violent and impossible to restrain. People were frightened of him. Now Jesus had healed him and, understandably enough, he wanted to stay with his saviour. But, unusually for Jesus, he refused. Why? Because the man had an important job to do. Having been blessed with healing, he was now to take the message to his friends, telling them his story. They were most likely the very same people who had rejected him in his mad days. Now he could show them just how powerful and how loving God is!
We can also be witnesses for Jesus, telling our friends what he has done for us. Maybe it will not always be as dramatic, but it will have impact because it is our own lived experience!