"Careful What You Ask For"

Scripture Passage

Mark 5:1-20; Matthew 8:28-34; Luke 8:26-39; Mark 5:21-43; Matthew 9:18-26; Luke 8:40-56

Scripture Focus

And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them. So Jesus returned to the boat and left, crossing back to the other side of the lake. (Luke 8:37 NLT)

Observation

The region of the Gerasenes was a predominantly Gentile area southeast of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus has perhaps retreated to this area for a brief respite from ministry and a time of personal restoration. If so, Jesus has jumped from the frying pan into the fire—the first person to greet the disciples as they arrive across the lake is a madman. He’s homeless (living in the local cemetery), naked, and demon possessed. He’s apparently been a problem for the local population, because they’ve tried unsuccessfully to restrain him in the past. But "even when he was placed under guard and put in chains and shackles, he simply broke them and rushed out into the wilderness, completely under the demon’s power” (Luke 8:29 NLT).

So Jesus—having just demonstrated the inbreaking of His Kingdom by calming the wind and the waves—now demonstrates the same again by delivering the demoniac in full. As the news of this spreads and the villagers arrive on the scene, they discover the former demoniac “sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane” (Luke 8:35 NLT). You would think, wouldn’t you, that they’d be delighted? That they’d be rejoicing? That they’d be celebrating the solving of this problem that had plagued them so incessantly? Instead…

…all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them. (Luke 8:37 NLT)

Now, that’s interesting enough—the truth is, change…progress…healing is unsettling enough for some people that they’d just rather have their problems…they’d just rather live with the mess they’ve got. But here’s the thing that has my attention:

So Jesus returned to the boat and left, crossing back to the other side of the lake. (Luke 8:37 NLT)

The people of the Gerasenes didn’t want Jesus around, so He left. Know this: Jesus doesn’t force Himself on anybody. He’ll not force Himself on you. People protest the thought of an eternal experience described as “unquenchable fire” (a la Luke 3:17) and claim to wonder how God could be so cruel. I’m convinced people who ultimately suffer such a fate have spent a lifetime pushing God away, assuring Him they want nothing to do with Him. If finally and ultimately He concedes, He’s done nothing but honor their requests.

Careful what you ask for—you may just get it.

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