Great Things The Lord Has Done

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.” Mark 5:19

Today's verse comes from that great tale of the demon-possessed man. Yes, the one with so many demons that they called themselves Legion. In this story Jesus gives to the man, and by His word to us, the essence of our testimony: tell of God's great works and His compassion. "Go home," the Lord says to the man, "and tell." It may seem to us a bit less than the starring role we had in mind in our new faith. And perhaps to the man as well, as there is a not permitted thing going on there. What was not permitted by our Lord to the man? Following Him.

We too may be confused by the how and when some are permitted to follow Jesus right now, while we are told to go home and tell of His great things. The disciples, following the Lord physically at this moment, would soon get that same lack of permission to follow when they watched our Lord ascend from the Mount of Olives. As of that moment, all of us are now awaiting permission to follow our Lord to our eternal home. The former possession of the evil minions may not have understood why some could follow Him now while others had to wait, but he did obey the Lord.

And as Jesus said, Do Tell!

Bucky