"You need to
leave!"
Basically that's what
those from Kursi shouted at Jesus -- no matter the healing of a madman who had
been driving them mad. Their pigs
(their property) went off the cliff into the abyss!
Jesus and his disciples
decide to board their boat to return across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum. As
they do so, the no-longer-afflicted-man begs to go with them. I imagine his
begging was at least two-fold: to stay with this amazing Jesus -- the healer;
and to get away from possible further torture.
What does Jesus say? Jesus
urges this man to share the news of what was done for him and the mercy given.
Why now? And why would he
say this to a Gentile -- when he has previously wanted things on the down-low?
Unlike on the other side
of the lake, Jesus had no followers here and no religious leaders to hinder him.
There's an opportunity for the good news of Jesus to be shared to a wider base.
What better example of this man who had been so deeply afflicted! Coming
directly from the source.
He took Jesus' request to
heart and spread word of his story (healing, pigs, everything) in the
Decapolis.
Did You Know…?
The Decapolis was "a
confederation of ten Hellenized cities south of Galilee and mostly east of the
Jordan. The league of cities was formed shortly after Pompey's invasion of
Palestine (64 BC)." [i] "These cities had
been settled several centuries earlier by Greek traders and immigrants.
Although Jews also lived in the area, they were not in the majority." [ii]
I never quite thought of
it this way before, but this man -- rid of the legion, these demons -- became a
seed. He was like the mustard seed -- who no one would've given any attention
to -- because he was inconsequential; he was the least among humankind. Until
now. This seed (this man) grew to become the first contact made with Greek
civilization in the Decapolis.
Wrapping up this post,
something I had also pondered was, "If Jesus was so tired, why did he tell
his disciples that they should get in a boat and go to the other side?"
Was it because he figured no one would know him over there -- in Kursi? Was it
happenstance that his path should cross the one of the possessed man? Maybe
Jesus thought one thing was going to happen -- "we'll have a few moments
to ourselves where no one will bother us," and upon seeing someone in
immediate, dire need, he did what he was called to do.
God had bigger plans in the
pre-planned journey and expectations. How often does that happen in our own lives?
More frequently than we probably realize.
And something bigger
happened indeed. As Norma from the study group stated, "It tells us that
God is for everyone." By traveling across to the other side of town (so to
speak), Jesus embraced those who were different -- the Gentiles.
Jesus' ministry
encompasses all.
All means all.
NEXT…
Taking risks; faith and
action
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