SUNDAY Worship 8AM & 10:30AM
759 East Avenue Tallmadge, OH 44278 (330) 633-4775
Feb 23 – Mark 5:1-20
Barb Bailey
When the locals see and hear what transpired, from the unbelievable –a severely violent, demon possessed man now sane– to the ridiculously expensive –2000 pigs committing suicide by drowning themselves– they respond in fear, and beg Jesus to leave. He is a foreigner. They neither understand Him, nor can they make sense of what just happened. As Jesus agrees to go, the man whom He healed begs to join His group of disciples, but instead, Jesus empowers the man to become one of His first missionaries.
To the locals, this missionary man is no foreigner, but rather one of their own. One on whom they spent much time and money trying to keep restrained without success. They can see Jesus’ sudden, life-changing impact on him with their own eyes. Going not only to his family, but throughout the ten cities, the man becomes a successful missionary, telling all that the Lord had done for him, and the mercy he had been shown. The people are amazed, primed for receiving Jesus (see Mark 7:31, Mark 8).
We pray:
Jesus, you may seem like a foreigner to many people around me. Grant that I may be fully filled with Your Holy Spirit so that I, too, may go and tell those around me how much You have done for me, and how You have had mercy on me. Help me to share in word and deed so that those around me will see, desire, and accept the life-changing impact You make. Amen.