Day Twenty-two: The Fear of Flying Pigs (Mark 5:14-17)
Devotional: Have you ever gotten a response that was the opposite of what you expected? In the romantic comedy “Hitch”, Hitch goes on a first date with Sarah. Hoping to impress her, he plans an elaborate date that culminates with her seeing the name of her great-grandfather, “the Butcher of Cadiz”, in the immigration book at Ellis Island.
As she looks at the book, Hitch has a smile on his face, assuming she is touched by the gesture. Instead she cries hysterically and runs out of the room. Not the reaction Hitch was expecting. He comes to find out that Sarah’s great-grandfather is not a butcher that sells meat. It was a nickname given to him because he was a murderer!
Sometimes the response is not what we expect. The same thing could be said in today’s passage. Jesus had just performed a miracle. For years the demon-possessed man had lived in torment and had traumatized the people. And with a word, Jesus changed everything. You would think the people would have been grateful. You would've thought they’d have brought other people from the village to be healed. But that’s not the response they gave.
Instead of embracing the Savior, they kicked Him out of town. Why in the world would they have done that? One of the reasons was financial. Those 2,000 pigs represented a lot of money lost. They cared more about themselves than the well-being of the man healed. If we want to see miracles in the lives of people we love, we have to get over ourselves and be willing to sacrifice in order for people to experience the power and presence of Jesus.
There was another reason the people responded the way they did. It says in v. 15, “they were afraid”. Why was that? Well, it doesn’t tell us. Perhaps the supernatural was just too much for them. A God outside of their box was more than they bargained for. The truth is, there is a spiritual battle going on all around us. Life is more than the material, there’s a spiritual realm that we are a part of. And we can’t be afraid and run from it. We have to run to the battle. We need to run to Jesus.
Whatever it is that keeps you from experiencing the life God wants for you, Jesus has the power and authority to cast it out of your life. Fear will always tempt us to choose flight over fight. But those moments of fear are just a reminder to run to the King and let Him fight on our behalf. Whatever it is that seeks to destroy us, we must choose to fight over flight.
Prayer: What makes you fearful? Get on your knees in a posture of surrender to the King and ask God to cast those fears out of your life.
Devotional: Have you ever gotten a response that was the opposite of what you expected? In the romantic comedy “Hitch”, Hitch goes on a first date with Sarah. Hoping to impress her, he plans an elaborate date that culminates with her seeing the name of her great-grandfather, “the Butcher of Cadiz”, in the immigration book at Ellis Island.
As she looks at the book, Hitch has a smile on his face, assuming she is touched by the gesture. Instead she cries hysterically and runs out of the room. Not the reaction Hitch was expecting. He comes to find out that Sarah’s great-grandfather is not a butcher that sells meat. It was a nickname given to him because he was a murderer!
Sometimes the response is not what we expect. The same thing could be said in today’s passage. Jesus had just performed a miracle. For years the demon-possessed man had lived in torment and had traumatized the people. And with a word, Jesus changed everything. You would think the people would have been grateful. You would've thought they’d have brought other people from the village to be healed. But that’s not the response they gave.
Instead of embracing the Savior, they kicked Him out of town. Why in the world would they have done that? One of the reasons was financial. Those 2,000 pigs represented a lot of money lost. They cared more about themselves than the well-being of the man healed. If we want to see miracles in the lives of people we love, we have to get over ourselves and be willing to sacrifice in order for people to experience the power and presence of Jesus.
There was another reason the people responded the way they did. It says in v. 15, “they were afraid”. Why was that? Well, it doesn’t tell us. Perhaps the supernatural was just too much for them. A God outside of their box was more than they bargained for. The truth is, there is a spiritual battle going on all around us. Life is more than the material, there’s a spiritual realm that we are a part of. And we can’t be afraid and run from it. We have to run to the battle. We need to run to Jesus.
Whatever it is that keeps you from experiencing the life God wants for you, Jesus has the power and authority to cast it out of your life. Fear will always tempt us to choose flight over fight. But those moments of fear are just a reminder to run to the King and let Him fight on our behalf. Whatever it is that seeks to destroy us, we must choose to fight over flight.
Prayer: What makes you fearful? Get on your knees in a posture of surrender to the King and ask God to cast those fears out of your life.
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