Short devotion: Return Home

Luke 8:38-39 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him. (NIV)

The conclusion of the Gospel story where Jesus heals the demon-possessed man has always intrigued me. The cured man wants to follow Jesus probably because he is so thankful for having regained his senses. After years of being excluded from his own community, he knows he can trust Jesus, so he would like to become a disciple or a servant to help Christ with His ministry.

            In my own life, I felt that same thankfulness when Jesus rescued me from alcoholism. I was enslaved to my addiction and even though I knew that I was harming myself physically, as well as mentally, I could not liberate myself from the chains of compulsion. It took a life changing moment of trusting Jesus completely before I was released from my obsession. I couldn’t have escaped my drinking problem without Christ’s grace and peace. When I understood what Jesus did for me, I just wanted to serve Him like the demoniac.

            Although the healed man wanted to go and serve his Savior, Christ had other plans for him. Jesus told him to go back and share his amazing experience with his own community. The people there were fearful of Jesus because of His almighty power, so Christ gave the man a personal mission and an individual calling to return home to his people as a witness to God’s mercy and grace. Instead of being afraid of Jesus, the cured man could convince them of God’s compassion and love.

            This is a challenge for all of us – to be effective witnesses of Christ’s love to our own people, our own families, our own friends. Whatever goodness that God has wrought in each of us through Christ, we are meant to share it with others and not just keep it to ourselves. We live in a broken world whose madness is creating a lot of fear in our communities. Christ can heal this, too, but only if we are willing to share faith, hope, and love in compassionate ways to repair the damage around us.

Point to ponder: How do I share my faith with my own community?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You came into our lives to heal our broken lives and restore us to God’s love. Encourage us to become personal witnesses of the healing and hope that You bring to the world. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.