Following after Jesus #59

Jesus had just quieted the countryside: the demon-possessed man was delivered from his constant screeching; the pigs were drowned and no longer squealing; the disciples were in shock after another successive miracle. Luke wraps up his account this way:

 34 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 36 And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

The herdsmen had gone to tell the owners and others what had happened to the pigs and to this man, so the people came out to see for themselves, but who did the most come out to see? They came to Jesus. He was the one responsible for this mess, this mess of a man, now sitting at Jesus feet, clothed, calm and collected. The herdsmen who had seen it said: "He's the one who did this!"  Their response was just like that of the demons when they first met Jesus: "Please Just leave us alone." Jesus deals with people differently than He does with demons.  People can change over time. He knows they are unreceptive at this time. They are still too comfortable with evil.  These people are not hardened and self-righteous like the Pharisees, who think their way to God is better, but they are not ready.  Jesus grants their request and leaves, but He is leaving behind the memory of this event, and He is leaving behind this witness, this man (or as Matthew tells us, two men, two witnesses) to attest to Who Jesus is: the Holy One of God. Jesus knows that His followers will be back there some day to build on the seed He had planted, and people will respond, and follow Him.  Let us not become complacent with evil, but let us be patient with those who still are.  Keep looking for them to get fed up with it too, and come to follow Jesus.