For a short story, our gospel tale has already had quite a few twists and unexpected turns, and there is one more in store for us. After the dramatic dispersal of the demons from this deranged man, after his remarkable healing and restoration to his “right mind,” there is a curious coda. The man wants to follow Jesus, and Jesus refuses him. What’s up with that?
Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.
All through the gospels we see Jesus invite people to “Follow me.” Often he demands they leave their homes and jobs to travel with him. Here he has a volunteer recruit, and he turns him away and sends him home? What gives? It’s not surprising that this man would want to come with Jesus – the Lord has released him from years of unimaginable torment from both evil forces and the harsh treatment of his neighbors. Who would want to stay around people who chain you up and try to subdue you? His desire to be with Jesus is understandable. But why would Jesus deny him?
Perhaps Jesus was not ready for a Gentile disciple; I assume this citizen of the Decapolis was Gentile. Though Jesus has encounters with non-Jews in the gospels, these are often awkward and Jesus sometimes seems ambivalent about them. It is unlikely the Jewish leaders and populace would have accepted such a man as part of his inner circle.
But that would be an “organizational” reason. Perhaps Jesus had a missional one: for this man to bear witness to what he had experienced among his own people. Like genetic cancer treatments in which a healthy cell with growth ability is implanted among cancerous tissue, to disrupt toxic growth and convert cells to health, maybe Jesus wanted this man to seed conversion among his own people. “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” This would make him not a "disciple reject" but one of the first missionaries in the gospels.
Sometimes the mission of God calls us to leave the familiar and bring new life to places that are unknown to us. And sometimes we find that mission right in our midst, in our towns and communities, our workplaces and families, our gyms and book groups and social networks. Where is God calling you to declare how much God has done for you?
This newly healed man did just that, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him. That is ALL any of us is expected to do. We do not have to persuade or convert or explain the mysteries of God – only to speak of what Jesus has done for us. I can tell you, Jesus is doing amazing things in my life every day. You too? Declare it! Tell the stories!
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