Wings of Hope: Jesus deported
The Bible tells us a very interesting story of two demonpossessed men who menaced
a whole community in the Gadarenes in Matthew 8 vs. 28- 34.
“When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. ‘What do you want with us, Son of God?’ they shouted. ‘Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?’
Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding.
The demons begged Jesus, ‘If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.’ He said to them, ‘Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.
Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region” The two demon-possessed men were so violent that no one could pass the road where these men were found.
One day, Jesus confronted these demons and drove them out. Naturally, one would think that the community became very happy with the healing of these two violent demon-possessed men. The community could now use the dangerous road and enjoy life in peace. But that was not the case.
The community went to Jesus and pleaded with him to go away. They didn’t want him there. It is baffling to think that a whole community could decide to get rid of the very man who had brought healing, peace and hope to them.
The Bible says they literally pleaded with him to take leave of their community. They deported Jesus after he brought peace and healing to their land.
There are many times when we ignore what God has done to our lives and ask him to take leave of us. We find his presence inconveniencing. We would rather be left alone to do what we please.
Instead of offering our praises to God for what he has done in our lives, we are busy asking him to leave us alone. When you come to think of it, all our blessings come from God.
Everything that is good comes from God. Our intelligence is a gift from God. All our abilities that we sometimes so much brag about emanate from the hand of God. How then can anyone of us stand up and challenge this hand that gives us everything? It doesn’t make sense.
We kick Jesus out of our lives every day through our sinful thoughts, words and actions. Each time we depart from the will of God and pursue the gratification of our fleshly desires God walks away. He cannot co-exist with evil. Where evil is God is not and where God is evil is not present.
Jesus died on the cross so that we could enjoy a repaired relationship with God. Our relationship was broken by sin in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned, mankind became enemies with God.
It God’s amazing love to overlook our sin and send us a saviour to pay for our penalty. But instead of basking in the hope of the cross and praising God for our salvation we often find ourselves glued to the very things that drove Jesus to the cross.
We keep on deporting Jesus even after He saved us.
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