Rise Up and Witness
Can a man haunted by demons and living among tombs teach us something profound about our own journey from death to life? At first glance, when reading about the demoniac in Mark 5 who was healed from a legion of demons, we might not see many parallels between his life and ours. I was humbled to find we had several similarities.
This man was living in burial caves. He was literally residing among the dead. After his encounter with Jesus, we see a drastic transformation as he rejoins other living people in his hometown. Isn’t that just what Jesus does? He brings every one of us from death to life. Before encountering Him, we are dead to sins. We know nothing of a life apart from sin. After receiving His boundless grace, we experience life. We indeed know what it is to go from death to life and from shame to freedom.
In Mark 5:19, Jesus instructs this man, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” This man is instructed to go and be a witness for Christ. The word witness can feel intimidating, but it really is simple. It’s telling others about the evidence of Christ in your life. Jesus’ command to this once demoniac and now healed man should sound familiar to us. It parallels His command to all of us in Acts 1:8, to go out and be His witnesses. If you feel that you don’t currently have a purpose, may you be reassured that you do. Your purpose today is to tell others about the ways God has worked and moved in your life. How He has helped and healed you. Tell about when He brought hope and joy to your dreariest of days. Share how His peace persisted in the midst of your chaos. Talk about how, despite your long list of faults, His grace has never known an end. I know you can do it.
Just like this man, we each have a story of how God brought us from death to life. May we have the boldness to share it with others today. Your actions could change the course of eternity for someone else. God’s power is at work in you.
