What is the cost of Jesus presence in our lives? The story of Jesus healing the violent men and casting their demons into the herd of pigs has always bothered me. The towns people came out when they heard this news. It never seemed quite fair that the herd of pigs were drown as a result. If they were my pigs and the herdsman in my employ I might have had a strong opinion to this course of events. Especially when all that was gained was the health of two violent men. What resonated is this. The villagers came out, likely to investigate, likely to verify, and upon doing so they found something new. This stranger was different, it was true as the herdsman had said, the cave men who lived in the tombs had been healed, but their herd of pigs was gone. They needed these pigs and what did this healing gain them? It seemed like this man Jesus, although different, was nothing but trouble to them. One that would cause upset of their finely crafted lives. Who knows what else He may do to upset the balance of their little economy. I think of the rich young ruler. He was a pretty good guy. He kept the rules, likely living in peace with those around him, but to accept Jesus presence in his heart, there was one thing remaining. He would need to sell all that he had and give it away. Jesus, the one who knows our hearts entirely, cannot coexist in second place. Jesus created us, He knows the fabric from which we were cut, He knows what we value even when we might fool ourselves. The villagers came out that day to investigate, and what they found was one that might continue to upset the balance of what they valued, and they had a choice. They could recognize the supernatural power that He had displayed and correctly see His kindness in the healing of the two men, or they could see the possible upset of what they thought was a pretty good life. The same choice we all have. We can place our faith in the good character of a God who is all powerful or we can get by on our own, enjoying the reflection of His goodness and provision while thinking it is our own doing. One choice is discipleship, the other is something else.
Comments