Day 11: Freedom
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him earnestly that he might remain with him. Jesus did not let him but told him, “Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.” So he went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.
Mark 5:18-20
Have you ever seen an escape artist at work? I think it’s well impressive how someone could get chained and locked up, and yet be able to escape without a key. Then there’s folk who might do it under water, even more nuts and impressive! Like loads of things in life, I’m sure it took practice and hard work to be able to get to that point though. Erik Weisz didn’t become ‘The Great Harry Houdini’ overnight, he learnt slight of hand and all the tricks in the book to perform impressive illusions. For every escape he planned, he knew all the moves he’d need to make it work.
In today’s passage, Jesus met a man who had no hope of escape. He was possessed by multiple demons and could do nothing to get rid of them. The demons were unrestrainable, he couldn’t be held down by chains. They were unwavering, tormenting him day and night, wherever he went. They gave him unending pain and torture. All the man could do was spend his days crying out, and trying to end it by cutting himself with stones. He couldn’t just learn some slight of hand or some fancy tricks to get away.
The darkness of this situation is deep, it’s extreme. And yet, it’s a picture of human hearts, enslaved by sin. We might not consider ourselves enslaved, but think of your own heart, what can’t you escape? Addiction, insecurity, pride, anxieties, doubts. Without Jesus, our hearts are a mess, enslaved to sin and stuck in darkness. We might try and escape, take our minds of things, or work hard to make new habits, but the old darkness remains and we can’t escape.
When Jesus turned up to meet this guy, everything changed. The demon recognised Jesus and his authority, and begged for mercy. Jesus, in a display of amazing love and compassion on this broken, enslaved man, provided a way for escape. The demons were sent to a herd of 2000 pigs, sacrificed so man could be free at last.
This is what Jesus does. He came to free captives. He came to release his people from eternal bondage to sin. He died as the ultimate sacrifice, so that those who believe in him might sing:
‘My chains are gone, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth and followed thee.’
This lad found freedom, and sat, clothed and thinking clearly for the first time. He wanted to go with Jesus, but instead Jesus told him to go and share his story. He was to tell his own people how the Lord had shown him incredible mercy.
If we’ve heard the Gospel and found freedom in Jesus, then we all have a story to tell. We might wonder what on earth we should say to people, but we can all share something of what Jesus has done in our lives. Jesus didn’t give this guy a course in evangelism, he just told him to share what he knew already. It doesn’t need to be complicated.
Take time today to think back on your Christian life. Praise God for what he’s done. Ask him to show you where your heart is still tangled up in sin, and ask that he would continually bring freedom from sin. Pray then for folk to share your story with, and go share!
Passage for today: Mark 5:1-20
A thought to remember: Jesus came to bring eternal freedom from slavery to sin.
A question to ask: How has Jesus given you freedom, and how can you share that with others?
A song to sing: And Can It Be?