Mark 5 v 18 - 20

We may question why Jesus didn't allow the man who was once demon-possessed to follow Him as there were many others besides the Twelve disciples who were doing so. Again, it is when we delve deeper that we understand the decision of Jesus... This passage ends the story by informing the reader that the incident took place in the Decapolis. This was a group of ten cities of special character. They were all near the River Jordan and were essentially Greek; within Syria, but independent. Governed by the Romans, they had come together as protection against Jewish and Arab encroachment. This is very interesting, as this tells us that Jesus was outside Israel; yes, there were some Jews, but it was overwhelmingly Greek, which is how there were some who owned pigs-something Jews would never do (remember the prodigal son getting to the point of looking after swine?). This is the first signs that Christianity would burst out of its Jewish roots and claim the world for Christ! So, we can see that there were good reasons for Jesus to send the man back to his home area: 1. He was to be a witness for Christianity. Everyone would have known of this demented figure and feared him, but now he was in his right mind thanks to Jesus! The unanswerable proof of Christianity is a re-created human being. 2. He was to be the first seed of what was to become a mighty harvest. This was the first contact made with the Greeks, who in just a few years after Christ's death would become the dominant people within the Church. Christ must always begin with someone and then give them the responsibility of spreading the Good News. A man who had once been possessed with demons was the one whom Jesus called to do that. To me, this passage tells me that Christ has power over everything and that He often chooses those who we might well keep clear of or ignore as powerful witnesses to His saving power. Don't ever treat anyone as less than worthy of God's salvation and as less than loved by the living God.