Today I read in Luke 8 of the man of the Gadarenes that was possessed of many devils and whom God healed. 

After Jesus cast the demons into the swine feeding nearby and the animals died in a lake, the people talked about it. There was likely a frenzy of wondering what just happened?! 

pigs-outside-field1But when the people found out that Jesus had made this maniac to be sane, they were afraid… of Jesus.

I am sure they were not pleased that Jesus had killed their pigs [I am assuming they were part of someone’s lively-hood]. It is not normal for animals to wildly run down a ravine and into a lake.

But it was not until they saw a crazy man sitting sanely that the Bible says they were afraid. It is a fairly normal occurrence for a man to sit, clothed, speaking calming to other people.

And yet, this is what made them afraid.

And the city asked Jesus to leave.

One of their own was made whole, sane; and they were afraid of the Healer.

The Bible records that He came back later and was received gladly.

What made the difference?

Jesus told the man: shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him. [v 39]

The man told the people of the city his first-hand account of Jesus power.

He told them Jesus was God… or at least, the man realized Jesus was God, and that influenced his story.

And then, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him. [v 40]

And after this was when Jarius’ daughter was raised from the dead. It seems to be he was a man from the same town.

All this… led me to realize, yet again, that when the name of Jesus is elevated to GOD in our conversation… when we actively think of Him as God, thus changing our manner of life… people believe {maybe not all, but it is noticed!}, hearts are changed, and miracles continue!

How marvelous. 

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