(Mark 5:17) “And
they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region.”
Do we have
hearts filled with gratitude or are we amongst the number that begs Jesus to
depart? On the surface of it this may seem like a rather odd question, when in
fact it is always relevant in a believer’s life. Sin cries leave me alone
whilst the mercy of God is filled with gratitude which comes from a repentant
heart. We have to understand mercy before we will ever be singing songs like
this; “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.” With the
produce of that understanding filling our mouths with praise; not all are
called to be Apostles, but all have been summoned to share the Gospel with
friends and family; however until it dawns upon us what we have been saved
from, the power of sin and escaping our initial verdict, hell with all its
torment, we should at least be eager to share the good news with our relatives.
The Bible is
filled with quotes which guides our intentions. It is informative and sensible
with its instruction. The Lord Jesus made statements like these to help us
understand the call of God upon our lives; “So
everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my
Father who is in heaven, but
whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in
heaven.” (Matthew
10:32-33) – Although this is easy to understand, even a child
could interpret what is being said; confess Christ to other as the true Messiah
or remain silent with consequences attached. However we will only be moved to
action when we understand mercy. Unless of course we have another agenda
altogether, looking for the goodies of this life instead of the forgiveness of
our sins. Some men preach the gospel for personal gain and Paul refers to them
as men looking to fill the lust of their own bellies; false prophets exploiting
the poor and simple to get rich.
The ten leapers had a need, they needed healing and
Christ obliged and yet only one returned to give Him thanks. He understood
mercy; the others had what they had come for, the healing of their bodies.
Unless we understand the mercy of God in our lives we will always be driven by
our wants over our needs.
The man
possessed with the unclean spirit “Legion” understood the mercy of God having
been freed from his entrapment. A man demon possessed but now set free and with
a sound mind; although his conversion was undeniable to the witnesses and with
God’s mercy on display; the onlookers perceive the power of his conversion.
However in spite of the undeniable evidence this was their cry; “And they began to beg Jesus to
depart from their region.” When we strip their
reaction down to its core I am left with this conclusion; the state of their
hearts left these individuals loving darkness and the fleeting pleasures of sin
over the light of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. They were more worried
about their pigs than the privileged presence of God.
Until we understand the mercy of God in some
measure we will continue to remain silent before men. The more we understand
forgiveness the greater our intent we be to share the gospel. This man wanted
to join the Lord Jesus and follow him, but that was not the call God had placed
upon his life, however he was given this instruction; "…Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done
for you, and how he has had mercy on
you." (Mark
5:19)
Complacency, comforts and the like soften a
soldier’s heart. Understanding the mercy of God in our lives will compel us to
spread the news abroad or at least motivate us to share the good news with our
kin. This will cause conflict within your families circle, so what! Some of
those closest to you may even begin to detest your presence whilst others may
be turned by the goodness of God. We have been warned about the rift of the
true gospel message and what it could do to our relationships. The Lord
explains; “"Do not think that I have come to
bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For
I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his
own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and
whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And
whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my
sake will find it.”” (Matthew 10:34-39)
With that in mind who would ever lay down their
lives if they haven’t understood the mercy of God? Test your level of
understanding in light of your commitment in proclaiming the name of the Lord
to others and it will soon become apparent if we have understood the mercy
of God or not. I do understand that at times we are called to hold our peace
but that is rather an exception than a rule.
Signing off
Tyrone
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