Following Orders

Luke 8:38,39

The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your home and declare how much God has done for you.”

There she sits, chubby cheeks, disheveled red hair, and ornery smile from cheek to cheek, complete with sparkling blue eyes and nose wrinkle. Then the fateful word comes from my mouth. As one hand held a small piece of her meal precariously over the edge of the highchairs eating surface. “No”. With this small and compact word, the whole world seemed to change. Where once a look of pure joy and glee sat, the face had started to undergo a transformation of magnitude and scale. The grin was quickly wiped from the face, the eyes doubled in size, the mouth started to grow in proportion to the wind being drawn in. A look of physical pain was palpable from that tiny face. A look of similar shock and pain was probably on Caesar’s face as he uttered the fateful words, “Et tu Brute”.

Every time I read the story of the demon possessed men I am brought to the point of wonder and stupefaction. Christ has freed a man from, literal, heal on earth and that man wants to follow him. To learn more, to simply be close to his savior. It is an end of noble degree. A goal that all who read this would share and yet Christ tells him, NO. A derelict and a loser wants to follow Jesus in what time remains him on earth and he is sent away, to tell others what God has done for him.

“While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (Who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’” (Matthew 4:18-19) Two men busy with the needs of their small business. “Productive members of society” helping provide for their families and their communities and Christ pulls them out of this. Peter had a wife and mother-in-law whom he was supporting on the profits of this business and he “leaves all to follow” Christ. How would they eat, who will provide for them in the future?

Christ told that demon possessed man No, he did so for his good and the good of the kingdom. That man trusted him who had set him free and obeyed. The demon possessed recognized Christ and his goodness. He therefore trusted his judgment and was faithful to obey what would appear to be a lesser good. How often do I fight and war against the greatest good? Thinking that I somehow now what is best for me. Frustrated that God has persisted in derailing and shutting the door in my face for what is a good thing. Even a great thing! Yet it is not the best thing or it would be the call of God upon me.

This then is the reality that every Christian must wrestle with. Do I trust him who died for me enough to faithfully be content in where God has sent me? Yes, it would be heaven on earth to sit at the master’s feet and learn theology, but he has called me to what is best, not to heaven on earth.

When we hear the “No” from our master will we through back our head and cry, or will we trust our Master to know?

CRUCE, DUM SPIRO, FIDO