So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
Mark 5:20
What kind of push is needed before you do something? What does it take to get you to try something new? How much pressure must be experienced before you take the plunge into something you’re not quite sure of? How much pain do you have to feel before you’re willing to do something you’re uncomfortable with? Afraid of?
For example, in one study 53% reported at least one cancer warning signal in the past couple of months. But do you know how many of them went to the doctors because they thought it might actually be cancer? Only 2%. You see, they had the symptom but not enough worry or pain to push them to get it checked out[1].
One of the first things you must do when you move to a new area is to find your new medical team. You know no one. So, who do you ask? Who do you trust? But fortunately for us, finding a new dentist was easy.
Bob lived across the street and went to the same church. What a great guy! He was always so kind.
Once on Super Bowl Sunday, one of my crowns came off a molar. And since the dentist who did the work was almost 3,000 miles away, I couldn’t exactly go back. I called Bob at home, apologizing about 20 times, explaining this had never happened before.
Without a pause he said, “Meet me at my office in 10 minutes.” I was speechless. And those who know me well understand what a big deal that is. I drove over to his office, and he sat me down in one of his chairs. He looked at the “stump” of a tooth that was still in my mouth. I don’t know what he was looking for, but I just kept still, with my mouth open while not making a sound. He then inspected the renegade crown. After carefully cleaning both crown and tooth, he recemented the crown in place and sent me on my way.
As I’m getting out of the chair I ask how much. He said the two words we all long to hear. “No charge.”
It would be months before I felt totally comfortable in our new house. It would be a year or two till I knew my way around our town and the surrounding area. It would be years before I stopped longing to be somewhere else.
But when it came to my teeth, and the teeth of my family, we were home. And why was that? Because of Bob. Because of a person I knew. We began to play golf once in a while. And like his dental knowledge and skills were lightyears ahead of mine, so was his golf.
Think about this guy that Jesus just helped. He had been possessed, but is now healed and restored. He heard what Jesus said, where Jesus wanted him to go, what Jesus wanted him to say. And then did it. He went home. He went to where he was from. He went to his people, the people who knew him best. And he didn’t just tell them a story, he told them his story and his encounter with Jesus.
Sometimes it’s easier to talk to people who don’t know you. They don’t know your family; they don’t have any background on you. They can’t repeat or report what you’ve said or done because they don’t know you or your people.
But this was his home. These were his people. They knew his past. They knew his dirt. They knew where the skeletons were buried. They had the “skinny” on him.
These were exactly the people that Jesus sent him to. And he went there with excitement, energy, and enthusiasm. He went all over the area of these ten cities, telling people about Jesus.
You might be thinking that you can’t go home. You might feel afraid and embarrassed. Because of what you’ve done. Because of what you’ve said. Because of who you were. But don’t believe the lie from the enemy. You can go home. Listen to these words by Bon Jovi.
Who says you can't go home? There's only one place they call me one of their own Just a hometown boy born a rolling stone Who says you can't go home? Who says you can't go back? I been all around the world, and as a matter of fact There's only one place left I want to go Who says you can't go home?[2]
When Jesus tells you to go home, go home. You not only can go home, you have to go home. It’s the next step in your journey of restoration. You’ll never fully recover and grow without going home.
Jesus never said it was going to be easy. And neither do I. But if this famous madman could go home, so can you.
It’s time to go home.
Comentarios