The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled. (Mark 5:14-20)
Today I was drawn to read through the whole of Mark 5 and see the contrast between the fearful way people responded to Jesus in one place and the faith-filled way they came to him in another.
The above passage summarizes what we are now seeing in Jesus’ ministry. The preaching of the world is to turn people away from Jesus; the preaching of the kingdom of God is to call people to come to him and experience the work of God.
Jesus is now doing his work through the church he is building. This means that we who have believed in him are the body through which he does his work. And that means that we must have an experience of the word and work of God, along with a proclamation of the “good news of the kingdom” that is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16-17).
While there is all kinds of arguing among church folk about how much Jesus does miracles today (he does), and whether all the spiritual gifts are still in play (they are), Paul said that it is “the gospel” or “the good news” that is the power of God for people’s salvation, and that is the greatest miracle of all.
I try to avoid any extremes in seeking God’s best for people in body, soul, and spirit. I simply contend that we have a Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord, and he works through his body, the church, to display his work and proclaim his good news. Each of us is either trusting and obeying what the world, the flesh, and the devil preach to us, or trusting the good news of the kingdom of Jesus Christ our Lord and following our Shepherd wherever he leads.
I will leave us with this final contrast. When Paul proclaimed the gospel in the city of Thessalonica, the Jews were so jealous of his influence that they “formed a mob” and “set the city in an uproar” so that Paul and his group had to move on. But when they came to the city of Berea and went to speak in the Jewish synagogue, we read that “these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:1-15). As a result of searching the Scriptures for themselves, many believed in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
To this day, we choose whichever kingdom represents what we consider most important in life. The kingdom of the world, the flesh, and the devil preaches self-dependence and all its selfish synonyms. The kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ preaches the good news that rests solely on the finished work of our Savior.
Today, I urge everyone to search the Scriptures of God to know which kingdom you should believe and follow. If you hear Jesus calling you to follow him, do so with all your heart no matter what anyone else is doing. We never know who will benefit from us living and sharing the good news of the kingdom of Jesus Christ our Lord.
© 2024 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8
Email: in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.)
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