Wow, what a range of stories in Mark 5! The common theme is the compassion and power of Jesus, but it is the various responses to Jesus that I find particularly fascinating.
One response in particular jumps out, probably because of the other NT text that I am getting reading to teach about this Sunday: Acts 3:1-4:22. Both stories describe similar responses to the work of God. God acts, and people tell others about it.
What is interesting in the Mark 5 story, though, is that the initial response of the man who was healed was that he wanted to stay with Jesus. But Jesus said no. Instead, Jesus told him to go home and tell others what God had done.
And that is exactly what the man did; he went home, told others, and the people were amazed.
That is exactly what I am going to teach about this Sunday, although from a story that happened around three years later. Looking at both stories together, the principle seems to be that when God acts, we are to speak about it and invite people to encounter God. I think the message for me and for you is pretty clear, isn’t it. The question is, though, will we do it?
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