And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.
Matthew 8:34 (ESV)
One day, Jesus encountered a demon-possessed man. This man was uncontrollable, crazy, and living in the tombs—a most miserable existence. And Jesus healed him, casting out the multitude of demons that had made his life a living hell.
One side effect of this healing is that the demons entered a herd of pigs. The pigs went crazy, rushing into the lake, and were drowned. The swineherds went into town and reported what had happened to the pigs and the man.
As expected, the townsfolk came out to see what had taken place. Unexpectedly, they begged Jesus to leave. One might have expected them to be happy that the town nuisance, who had troubled them for so long, was no longer a problem. He was now sane, dressed, and sitting at Jesus’ feet.
It could be that they were simply afraid of someone who could effect such a great change in the person who had been possessed. But I wonder if there could have been a different reason. Could it be that they placed more value on the pigs and their economic loss than they did on a person whose life had been transformed?
What Do You Most Value?
How often are we guilty of just that today? Placing more value on things than on people? As a church, are we more concerned with our buildings and programs than we are with reaching the lost? As an individual, am I more concerned with my own material well-being than I am with those who are suffering?
I am not advocating giving away all that you have and living in poverty. Unless, of course, Jesus asks that of you. But I would encourage us all to consider: do we rejoice in a transformed life, regardless of the cost, or are we reluctant to be inconvenienced in order to make a difference in someone’s life?
