Read: Mark 5:1-20
Remember when Jesus encountered the demon-filled man? We are never told the tormented one’s name, but do you think it could have looked this way from his hopeless perspective?
Somewhere along the way, I lost my name and my humanity. Day and night, my feet aimlessly wander these hills. I’m surrounded by death, saturated with exhaustion. Horrible, inhuman sounds spew out of my mouth. My strong hands have a life of their own as they cut my body. I am covered with scars. Often, the villagers have thrown me to the ground and roughly clamped cold, hard metal shackles on my ankles and wrists. I watch helplessly as this body, no longer mine, easily breaks the strongest bonds man can provide. Their attempts to tame me are futile. The hopelessness and sorrow I experience are indescribable.
MEMORIES OF WHO I USED TO BE
Fleeting memories remind me of who I used to be… a man with a loving family… the taste of fish stew… the scent and feel of clean clothes… warm hugs… the sound of laughter… a good night’s sleep. All of that is gone now. I often wish I were dead, but even that relief escapes me.
WHO IS THIS MAN?
In the dim light of dawn, I see a man in the distance. My body fills with tension. I begin walking toward him, then run quickly, closing the distance between us. Heart racing, I wonder how my body will taunt or torment the stranger. Astonishingly, in total submission, I kneel in front of him. The evil inside me trembles in fear. This never happened before! Who is this man?! Someone addresses him as “Jesus”. A very common name, but he is anything but common.
EVIL LOOSENING ITS GRIP
As Jesus speaks, I feel the evil that imprisons my soul loosening its grip. I hear screams emanating from the ones that control me. The next thing I know, I am sitting on the ground in clean clothes. I feel the fresh air in my lungs. Newfound peace envelopes me. It is clear to everyone that Jesus is the source of this transformation. No human is capable of commanding the evil that was in me, yet it was effortless for Jesus.
I AM FREE!
As the crowd stirs and stews, Jesus helps me stand. The villagers beg him to leave. I beg him to stay or take me with him. His peaceful presence permeates my being. His eyes are full of love and compassion. With a comforting, strong hand on my shoulder and a gentle voice, he convinces me to stay and tell my story of being freed from bondage and hopelessness, pointing to him as the source. I cannot help but do what he asks. I am free. I AM FREE!!! All because I encountered Jesus and he saw the real me.
WHAT ARE YOUR BATTLES?
What area of bondage or hopelessness do you battle in your own life? Picture Jesus approaching you in your current condition of pain. What does He think and feel about you in your hopelessness? Jesus healed the demoniac. He knows your name and can free you. Hope can be on your horizon. Talk with Him.
Click to read more about being set free.