Corona Chronicles 2: (Ep.27) Love For Haters
91 sermons
Right. So we're coming to the end of this little snapshot story of Jesus interacting with this man who's been possessed. He's told the demon to come out of this man. The demons have rushed into some pigs. The pigs have then rushed into water and died.
We've seen the townspeople begging Jesus to leave in the same way that the demons were begging Jesus to leave earlier. And now, we sort of tie up the story and we see what happens between this man who's being saved in Jesus. So reading from verse 18, As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him but said Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you. 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.
Yeah. It's a funny end to the story, isn't it? Because here's this man who for we don't know how many years but presumably a long long time -- Mhmm. -- had been left on his own, not cared for other than, you know, tried to be tied up. Yeah.
No 1 really loving him. He must have been in love with Jesus. Yeah. I mean, it's it's he why wouldn't he wanna be with Jesus? He's been liberated he's liberated you.
Yeah. You would be desperate to get in the boat. No 1 loves you on the on the land. Yeah. Not like this.
No. But but actually, absolutely, you would wanna be with Jesus. Strange thing is that Jesus says no. What what what do you reckon? Yeah.
Well, Jesus clearly, he's got a mission for him, isn't he? You know, he's got his he's got his troubled disciples. He he he's he's on that that sort of stream of things, but he also it's almost like the first commission, isn't it? It's like -- Yeah. -- he's sort of commissioning this man.
Yeah. Go and tell people what God's done. Yeah. Go and tell people how I've saved you. And it's interesting because how much the Lord has how he has had mercy on you.
So we need to remember that this man wasn't a saint before he was demon possessed. No. It's not like it's not like, oh, he was such a good man, you know, he was perfect and then he would this this is a man who didn't deserve to be saved. Actually, what he what Probably, he deserved this demonic possession -- Yeah. -- to be quite honest and harsh.
But yet, Jesus is the merciful 1, isn't he? Yeah. And then he goes around this the cap what was it? The capital the the capitalists, which means 10 cities. Yep.
So he's got his work cut out -- Right. -- to to go around testifying to Jesus. And as you say, he went around saying how much Jesus had done him. Mhmm. And it it was an amazing story because this isn't it it isn't just I mean, he's probably heard of, you know, people would would know of this man.
Yeah. And he's going around saying, I am liberated by Jesus. Yeah. Jesus is the king. He is the son of God.
Yeah. You know, of the most high. And so Jesus got this evangelist. And and in that way, he showed his love for Jesus. So he's not with him -- Yes.
-- in that sense -- Yeah. -- physically, but he's out doing this. And and the disciples are gonna have to learn this, and we have to learn this. Mhmm. Because we sort of longed to be with Jesus.
Right. But he sent us into this world of evil, hasn't he, to to testify to him -- Yeah. -- that our and our job is to come and and speak speak the gospel to people, isn't it? Mhmm. So we were hearing about our brother Tara in in Belarus.
And at the time of recording, there's violence going on on there. And in 1 sense, you would wanna sort of grab Tarras and and that Church and bring them back here. Mhmm. But but Jesus has sent them into that violent place, and we know that Taras is there. In those riots praying with people talking about the gospel.
This is the sort of thing that's going on, isn't it? Yeah. Definitely. And the difference between an evangelist telling people about Jesus as someone who loves him and knows what he's done compared to just sort of worldly reports is is a big difference, isn't it? Yeah.
Because earlier in the story, we had the townspeople witness the pigs running into the sea, witnessed the man sitting in his right mind, they go and tell the town's people, and everyone's afraid. Yeah. They don't really know what to make of it. They don't understand it. But then here's this man, who is this evangelist, who loves Jesus, who understands what he's done, and the response to that kind of preaching is amazement.
Yeah. And I think also, you you you see it just struck me that you see the amazing love of Jesus because they asked him to leave Yes. Right. Get out of town. Yeah.
And he does leave, but he's keeps his evangelist there. Yeah. The grace of Jesus, he could have said, okay. Yeah. Right?
I'm the son of the most high. Yeah. I've just thrown the demons in in in and you're you're treating me exactly the same way. Yeah. So, you know, fire come down from heaven on you.
Yeah. Yeah. But again, he gives that. And and people are alive. They rejected Jesus and in in kindness.
Yeah. So even someone like, you know, we always pick on him, but Richard Dorkings is so angry again Jesus and so hates the gospel and how it changes people's lives and will not listen. He's still alive. Yeah. And and Jesus is giving him, if you're listening, Richard, is giving you an opportunity to try in here now before you die.
Mhmm. That is so kind, isn't it? I mean, this is just a small picture of the cross actually, isn't it? Because this is this is what exactly what happened to him in his life in this world. Yeah.
Eventually, people didn't want him here, so they killed him on the cross. Yeah. Which is the townspeople will say, go away. Go away. And yet Jesus does that and says, fine, that's I'm gonna do that.
But then he also sends the evangelist. Sent it back. Absolutely. Yeah. So what a what a message we have for you and you have if you're a Christian for the world -- Mhmm.
-- is that Jesus does save and brings you to your right senses. Oh, well, we'll see you next time.