Over the Cliff

After Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee and cast a legion of demons out of a man, how did the people there react to this amazing demonstration of God’s power?

We should have read that all the people gave glory to God. But that isn’t what happened. One Gospel account tells us that “all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them” (Luke 8:37 NLT).

This demonstration of the power of God frightened them. They should have been rejoicing, but instead they were afraid. They should have been pleading with Jesus to stay with them, but instead they did the very opposite.

And apparently, the people who owned the herd of swine were pretty angry, because they made a lot of money off the pigs that the demons went into. Hogs were big business on that side of the lake, and a lot of bacon went over the cliff that day. Jesus was bad for their business, so they didn’t want Him around.

The people, too, pleaded with Jesus to go away. He answered their prayer, so to speak, and left. So be careful what you pray for because you just might get it.

However, the man who had been possessed by demons had an entirely different reaction. Mark 5:18 says that “as Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him” (NLT).

Is Jesus bad for your business? I hope not. Whatever career choice you’ve made, if you can’t ask the Lord to bless it, then maybe you need a new career. In fact, I would take that a step further. If you can’t say to the Lord, “Hallowed be Your name” over whatever you’re about to do, then don’t do it.