I have been intrigued by two contrasting stories in Mark chapter 5 In the first story Jesus heals a man who was possessed. He heals him by casting the demons out of him and into a herd of swine that then run into the sea and drown. This man was nuts! He ran around naked (Luke Chapter 8) in the graveyard and in the mountains cutting himself with stones and screaming. He was so strong not even chains could hold him. Mark says that no one was able to tame him. Wow, he was a monster that no one wanted anything to do with. Jesus cast a whole pack of demons out of him and in his gratitude the man begged Jesus to allow him to travel with him. Jesus refused and told him to go and proclaim what the LORD had done for him.
What an unlikely preacher! Here's a guy that everyone is afraid of. He wore no clothes. He must have had scars up and down his body from the times that he cut himself. He was the outcast big time. Sound familiar? But Jesus sent him out to preach. He had his work cut out for him too because after the people saw what Jesus did for the man and what happened to the pigs they were so afraid that they begged Jesus to leave!
Now jump to the next story. Here Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue, came and asked Jesus to save his terminally ill daughter. While Jesus was on his way to Jairus' house people came to tell him it was too late. His daughter was already dead. Jesus told him not to fear but to believe. Once at the house Jesus took the girls mom and dad and three of his disciples into her room and raised her up from the dead. To her parents Jesus cautioned them not to say a word about what happened. Can you imagine keeping your mouth shut?
More than that, here is a man on great influence. One who knows all the right people and could validate Jesus' ministry. Jairus was the perfect preacher but it says, "He commanded them strictly that no one should know it" What is the difference? Why did God give one man the hard task of preaching to a terrified audience and another man the hard task of keeping his joy to himself?
Just wondering... Then I wonder what hard task is He entrusting me with?
