Are unclean spirits still roaming around in our world today?
If it is the case, how could we recognize it and what can be done?
In the story, why did the people send Jesus away? (v. 17)
Why did Jesus not allow the freed man to come with him? (v. 18-20)
I invite you, if you have the time, to first read this Gospel story of Mark 5:1-20, and to pray about it. Ask Jesus if there is something he would like to teach you about it, and listen for the words or images that you then receive in your heart. You can also ask him the questions I mentioned above, as a pathway to welcome his answers.
As C.S. Lewis rightly presented in his book 'The Screwtape Letters,' impure spirits are still messing up with many in our world today. It is just that, in the 'Western world,’ there are more spiritual oppressions than possessions.
I invite you, if you have the time, to first read this Gospel story of Mark 5:1-20, and to pray about it. Ask Jesus if there is something he would like to teach you about it, and listen for the words or images that you then receive in your heart. You can also ask him the questions I mentioned above, as a pathway to welcome his answers.
In order to know what to do, we can learn many lessons from stories like this one in Mark 5:1-20.
A first lesson is that the impure spirits were leading the man to tombs and to harm himself. Still today, many young people are trapped in morbid attractions toward death or wounding themselves. If we look at what is considered today ‘teenager books’ in bookstores, we find many stories of vampires, ghosts, and other death focused subjects.
What if, at least in some cases today, there was a need of deliverance from an impure spirit? What if the stories of deliverance in the Gospels were still needed for us to understand how to handle key present situations?
A lesson we can pick from this story is that the impure spirits are trying to lead people toward focusing on death and destruction - a destruction of others or of self.
In this story, Jesus takes authority with simple words, and commands the impure spirits to go away.
Last week, I was speaking with a young man who could pray and help a friend to be delivered from an impure spirit, with simple words, and without any shouting. The friend helped could then find freedom in a domain where he felt trapped and unable to move away. The friend could then act freely and leave behind his harmful behavior.
In the same way, we have to learn to recognize when we are in such a situation and to pray in the name of Jesus. We can then discover with simplicity how much Jesus still delivers today from impure spirits.
Yet, if I may put a word of caution here: it important, for those who want to pray for someone else's deliverance, to be free themselves.
How do we recognize if we are spiritually free? Through the quality of our relationship with Jesus. Through the ability to communicate clearly with Jesus in prayer (John 10:27), remaining in Jesus' peace during the day - this peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil 4:7).
If you are not there yet, I encourage you to ask the Lord if there is anything that hinders a deeper communion with Him, and begin to turn away from any such hindrance with God's help - that’s the joyful path of repentance, a path leading to more freedom in Christ. Perhaps you will need to ask a mature Christian to pray with you or to go to a revival service in a church where the preacher leads people to entire sanctification. This sanctification helps us become temples of the Holy Spirit, where the Spirit that was in Christ dwells in us and guides us simply.
In the story, why did the people send Jesus away? (v. 17)
They sent Jesus away probably because they did not like what had happened. They were not happy of the many killed pigs, a big financial loss. The freed man had less value in their eyes, they did not see it as a positive result. In the same way, many people today value more money than people's happiness. We ourselves have to honestly ask in prayer: Lord, are there areas in my life where money or possessions are more important than you or relationships with others? It is often more common than we would like to acknowledge. As Jesus highlighted, we cannot serve both God and money (Mt 6:24).
Why did Jesus not allow the freed man to come with him? (v. 18-20)
In the end of the story, Jesus sends the man back. It can appear heartless and harsh. Yet, if we look at history, the testimony of this delivered man was so powerful that after Jesus' death and resurrection, this was one of the first regions that welcomed openly and joyfully the faith in our risen savior Jesus, becoming a 'Christian region’ already in the first century.
God's ways are better than our ways, and what seems sometimes logical is not always the most fruitful direction. As Isaiah wrote so eloquently from the Lord:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain comes down and the snow from the sky, and doesn't return there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the things for which I sent it. (Is 55:8-11)
Jesus said: you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32) And this truth is nothing else than Jesus himself, who also said to his disciples: I am the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6).
Let us welcome Jesus' loving presence and guidance in all we are, in all we think, in all we do and in all we say.
He will help us to be free indeed, and in turn, we will be able to minister his presence to others and help many to be free to love and rejoice in God's wonderful creation.
A first lesson is that the impure spirits were leading the man to tombs and to harm himself. Still today, many young people are trapped in morbid attractions toward death or wounding themselves. If we look at what is considered today ‘teenager books’ in bookstores, we find many stories of vampires, ghosts, and other death focused subjects.
What if, at least in some cases today, there was a need of deliverance from an impure spirit? What if the stories of deliverance in the Gospels were still needed for us to understand how to handle key present situations?
A lesson we can pick from this story is that the impure spirits are trying to lead people toward focusing on death and destruction - a destruction of others or of self.
In this story, Jesus takes authority with simple words, and commands the impure spirits to go away.
Last week, I was speaking with a young man who could pray and help a friend to be delivered from an impure spirit, with simple words, and without any shouting. The friend helped could then find freedom in a domain where he felt trapped and unable to move away. The friend could then act freely and leave behind his harmful behavior.
In the same way, we have to learn to recognize when we are in such a situation and to pray in the name of Jesus. We can then discover with simplicity how much Jesus still delivers today from impure spirits.
Yet, if I may put a word of caution here: it important, for those who want to pray for someone else's deliverance, to be free themselves.
How do we recognize if we are spiritually free? Through the quality of our relationship with Jesus. Through the ability to communicate clearly with Jesus in prayer (John 10:27), remaining in Jesus' peace during the day - this peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil 4:7).
If you are not there yet, I encourage you to ask the Lord if there is anything that hinders a deeper communion with Him, and begin to turn away from any such hindrance with God's help - that’s the joyful path of repentance, a path leading to more freedom in Christ. Perhaps you will need to ask a mature Christian to pray with you or to go to a revival service in a church where the preacher leads people to entire sanctification. This sanctification helps us become temples of the Holy Spirit, where the Spirit that was in Christ dwells in us and guides us simply.
In the story, why did the people send Jesus away? (v. 17)
They sent Jesus away probably because they did not like what had happened. They were not happy of the many killed pigs, a big financial loss. The freed man had less value in their eyes, they did not see it as a positive result. In the same way, many people today value more money than people's happiness. We ourselves have to honestly ask in prayer: Lord, are there areas in my life where money or possessions are more important than you or relationships with others? It is often more common than we would like to acknowledge. As Jesus highlighted, we cannot serve both God and money (Mt 6:24).
Why did Jesus not allow the freed man to come with him? (v. 18-20)
In the end of the story, Jesus sends the man back. It can appear heartless and harsh. Yet, if we look at history, the testimony of this delivered man was so powerful that after Jesus' death and resurrection, this was one of the first regions that welcomed openly and joyfully the faith in our risen savior Jesus, becoming a 'Christian region’ already in the first century.
God's ways are better than our ways, and what seems sometimes logical is not always the most fruitful direction. As Isaiah wrote so eloquently from the Lord:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain comes down and the snow from the sky, and doesn't return there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the things for which I sent it. (Is 55:8-11)
Jesus said: you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32) And this truth is nothing else than Jesus himself, who also said to his disciples: I am the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6).
Let us welcome Jesus' loving presence and guidance in all we are, in all we think, in all we do and in all we say.
He will help us to be free indeed, and in turn, we will be able to minister his presence to others and help many to be free to love and rejoice in God's wonderful creation.
No comments:
Post a Comment