Mark 5:15-17 - "And they come to Jesus,  and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting,  and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil,  and also concerning the swine.  And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. "

The most wonderful word in these passages besides "Jesus" is "was". Was possessed! How wonderful! Yet instead of rejoicing,  instead of being glad for the poor soul who had been possessed, hey were afraid and asked Jesus to leave them! They should have held a feast in His honor and invited the formerly possessed man to testify, but instead they wanted Jesus to leave! Today still, some want a powerless Christ-  they're ok with him,  with his name,  with a religion based on his words - as long as his presence and his power never manifest (his power and his presence are inseparable). The real Christ makes them uncomfortable, they fear they'll lose their carnal, comfortable,  self-centered lifestyles! The man with the legion of demons' deliverance hit them where it hurt them the most - their wallets! Two thousand dead swine costbthem a lot of money. They didn't care at all for the man who had been delivered- they'd rather he remain possessed and get their swine back - though swine were forbidden under the law of Moses, which they were pretending to follow. Jesus was passing judgment on their hypocrisy. They would much rather keep their dead religion, full of the traditions of man, which were in direct opposition to God's commands, then have Jesus, who would have given them spiritual riches, worth far more than any amount of money.  

How many churches in our day are afraid of "power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you?" How many have prayed, in the inner chamber of their hearts, for the Lord to "depart out of their coasts" (churches)? But those who personally experience his presence and his power want to be with him "And when he was come into the ship, he that HAD BEEN possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him." This is the reaction we should all have when we encounter Jesus, when he puts us in our right minds, when he clothes our nakedness  and delivers us from evil, when we're able to sit still, after being tormented for so long, never able to find peace, or rest, we should want to be with him, forever. But God had other plans for him (v 19) Instead of allowing his newest disciple to stay with him, Jesus gives him a mission and a purpose- "Go home to your friends, and tell them how great are the things the Lord done for you, and that he has had compassion on you". 

This is also our mission - to testify of the compassion of our Lord, and of the great things (plural) he has done for us. The difference between us and he who had been possessed is that we don't have to depart from Jesus "And they went forth, AND PREACHED EVERYWHERE,  THE LORD WORKING WITH THEM, and confirming the Word with signs following". Amen. 

Each of us, like the demoniac at the tombs, is surrounded by dead people, and each of us is a living testimony  of God's greatness and compassion V 20 - He obeys Jesus and he "departed and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all did marvel". He published the first "Marvel comic" only it was about a real hero. We too want all to marvel when they hear of Jesus, what He's done and can do. Rather than use his name as a curse word, we want them to be in awe of him. Interestingly,  sometimes Jesus would tell people to testify of what he had done for them, and other times he told them to tell no one. Why the difference? He was obeying his Father's will! He had no ego and no desire to promote himself or his ministry.  He was about his Father's business - which is saving souls from damnation.  He was all about glorifying his Father.  

In verse 21, a ruler seeks Jesus! How rare and precious this is, then and today. Granted, some will only seek Jesus in times of great distress, in extreme desperation, but better then than never. In verses 25 & 26, we see that man is never the answer to our problems, whatever they may be - Jesus is! The woman with the issue of blood had "suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse". What a colossal waste of time and money! Even today, with all our modern "medical miracles", with all the advances we've made, under man's care, we will, eventually, get worse, for the one disease man will never cure is death. Only God can cure us of that. 

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