Go Home; Mark 5:1-20

Everyone has their own heroes from the Bible. When we're young, the boys choose David and dream of fighting off giants. Maybe the girls choose Esther and know that part of their beauty is the conviction to stand for what's right. Daniel inspires our faithfulness; Mary reminds us that God uses unexpected people for his purposes. Whomever you've chosen as your biblical hero, you have found something in them that you want in your character and story. As for me, my hero is the demoniac Jesus encountered in the Gerasenes. You remember the story, right? Rampaging possessed naked guy, chained up in the cemetery. Jesus sends his demons into a herd of pigs that drown in the sea. Don't miss the ending of the story, though. When the man begs Jesus to let him become a follower, Jesus says, "No." Instead, Jesus tells him, "Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you" (Mark 5:19). The biblical character I find myself related to most is a man Jesus told to go home. In this sermon, given at my home church, I unpack this story and share about a few of my demons and—most importantly—the mercy I've known from Jesus.