Pleading Jesus Away

⏱️ 4 minutes.

Hello friends,

Today, let’s reflect on the people’s response after Jesus freed the demon-possessed man:

“And their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the countryside. And the people came to see what it was that had happened.”
— Mark 5:14

The story picks up after the demons were cast out of the man and into a herd of swine, which then ran off a cliff and perished. Given this context, the reaction of the herdsmen and townspeople seems understandable. The text tells us that fear gripped them, prompting the herdsmen to report the event in the city and surrounding areas.

When the people heard the story, they came to Jesus to witness for themselves what had taken place. This response is typical when something extraordinary happens. These people had likely heard of the demon-possessed man living in the graveyard—his strength, his torment, and how no one could subdue him. Now, they were hearing about a miraculous power that had cast the demons out of him. However, beyond what the text reveals, we don’t know exactly what the herdsmen shared with the villagers.

It’s worth noting that there could have been various reasons why the people rushed to see Jesus.

Some might have wanted to see the man who had been set free.

Others could have been curious about the aftermath of the swine rushing off the cliff.

Some may have wanted to meet the person who had performed such an incredible miracle.

Regardless of their motives, the crowd came to witness the event for themselves.

“And they came to Jesus and observed the demon-possessed man sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had the ‘legion’; and they became frightened.”
— Mark 5:15

Mark emphasizes how striking the transformation was. The man who had lived among the tombs, naked and out of his mind, was now clothed and calm. There was no mistaking his identity—it was the same man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. This undeniable miracle left the people frightened.

The text goes on to say:

“And those who had seen it recounted to them how this had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine.”
— Mark 5:16

As the story spread, fear continued to grow among the people, leading to this reaction:

“And they began to plead with Him to leave their region.”
— Mark 5:17

This response stands in stark contrast to how others typically reacted to Jesus’ miracles. In most cases, people wanted to draw closer to Him, seeking more of His miracles and teachings:

“For He had healed many, with the result that all those who had afflictions pressed around Him in order to touch Him.”
— Mark 3:10

But here, the people pleaded with Him to leave.

There could be two main reasons for their rejection:

1. They may have feared their lives being disrupted by His miracles, seeing them as an inconvenience.
2. More likely, they were ungodly people, frightened by the display of Christ’s power.

This brings us to an important question: What is our response to Christ’s work?

Do we embrace and celebrate God’s movement in our lives and communities, or do we find it strange and burdensome, preferring to avoid it?

For example, when we see God working in others’ lives—someone showing a genuine hunger for God, someone questioning their faith, or someone suffering and needing encouragement—how do we respond?

Do we share the good news of our miracle-working Savior who can set them free, or do we, in essence, ask Christ to “depart from our region” because we find it inconvenient?

Paul urged the Colossians to pray for opportunities to share the gospel:

“Praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been bound.”
— Colossians 4:3

But sometimes, fear can hold us back. Fear of the time, effort, or sacrifice it might take to share Christ with others can deter us.

In Mark’s narrative, the villagers showed no appreciation for the man’s deliverance from torment. Instead, they focused on the loss of their swine, valuing material gain over a fellow human’s freedom.

Let us not be like them. May we celebrate God’s work in others’ lives and embrace His calling, even when it challenges our comfort or convenience.

I pray that we will be believers who welcome and celebrate the move of God, rather than reject it out of fear or selfishness.

May the wisdom from above continue to guide and bless you.