Afraid of Jesus and His Works

When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.  (Luke 8:35)

I get used to certain things.  Some things are familiar in Nature, like the rising sun, the waning moon, or the wind in the trees.  Some things are familiar with my family, like dinners together, people sitting in the living room to read or tap on laptops, or our little dogs laying down in someone’s lap.  Some things are typical around me, like people driving in a hurry on the road, voiced contempt of various people, or sickness always threatening people.

What happens when one of these things is obstructed, delayed, or removed?  It may be a great cataclysm, but often it is just unsettling.  Some of these changes “just happen.”  They are part of the way “life” works.  Sometimes my family doesn’t get to have dinner together.  Sometimes the air is unnaturally still around our house.  Sometimes instead of contempt, I find mercy in someone’s voice.  Some things just don’t change, though.

These people of the Gerasenes did not expect to see this demon-possessed man recover.  At least, not instantly.  It was like the sun had neglected to rise that morning.  It was not one of those things that “just happen.”  People sickened in this way do not recover like that!  It was so unsettling that they saw it as a threat instead of a blessing.

The closeness of God was a frightening thing.  Something made them deeply fearful.  A God who drives demons out of a crazy person wandering in the tombs might do anything.  So the phrase, “Nothing is impossible with God” becomes more than a promise that God can do anything.  It becomes a somewhat frightening idea that God might do anything.  If he cures that crazy guy, if he saves that sinner, if he changes the things I’ve come to expect and rely on, bad or good, he might do anything!

Also, I find that more frightening than crazy people, desperate people, or cruel people might be people in their right minds.  If Jesus is any indication of such a “right mind,” I see that he is remarkable unsettling, offensive, and fear-inducing on a number of occasions.  Sickness and wickedness are strangely comforting (especially in other people) compared to real health and righteousness.  Because of my pride and desire to control, what is unknown can be more fearful than what is evil.

I do not think that it is mere coincidence that the man in his right mind is sitting at Jesus’ feet.  Like Mary when Martha criticized her, this man finds in Jesus – in his presence and teaching – what he needs.  So it is not only that his neighbors found him in his right mind, but that they found him at Jesus’ feet.  “ If all things are possible with this God, then we might all find ourselves at Jesus’ feet.”

Lord, calm my fears when I see your hand healing and delivering.  Let me not run from forgiveness or your help because I fear the unknown.  Please bring me into my right mind, sitting at your feet.  Amen.

More alarming than seeing such changes in people is the yearning of God to be with me.  He brings me to a right mind and brings me to sit at Jesus feet because I will not be near him any other way.  I want to embrace Jesus’ compassion and God’s yearning and remaining near him.  I want to learn to recognize this fear that drives me from Jesus rather than to him.