Thoughts on Luke 8:26-38

A link to the passage... http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%208&version=ESV

In this passage, Jesus cures a man who was demon-possessed. Scripture says that the demons, with Jesus' permission, come out of the man and enter into a herd of pigs, who proceed to run off a cliff and drown in the sea. When they realize what has happened, the people of the city beg Jesus to leave them, because they are afraid. The cured man, however, begs Jesus to allow him to go with him. Jesus says, instead,

"Return home and tell how much God has done for you."

I find two things odd about this story. (That isn't true. I find MANY things odd i.e. a herd of pigs running off a cliff...) But, there are two things that have had me thinking. Jesus is met with two requests from the human characters in the story. The people of the town ask Jesus to leave, and the healed man asks if he can go with. Now, if I am Jesus, I am going to say "No" to the townspeople (because they need me), and "Yes" to the man (because he knows I am the truth and can learn a lot from me). The real Jesus has another plan: missions.

Jesus does not force himself upon the townspeople, the 'non-Christians'. He does not fight his way into their city. He humbly steps back. But note that he doesn't abandon them. He sends into their midst one of their own, a Gerasene (what a name!) who has felt the healing power of God. This man, who wants to leave and go away with Jesus, is given the command to go and tell what God has done. Although it would be good for the man to be with Jesus, what is great is that he go and proclaim the good news.

This is missions. God uses his people to go into dark places, to tell all that he has done for us, that others might also believe on His Name. It would be much easier if we could accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, and go directly to heaven to be with him and skip the suffering of this world. But that is not God's calling... if it were, everyone else in the world would be left to suffer on their own, without the hope of Christ. Jesus sends this man away with a command... to return home and tell how much God has done for him. Jesus left us with a command, too. "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

Catch up...

Favorite Moment of the Week: Today Ashley and I were at the Hogar helping the kindergarten kids learn how to read (which can be frustrating no matter where you are!). So, it is hot and we are tired and we are trying to figure out what each group of kids needs to practice, when we hear a loud "Haappy BEARTHDAY to joooo!" We both turn to see 3-year old Roberto sitting in a desk, wearing some crazy-big zebra print sunglasses, "reading" a book with a birthday party picture on the page. Precious.



I am not really sure what to write about today... so much has happened since the last time I wrote! October, seriously? But, I made a New Year's Resolution to "blog" more often, and considering as it is January 21 and I am just now writing my first blog post of the year, we all see how well that is going!

Thanksgiving was great...a Honduras classic, if you will. Just as we started to serve the meal to a room full of 35 people, the electricity went off! I will forever remember Thanksgiving 2010 as the year I ate my turkey and potatoes in the dark, with a spoon (ran out of forks), from a bowl (ran out of plates), sweating like crazy (no lights=no fans), holding a crying baby (she didn't like the dark). BUT, it was an awesome time... we shared about the history of Thanksgiving, why we celebrate it, and everyone went around and said what they were thankful for. That tradition became more meaningful to me this year... I feel like when I said "I am thankful for my family, for my job, for the opportunity to be here", I really meant it.

Christmas and New Years were really fun, too. The BCM group from Western Kentucky University was here for New Years, and we all enjoyed the "midnight" fireworks (midnight is in quotes because it is really like 24 hours of fireworks!). We went back to school on January 3rd, and God has blessed me with new patience and endurance. I am really enjoying teaching, and I feel like I am starting to get a hang of it.

Favorite Bible verse at the moment is Psalm 121:1-2... (In Spanish, because it says mountains... in English it just says hills, but here we have mountains, so I like the mountain part...)

A las montanas levanto mis ojos.
De donde ha de venir mi ayuda?
Mi ayuda vendra del Senor,
Creador del cielo y la tierra.

When I get up in the morning and look out my window, the mountains in the distance are just beautiful. I love thinking of this verse because I remember that God will help me, sustain me, through each day. I give thanks knowing that He will walk with me in each step, in each class, in each difficult situation that presents itself.

One more thing... we have started a Bible study with the older girls at the Hogar. Our theme is "Why?" We had each girl ask a why question about life, about God, about the Bible; and we are going through each week trying to answer them with scripture. We have met twice so far. Pray that is would go well and that the girls would gain a thirst for scripture.