How can we avoid rejecting Jesus like the Gerasenes in Luke 8:37? Setting the Scene “Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because great fear had seized them. So He got into the boat and started back.” (Luke 8:37) Why the Gerasenes Pushed Jesus Away • Fear of the supernatural: His power over thousands of demons stunned them. • Economic loss: the drowned pigs (Luke 8:33) meant livelihood threatened. • Disruption of comfort: the status quo felt safer than the unknown with Jesus. • Spiritual blindness: preferring darkness to the Light who exposed it (John 3:19-20). • Peer pressure: the whole crowd moved as one; no dissenting voices welcomed Him. How We Can Welcome Christ Instead • Choose reverent faith over crippling fear—“There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). • Value people above possessions—“What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). • Let Jesus reorder our routines, trusting His goodness (Romans 8:28). • Stay alert to corporate influence; follow Christ even when the crowd resists (Luke 9:23). • Celebrate His works rather than calculate their cost (Psalm 145:4-7). Daily Practices That Keep Our Hearts Open • Word saturation: read, memorize, and meditate on Scripture (Psalm 119:11). • Honest confession: quickly expose sin before it calcifies (1 John 1:9). • Grateful remembrance: record answered prayers and deliverances (Psalm 103:2). • Spirit-led obedience: act on convictions immediately (James 1:22). • Fellowship: gather with believers who spur you on (Hebrews 10:24-25). • Generous stewardship: hold resources loosely, ready to lose pigs to save people (Acts 20:35). • Eternal perspective: fix eyes on “the city with foundations” (Hebrews 11:10). Scriptures to Anchor Our Resolve Revelation 3:20—Christ still knocks. James 4:7-8—“Submit yourselves therefore to God… Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” Hebrews 3:12-13—Guard against an unbelieving heart. John 1:11-12—Those who receive Him gain the right to become children of God. Philippians 3:7-8—Count all things loss compared with knowing Christ. |
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