Rejected by Jesus

  40th in a series on how men and women in the Bible

deal with waiting, disappointment and unemployment

Rejected by Jesus

Mark 5:1-20

We try to be confident.  We imagine ourselves in positions of authority leading others to profitability and notoriety.  Even if we are unemployed we are coached to proclaim that we are experts in our field and a company would be darn lucky to have us.  But what if we are wrong or maybe not ‘wrong’ but slightly off track?  What if there is something better out there waiting for us?  But how would we know?

In Mark 5 is a story of a man who is demon possessed.  Jesus asks his name, which I think is cool, because this was a fallen angel whom Jesus, the creator, brought into existence eons ago.  This demon was petrified of Jesus because he knew exactly who he was.  In verse 7 said the man or demon, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?”  Is this involuntary worship?  Do we need any more compelling evidence than a witness from the realm of Heaven and Hell?  

The man had been miserable.  Living among the tombs, cutting himself, being bound hand and foot by the towns people, and totally overcome by the forces within him.  It makes you wonder how much mental illness is caused by Satan and his minions.  I have met people that alternate between different personalities and I calmly proclaim the name of Jesus, “the name at which every knee shall bow.”  

So, Jesus asks his name.  “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”  A legion in those days among the Roman soldiers could have been 500, 5,000 or even 12,000.  What made this man such a target?  It’s clear that demonic possession never produced anything good.  God creates order and beauty.  Satan can only distort the good and create chaos.  Nothing original or good.  Nothing that this man became was of any use to himself or society.  Only terror, distortion of the image of God and fear.

It’s in our original makeup to desire to be a contributing member of society.  This demon-possessed man had none of that.  A man or woman who is unemployed is out of sorts because we are designed to work and bring order to the world around us.  I love hearing the 30 second introductions at the beginning of our Career Prospector meetings.  Each one is invariably about creating order from chaos.  We are even coached to ask in an interview, “What problems do you have that I can solve for you?”  

The demons try to negotiate with Jesus.  Playing on his mercy and compassion.  “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.”  I’m not sure why that was good, except that it was preferable to being cast into the abyss which comes for all of Satan’s army at the end of time.  Maybe to their surprise, it still meant destruction.  

So often we don’t know what’s good for us and this is true for these demons and even the delivered man.   “As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. “  What a natural reaction!  You’ve just met the Messiah, he’s delivered you from torment.  Why not?  But Jesus says, “NO!”  I can’t tell you how many times I have imagined the perfect situation, the perfect job, the perfect girlfriend(okay, that goes back a few years), the perfect house, the perfect vacation, the perfect day for golf, etc.  And then it seems that God says “NO!”  

We even try to negotiate with God.  ‘God, you don’t understand.  I need this job.  Look at the benefits.  I’m perfect for it.  God, please, make this work.’  REJECTION.  And maybe not once, but multiple times.  God tells the formerly demon possessed man, ‘I’ve got another job for you.’  “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”  Not as glamorous as being with the Messiah but still significant.  The man could have disobeyed and chased Jesus all over the country.  He could have instead started the “Church of the Tomb” where he had been living all these years.  He could have done a number of things and ignored Jesus’ command.  

But he chose to obey.  “So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.”  Each of us were designed to work.  We have unique skills and personalities when submitted to the loving hands of our creator will produce amazement.  What looks like rejection may mean postponement.  It may be protection from a dead end job or from a toxic work environment.  We should be grateful for rejection.  It may be the most significant step on the way to discovering the perfect job, spouse, position, etc. that God has for you.

Points to Ponder:

1. How do you handle rejection?
2. Have you seen how a rejection from one thing led to something better?
3. Have you ever forced a situation after being rejected only to regret the amount of energy you put into it?  And it would have been better to walk away.
4. How do you go about discerning God’s will for you?  Below is a five step outline for finding that out:
1. Pray
2. Read God’s Word
3. Seek the advice of godly people
4. Consider the circumstances
5. Lastly, do what you want to do

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

James 2:19