Being trapped from within ...

Mark 5: 1-13

  A man often walked through a cemetery on his way home. One night, though, unaware that a new grave had been dug in his path, he tumbled in. For some time he struggled to get out of the 7 foot deep grave, but finally gave up and settled down for the night.  An hour later, a farmer out possum hunting came walking through the cemetery and he too fell into the grave. He began a desperate attempt to get out, unaware that there was anyone else in the grave. The first man listened to him for a few minutes, then reached over in the pitch darkness and laid a hand on his shoulder. "You can’t get out of here," he said ... (Pause) but he did (Jeff Strite).

  Personally, I have never heard more true words than those … even when all appears dark and hopeless … there is always a way.  As I told the children this morning, it does not matter how heavy the load is … with Christ help, we can carry it (because we never carry it alone).  (Pause)  This morning’s scripture reading is interesting in that it is the story of a man who learns that this load was never meant to be on our shoulders alone.  This man was best described as a hopeless case … by worldly standards.  He lived near the coast in a cemetery.  However, this man received a gift that day … the gift of freedom. 

  If you read this story, which is found in three of the Gospels (the text from Mark, Matthew 8, and Luke 8), you will find that this man discovered three truths on that day next to the seashore.  He learned that You don't have to be at war with yourself.  You don't have to be at war with other people.  You don't have to be at war with God. (Pause)

  First of all this man discovered that you never have to be at war with yourself.  We often think we do (or more accurately, are), but we forget that we are at war with Satan and his influence.  We often want to repent and be saved, but we never really feel quite worthy.  From this story, we notice that this man had been not worthy for some time.  Yet on this day, he ran to Jesus and threw himself at the Lord’s feet.  He learned what we all should know (if you remember the Footprints poem), that when we look back at our life in the sand and notice that when the going gets tough, there is only one set of prints … that it is not that Jesus has left us … He is carrying us!!!  On that day, the man wanted Jesus to carry him once more.

  Secondly, this man learned that you never have to be at war with other people.  According to Luke’s Gospel, the people were afraid of this newly saved man.  It would appear that this man had been at war with these people for some time.  He had troubled them to the point of being paranoid.  So when he appeared fine, they were distrustful and formed a mob to ask Jesus to leave.  The story continues by saying that Jesus did leave, but he also let the man there to give his testimony and preach to the people.  It reminds me of a song which said that you ‘have to know when to hold … know when to walk away … know when to play.’  Jesus knew that these people where not ready to hear this message, but he wanted to plant the seeds.  He took this man who had raised a local war on these people and chose him to witness. 

  Finally, the man learned that we never have to be at war with God.  From the beginning God gave us peace.  We were given this paradise to live in … then we got ourselves evicted.  However, if you look at the history in the Bible, you will discover that all of our history has been interlaid with ways out.  God has wanted us back in his arms from day one.  Why else would he give us chance after chance?  Why else would God have sent his son?  He wants us to one day return to him in the garden of paradise.  For this reason, he left the door open.  As I said last week, we must only knock.  It was on that day this man shed his pride and his sin.  He threw himself at the feet of the Lord and simply begged for a new life.  Although the demons had control of his body and tongue, they could not stop him from approaching the Lord.  When we go to the Lord without fear, we too can shed our dark layers.  We go without fear.  We go with a promise. (Pause)