Have You Come to Destroy Us?

Mark 1:21-28

When I first read the Gospel for today I thought,

“Cool. I can share a story about a time when I witnessed a demon leaving someone.”

And then I remembered that I have never witnessed that, at least not in the dramatic way from this Gospel.

The man possessed in this Gospel really struck me. He’s afraid and he’s clinging to his sins. He makes me uncomfortable and I want to get away from him. He says to Jesus, “Have you come to destroy us?” Sometimes I feel like I talk to God like this man talks to Jesus. Too often I cling to my own sin or my own false perception of my life and ask, “have you come to destroy me? To take away all that I’ve worked for? Have you come to give me a miserable life?” If I let Jesus get close, what will happen? Will He take everything I love and everything I desire?

We are each divided by these questions and Jesus has come to make us whole. With a word Jesus sets this man free and Jesus has also come to set us free. Being a Christian is about more than each of us just being good, it is about allowing God to hold us and make us whole. So, this week I am going to try, and I encourage you all to also try, to take this question, “have you come to destroy us?” and identify what doubts and grief and worries we have about our life. Collect them all then with the words of Jesus, “be silent” and draw near to God so that He will draw near to you. Stay close to Him and His promises.