Mark 5:1–20
Blinded by the light
“When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.” Mark 5:15 (NIV)
As human beings, we are unpredictable. Take, for instance, this story in Mark 5—Jesus heals a man from an impure spirit, a man who could not be controlled by any chain or power. The healings story spreads, and people from the nearby town come to see what has happened. It is indeed true! There sits said man, clothed and stable. Their reaction? Fear!
And how about us? Plato once said, “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” How do we explain humanity’s instances of fearing the light? Maybe the answer lies in the challenge posed when we see and experience goodness—we must react. The townsfolk asked it and we ask it today: how will we respond to acts of kindness, unwavering love, and radical transformation? Yes, we may first be afraid, but what do we do with this fear? Do we accept the challenge and take up the task? Do we enlist our means of support—our church community, our prayer life, the Spirit’s constant presence? Let us answer those challenges, despite our fear, with a resounding, “Yes,” followed by, “with God’s help!”.
Loving God, give us courage to responsibly embrace our holy challenges with enduring resolve. Amen
Dirk Labuschagne
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