When Jesus Won't Let You Go to the Mission Field...

There are times when God would actually have us stay home, rather than head off to the far reaches of the world, to share the gospel for His glory. Can you imagine that? God telling a willing and able body that desires to leave home not to go overseas to make Christ known to others? That is exactly what Jesus does to the demonized man of Mark 5. We aren't told the full details of this man's back story. But it's evident his past is troubled. His life has been wrecked by Satan. He had been torn from family and friends, isolated as an outcast among the dead. His future looked bleak and yet Jesus stepped in to radically change His life. He is set free from demonic possession, set free from a dead life, set free from torment and torture. Naturally, he wants to go with Jesus, learn from Jesus and follow Jesus wherever He goes. But Jesus won't let him. Shockingly, Jesus turns down this man's request to physically follow Him. Instead, he is told to go back home. Why? I believe Jesus knew that this man's family, friends and acquaintances needed to see first hand what Jesus could do to an individual's life. Jesus knew that a changed life needed to be seen by a lost world. Jesus knew that this man had been left for dead by all those closest to him. Now He wants these same people to see how Jesus raises the saved to walk in newness of life. 

Have you faithfully shared the gospel with those closest to you before you make plans to set off for the ends of the world? Jesus set the example. He went to Nazareth first, his hometown, and was rejected. He tells this man to do the same. If you aren't faithful to share the gospel here, you probably won't be faithful to share it there. Go to your home first and tell them. Then go tell the world.