I Hear You...

They went across the lake to…the Gerasenes... 

Jesus again crossed over to the other side… Mark 5:1,21

Sandwiched between verse 1 and 21 is the familiar story about Jesus casting demons out of a crazy guy in a cemetery. But in reading about tombstones and bacon-over-a-cliff, we nearly miss the “Oh wow!” point. In verse 1, Jesus traveled clear across a lake and was met by a demon-possessed man. Jesus healed the guy, sent the demons into the pigs, but then in verse 21 He got back in the boat. Wait! Why did He go there at all? A stormy boat ride for nothing? No sermon. No seminars. No banquet from a Happy Meal. The Bible lets us figure this one out ourselves. (Hint: one desperate guy needed Him). 

At that point in His life, Jesus was the Leader of the pack. Everybody wanted a piece of Him. Most leaders understand that feeling, because it’s always something with the people they lead: Jane’s feelings are hurt, Ben lost his job, and Rex is mad at the men’s group. One way some leaders cope is to tune out the individual needs to better serve the group. But Jesus never did that. His heart was fine-tuned to the ones nobody else heard. People in Gerasenes had stopped hearing the nasty guy in the cemetery. But from miles away, his Maker heard him. While the disciples were arguing over the last thing He said, and the crowds were demanding more miracles, Jesus heard something else. He stood, looked across the water and answered, “I hear you. I’m coming for you.” Who would leave the crowds to go after one guy? A Leader you can trust. And He still does that.

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