Matthew 8:28-34 English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons
28 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed[ men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 30 Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. 31 And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” 32 And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. 33 The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.
- What is the Mission?
- Who is engaged in the mission?
- Who is the recipient of the mission?
Demon possession/oppression is a form of imprisonment. "When I was in prison, you came to visit me."
The mission we are called to is to be the hands and feet of Jesus to lost and hurting people. The Father sent the Son, the Son sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Fulfilling the mission Jesus sends us on and equips us to carry out will interrupt the daily lives of everyone involved; those who are engaged in the mission as well as the recipients of the that mission.
So our mission is not merely to open our church doors to the public and invite them in, but to go to wherever hurting people live there daily lives; even to the darkest corners of our communities.
Am I willing to go to those places?
