Displaced Priorities

Peyton Johnston

December 31st, 2017

Luke​ ​8:26-39

This​ ​demon-possessed​ ​man​ ​had​ ​no​ ​doubt​ ​been​ ​both​ ​a​ ​nuisance​ ​and​ ​an​ ​embarrassment​ ​to​ ​the people​ ​in​ ​the​ ​region​ ​of​ ​Gerasenes.​ ​So​ ​when​ ​Jesus​ ​came​ ​and​ ​cast​ ​the​ ​demons​ ​out,​ ​you​ ​would think​ ​everyone​ ​would​ ​have​ ​rejoiced​ ​and​ ​thanked​ ​Jesus,​ ​right?​ ​Think​ ​again.​ ​Instead​ ​of​ ​gratitude, the​ ​townspeople​ ​were​ ​filled​ ​with​ ​fear​ ​and​ ​begged​ ​Jesus​ ​to​ ​leave.

Why​ ​would​ ​they​ ​ever​ ​treat​ ​Jesus​ ​this​ ​way?​ ​Well,​ ​unlike​ ​their​ ​own​ ​pagan​ ​gods,​ ​Jesus​ ​could​ ​not be​ ​controlled​ ​or​ ​appeased.​ ​They​ ​feared​ ​Jesus’​ ​supernatural​ ​power​ ​-​ ​something​ ​they​ ​had​ ​never before​ ​witnessed.​ ​They​ ​were​ ​likely​ ​afraid​ ​of​ ​the​ ​way​ ​their​ ​own​ ​sins​ ​would​ ​be​ ​treated​ ​if​ ​they​ ​got too​ ​close​ ​to​ ​such​ ​holy​ ​power.​ ​The​ ​cause​ ​of​ ​their​ ​lack​ ​of​ ​appreciation​ ​for​ ​the​ ​miracle​ ​was displaced​ ​priorities.​ ​You​ ​see,​ ​they​ ​were​ ​more​ ​upset​ ​about​ ​losing​ ​a​ ​herd​ ​of​ ​pigs​ ​than​ ​they​ ​were glad​ ​about​ ​the​ ​deliverance​ ​of​ ​a​ ​demon-possessed​ ​man.

As​ ​foolish​ ​as​ ​this​ ​may​ ​seem,​ ​we,​ ​too,​ ​can​ ​sometimes​ ​find​ ​ourselves​ ​overlooking​ ​God’s goodness​ ​when​ ​it​ ​costs​ ​us​ ​something.​ ​When​ ​we​ ​lose​ ​something​ ​in​ ​order​ ​for​ ​someone​ ​else​ ​to​ ​be blessed,​ ​can​ ​we​ ​find​ ​it​ ​in​ ​ourselves​ ​to​ ​put​ ​aside​ ​our​ ​selfish​ ​pride​ ​and​ ​give​ ​God​ ​glory?​ ​Or​ ​will​ ​we be​ ​more​ ​concerned​ ​about​ ​possessions​ ​than​ ​people?​ ​There​ ​will​ ​be​ ​situations​ ​in​ ​our​ ​lives​ ​that​ ​will give​ ​us​ ​the​ ​chance​ ​to​ ​analyze​ ​where​ ​we​ ​truly​ ​place​ ​our​ ​priorities.​ ​They​ ​will​ ​reveal​ ​an​ ​opportunity to​ ​either​ ​value​ ​the​ ​miracle​ ​or​ ​emphasize​ ​the​ ​loss​ ​-​ ​to​ ​push​ ​Jesus​ ​away​ ​or​ ​invite​ ​Him​ ​nearer.​ ​In those​ ​moments,​ ​what​ ​it​ ​really​ ​comes​ ​down​ ​to​ ​is​ ​this:
Would​ ​you​ ​rather​ ​have​ ​Jesus​ ​leave​ ​you​ ​than​ ​finish​ ​His​ ​work?

Pray:​ ​​“Whether​ ​You​ ​give​ ​or​ ​take​ ​away,​ ​I​ ​will​ ​always​ ​give​ ​You​ ​praise,​ ​Lord.​ ​And​ ​if​ ​there​ ​is​ ​ever​ ​a time​ ​that​ ​I​ ​am​ ​asked​ ​to​ ​give​ ​something​ ​up​ ​to​ ​better​ ​Your​ ​Kingdom​ ​or​ ​bless​ ​someone​ ​else,​ ​help me​ ​to​ ​surrender​ ​myself​ ​to​ ​Your​ ​will.”