City Life Starter

Written by Aisha Darwesh

The Word

³⁴ When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. ³⁵ Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. ³⁶ And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. ³⁷ Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. ³⁸ The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

–Luke 8:34-39 (ESV)

¹⁰ I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;

    my soul shall exult in my God,

for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;

    he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,

    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

¹¹ For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,

    and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,

so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise

    to sprout up before all the nations.

–Isaiah 61:10-11 (ESV)

Aisha’s Analysis

Today’s verses echo Jesus’ masterful ability to not only calm physical storms as He did in verses 24-25 with the wind and the waves, but also the internal storm within as He did with the madman of the Gerasenes.  

The scriptures do not name this man, but we do know that he was afflicted with demons, did not wear clothes for a long time, and lived among the tombs (Luke 8:27). We also learn that this demon-possessed man was kept in chains under guard, but when the demons sent him into convulsions, he would break free from the chains and go out into the wilderness (v. 29). 

What a radical transformation we see in today’s verses–the man was sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind (v. 35). Seeing what Jesus did in this man’s life gives a richer meaning to His instruction to the disciples to go across to the other side of the Sea of Galilee where this madman was constantly tormented. 

This also shows us that God had a great purpose for Jesus waiting for Him on the other side of that storm. Jesus’ obedience and intentionality did not prevent the storm from coming. In fact, one might argue that the enemy sent the storm because Jesus was coming directly for the madman. But the storm didn’t stop Jesus from coming. 

And because of Jesus’ faithfulness, the man in the Gerasenes was set free from a legion of demons. He was clothed and in his right mind. What’s more, Jesus commissioned this man to be an evangelist – to return to his home and declare how much Jesus had done for him. And he went, proclaiming to the whole city how much Jesus had done for him. 

What stands out to me most is God’s ability to calm storms and clothe His people in righteousness. He is able to reach those who are hurting, and nothing can stand in His way. Not only that, He empowers those who were once in bondage to a life of freedom and purpose. One can only imagine the impact the formerly madman made in his hometown. He was set free to proclaim what God had done for him, and his story gave his testimony undeniable credibility. 

Application

In what area of your life is the enemy causing you to feel exposed, bound, and ashamed? As badly as it may hurt, take comfort in knowing that God sees you and cares about the quality of your life. Today’s verses display God’s masterful ability to clothe us in righteousness no matter what was previously holding us back. In fact, the worse it is, the more credible our testimony will be of how God turned it around for His glory. 

Like the man in today’s scriptures, take some time to sit at Jesus’ feet, allow Him to clothe you in righteousness (right standing with Him), and allow Him to set your mind right. Spending time with Jesus is transformative to our souls. 

Prayer

Father God, I want to break free from painful patterns. I want to proclaim everything You have done for me. Empower me to live out Colossians 3:14-17 today: 

¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

–Colossians 3:14-17 ESV