Matthew 7-8 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Matthew 7:1-8:34.

“And the demons begged him, saying ‘If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.’ 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. The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region” (Matthew 8:31-34).

My buddy Clay Gentry pointed this out to me once, I think based on a lesson from John Maxwell.

How on earth could these people ask Jesus to leave their country? He had just demonstrated amazing power. He had saved the lives of these two demon-possessed men. He had cleansed them. What could be better? Think of all the good Jesus could do in their community. If He could cast out these demons, He could help so many people.

But in helping them, He had destroyed their pigs. I’m not sure I fully know all the nuances of this story. But I do know for sure that these folks had totally misplaced priorities. Instead of seeing the great work that Jesus had done for these two men. All the neighbors could think about was the pigs.

Sure, we want Jesus to destroy our demons, but do we want Him to do it on our terms? Do we want Him to save our pigs in the process? Are we willing to let Jesus stay with us even if it means destroying our pigs too?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Post a comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.