The Good News Goes Home
"Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed." -- Mark 5:19-20
What does it mean to bring the Gospel back home? We probably haven't all been possessed by a demon, healed by Jesus, and commanded to share our story. But we do all have a story to share. So how do we do that? How do we live our faith when even those in our own family don't share our beliefs.
It's hard.
For a large part of my life, those that didn't share our beliefs were my grandma and grandpa. We always lived close to them and saw them often, and while grandma said she believed in God, I'd be hard pressed to call them Christians. In fact, my grandpa once called religion a "crutch for the weak minded."
But that didn't stop us from trying. When my grandpa got cancer -- a cancer so severe that it was inoperable -- we prayed for him. And, more importantly, we had our church pray for him. Miraculously, that softball size tumor in his throat disappeared.
I don't know if my grandpa ever accepted Jesus. I hope he did, but I fear he didn't. I guess some day I'll find out. I do know that after that tumor disappeared my grandpa saw our faith, and the idea of faith, differently. My mom bought him an NIV study Bible, and gave him some verses to read. I'm not sure he ever did, but I hope he did.
I do know that when he died I found that Bible in its box. I kept it, and to this day that's the Bible I keep at work. When I read through the pages, I think of him. And I think of my hope that I will see him and my grandma again some day.
As much as we'd like to take responsibility for bringing people to salvation, it's God that does that. All we can do is go home, go to work, or go out in the world and share the good news. We shared that good news with my grandparents. I just hope it made a difference.
What does it mean to bring the Gospel back home? We probably haven't all been possessed by a demon, healed by Jesus, and commanded to share our story. But we do all have a story to share. So how do we do that? How do we live our faith when even those in our own family don't share our beliefs.
It's hard.
For a large part of my life, those that didn't share our beliefs were my grandma and grandpa. We always lived close to them and saw them often, and while grandma said she believed in God, I'd be hard pressed to call them Christians. In fact, my grandpa once called religion a "crutch for the weak minded."
But that didn't stop us from trying. When my grandpa got cancer -- a cancer so severe that it was inoperable -- we prayed for him. And, more importantly, we had our church pray for him. Miraculously, that softball size tumor in his throat disappeared.
I don't know if my grandpa ever accepted Jesus. I hope he did, but I fear he didn't. I guess some day I'll find out. I do know that after that tumor disappeared my grandpa saw our faith, and the idea of faith, differently. My mom bought him an NIV study Bible, and gave him some verses to read. I'm not sure he ever did, but I hope he did.
I do know that when he died I found that Bible in its box. I kept it, and to this day that's the Bible I keep at work. When I read through the pages, I think of him. And I think of my hope that I will see him and my grandma again some day.
As much as we'd like to take responsibility for bringing people to salvation, it's God that does that. All we can do is go home, go to work, or go out in the world and share the good news. We shared that good news with my grandparents. I just hope it made a difference.
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