TELL HOW MUCH GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU

Passage: Luke 8:32-39

Key verse: 39

NIV

32 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. 33 When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake(A) and was drowned.

34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35 and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet,(B) dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed(C) man had been cured. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them,(D) because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.

38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into (A)the lake and drowned.

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 (B)at the feet of Jesus, (C)clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 36 And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed[a] man had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes (D)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 (E)declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

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Footnotes
  1. Luke 8:36 Greek daimonizomai (demonized); elsewhere rendered oppressed by demons
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. A ruined pig business (32-37)

Jesus set the demoniac free by sending the demons which tormented him into a herd of pigs. The pigs drowned. When the townspeople came to see what had happened, they saw their pigs floating like pink corks in the lake, and one crazy man sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and in his right mind. They didn't care about the man; they only thought about their pigs. They were afraid of suffering more loss because of Jesus, so they asked him to leave. Jesus got into a boat and left, and the people of that city lost God's blessing.

2. Go, tell what the Lord has done (38-39)

As Jesus was leaving, the man he had saved asked to go with him. Jesus said, 'no,' and gave him a mission: 'Go home and tell how much the Lord has done for you.' The man obeyed, and the seed of the gospel was planted in that godless place.

Prayer: Lord, help me to value people above material profit. Help me to tell what you have done in me to my family and friends.

One Word: Tell what the Lord has done