May 27: Celebrating His Victory.
HIS DOMINION.
And He said to them, "Go!" And they came out.--Matthew 8:32
I was speechless as I read the headline in the Telegraph: "Cannibal tribe apologizes for eating Methodists." * The August 16, 2007 article went on: "A tribe in Papua New Guinea has apologized for killing and eating four 19th century missionaries....Thousands of villagers attended a reconciliation ceremony near Rabaul, the capital of East New Britain province, once notorious for the ferocity of its cannibals." This article was a sobering reminder of the ultimate price paid by dozens of missionaries who ventured into unfriendly regions with the gospel.
Jesus often entered territories where no one else would go. "When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possesed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way" (Matthew 8:28). No one could pass that way, except Jesus, whose complete dominion over evil forces is highlighted in this account. Jesus had demonstrated power over disease, nature, and now demons, who immediately recognize Jesus' true identity as "Son of God" (verse 29). The demons, knowing the authoritative power of Jesus over them, request permission to go into a herd of swine, which eventually "perished in the waters" (see verse 32). Jesus' dominion over evil forces is portrayed in one authoritative word: "Go!" And the demons went. And it is striking to me, that with all His power and dominion over the spiritual realms, Jesus does not force His Presence upon the human heart: "They [the whole city] implored Him to leave their region" (verse 34). And He left. The demons implored Jesus for permission to leave, but the people implored Him to leave, and He did. Jesus continues to enter the most hopeless of situations where no one else dares to enter, and He continues to be the Healer of all kinds of evil in various forms, bringing peace and hope. Let's give Him dominion over our hearts. "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities...nor height, nor depth...will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38, 39).
My Response:__________________________________________________________
* Nick Squires, "Cannibal Tribe Apologizes for Eating Methodists, Telegraph, August 16, 2007, 259 P.M. BST, https://www,telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1560483/Cannibal-tribe-apologises-for-eating Methodists,html.
HIS DOMINION.
And He said to them, "Go!" And they came out.--Matthew 8:32
I was speechless as I read the headline in the Telegraph: "Cannibal tribe apologizes for eating Methodists." * The August 16, 2007 article went on: "A tribe in Papua New Guinea has apologized for killing and eating four 19th century missionaries....Thousands of villagers attended a reconciliation ceremony near Rabaul, the capital of East New Britain province, once notorious for the ferocity of its cannibals." This article was a sobering reminder of the ultimate price paid by dozens of missionaries who ventured into unfriendly regions with the gospel.
Jesus often entered territories where no one else would go. "When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possesed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way" (Matthew 8:28). No one could pass that way, except Jesus, whose complete dominion over evil forces is highlighted in this account. Jesus had demonstrated power over disease, nature, and now demons, who immediately recognize Jesus' true identity as "Son of God" (verse 29). The demons, knowing the authoritative power of Jesus over them, request permission to go into a herd of swine, which eventually "perished in the waters" (see verse 32). Jesus' dominion over evil forces is portrayed in one authoritative word: "Go!" And the demons went. And it is striking to me, that with all His power and dominion over the spiritual realms, Jesus does not force His Presence upon the human heart: "They [the whole city] implored Him to leave their region" (verse 34). And He left. The demons implored Jesus for permission to leave, but the people implored Him to leave, and He did. Jesus continues to enter the most hopeless of situations where no one else dares to enter, and He continues to be the Healer of all kinds of evil in various forms, bringing peace and hope. Let's give Him dominion over our hearts. "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities...nor height, nor depth...will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38, 39).
My Response:__________________________________________________________
* Nick Squires, "Cannibal Tribe Apologizes for Eating Methodists, Telegraph, August 16, 2007, 259 P.M. BST, https://www,telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1560483/Cannibal-tribe-apologises-for-eating Methodists,html.
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