Impossible Healings: Worthless Lives?

Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones...

Mark 5:1-5 (NKJV)*

The twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities--Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons.

Luke 8:1-2 (NKJV)

  • Who is worthless? Who is beyond healing?

  • Whom should we cast out from society?

  • Whom should we turn away from our churches?

Surely crazy people are on that list– like naked lunatics who rant and rave: embarrassing people with no restraint.

Consider one action-packed Bible story … about the demon-possessed lunatic(s) and the herd of swine that ran down a cliff.* Three accounts cover 41 verses in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

Why does this story get so much airtime?

  • Because no one’s life is worthless to God.

  • Because no one is beyond salvation.

  • Because the real “pigs” are NOT swine. They’re men.

  • Because the town preferred pigs to people.

They overlooked the grand restoration of a desperately tormented man--to focus on the loss of their profit (which happened when the herd of pigs was lost)

 Even worse, they begged Jesus to leave town... in essence, rejecting their own blessing.

'Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the Gospel's will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?' (Mark 8:35-36).

Recall: The wild man DID approach Jesus (even while plagued by two thousand demons)! inside his afflicted mind and body… was A GOD-SEEKING SOULD THAT STILL HAD HOPE!

The Healer’s response? 'The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out' (John 6:37). The seeker was healed.

Our lesson? No life on Earth is worthless. One more example? Mary Magdalene, the first lady of the Resurrection.

  • Her former self was notably evil.

  • Her latter self was notably saintly.

  • It's the way we finish the race that counts!

Impossible Healings: Worthless Lives? (Part 7)

* The story of the demon possessed lunatic(s) and the herd of swine:

NOTE: This is a 2023 update of a 2013 Carey Lewis Devotion. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players. Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.

Carey Arban