Trying to be like Jesus - potential followers

Mark 5
18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.

19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

20 And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

We already covered how Jesus instructing someone to tell others, rather than not to tell, was different, but in this case it made sense: the healing was known, and it scared people. The testimony of the healed man could then show the good of the event, especially for his friends. Retelling the story would also solidify the significance in his mind.

Having something to do may have made the separation from Jesus less painful. I can empathize with the desire to stay close to the person who saved you, but it also makes sense that after having been through so much, this is a good time for the recently possessed man to rest. Journeying and throngs and condemnation from the Pharisees would probably not be the ideal recuperation period for him. It did not mean his desire to follow was not sincere, but it might not have been wise. There were still other means of service open to him, and Jesus gave him one that was appropriate and helpful.

In that light, dismissals that at first seem harsh may turn out to be kind.

Luke 9
57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

This was a man who had called fishermen at their nets and a publican at his table to follow him, but they were people who were ready. It seems likely these other people were not ready, even if their desire to be ready was real.


The great healer was a great diagnostician. That is logical. His insight and wisdom can be hard for us to emulate, weaker and less perfect as we are, but there are things we can learn.

For these three examples, perhaps it is there in their request to follow him. Two of them build delays into their offers. Perhaps their answer isn't even so much "No" as a warning about the level of commitment required.

You can come, but you will be homeless. You can come, but you will be separated from your family, and not available to fulfill responsibilities to them. There can be room to either decide to skip the burial and the goodbyes, or to legitimately decide that they are not ready yet. Maybe someone who was more ready would have said "goodbye" first, before offering himself as a follower.

Through it all there is a desire for the best outcome for the person and a knowledge of what that will be.

Luke 14: 28  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 

I recently kept putting off starting one project, eventually realizing that I was not ready for the time commitment. I did not immediately know why it felt wrong, and I know that I will get to it at a more appropriate time. Desire and ability do not always mesh, but there is always something we can do to grow, and there is someone who knows what we can and should do.

There are two good examples of this that I will save for next week.