Set Free to Tell the Story - Mark 5: 1-20
Scripture Reading
Mark 5: 1-20 (ESV)
Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon
5 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.
14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
Reflection:
Jesus steps into enemy territory and meets a man no one else knows what to do with—isolated, tormented, out of control. By the time the story ends, this same man is “sitting there, clothed and in his right mind.”
When he begs to go with Jesus, the Lord sends him on a different mission: “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” His first calling after freedom is testimony.
As worship leaders, it’s easy to get so focused on songs and sets that we forget the power of simply telling what Jesus has done in us. Our teams are full of “set free” stories—rescued from sin, shame, addiction, fear. Those stories matter.
Personal Questions:
- Where has Jesus set me free—spiritually, emotionally, or practically?
- Do I ever feel “unqualified” to share my story, and why?
- Who might need to hear what the Lord has done in my life?
Team Questions:
- How could we better incorporate testimonies (spoken or creative) into our worship life?
- What impact does it have when people hear real stories of God’s mercy from leaders?
- How can we create a safe space on our team for sharing what God has done?
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for the freedom and mercy You’ve shown me. Don’t let me keep that to myself. Give me courage and opportunities to share “how much You have done” in my life, so others can find hope in You. Amen.