For some people, Jesus is everything they ever wanted and more. For others, he is a little too much.

 

The Message

 

Many people like the idea of Jesus, they simply want a domesticated version of the man. They want the Jesus who was nice and said lovely things that look good in cross-stitch and on Facebook posts. They are not too sure about all of that death-to-self talk.

For those who need Jesus, who really, really need Jesus, and not only need him but want him, well, Jesus is who they get, and they only want to be with him. Take a look at verse 35: “They came to Jesus and found the man the demons had departed from, sitting at Jesus’s feet, dressed and in his right mind.”

See also verses 38 and 39:

 

When it comes to Jesus, we take about as much as we want. Some settle for a simple prayer and a baptism. Others want to hear more. Still others want to become devoted students. Few ever tell anyone else about what Jesus did for them.

Jesus turned this would-be follower into a good news storyteller. He had a good story. He told it.

What’s your story? Who needs to hear it? Who would your story encourage? Who would your story bring to Jesus?

The gospel does not only mean good news. It also means good story. People love stories. Why not give them yours?

Some people will find in your story the Jesus they have always been looking for. Others will find your Jesus a little too much to take, a little too lord-like. Keep telling your story anyway. You are evidence of the good news that the graveyard is not our home. (See verse 27.) Jesus saves us from living as if we were as good as dead. Jesus gives life that is full and meaningful (John 10:10).