“A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.” (Mark 5:15–17 nlt)
In our previous two devotions, we looked at the story in Mark 5 of Jesus’ encounter with a demon-possessed man in the region of the Gerasenes. The man terrified the people in the region until Jesus drove the demons out of him and into a nearby herd of pigs. The demon-possessed pigs, around two thousand in all, rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they drowned.
The Gospels record several different reactions to Jesus’ miraculous acts of healing and unmistakable displays of power. But the reaction of the Gerasenes stands apart. When the people saw the formerly demon-possessed man, “sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane . . . they were all afraid” (Mark 5:15 nlt). So, not much had really changed for them. Instead of being afraid of the demon-possessed man, they were now afraid of the One who had healed him. So afraid, in fact, that they began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone (see verse 17).
Mark doesn’t explain why the people reacted as they did. It may be that witnessing such supernatural power unnerved them. It may be that they were upset about the financial losses tied to the drowned pigs. Or it may be that Jesus’ presence made them realize that they preferred darkness to His light.
Whatever the case, their reasons for wanting to be rid of Jesus two thousand years ago are not nearly as relevant as the motives of people today who want nothing to do with Him. The reality is that anyone who doesn’t say, “Jesus, I want to be close to You,” is saying, “Jesus, go away. I don’t want You in my life.”
Some might protest and say, “Now, wait a second. I admit that I haven’t yet made a commitment to Christ. I’m simply saying I haven’t decided yet.” But if you don’t say yes to Jesus, you are essentially telling Him to go away. Jesus Himself said, “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me” (Luke 11:23 nlt). Either you have faith and trust in Christ, or you have unbelief. There is no other option.
Though you may not have spoken the words, “Jesus, go away,” there’s a chance that you’ve communicated them indirectly. Maybe you’ve resisted God’s work in your heart. Maybe you don’t want to give up some things in your life that you know are wrong. Or maybe you’re just too busy—you have time for everything but Jesus.
It really boils down to this: What have you done with Jesus? Are you going to say, “Go away”? Or are you going to ask Him to become a part of your life?
Reflection question: What can you do to welcome Jesus into your life?
Copyright © 2026 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/SasinParaksa
Greg Laurie is the pastor and founder of the Harvest churches in California and Hawaii and of Harvest Crusades. He is an evangelist, best-selling author, and movie producer. His latest film ‘Jesus Revolution,’ from Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company, is now available on-demand worldwide.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
and
Listen to Greg Laurie's daily broadcast on OnePlace.com and weekly podcast on LifeAudio.com.
Watch Greg Laurie's weekly television broadcast on LightSource.com.
In thanks for your gift, you can receive a copy of Jesus Revolution by Greg Laurie
God used the Jesus Movement to reach an entire generation with the hope of the gospel. In Jesus Revolution, Greg Laurie shares the true story behind this spiritual awakening and the people God used to change countless lives. Written with Ellen Vaughn, this book offers an inspiring look at how revival spread during one of America’s most turbulent decades.
Support Harvest Ministries this month and receive Jesus Revolution as our thank-you gift. For gifts of $50 or more, you’ll also receive the Jesus Revolution DVD to enjoy and share with others.
