Right-Minded Begging

S - "When the men taking care of the pigs saw this, they ran to spread the news in the town and on the farms. The people went out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they also found the man. The demons had gone out of him, and he was sitting there at the feet of Jesus. He had clothes on and was in his right mind. But the people were terrified. Then all who had seen the man healed told about it. Everyone from around Gerasa begged Jesus to leave, because they were so frightened.   When Jesus got into the boat to start back, the man who had been healed begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him off and said, “Go back home and tell everyone how much God has done for you.” The man then went all over town, telling everything that Jesus had done for him." Luke 8

O - The town's people had become accustomed to a naked, demonized human being living in the graveyard.  This no longer frightened them. Jesus arrives and the man is restored, clothed and in his right mind. Both the people and the man will beg Jesus.  The people will beg Jesus to leave their region. The man will beg to go with Jesus.  He will honor the people's request and redirect the man's. No doubt the town will recover from the encounter, but man never really will. This begs the question, were the town's people in their right minds? 

A - The full story records a third time Jesus was begged and it's actually the first time in this encounter (cf. Luke 8).  The demons beg Jesus to go into the pigs and he lets them. There was no doubt that the demons would leave, the only variance was their destination. Their begging and the begging of the people was based on fear and their own solution to it.  The man's begging was based on the person of Jesus and a desire to follow him coupled with a willingness to be redirected. This is the begging I want to do … sincere, passionate, clear, completely reliant … opened hearted expressions to him who is life and who loves us all without flicker.  I have begged Jesus on many occasions and will no doubt do so again.  I'm hoping for a begging which comes from being in my right mind.

P - Lord of all and Lord of me,

Am so grateful that you have great compassion for us all, especially when we're confronted and overwhelmed with circumstances.  In all such encounters my begging, pleading, praying will not be based on some perceived recalcitrance on your part. Instead, I'll choose the confident reliance that your person, power, brilliance, mercy and nearness deserve. I'll choose and rely on you to empower.  I want to follow and I'll accept all redirection you give.

Responding to you in my right mind,

Steve