Can you imagine being alive at the time Christ lived? Can you imagine being able to see Jesus perform a miracle? Can you imagine being able to hear Him preach and teach? I think it would have been wonderful, but there were some people who did not want Jesus around them.
In Matthew 8:28-9:1, we read about Jesus going into the land of the Gergesenes. When He arrived, He was met by two individuals possessed by devils. Jesus sent the devils into a herd of pigs. The pigs, then, ran into the waters and died.
The people of the nearby city came out to Jesus when they heard what He had done. However, they did not come in joy to see the man who had done the miracle. They did not come to listen to Him teach. They did not come to welcome Him to their city. Instead, they came to tell Him to “depart out of their coasts.” They did not want to have anything to do with Him.
In verse one of chapter nine, we read that Jesus entered a ship and “passed over” to his own city. How terrible that Jesus passed over these people, but He did it because they did not want Him. They told Him to depart, and He did so.
Jesus does not force Himself on anyone. He will not come into someone’s life if he or she does not want Him. He does not surprise anyone today and just take over one’s life. A person must want Jesus and want to obey Him. The only way to obey Him is to study the Bible. God gave us what He wants us to know in the Bible.
When someone tries to get you to read your Bible, be sure you read it. When someone wants you to study the Bible, make sure you study. If you do not read and study it when given the opportunity, you are doing the same thing that the Gergesenes did. You are telling Jesus to depart. You are telling Him you do not want anything to do with Him. Do not make Jesus depart from you.
Until next time, keep reading and studying your Bible. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.
