Hiding Demons
Jesus healed a man tormented by a demon. During a synagogue service. After how many times of showing up to service and going home with the same demon?
But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.
Luke 4:35
Jesus said he came to heal those living in oppression.
The first healing Luke details is a healing of a man living with the oppression of demon possession.
And this made front page headlines because no one ever saw this before!
Then Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law.
Then Jesus healed scores more with various diseases and demons.
Even in ministry, we read these stories and skim right over them because this is Jesus. We don’t see this anymore. It’s amazing, but for a day gone by.
Can you stop long enough to ask yourself, “Is it?”
Zoom out a little more and see the big picture of what Jesus is doing.
He is serving hurting people. People who had no other answers. People who thought God was far away from them and their hurt. People who had demons and didn’t think God cared.
Do you have people hurting in your church?
Do you have people hurting in your community?
Do you have people with demons they don’t know what to do with?
Actually, you may have a harder time seeing the hurting people in your church. We’re trained to hide our hurt in church.
So you’ll have people show up with their own demons and make themselves feel good with an hour of singing and preaching. Then go home still tormented.
Did you notice where the demon possessed man was?
In the synagogue. Their version of our church service.
How many times did this guy show up in the synagogue and go home with the same demon?
How many times do you have people show up with demons (yes, I’m spiritualizing the word demon) in your church and go home still tormented?
What culture do you want among your people?
A culture that hides your demons so you're still tormented during the week?
Or a culture that’s safe to let the demons come out so you can find healing every other day of the week?