March 2, 2024 Daily Dose of Discernment

“Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” (Mark 5:8)

Jesus calls people so that they can be with Him and so He can send them out to proclaim the gospel and cast out demons (Mark 3:14). There are those who are under the influence of evil spirits and they need deliverance and the good news preached to them. That need is the disciples’ call. But they would rather ignore and avoid it.

The demoniac in the gospel today has that need. A legion of demons has possessed him and causes him to be violent. But instead of seeing his need to be freed, his neighbors are afraid of him and are more concerned about their safety. The story reminds us that He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world afflicting God’s children, and that we should be ready to get our hands dirty and cast him out. Evil spirits are not just the kind we see in horror movies. There are demons of sickness, poverty, hate, division and greed. Being in fellowship with Jesus empowers us to drive these spirits out. Let us not run away from our calling but proclaim the good news of freedom to those in bondage.