When Jesus Says NOT To Follow

“The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return home and tell how much God has done for you.’ So, the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.”
(Luke 8:38-39)

Sometimes, Jesus says not to follow Him. Let me explain. In Luke 8, we meet a man who is off-the-charts crazy. He is certifiably out of his right mind. Luke records that he had been running around naked and homeless for a long time. He spent most of his time in the cemetery just up the way from a very frightened group of townspeople. They tried chaining him up, but his demonically acquired strength was too much. Perhaps the only grace was that the demons drove him into solitary places.
And then Jesus invades his personal space. Their encounter is fairly brief. The legion of screaming demons is no match for Jesus, much like Richard Simmons is not in the same league as Chuck Norris. (By the way, have you heard that when Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, he had 3 missed calls from Chuck Norris? Or that when Chuck Norris enters a room, he doesn’t turn the lights on, he turns the dark off? I could keep going, but I won’t.) The confrontation is a “no-contest” before it even begins. Jesus drives out the demons, and the man is restored — sitting peacefully, dressed modestly, and thinking rightly.
As you might imagine, he is overcome with gratitude. He is eager to spend more time with this powerful healer. He begs for the privilege of going with Jesus, but Jesus says no and sends him away with a mission: “Return home and tell how much God has done for you” (Luke 8:39). The very next phrase of that same verse records his immediate, complete obedience: “So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.”
Sometimes Jesus says not to follow Him. A Jesus follower is obedient above all else, so when Jesus Himself tells you to go home, that’s what he wants you to do. When He tells you to get out of your comfort zone and tell others about Him, silently sitting in your saved seat in the sanctuary (say that 6 times in swift succession) isn’t really a good option. Maybe you’d rather rehearse your story a little longer. Perhaps you’re not terribly sure you will be well received. You question whether you’re qualified to go, or you assume that your neighbors will hear the good news from someone else.
But just maybe, Jesus is telling you that it’s time to quit hanging out with the preacher and the church folks and actually start rubbing shoulders with some lost people. Come to think of it, He actually put it this way: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Matthew 9:12).

Pursuing Today
Reflect on this: Could Jesus be challenging you to move from theory to practice as you pursue Him? What is keeping you from “returning home and telling others what God has done for you”? Obey Him. Introduce (or re-introduce) yourself to the people who live right around you. And then, begin to tell them how Jesus has changed you.