Matthew 8:34 (KJV) Chains of Our Choosing

Matthew 8:34 (KJV)

And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.

 

It is a marvelous[1] thing to think that one would see Christ heal this possessed soul and yet bid Him to depart. And yet this “marvel” is duplicated and perhaps multiplied day by day in our time. Why would they desire Him to depart, Who had done so much good?

 

For prejudice

Jesus was of an entirely different cultural, spiritual, and social background. Sometimes people refuse to entertain Christ just because they don’t like their perception of Christians.

For fear

Jesus had not only healed the man, but it had resulted in the loss of their swine. Financial hardships outweighed in their hearts the recovery of the demoniac. Such power is frightening to many. They fail to see the grace of God and only see the wrath.

 

For control

Trusting Him implies a radical life shift, unsettling those who prefer their self-imposed chains to God's liberating ones. Change, even for the better, is met with resistance when it challenges the status quo.

 

The demoniac was now in his right mind. While they may not have been as out of control as he was, they realized they were also sinners, bound by it. They resisted whatever force might break those chains of their choosing and place on them the chains of God’s choosing. 

 

In the end, surrendering to Christ brings a better life. It's not about Jew or Gentile; it's about relinquishing baggage to become citizens of a new country.

 

#PrejudiceAgainstChrist #FearofGodsPower #ControlOverChange #GraceVsWrath #DeliveranceInChrist

Chains of Our Choosing: The Struggle of Surrendering Self-Imposed Bondage

 

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 Matthew 8:34 (KJV) Chains of Our Choosing

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[1] Understand that I am using the word, “marvelous” in the more negative sense. This is how we often find it used in the Word of God.