“四围的人 … 都求耶稣离开他们；… 〔但鬼所离开的〕那人 … 传扬耶稣为他做了何等大的事。” - 路 8:37-39

这个湖畔城市有一个不寻常的问题，游客们有时会遇见一个大声喊叫和裸体的人！人们常用铁链锁住他和看守着他，但他总能把锁链挣断，然后又再次到处流荡了。

然而，当耶稣到来时，情形就不同了。附在这人身上的鬼认识耶稣并且怕祂。耶稣准许鬼进入猪群中，医好了这人，真是令人难以置信啊。接着下来，我们便看见这人“坐在耶稣脚前，穿着衣服，心里明白过来。”

群众聚集在那里，他们见到那人精神回复正常了，他们见到被淹死的猪群在水里浮着，他们见到耶稣。但他们有什么反应呢？他们很害怕耶稣，他们不但没有欢迎耶稣来到他们的社区，反而请求耶稣离开他们！

被医治的人又有什么反应呢？他恳求和耶稣同在！然而，耶稣却打发他回到那些要求祂离开的人那里，告诉他们神为他做了何等大的事。

有一个好消息：今天耶稣仍然在改变人的生命 － 有时改变是静静地在忠心基督徒的生命中发生的，有时却是戏剧性地翻转人的生命。

我们是怎样的邻舍？看见耶稣在作工时，我们会因害怕而退缩、还是放胆讲述主正在为我们作的事呢？

（AM）

祷告

行神迹的耶稣，感谢你重新塑造我们，叫我们学像你。求你帮助我们，去分享你在我们生命中作工的好消息。阿们。

路加福音 8:26-39

26他们到了格拉森人的地方，就是加利利的对面。
27耶稣上了岸，就有城里一个被鬼附着的人迎面而来。这个人许久不穿衣服，不住房子，只住在坟茔里。
28他见了耶稣，就俯伏在他面前，大声喊叫说：“至高神的儿子耶稣，我与你有什么相干？求你不要叫我受苦！”
29是因耶稣曾吩咐污鬼从那人身上出来。原来这鬼屡次抓住他；他常被人看守，又被铁链和脚镣捆锁，他竟把锁链挣断，被鬼赶到旷野去。
30耶稣问他说：“你名叫什么？”他说：“我名叫‘群’。”这是因为附着他的鬼多。
31鬼就央求耶稣，不要吩咐他们到无底坑里去。
32那里有一大群猪在山上吃食。鬼央求耶稣准他们进入猪里去，耶稣准了他们。
33鬼就从那人出来，进入猪里去。于是那群猪闯下山崖，投在湖里淹死了。
34放猪的看见这事就逃跑了，去告诉城里和乡下的人。
35众人出来要看是什么事，到了耶稣那里，看见鬼所离开的那人坐在耶稣脚前，穿着衣服，心里明白过来，他们就害怕。
36看见这事的，便将被鬼附着的人怎么得救告诉他们。
37格拉森四围的人因为害怕得很，都求耶稣离开他们，耶稣就上船回去了。
38鬼所离开的那人恳求和耶稣同在，耶稣却打发他回去，说：
39“你回家去，传说神为你做了何等大的事。”他就去，满城里传扬耶稣为他做了何等大的事。

What Kind Of Neighbor Am I?

“The people . . . asked Jesus to leave. . . . [But] the [healed] man . . . told . . . how much Jesus had done for him.” - Luke 8:37-39

This lakeside town had an unusual problem. Visitors were sometimes met by a naked man who screamed at people! He would be bound in chains and placed under guards, only to break free and roam around again.

But things were different when Jesus came. The demons possessing this man knew Jesus and were afraid of him. Incredibly, Jesus healed the man by allowing the demons to go into a herd of pigs. And the next thing we know, the man was “sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind.”

A crowd gathered. They saw the man in his right mind. They saw the pigs drowned and floating in the water. They saw Jesus. And how did they react? They were terrified, and instead of welcoming Jesus to their neighborhood, they asked him to leave!

How did the healed man respond? He begged to stay with Jesus! But Jesus told him to go back to the very people who had asked him to leave, and to tell them all about what God had done for him.

Now here is good news: Jesus still changes lives today—sometimes quietly in faithful Christian living, and sometimes dramatically through a radical life change.

What kind of neighbors are we? When we see Jesus at work, do we shut down in fear, or do we speak up about what the Lord is doing for us?

(AM)

Prayer

Miracle-working Jesus, thank you for remaking us to be like you. Help us to share the good news of all of your work in our lives. Amen.