"Go back and tell your family"

"Go back and tell your family" Luk 8

"Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him." Luk 8:38-9

This is the account of Jesus casting the demon named Legion out of a man (also recorded in Mat 8 and Mrk 5), and the man's subsequent request to go with Jesus. Out of gratitude and love, the man makes a sincere request to accompany Jesus, to be with him, to learn from him, but what does Jesus tell the man? I cannot see a TV evangelist saying this to someone they claim to have healed. Rather they put them up for public display, like a trophy, parading them around; and whose name are they exalting? Their own!

In this passage, Jesus gives us clear direction: The general principle seems to be that when we are converted, the first responsibility we have is to our family, friends, and close associates, to tell them "what great things God has done for us;" namely for saving us, for freeing us from our sins, for giving us life.

How many new converts, especially the young, want to go here and there, and do this and that, but forget or neglect to sit down with mom and dad, brothers and sisters, and tell the simple gospel message. And of course it is not an age issue at all. When we are converted, at any age, we should "go back to our families, and tell them what great things God has done for us." Praise God, we have all heard of husbands and dads, wives and mothers, who abandoned their families for a time of sin, were saved, went back, and "told what great things God had done for them," which resulted in a restoration of their family, and the salvation of spouse and children. I personally know of several such situations, God be praised!

They know us the best, they know what we were, and they know if there is a real change or not; remember, 2Co 5:17  "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." If we are truly saved, born again, our conduct, our words, our thinking, our desires will be new, will be Christ-like (not perfect, but certainly new and in that direction), and they will see clearly see it. Sins that you used to do, have you stopped doing them, or at least are you working on stopping, and when you do them, do you confess them as sins. Do you apologize for lying? For swearing? For anger? If you are new, the new-you cannot be hidden.

Could anyone have not noticed that this man was no longer demon possessed? He used to run around naked in a cemetery, cutting himself, crying out day and night as the demons tormented him, no one able to even tie him up for his own good! But now he sits peacefully at Jesus feet, and the people of his village, his friends and family, noticed.

"And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid." Mar 5:15 

They saw, and they were afraid.

It was clear that he had been healed, but Jesus did not want him to just sit there on display, Jesus said: "go and TELL ..."

We are told to speak to those around us about Jesus, about his saving power in general, about his saving power to us, and about how he can save them too.

If you are born again, you will want to talk about Jesus, in fact you will be compelled to talk about Jesus: "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Act 4:20 

Peter and John said that to the Jewish leaders who were threatening them, but they were not cowed by the threats. Yes, your relatives may mock and threaten you, in fact they probably will, So now you are going to teach us, you holier than thou!; and/or threaten, If you don't stop this Jesus stuff, I will cut you out of the will, I will disown you. I knew a Jewish fellow in college, who became a Christian, and his parents disowned him, and held a funeral for him.

But Jesus told us this would happen: "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." Mat 10:34-36

"And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles." Mat 10:18 

But the mark of a true Christian is that IN SPITE OF THAT, they continue to talk about Jesus.

They now read their bibles, they are learning about Jesus; they pray, he is talking with them, not just to them, and so they have things to say to others about Jesus.

You used to sleep in, but now you get up early to read your bible and pray; your family will certainly see that.

And Sunday used to be your day, to do the things that pleased you, but now it is God's Day (The Lord's Day Rev 1). Now you still do what you want to do, only now you want to go to church, to hear his word preached, to sing songs to him and about him, to be with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Sunday becomes the best day of the week, a day to rest with the saints, a true foretaste of heaven, were true recreation occurs (re-creation), and you put aside the things of the world. Your family will see this; invite them to come.

"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." Act 2:42 

Having said all of that, we know there is no guarantee your family members will be saved, at least not right now, and maybe not all of them, but that is not your responsibility! We are the "mouth;" he is the Savior!

Look what Jesus' family thought of him.

"And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself." Mar 3:21 

"And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country." Luk 4:23-24

"For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honor in his own country." Joh 4:44 

"His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him." Joh 7:3-5

Later on, at least 2 of his brothers, James (Gal 1:19) and Jude (Jud 1) were saved; his mother Mary was saved, as she was among those gathered in the upper room (Act 1:14); of his sisters, we know nothing.

But the point of the above verses is that even under the perfect example of the Lord Jesus, and the witnessing of Jesus, the results are with God, that his purpose according to election (Rom 9:11) might be fulfilled; ours is to promiscuously proclaim the gospel, beginning first at our Jerusalem (near family), then our Judea (extended family), then our Samaria (friends and co-workers and acquaintances), and then the ends of the earth.

Speaking to family is not glamorous; it it hard, it is humbling, it is scary, but it is a duty.

We must be real with them. We must pray at our meals, pray for them during our devotions, and pray with them. We should try to explain the bible to them, the gospel message, having a time of devotions with them, if they are at all willing.

Start with one of the gospels, which are the primary evangelistic books of the New Testament, and read and explain that this Jesus is the son of God, the creator of the universe, and the savior of sinners.

Straight forward, simple, bible teaching.

May the Lord give each of us the courage and boldness to "go back and tell our family what great things God has done for us."

18 April 2025