Mark 5: 1-20: The Rejected Would-Be Follower

The Gospel shows a number of instances when Jesus calls various people to follow him. But it was my wife who pointed out to me that there is at least this one story of somebody who wanted to follow Jesus but was told not to.  This man who had been possessed by several demons asked to remain with Jesus "But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,  "Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you."


I like this episode in the Gospel because it goes against our tendency to think that some choices are necessarily better than others. That it is necessarily better to become ordained, for example, rather than to be married. That it is better to serve the poor like Mother Teresa rather than to run a business.


I think the lesson to be learned than from this passage is that we must be sensitive to what it is God wants us to do and be open to the possibility that what he wants us to do may not necessarily be what we think would be most pleasing to him.