Luke 8:38
“But the man from whom the demons had gone out begged him that he might go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,”
What does Luke 8:38 mean?
When this formerly demon-possessed man asked to follow Jesus as a disciple, Jesus gently refused and sent him back to his own community instead. It's surprising at first, since we often think of following Jesus as the ultimate blessing, but Jesus had something different in mind for this man. By sending him home to tell his family and neighbors what God had done for him, Jesus was giving him a mission that only he could accomplish, since he was known and trusted by the people around him. Sometimes the most important way we can serve Jesus isn't by being physically near him, but by living out our transformation right where we are, among the people who know us best.