When Jesus Shows Up and Shakes Things Loose

Well, mercy me, pumpkin, pull up a real comfy rocker and let that gentle porch breeze wrap around you and settle your soul. If God’s peace was a quilt, He’d wrap it around you tighter than a grandma’s hug at Thanksgiving. Let’s talk about a story that’ll make your eyebrows jump higher than a startled jackrabbit.

In Matthew 8:26-38, Jesus delivered a man who’d been more tangled up than a rooster caught in a roll of barbed wire. This fella had demons, a whole legion of ‘em, and folks were so scared of him they probably crossed the street faster than a possum ‘a-dodgin’ headlights. But Jesus cast those demons into a herd of pigs, and those pigs took off ‘a-squealin’ down a hill and belly‑flopped into the sea like they were auditionin’ for the Pork Olympics.

Now you’d think the townsfolk would be thrilled. Their neighborhood menace was ‘a-sittin’ there calm, clothed, and sane, ‘a-lookin’ more peaceful than a cow ‘a-chewin’ its cud under a shade tree. But nope, instead of celebratin’, they got skeered stiff, not of the man, but of Jesus, and they begged Him to leave. Imagine that! The Savior of the world shows up, and they treat Him like a skunk at a picnic.

Why? Maybe His power rattled ‘em. Maybe they were mad about the pigs, or maybe His light shined a little bit too bright on the parts of their hearts they preferred to keep tucked away like last year’s fruitcake.

But here’s the real hand-rubbin’ kicker: folks today do the very same thing. Anyone who isn’t ‘a-sayin’, “Jesus, come on in,” is basically ‘a-sayin’, “Jesus, go on now, don’t You be ‘a-botherin’ me.” There’s no middle ground. Jesus said it Himself in Luke 11:23: if you’re not with Him, you’re ‘a-workin’ against Him.

Sometimes we don’t say, “Go away,” but we whisper it with our choices. Too busy. Too stubborn. Too attached to things we know ain’t right. But land sakes, what blessings we miss when we keep Him at arm’s length!

Father, thank You for knockin’ on the door of my heart. Help me swing that door wide open every day longin’ for You, makin’ time for You, and invitin’ You into every corner of my life. Soften my heart to hear Your voice and welcome Your presence. Come, Lord Jesus, come. In Jesus’ holy name, Amen.

Alright now, friend, go on and step out into your day. Let the Lord’s peace cover you like a warm coat on a frosty day. And whatever you do, don’t go ‘a-shooin’ Jesus off like He’s some raccoon ‘a-rootin’ around in your bird feeder. He’s the only One who can hush your storms and keep your feet steady when life’s ‘a-tryin’ to buck you off like one of them mean ole’ rodeo bulls.

With joy,

Gwen