Mensa Otabil - Man of Contradiction (10/14/2025)
Mark chapter 5, verses 6 and 7: When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. And he cried out with a loud voice and said, «What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.»
Many times, when people come to God looking for help, they exhibit contradictory attitudes. On one hand, they yearn for God’s help, the desire for God to deliver them, and on the other hand, they reject God’s rule and principles over their lives. This man exhibited both. This demon-possessed man in the Gadarenes acknowledged Jesus Christ for who He was. He identified who Jesus Christ was; he called Him by His rightful designation: Jesus, Son of the Most High God.
What a revelation! What an attitude of acknowledgment! He ran towards the Lord; he didn’t run from the Lord. There was something in this man that caused him to run toward God, desiring Him. Thirdly, he worshiped the Lord; he worshiped, bowed to the Lord, and offered himself to Him. All of these things are positive: he acknowledged who Jesus was, he ran to Him, he worshiped Him.
But then, when he spoke, something else came out. He rejected the Lord; he wanted Jesus out of his life and was afraid of torment. You see that this man had two things happening in him at the same time: one response acknowledges Jesus and God; the other says, «I don’t want anything to do with You, God.» There are people like that: «Oh, I want God to help me, but I won’t obey God’s rules. I want God to deliver me, but I want to live my life as I please. I want God to deliver me, but I make my own decisions.» You can’t have it both ways.
If you run to the Lord asking for help, then you need to be ready for Him to rule your life. If He doesn’t come to rule your life, what is inside you will rule your life. This man is a man of contradiction. There is a voice that longs for the Lord, a voice desiring God, an attitude that seems positive, sending all the right signals. Yet, there is also the voice rejecting God and turning away from Him. Thankfully, Jesus knew the difference: He knew that which was running toward Him and seeking Him and worshiping Him was the man’s true inner feeling.
Like all human beings, every person, no matter what they are or where they are, longs for God. There is a voice inside of them that seeks God, even when they say, «I don’t believe in God; there is no God.» They know there is a God because you cannot vehemently oppose something you don’t believe in. So, something inside them wants God, but there’s also the other voice that says, «Don’t come close to me; get away from me.»
That is the voice of the unclean spirit living inside him. If you’re not careful, you may think the same person is speaking both phrases: «Come, I want You,» and «I don’t need You.» But Jesus saw the difference, and I believe it’s important for us to know that, no matter how contradictory these feelings may be, we should be able to distinguish between their true inner desires and what controls them. Jesus was able to make that distinction. By identifying the spirit inside the man, He was able to address the issue, and we will look at that tomorrow.
Let’s pray. Say with me: Heavenly Father, I come to You with all my heart. Set me free from every sin and bad habit. In Jesus' name, Amen.