The Fear of Change

AMY TURNER

In Luke 8:37, we read about a moment when the people of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave their area because they were filled with fear. Jesus had just freed a man possessed by many demons. These evil spirits entered a herd of pigs, which then ran off a cliff and drowned. Word of this spread quickly, and people came from nearby towns to see for themselves.

When they arrived, they saw the man — once wild and dangerous — now calm and in his right mind. You might expect them to celebrate this miracle, but instead, fear gripped them. They couldn’t deny what had happened, yet the power that made it possible unsettled them.

Some people are frightened by what they cannot control, even when it brings good. The idea of a God who holds such power can feel threatening because it means lives might change in unexpected ways. Not everyone welcomes goodness when it challenges the world they know.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

Psalm 34:8