When they came to the town they reported everything.

When they came to the town they reported everything. 

Shouting demoniacs, possessed pigs, sprinting swineherds, and terrified townspeople—this has to be one of the most colorful stories in Matthew’s Gospel!   But did you know that this is also the first story about Gentiles sharing the good news about Jesus?   Imagine you were there when the swineherds raced into the town square to tell their story after they had encountered Jesus:

“You’ll never believe what happened!   There we were, tending our pigs away from the tombs because we knew about those two demoniacs.   But a group of men speaking Aramaic came ashore and got out of a boat—and the demoniacs charged right at them, screaming something about being tormented!   The men didn’t run away.   Instead, the man in front started gesturing toward our pigs.   The next thing we know, our entire herd went racing toward the cliff and threw themselves into the sea.   Every one of them drowned!   We were terrified.   How could this stranger do that?

“Right after that happened, we could see the demoniacs, but they weren’t violent any more.   They seemed peaceful, calm.   Even happy.   And this man, this foreigner, had something to do with it.   We just had to tell everyone!   Who could this man be?”

Sometimes evangelism is simply sharing what has happened to you, what you have observed or experienced.   The swineherds give us an example of what it looks like to share the good news, but for each one of us, it will be different.   That’s because each of our stories is different!

But don’t forget; the townspeople weren’t half as enthusiastic as the swineherds.   They ran to Jesus—and begged him to leave!   They responded with fear, not faith.   These townspeople show us that the response of our audience is not in our control.

You may not see the response you’re hoping for when you try to share your faith.   But don’t worry.  All you can do—all God asks you to do—is share what you’ve seen and heard.   It’s up to the Holy Spirit to inspire a response.

Each one of us has a story.   Whatever yours is, share it!

word among us