Mark 5:1-20
I try to live with a thankful heart—but let’s be honest, it’s not always easy. Some days, gratitude flows naturally. Other days, it takes work. Because life gets messy, plans fall apart, and disappointments sneak in louder than the blessings. But even then, I’ve learned that thankfulness is a choice. It’s the decision to look past what didn’t go right and name what did. To pause long enough to say, “Thank you, Jesus,” even when the story isn’t tied up with a bow.
In Mark 5:1–20, Jesus encounters a madman with a terrible reputation—someone who had hit rock bottom in every way: physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. Scripture tells us he lived among the tombs, possessed by a mob of demons. People feared him so much that no one would even walk near where he lived.
But when he met Jesus, everything changed.
Jesus cast the demons into a herd of pigs nearby. The pigs panicked, stampeded over a cliff, and drowned in the sea. Just like that, Jesus delivered, rescued, and restored the man. His mind was clear. He was no longer a threat. He was whole again. It was a miracle worth celebrating.
But did the celebration happen?
Not exactly.
The swine herders, who had witnessed the entire thing, ran off to town to tell their version of the story—likely in a way that would protect themselves. The townspeople, once in awe of what they heard, quickly turned angry when they started thinking about what they had lost. They were so focused on the pigs, they missed the person. And instead of praising Jesus for the healing, they begged Him to leave.
Only one person said, “Thank you, Jesus”—the man who was healed. He even begged to go with Jesus, but Jesus told him to stay and share his story. To tell others about the great things God had done for him.
This week, let’s not miss our chance. Jesus has forgiven, delivered, protected, healed, and shown mercy in our lives and in the lives of those around us. That alone is reason enough to say, “Thank you, Jesus.”