Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

Luke 8:35

And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

Mark 5:20

Here comes a group of people to see what this Jesus fellow has been up to. Upon discovering that Jesus had delivered this long-afflicted man they are frightened at the demonstration of his power. Later, when the man recounted to others his story people were astonished.

These observers were not expecting that the interaction between Jesus and the previously possessed man to be different than the interaction that the many others had had with him. They expected the man to still be crying naked cutting himself amongst the tombs. Boy, were they surprised!

As an aside, notice the world’s solution to this man’s problems. They tried to bind him. They tried to tame him. What a picture of man’s attempts at self reform! It has the same results. Man can’t bind his sinful nature. Man can’t take his depraved will. Man needs the delivering work of Christ wrought in his soul if he will ever be free.

Let’s now reflect what the difference should be between the reaction of the villagers and the reaction we have to a mighty and marvelous act of Jesus. These people expected the situation to be normal; they expected things to be unchanged. When you see Christ at work in someone’s life, what do you expect?

Experience shows that when Jesus is at work things don’t remain normal. Christ changes lives. As those who have witnessed the power of our savior, should we not expect that his standard operating procedure is in the amazing? Is it not a life unchanged that we should be more troubled by?