“Spiritual Recognition” – MARK 5:1-6

I am fascinated by a demon running to worship Jesus.

Chains could not hold the body that was held in the spiritual clutches by this unclean spirit. People were terrorized by the evil done through the helpless victim. The only thing that could bind this demon was truth.

Jesus is the divine Son of God Most High.

Even from a distance, the demon recognized Jesus. Clothed in the physical form of a man, He was still recognizable to those in the spiritual realm. Fascinating. The inevitable reaction – even by evil forces in the spiritual realm – was to fall prostrate in worship.

How much more should we react to the presence of Jesus in our lives?

The whole purpose of Mark’s gospel is to present the mighty works of Jesus as evidence of His identity as the supernatural Christ who held the power of eternal life and eternal punishment. Peter saw these things and concluded that Jesus IS the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Peter made his choice. Although we do not see these things first-hand like peter, the accounts of witnesses present all of this for our consideration. So extra-ordinary are the miracles (yes, that is redundant) that readers and hearers are forced to make a choice. Is this an audacious lie? The only alternative is that these things are true.

The demon recognized truth. Will we be as discerning?

IF Jesus is the Christ and IF we are adopted children of God Most High through Him can we simply go through life in an ordinary way? Days come and go and time passes with a series of international, national and personal events – are we just spectators to an unfolding drama? Or do we have spiritual vision and spiritual discernment to identify the things of Christ and the things of Satan?

From the other perspective, what do people see in us? Peter describes Satan as a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8) seeking to devour. As he observes you, does he recognize Christ in you?

Maybe that is why Peter’s admonition was for us to be sober and watchful. We need to look “in” and look “out”. What if Satan does not even consider us a threat? How about the people you have contact with every day. Is there something about you that is recognizable to those who are not of Christ. Maybe the most sobering question would be to ask do those who are of Christ recognize you?

As you go through your day, look for Jesus and keep an eye out for Satan.

Look for the saints and look for the lost.

Recognize the things of God in this world and the things of the devil.

Like Peter, “these things” are not revealed to by flesh and blood, but spiritually from the Father (Matthew 16:17).