38Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying,
39Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.
40And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.”The Gadarenes were not the last to want Jesus to depart from them. Men, women, boys, and girls in our world tell Jesus every day to leave them alone. It happens all the time. The Gadarenes asked Jesus to leave because someone in their community had lost a herd of pigs. Of course, pigs were unclean animals under Jewish law, and the Gaderenes should not have had them in the first place. Jesus left when He was asked to leave because He does not force the gospel on anyone. It is a great sin to reject the Lord Jesus, to turn Him away when the Holy Spirit is bringing to ones attention the salvation that only Jesus can give. It is a great tragedy when Jesus departs from the unsaved and leaves them in their sins, but those who reject the light often have the light removed.
Why did Jesus refuse to allow the one saved and delivered from the demons to become one of His itinerant disciples? Would not the man have had a great story to tell? And are not missionaries always needed in the fields that are white unto harvest? Yes, however, here we learn that it is not the will of God for all Christians to become missionaries. Most Christians are needed at home, in their own families and in their home churches. Missions programs can be only as strong and effective as the local churches that send the missionaries. Evangelism should begin at home. If a person does not win any souls at home, it is doubtful that a trip across the country or across the ocean will make him a good missionary. The Lord’s wisdom is seen in sending the man home, for the new convert spread the message about Jesus through out the entire city.