Tell-a-Mulligan

Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you -Isaiah 46:4

My peers love to poke fun at me for not being able to keep secrets. I tell people that the three fastest forms of communication known to man are telephone, telefax and tell-a-Mulligan. As I break in my new study Bible, I see this naked caveman (Luke 8:26-40) has more in common with me than I realized when I first saw my alter ego "in the mirror".

This new study Bible goes deeper. It has maps of all the places Jesus visited and in-depth background information that help make the stories come alive for the reader. One of the interesting lessons I learned last night about the naked caveman is he lived in a place that was probably not Jewish. Until Jesus met this man, all the people He healed were told to keep quiet, they were all Jewish. We know the caveman was a Gentile because the people nearby were raising pigs (Jews were not allowed to eat pork). Jesus knew that if He allowed this man to tell all the good that He had done for him, the caveman would be sharing his story with non-Jews and there would be no danger of interference with Jesus' ministry.

This caveman was the first non-Jew to ask Jesus if he could follow Him.  He is also the first person Jesus said no to (what He really said was "not yet"). Perhaps Jesus didn't want Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper painting to look goofy with the naked caveman as the 13th apostle? Or maybe Jesus saw how many Gentile souls could be brought to Him if he left the caveman in the fringes? By the way, I also reside in a place where pigs are raised.

Now I know this caveman in Luke's story is related to me because he spread the word faster than any modern day tell-a-Mulligan. We can thank this first Gentile who Jesus healed for sharing his story with everyone he encountered.

Remember, you, the reader of this blog, are the most important part of this naked caveman's story. Please take a moment and open your Bible to Luke. Read chapter 8, verse 40. Yes, this verse is just for you...you are in the crowd to welcome Jesus when He returns. Please share this story with a friend. Tell them the naked caveman asked you to spread the word...