'They want to mess us up'
The story of the demon-possessed man in Mark 5 struck a chord with theMwinika people.
For many weeks, a [group] of Mwinikas have been hearing God's Word presented chronologically, beginning in Creation, and early this month started hearing about Jesus.
Two weeks ago they heard about the paralytic whose friends let him down through the roof to see Jesus (Matthew 9), and were impressed that Jesus knew what was in the Pharisees' hearts.
"His Deity is slowly coming into focus as the stories progress," wrote missionary Phil Henderson.
But it was the lesson on Jesus healing the demon possessed man that the Mwinikas identified with. As they heard about the man who was possessed, living in a graveyard and harassed day and night by evil spirits, "the group came alive," Phil wrote, "and kept saying, 'That is what they do to us too! They want to mess us up like that too!'"
To the Mwinikas, every illness is a result of spirit possession, and requires them to carry out rituals to satisfy the spirits so the illness ends. But future illnesses demonstrate to them that the spirits only let them think they are healed.
But "when Jesus cleansed this man of the evil spirits, he was indeed cleansed," Phil wrote. Life for those who follow God is not easy, nor is it free of illness, he shared, but they are free from the spirits and their manipulation.
All of this helps lay the foundation for the choice that is rapidly approaching when they hear about Jesus' death to pay for sin and His resurrection in victory.
"We ended by telling them that we will soon be talking about a big choice each one has to make and that we hope they choose well," Phil wrote.
The news that the teaching is reaching toward a climax is out. Many people are taking home media players to listen to lessons they missed, attending more often, and saying they want to attend more regularly.
“The attitude of the Pharisees toward Jesus and His reaction to them is also a core part of this week's teaching," Phil wrote. "Pray that the people will begin to see that the religious system isn't what pleases God. God looks at our heart and our motivations."