And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus directs the formerly demon-possessed man to go home, not just to share his story, but to specifically testify to his friends and family about what "the Lord" has done. This subtle emphasis highlights that Jesus is sending him out to be an ambassador of God's goodness in his own community, a place where Jesus himself was about to be rejected by the broader population.
And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Fresh from freeing a man from a legion of demons, Jesus is about to board his boat when the formerly possessed man begs to go with him. Jesus, however, redirects him, instructing him to return to his family and friends to share the powerful testimony of God's healing mercy in his life, rather than to follow Jesus directly. The people of the region, however, had just begged Jesus to leave them after seeing the destruction of their pigs, so the healed man is sent to evangelize the very place that rejected Jesus.
The man who was once a terror to others is now commissioned to share his healing. What does this tell us about God's purpose for our own stories?
Jesus doesn't let the formerly demon-possessed man travel with Him. Instead, He gives him a specific mission: to go home and tell his story.
A New Identity
This man's life was defined by his 'Legion' of demons – his name, his identity, his existence. Now, healed and in his right mind, his mission is to tell others about the Lord's mighty acts and mercy. His story is no longer about the darkness he endured, but about the light and power of God who delivered him.
The Power of Personal Testimony
Jesus sends him to his 'own people,' the ones who likely feared or shunned him before. His firsthand account, living proof of Jesus' power, is the most effective way to reach them. This highlights how God uses our personal experiences of His grace to draw others to Him.
The man is told to proclaim what 'the Lord' has done. Why is it crucial to direct the focus away from the healed man and onto God?
Jesus is very specific about who gets the credit: 'tell them how much the Lord has done for you.' This isn't about the man's strength or his own efforts to be free.
Acknowledging Divine Power
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The man's previous state was one of utter helplessness, a victim of forces beyond his control. His deliverance wasn't earned; it was a sovereign act of mercy from God through Jesus. By emphasizing 'the Lord,' Jesus ensures the man points people to the true source of healing and power.
Humility in Witness
This instruction cultivates humility in the healed man and prevents him from becoming an object of worship himself. His role is that of a messenger, a herald of God's goodness, not the hero of his own story. This pattern is essential for all who share their faith – always pointing to God's grace.
Understand the original words
kyrios · Greek Noun
The title (Adonai/Kyrios) referring to the sovereign God of Israel, used in the New Testament to signify Jesus' divine authority or the God of the Old Testament who acts in history.
ēleēsen · Greek Verb
The active compassion of God toward the undeserving, characterized by withholding judgment and providing relief from misery or spiritual suffering. It is a defining attribute of God's character revealed in His covenant relationship with His people.
c. 1st century AD
Roman Rule in Decapolis
The region of Decapolis, where the healed man was sent to testify, was a league of ten Greco-Roman cities in the southern Levant, under Roman influence. This Gentile-dominated area was culturally distinct from Jewish Galilee.
c. 1st century AD— this verse
The 'Gerasene' Demoniac Encounter
Jesus and his disciples cross the Sea of Galilee and encounter a man violently possessed by a 'Legion' of demons near Gadara or Gerasa. After the demons are cast out and enter a herd of swine, the local inhabitants, fearing Jesus, ask him to leave.
c. 1st century AD
The Man's Mission to Decapolis
Jesus prevents the newly healed man from following Him, instead instructing him to return home and proclaim God's work among his friends and in the wider region of Decapolis.
c. 1st century AD
The Man's Testimony
The healed man begins to share his powerful testimony throughout Decapolis, causing astonishment and marveling among the people.
This passage is the parallel account in Luke, explicitly stating that the healed man went and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him, echoing the command in Mark.
Matthew 8:16This verse describes Jesus healing many by a word, demonstrating His authority over sickness and evil spirits, a principle underlying the healing of the Gadarene demoniac.
John 1:14The incarnation described here as God dwelling among us is the ultimate 'great thing' the Lord has done, setting the stage for the personal 'great things' Jesus does in individual lives.
Acts 4:20Peter and John's declaration that they cannot help but speak about what they have seen and heard mirrors the mandate given to the formerly demon-possessed man to testify about Jesus' actions.
1 John 4:14This verse highlights that God the Father sent His Son to be the Savior of the world, underscoring the 'mercy' and 'great things' the Lord has done through Jesus for those in desperate need, like the demoniac.
pooleMark 5:19: "Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee."
Ver. 19. See Poole on "Mr 5:1"
barnesMark 5:19: "Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee."
Jesus suffered him not - Various reasons have been conjectured why Jesus did not suffer this man to go with him. It might have been that he wished to leave him among the people as a conclusive evidence of his power to work miracles. Or it might have been that the man feared that if Jesus left him the devils would re…
Jesus directs the formerly demon-possessed man to go home, not just to share his story, but to specifically testify to his friends and family about what "the Lord" has done. This subtle emphasis highlights that Jesus is sending him out to be an ambassador of God's goodness in his own community, a place where Jesus himself was about to be rejected by the broader population.
Fresh from freeing a man from a legion of demons, Jesus is about to board his boat when the formerly possessed man begs to go with him. Jesus, however, redirects him, instructing him to return to his family and friends to share the powerful testimony of God's healing mercy in his life, rather than to follow Jesus directly. The people of the region, however, had just begged Jesus to leave them after seeing the destruction of their pigs, so the healed man is sent to evangelize the very place that rejected Jesus.
Fresh from freeing a man from a legion of demons, Jesus is about to board his boat when the formerly possessed man begs to go with him. Jesus, however, redirects him, instructing him to return to his family and friends to share the powerful testimony of God's healing mercy in his life, rather than to follow Jesus directly. The people of the region, however, had just begged Jesus to leave them after seeing the destruction of their pigs, so the healed man is sent to evangelize the very place that rejected Jesus.
"And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”" — Jesus directs the formerly demon-possessed man to go home, not just to share his story, but to specifically testify to his friends and family about what "the Lord" has done. This subtle emphasis high…
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Last reviewed October 2026