Mark 5:19, commentary and pictures

After freeing the demoniacs at Gadara from bondage, Jesus refused their plea to stay with Him and sent them to their homes, households and neighbors to tell how great the mercy shown to them was. They were to begin their witness in the home circle rather than going out to proclaim to the world, which is converted not by miracles but by the Word through which believers live and are sanctified. Remaining in the region after He departed, they became the first missionaries He sent to preach the gospel in Decapolis. Though they had heard little of His teaching and could not instruct as those daily with Him, they could testify to what they had personally seen and felt of His saving power, bearing in their own restored lives evidence of who He was. So everyone whose heart and life have been changed by grace, even after a deeply offensive past, is given a work of sharing that experience with those near at hand instead of keeping salvation to self.

Setting and Command

The saying belongs to the freeing of the demoniacs at Gadara from demonic bondage, spoken before the return across and the going to Jairus's home.
The freed men were two in number, and their restored minds and calm, intelligent behavior showed the reality of the deliverance, which led them to praise the Lord and displayed His power and mercy.
To the people their restoration mattered less than the loss of their property, and the people of Gergesa asked Jesus to leave without understanding what they were rejecting.

Jesus refused the restored man's plea to accompany Him and stay near Him, and instead sent him home to his friends, household and neighbors to tell them how great things the Lord had done for him and how He had shown him compassion and mercy.
The man obeyed, and his restored life was to bear witness to that power and mercy among people who had seen his former condition.
When the Lord does a special work for one in need, that one is to tell friends at home of it.
The deliverance gave not merely reason to stay near Jesus but a work of service in sharing experience with others, even though separation from the Deliverer was hard and long isolation from society seemed to leave them unprepared for life among heathen countrymen.

The charge directed the healed ones to tell the good news in the home circle, to household and close friends, rather than proclaiming it to the world.
The world would not be converted by miracles but by the Word, by which man lives not by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, and through which the healed are sanctified, for God's word is truth.

Mission in Decapolis

The two restored men remained in the region as witnesses to His compassion and power to release Satan's captives even though Jesus Himself departed, and they became the first missionaries Christ sent to preach the gospel in Decapolis. Their commission was to tell others of the mercy and great things the Lord had done for them and how He had shown compassion. Their deliverance was not only a reason to stay near Jesus for their own benefit but gave them a work of service in sharing their experience and deliverance with others.

Though they longed to remain near Jesus, they were given a mission to share the light they had received in a heathen home instead. Separation from their Deliverer so early in their experience was a great trial and hard, life among heathen countrymen promised great difficulties, and long isolation from society left them feeling disqualified and unprepared. Yet as soon as the path of duty was pointed out they obeyed at once. They first enlightened their own households and neighbors and then went throughout Decapolis everywhere, proclaiming Christ's power to save among the Gentiles and describing the wonderful work of how He had freed them from demons.

Though they had heard His teachings only a few moments with no sermon ever falling on their ears and had heard little of His teaching, they could not instruct as the disciples who had been daily with Christ. They could testify to what they themselves had personally seen and heard and felt of His power, telling what they knew. Bearing in their own persons evidence that Jesus was the Messiah, they gave the kind of witness that everyone whose heart has been touched by grace can give. Those who had been mediums of Satan and representatives of the Prince of Darkness, degraded as instruments of evil under Satan's power and controlled by evil, were thus made channels of truth and servants of the Son of God to benighted people, transformed from instruments of evil into messengers of righteousness sent to proclaim His mercy among those still disloyal. Their task was to bring the light they had received to their households, neighbors, and the Gentiles of Decapolis, telling of Christ's power to save.

Their testimony about Jesus' power to save and salvation helped convince the people of the region that He was the Son of God. It brought the light of the gospel to households, neighbors and the Gentiles of Decapolis who had not yet heard His doctrine and teaching, and who had not knowingly rejected it and had not committed the sin of rejecting it. This commission kept the region from being left in utter darkness after the people had asked Jesus to leave, and opened the region to the gospel. In doing this work of spreading the good news of salvation they received a greater blessing than if they had remained in His presence merely for their own benefit, and were brought near to the Saviour.

Call to Personal Witness

When the Lord does a special work for one in need, that one is to go home to friends and tell what great things God has done and what compassion He has shown. Every true son and daughter of God can safely bear that testimony. Those who receive pardon and peace make its reality seen in character as born of God and turned from darkness to light. Believing and receiving Christ secures salvation, and that salvation cannot be kept to oneself but is shared as the fruit of being joined to Him.

Personal witness to Christ's saving power belongs to everyone whose heart and life have been touched and changed by grace. Everyone whose heart has been so touched can testify to what he has personally seen and heard and felt of His power, and this is the witness the Lord calls for and the world needs. It is work for those thus changed even when they have heard little of His teaching and have had little opportunity to learn directly from Him. Even those whose past conduct was deeply offensive and who were degraded as instruments of Satan and of evil are, upon repentance, given His Spirit and transformed into messengers of righteousness to proclaim His mercy among those still disloyal to Him.

One who has experienced the Lord's compassion is to share what He has done with those close to home and with nearby people through practical service as well as testimony.