Luke 8:38-39
38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

In the passage immediately preceding this, Jesus had driven demons out of a suffering man, who had been literally controlled by them to the point that others had chained him up so that he would not be a danger to others or himself. Thanks to Jesus, he now is freed, both physically and spiritually. No wonder the man now wants to follow Jesus!

But instead of taking the man along on His journey, Jesus simply tells him to go home and tell about what has happened to him, how divine power did what nothing and no one earthly could do for him. It’s assumed that the townspeople know this man’s story and have seen him before, so they will be the first to recognize the massive change in him, and be moved to learn more about this strange personage called “Jesus” who has worked this miracle.

We as individual believers may not have had literal demons driven out of us at the moment we were saved, but we each have a testimony just as life-changing as this man. We all had tremendous spiritual issues that kept us trapped, for years or even decades on end–and then, at some point along our very troubled and desolate road, we met Jesus. Then, the sun came out…or should I say, the Son. (I know it happened this way for me, when I was saved as a child and when I came back into the fold as an adult–life brightened, problems became easier to bear, trials felt less weighty on my shoulders because I knew I could depend on God.)

Jesus’ command for the formerly demon-possessed man, then, is also for us. We should go forth and tell others what Jesus has done for us–because He’s worked miracles in each of our lives, and others will be changed by our testimonies.