Mark 5:18-20
And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. 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. And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

What did the compassion of Jesus do for this man? He was the one afflicted by the legion of demons, dwelling in the tombs, untamable, crying and cutting, tormented and violent. And then after Jesus intervened, he was sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind, finally and fully free from what had afflicted him. He had been an outcast, in essence, feared by people and forced to the outskirts, unable to participate in society, lacking normal relationships with others. His whole life was out of control. But now he could go forward into a new life. Out of gratitude, he wants to go with Jesus on His journey back across the sea, but Jesus has something different in mind for him.

This man must have had a life that he lost, relationships that had been severed, drastic change that had occurred, for Jesus sends him home to his friends. Those connections could be restored and renewed. Those friends could hear the good news about just how he had been set free from those demons, what new life could look like, what Jesus could do for them, too. Beyond just relieving his suffering and ridding him of those evil influences, Jesus’ compassion sent an outcast back into fellowship with those who loved and cared about him.

The compassion of Jesus compels us to draw near to Him, and as believers, we have a home with Him. We have a friend in Jesus, for He has called us His friends and invited us into a relationship with Him. With Jesus, every outcast finds a place to belong. Everyone scorned and written off has someone who will love and accept them. He Himself was despised and rejected. He knows what it is to be hated and attacked. And though we, too, may find all of those things here in this world, we can know that one day He will call us home to be with Him where He is.