Luke 8:38-39 Meaning: Why Jesus Sent the Healed Man Home
38But the man from whom the demons had gone out begged him that he might go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,
39“Return to your house, and declare what great things God has done for you.” He went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.
38Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying,
39Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.
38But the man from whom the demons were gone out prayed him that he might be with him: but he sent him away, saying,
39Return to thy house, and declare how great things God hath done for thee. And he went his way, publishing throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done for him.
38And the man from whom the demons had gone forth was beseeching of him to be with him, and Jesus sent him away, saying,
39`Turn back to thy house, and tell how great things God did to thee;' and he went away through all the city proclaiming how great things Jesus did to him.
38But the man out of whom the demons had gone besought him that he might be with him. But he sent him away, saying,
39Return to thine house and relate how great things God has done for thee. And he went away through the whole city, publishing how great things Jesus had done for him.
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus refused the healed demoniac's request to stay, sending him home to tell his story. Discover why your ordinary life is a mission field.
Context
This scene follows one of the most dramatic exorcisms in the Gospels. Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee to Gentile territory, the region of the Gadarenes, and met a man so tormented he lived naked among tombs, breaking every chain the townspeople put on him. After Jesus cast out a legion of demons into a herd of pigs, the man was suddenly sane, calm, and fully dressed, sitting at Jesus' feet. But the townspeople were terrified by the power on display and begged Jesus to leave.
Jesus got back into the boat. The healed man had a natural response: he wanted to go with the One who had saved him. Yet Jesus refused his request and gave him a different assignment. That refusal is the only recorded time Jesus turned down an offer to follow Him. What Jesus says instead reshapes what it means to be sent.
Key Words
Three Greek verbs trace the arc of this passage, each carrying weight for how you live today.
First, the man begged (edeito) Jesus to stay with Him. This is the same word used for earnest prayer, the man was not just asking, he was pleading from a place of deep need. He had been empty and broken; now he was whole, and he could not imagine leaving the source of that wholeness. The begging makes sense. Anyone who has been rescued knows the pull to stay close to their Rescuer.
Jesus answers by commanding him to relate (diēgou) what God had done. This word means to lead a story through to the end, to tell it fully with all its details. Not a quick testimony, but a thorough telling. Then the man proclaimed (kērussōn) throughout the city, the verb that describes a herald making an official announcement. The man whose voice was used for screaming now carried the authority of a royal messenger. He did not stay with Jesus in the flesh; he took Jesus' story with him.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions notice something important in the shift between Jesus' words and the man's actions. Jesus told him to declare what God had done, but when the man went out he proclaimed what Jesus had done. The Cambridge Bible suggests Jesus likely would not return to that region, so this public announcement would not draw crowds that could hinder His work. John Calvin saw here a gradual revelation: Jesus begins with the Father because the people were not yet ready to grasp His full identity.
Matthew Henry and other commentators observe that the man himself understood instinctively that what God does, Jesus does, the two are one. This is not a contradiction but a recognition. Different traditions read the commission differently, but all see in this man the first missionary to a people who had rejected Christ.
A common misunderstanding
Some read this passage and think Jesus refused the healed man because he wasn't worthy to be a disciple, or because his damaged past disqualified him. In fact, Jesus gave him the most important job of all: witness to his own household and community. The man had firsthand experience of God's power among people who had watched his suffering and knew what he used to be. No one could argue with his story. Jesus was not rejecting him; He was commissioning him right where he lived.
Living This Out
This week, you may not deliver someone from a legion of demons. But you do have a story of what God has done for you. Maybe it is the patience you found during a hard season. Maybe it is a relationship that was mended, a bad habit that lost its grip, or the quiet sense of being held when everything else fell apart.
Jesus does not always call you to leave your familiar places to serve Him. Often, He sends you back to them. He asks you to be a herald at your own table, among your own friends. Pick one person this week and tell them, plainly, one thing God has done for you. That is your assignment.
Main takeaway: God's works in your life become a message you are sent to share with the people closest to you.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
A man with bad spirits inside him was healed by Jesus. He wanted to go with Jesus, but Jesus said, “Go home and tell everyone what God has done for you.” So the man did. You can tell your family what God has done for you too. He made the world, he loves you, and he hears your prayers.
For ages 9, 12
The healed man probably felt he had to leave his old life behind to follow Jesus. But Jesus sent him right back where he came from, to the people who knew his worst days. That was a hard assignment, but a powerful one. Nobody could argue with his story because they had seen his chains. Sometimes God wants you to be a witness not in some far-off place, but in your own home and school. Your story of what God has done for you matters right where you are.
Questions People Ask
Why did Jesus refuse the healed man's request to follow Him?
Jesus refused not because the man was unworthy, but because he had a specific mission: to witness to his own household and city. The people there knew his past and would see the change. Jesus did not plan to return to that Gentile region, so the man's testimony would be the only Gospel they heard.
Why did Jesus tell him to speak of what 'God' had done, but the man proclaimed what 'Jesus' had done?
This was not disobedience. The man understood that what God does, Jesus does. Many Christian teachers see this as early recognition of Jesus' divinity. Jesus' wording may have been a starting point for a people not yet ready for the full revelation of who He was, but the man instinctively connected the two.
What happened to the Gerasene demoniac after this?
The Gospel of Mark adds that the man went throughout the Decapolis (ten cities) telling his story, and everyone was amazed. Church tradition says he later became a missionary to that region. He is one of the first people sent out to share the good news without having been one of the Twelve.
Why did the townspeople ask Jesus to leave rather than welcome Him?
They were terrified by the power of the exorcism and the loss of the pigs, which was a major economic blow. Fear overcame gratitude. They wanted the familiar, not the powerful and unpredictable presence of Jesus. Sadly, they chose control over the Healer.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study