A Fool's Ministry and the Man Jesus Would Not Allow to Follow Him
A Fool's Ministry and the Man Jesus Would Not Allow to Follow Him
Written on 18 August 2026.
Introduction
A man may believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and receive everlasting life without thereby becoming a travelling disciple, preacher, teacher, or public minister.
The account of the man who had been possessed with devils is interesting in this regard. After Jesus delivered him, the man desired to remain physically with Jesus. Jesus did not permit him to do so. Instead, Jesus sent him home.
This can be considered together with what the Bible says concerning a fool. Salvation does not necessarily mean that every natural weakness disappears or that every believer is suited to the same kind of ministry. In some cases, even silence may be wisdom.
The Man Desired to Be With Jesus
The man who had been possessed with the devil desired to accompany Jesus.
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.
Mark 5:18-20 KJV
The man wanted to be with Jesus, but Jesus suffered him not.
Jesus did not tell him to enter the ship and accompany the other disciples. Jesus said:
Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
Mark 5:19 KJV
Luke gives the same account.
Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying,
Return 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.
Luke 8:38-39 KJV
The words are remarkable:
Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee.
Luke 8:39 KJV
The man wanted one form of discipleship. Jesus gave him another place.
He was sent home.
Salvation and Discipleship Are Not the Same Question
Eternal life is received by believing on Jesus Christ.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
John 6:47 KJV
The requirement here is belief.
Likewise:
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Acts 16:30-31 KJV
The answer to the question of salvation is not, Follow Jesus as a travelling disciple. It is:
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Acts 16:31 KJV
Discipleship can therefore be distinguished from receiving eternal salvation.
The delivered man of Mark 5 wanted to accompany Jesus, yet Jesus did not permit him to do so. This does not mean that the man had not received what Jesus had done for him. It means that following Jesus physically with the travelling disciples was not the course Jesus gave him.
A Fool May Still Be a Fool
Suppose a fool believes on the Lord Jesus Christ.
He has received everlasting life through faith in Christ. Yet this does not necessarily mean that he suddenly possesses wisdom in every earthly matter, becomes an able teacher, or receives a public speaking ministry.
The Bible says:
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1 Corinthians 1:25 KJV
The foolishness of God is wiser than men. Yet Scripture also continues to speak plainly concerning fools.
He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.
Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.
Proverbs 17:27-28 KJV
This presents an unusual kind of wisdom available even to a fool:
Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.
Proverbs 17:28 KJV
A fool does not necessarily need a ministry consisting of many words.
A Fool's Voice Is Known by Multitude of Words
Ecclesiastes gives an additional warning.
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.
Ecclesiastes 5:3 KJV
A fool's voice is known by a multitude of words.
This makes the idea of a compulsory verbal ministry difficult to maintain. If a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace, and a fool's voice is known by a multitude of words, then speaking more is not automatically spiritual progress.
Sometimes the wiser manifestation is fewer words.
Not Every Believer Has the Same Ministry
The body does not consist of one member performing one function.
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
For the body is not one member, but many.
If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
1 Corinthians 12:12-18 KJV
The members are not identical.
But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
1 Corinthians 12:18 KJV
Therefore the assumption that every saved man should become the same kind of disciple, preacher, teacher, evangelist, or public speaker is not found here.
The Particular Ministry of the Delivered Man
The man in Mark 5 was not told to remain silent. Jesus gave him a particular instruction.
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.
Mark 5:19 KJV
Therefore the account does not teach that this particular man was forbidden to speak.
Rather, it shows something more specific.
He requested to accompany Jesus.
Jesus refused that request.
Jesus gave him another work:
Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee.
Luke 8:39 KJV
His place was his own house and his own locality.
Go Home
There is considerable simplicity in the words:
Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee.
Luke 8:39 KJV
The man did not have to travel with Jesus in order for what Jesus had done for him to be real.
He did not have to join the travelling company of disciples.
He did not have to receive the particular form of discipleship that he himself desired.
Jesus sent him home.
This shows that even a sincere desire to follow Jesus in a particular outward manner does not establish that such a manner has been appointed to that individual.
The Fool Who Holds His Peace
This also gives context to the idea of a fool's ministry.
A fool may believe on Christ.
A fool may possess everlasting life.
Yet if:
Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.
Proverbs 17:28 KJV
then a fool does not become spiritually superior merely by speaking continuously about religion.
And if:
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.
Ecclesiastes 5:3 KJV
then there may even be situations where restraint is more consistent with wisdom than continual preaching.
The foolish believer does not need to prove his salvation by becoming verbally prominent.
Salvation Is Easy
The simplicity of salvation remains unchanged.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
John 6:47 KJV
And:
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Acts 16:30-31 KJV
A man is not saved because he becomes a successful disciple.
He is not saved because he speaks much.
He is not saved because he becomes a preacher.
He is not saved because he travels.
He is not saved because he joins a visible ministry.
The answer remains:
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Acts 16:31 KJV
Conclusion
The delivered man desired to be with Jesus, but Jesus suffered him not.
Instead Jesus said:
Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
Mark 5:19 KJV
This gives a useful distinction between salvation and a particular form of discipleship.
Likewise, a fool who believes on Christ does not necessarily cease to possess the weaknesses associated with foolishness. Scripture even says:
Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.
Proverbs 17:28 KJV
There may therefore be such a thing as a fool's ministry which does not resemble the public ministries of other men.
For one man, there may be travelling and preaching.
For another, there may be speaking.
For another, there may be few words.
And in Mark 5 there was a man who asked to follow Jesus in the ship, and Jesus instead told him:
Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee.
Luke 8:39 KJV
See also
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