They Ridiculed Him

“Then he put them all out.” // Mark 5:40

When I first began working with Ellie she described herself as “stuck.” It didn’t take long before she came to realize she was stuck in a pack of lies. They had hemmed her in. Somewhere, roaming way down deep, this snarling pack told her that she was fundamentally unlovable, and she believed them.

They had a lot to say about her looks—she wasn’t thin enough or pretty enough. And her mind—she wasn’t clever or well-educated enough. And her nature—her shyness made her too awkward and difficult to approach. They never wasted an opportunity to mock her, sneering, “You fool, your hope for love is nothing but a crucifixion.”

Her “pack” was unleashed in her by some wounded person, no doubt, but they had been unleashed nonetheless, and they had staked their ground. We made an aggressive plan for their extermination. Ellie had to learn, like we all do, that when these naysaying, stinking lies come to intimidate her, she must send them away. Immediately. Because that’s what Jesus did.

When He arrived to visit the daughter of Jairus in Saint Mark’s account, “the pack” told him it was too late, nothing could be done. They mocked and wept and gnashed their teeth at Him. “They ridiculed him.”

“Then he put them all out” (Mark 5:40).

This same Lord began to visit Ellie, to take her by the hand and say, “Ellie . . . arise!” When the pack would begin to circle, Jesus would help her to put them out—of her mind, her heart—and then Jesus, in all His healing and love, moved right in.

Are there any lies badgering and mocking you? Just like Jairus’ daughter, just like Ellie, they don’t deserve to be in the sacred space of your healing. They have no place in the miraculous wonder that is you. Put them all out. And invite Jesus in.

Is there a lie you have believed far too long? Can you name it, and then give Jesus full authority to put it out? Call a friend and let her witness this for you.

Lies don’t deserve to be in the sacred space of your healing. // Liz KellyClick to tweet

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About Liz Kelly Stanchina

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Liz Kelly Stanchina is a jazz singer who met Jesus in late-night adoration. She is the community leader for women’s formation at the Word on Fire Institute and the author of more than a dozen award-winning books, including Anchored by Hope, Meditations to Calm the Anxious Soul, Jesus Approaches, Love Like a Saint, and A Thrill of Hope. Her take home retreat for Jesus Approaches has been called “a spa for the soul.” She holds advanced degrees in creative writing and Catholic studies. She is trained as a spiritual director, leading retreats and speaking around the world with a particular focus on helping women to flourish in their faith. Visit her website at LizK.org. Her widely read column, Your Heart, His Home, is available on Substack.