Take a moment and think about the most hopeless person you know. Maybe it’s someone you love who is deep in sin. Or maybe, if you’re honest, it’s you—feeling so trapped, so broken, so ashamed, that you can’t imagine God ever using your life.
We live in a world full of brokenness—broken homes, broken promises, broken people. Some are bound by addictions, others by bitterness, still others by guilt and shame. It’s easy to look at them and think, “They’re too far gone.”
But that’s not how Jesus sees people.
In Mark chapter 5, we find a dramatic story of transformation in the Bible. Jesus and His disciples had just crossed the stormy Sea of Galilee and landed in a region most Jews avoided—the country of the Gadarenes. There, living among the tombs, was a man society had completely given up on.
He was violent, uncontrollable and possessed by demons. People had tried to restrain him with chains, but nothing worked. He lived in isolation, crying out night and day, cutting himself with stones. He was a picture of hopelessness.
But when Jesus stepped onto the shore, everything changed.
The Bible says the man ran to Jesus and fell before Him. With just a word, Jesus cast the demons out. A herd of swine nearby rushed into the sea, a reminder that Satan’s only goal is destruction. But the man who had been tormented for years was suddenly free.
When the townspeople came to see what had happened, they found him “sitting, clothed, and in his right mind.” What a transformation! He had gone from a terror to a testimony!
Naturally, the man wanted to stay with Jesus, but Christ gave him a mission instead: “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee.” And that’s exactly what he did— becoming a missionary to the surrounding cities, spreading the news of what Jesus had done in his life.
This story reminds us of a few important truths.
First, no one is beyond hope. Jesus crossed a stormy sea for one broken man. He will go to great lengths to reach anyone, no matter how far gone they may seem.
Second, true freedom only comes through Christ. Society had tried to fix this man with chains, but only Jesus could break the real bondage. Programs and policies may help for a season, but only the power of Christ can transform the heart.
Third, real salvation brings real change. The man in Mark 5 wasn’t the same after meeting Jesus. He was at peace, restored and given a new purpose. That kind of change is still possible today.
Finally, our testimony matters. Jesus told this man to go back home and share what God had done. Often the most powerful witness isn’t a sermon from a pulpit—it’s the story of a changed life that others can see and hear for themselves.
Maybe today you feel chained by sin, addiction, fear or shame. The same Jesus who stepped onto the shore of Gadara still offers freedom and grace. Or maybe you’ve already been set free, but you’ve kept your story to yourself. It’s time to share it.
Because here’s the truth: no one is too far gone for the grace of God.
