“Jesus said.
‘Return to your home!
Declare
How much
God has done
For you!’
Thus,
He went away,
Proclaiming
Throughout the whole city
How much
Jesus had done
For him.”
Ὑπόστρεφε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου, καὶ διηγοῦ ὅσα σοι ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεός. καὶ ἀπῆλθεν καθ’ ὅλην τὴν πόλιν κηρύσσων ὅσα ἐποίησεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς.
Luke indicated that Jesus told the former demoniac to return to his home (Ὑπόστρεφε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου). There he was to declare how much God had done for him (καὶ διηγοῦ ὅσα σοι ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεός). Thus, he went away (καὶ ἀπῆλθεν), proclaiming throughout the whole city (καθ’ ὅλην τὴν πόλιν κηρύσσων) how much Jesus had done for him (ὅσα ἐποίησεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς). There is something similar in Mark, chapter 5:19-20, while there is nothing like this in Matthew. Mark said that Jesus refused this former demoniac’s request. Jesus would not permit him to go with them. However, Jesus told him to go to his own home. There he was to preach, announce, or tell others how much the Lord (ὁ Κύριός) had done for him with his great mercy. This former demoniac went away. He then began to preach or proclaim in the Decapolis area how much Jesus had done for him. Thus, everyone there was amazed or marveled at this. The Decapolis territory was a group of 10 gentile non-Jewish cities on the east bank of the Jordan River in present day Jordan and Syria that included the towns of Gerasa, Scythopolis, Hippos, Gadara, Pella, Philadelphia, Capitolias, Canatha, Raphana, and Damascus. Thus, this cured demoniac was the first Christian apostle to the gentiles, a foreign missionary rather than a close disciple or apostle. Would you rather be a missionary for Jesus or one who followed him closely?
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 