Seeds for 07/18/2023 - Matthew 8:28-34
Scripture: 28 When He arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met Him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”
30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”
32 He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they pleaded with Him to leave their region.
Observation: This is a frightening and disturbing scene. These men are “so violent that no one could pass that way” and they are approaching Jesus “from the tombs.” I’m picturing a 1980s style horror movie.
The demons’ words come across as anxious in the presence of Jesus, the way someone caught misbehaving by an authority figure acts and talks. The gig is up!
They know exactly who Jesus is and what He is capable of, addressing Him as “Son of God” and anticipating that He is going to drive them out of the men. Therefore, they ask preemptively to be sent into the pigs. This reminds me of James’ declaration differentiating between knowing the truth about Jesus and serving Him as Lord of our lives: “You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder!” I have to wonder if James has this incident in mind!
Jesus has authority over the things that torment and tear us down. These men lived under the thumb of their demons far too long. But Jesus’ arrival spelled doom for them. We must persist in bringing our demons to Jesus. Whether He addresses them in a way that is mysterious, mystical, or mundane, He has the power to do so.
The demons go into the pigs, who subsequently run into the lake and drown. Those tending the pigs report what happened to the townspeople, who come out to have words with Jesus. The workers “reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.” The healed men seem secondary to the pigs who were lost. As a result of this report, the whole town begs Jesus to leave.
No celebration. No thank you’s. No awe and wonder and curiosity. Just a simple request for Him to depart. So I have to wonder… Was Jesus’ power so great that they preferred not to have Him around? Were they more upset about the negative economic impact of losing the pigs (and it was a loss!) than they were joyful about the deliverance of the two men from the demons that had controlled them?
Scripture has a way of raising questions about its people and stories that God wants me to consider about myself. This seems like a good example of that to me.
Application:
What might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, may I celebrate your deliverance in people’s lives, even if it cost me something. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
If you liked this post from Seeds of Faith, why not share it and/or subscribe?
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™