Matthew 8:28-33

Rachel Workman: 28 When Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes,[g] two men who were possessed by demons met him. They lived in a cemetery and were so violent that no one could go through that area.

29 They began screaming at him, “Why are you interfering with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before God’s appointed time?” I find it interesting that the demon asked have you come here to torture us before God's appointed time. They knew their time of judgement was coming. They also knew that their souls would be tormented. They chose evil but once they became Satan's there was no turning back for them and they knew that. You won't get a second chance once this life is over.

30 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding in the distance. 31 So the demons begged, “If you cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs.”

32 “All right, go!” Jesus commanded them. So the demons came out of the men and entered the pigs, and the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.

33 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town, telling everyone what happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone. This verse stands out to me. They begged Jesus to go away and leave them along. I for one am very glad Jesus didn't and hasn't left me alone.

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John Burnett:  ²⁸ When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. ²⁹ And they cried out, saying, “^[a]What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before ^[b]the time?” ³⁰ Now there was a herd of many swine feeding at a distance from them. ³¹ The demons began to entreat Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.” ³² And He said to them, “Go!” And they came out and went into the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters. ³³ The herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, ^[c]including what had happened to the demoniacs.  Being an old pig farmer, the tainting of these pigs reputations is disheartening, but these pigs had no choice.  They were being led off that cliff by the King of kings and Lord of lords.  The most interesting twist in this story is the fact that the demons knew exactly who they were dealing with and what His plans were for them.  They knew they were powerless and they asked Him to cast them  into the herd of swine.

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Allen Michaels:   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. Demon-possessed people are under the control of one or more demons. Demons are fallen angels who joined Satan in his rebellion against God and are now evil spirits under Satan’s control. They help Satan tempt people to sin and have great destructive powers. But whenever they are confronted by Jesus, they lose their power. These demons recognized Jesus as God’s Son (8:29), but they didn’t think they had to obey him. Just believing is not enough (see James 2:19 for a discussion of belief and devils). Faith is more than belief. By faith, you accept what Jesus has done for you, receive him as the only one who can save you from sin, and live out your faith by obeying his commands.

According to Jewish ceremonial laws, the men Jesus encountered were unclean in three ways: they were Gentiles (non-Jews), they were demon-possessed, and they lived in a graveyard. Jesus helped them anyway. We should not turn our backs on people who are “unclean” or repulsive to us, or who violate our moral standards and religious beliefs. (This pretty much describes those barbaric, Christian killing, made-up-God believing pedophiles called muslims). Instead, we must realize that every human individual is a unique creation of God, needing to be touched by his love. I have a hard time accepting this. I also think that God is OK with us standing up for Christians and Christianity, by using any means necessary.

²⁹ “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” The Bible tells us that at the end of the world the devil and his angels will be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur (Revelation 20:10). Just by stating “before the appointed time,” these evil spirits proved they knew their ultimate fate.

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. When the demons entered the pigs, they drove the animals into the sea. The demons’ action proves their destructive intent—if they could not destroy the men, they would destroy the pigs. Jesus’ action, by contrast, shows the value he places on each human life. 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. Why did the people ask Jesus to leave? Unlike their own pagan Gods, Jesus could not be contained, controlled, or appeased. They feared Jesus’ supernatural power, a power that they had never before witnessed. And they were upset about losing a herd of pigs more than they were glad about the deliverance of the demon-possessed men. Are you more concerned about property and programs than people? Human beings are created in God’s image and have eternal value. How foolish and yet how easy it is to value possessions, investments, and even animals above human life. Would you rather have Jesus leave you than finish his work in you?