“… and when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region..” (Matthew 8:34)
In Matthew 8:28-34, Jesus was in an area that is also known as the region of the Gerasenes. In this area there were a number of cities that were largely non-Jewish. This also explains why pigs were kept in this area. Jews didn’t keep pigs because they were considered unclean animals. Matthew recounts the story of two people who were tormented by evil spirits and were outcasts from their community. But Jesus did not ignore the plight of these men. In the Bible, evil spirits are fallen angels who help satan to tempt people into sin. These spirits sometimes demonstrated their presence with great force and refused to recognize Jesus as God’s Son. But again, Jesus’ power was greater and He drove out the evil spirits. The herd of pigs died as a result of their destructive power. Their owners weren’t happy about losing their source of income. Jesus’ presence and power made the people uneasy. They probably thought that by offering sacrifices they could control the idols they worshipped. They expected their sacrifices to idols to be rewarded with prosperity. They shrank back from the power and presence of Jesus.
What speaks to you in this passage?
In Matthew 8 we see the power of Jesus demonstrated over sickness, nature and evil spirits. How does this demonstration of Jesus’ power encourage you?