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. “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”  Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” 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. Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.

Matthew 8:28 – 34

Jesus moved among the people of Galilee as he healed the sick and so forth.  All of them were Jews except the Centurion, a Roman. Even so the disciples were seeing things that they had never seen before.  Jesus had compassion on all.

For some reason, Jesus and his disciples left what would be called Jewish land, crossed the Sea of Galilee, into another culture entirely.  What a strange land!  As the ship pulled up to the shore, they were greeted, not by an enthusiastic crowd but by two demon-possessed men who lived among the tombs of the dead, who drove off all strangers, like Jesus and his group.

These violent men hosted demons who knew that Jesus was “Son of God” whom they feared.  They knew that Jesus could cast them out so they begged Jesus to send them into a herd of swine nearby. The scene was bedlam.  The disciples were amazed, without a doubt.  They had never seen anything like this.  Pigs drowning, pig-herds screaming, demons yelling.  This was not like quiet Galilee.

The people from the villages came out and saw drowning pigs, the herds on which they depended, no doubt.  They saw mad, suicidal pigs while not even noticing the two men, now free of demons.  They saw only their great financial loss.  So, the solution to their problem was to return to the time before Jesus entered the picture so they pled for Jesus and his friends to leave that place!

As I reflect on this powerful scene, I try to place myself in the shoes of the disciples who saw everything.  What were they thinking?  Maybe that pigs were unclean.  Or whether they would be blamed for the huge financial loss. Whatever they were thinking just then we know not but Jesus’ encounter with demons was dramatic, to say the least.

I am struck with the fact that the appearance of Jesus in a situation sets powers at work that do not want to be disturbed.  Instead of seeing Jesus the Savior, they see him as an up setter!   Is this still true today?  Does this give us an insight into the nature of the Kingdom of God that Jesus came to establish?  I believe so.