Matthew 8:32-34

Matthew 8:32-34

And He said to them, “Go away.”  And the ones who went out left into the pigs.  And behold!  The whole herd rushed forth down the steep slope and they died in the water.  And the ones who looked after the herd fled and after leaving into the city they reported everything – even the things that happened to the ones who are possessed by demons.  And behold!  The whole city came out in order to meet up with Jesus.  And after seeing Him they earnestly asked that He should change His location from their region.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Let’s talk a little about the pigs today.  I can’t tell you how often I get asked the question, “What did the pigs do to deserve that?”  Not that this question is an illegitimate question, but it clearly exposes the wrong perspective upon this passage.  One of the spiritual mentors that I look up to was talking about this passage and they gave me a phenomenal perspective.  He asked, “How many of you occasionally eat bacon or ham or good old-fashioned barbeque?”  Of course, who hasn’t?  He then continued, “Why is it that you have no problem when pigs die for your own human hunger but you get upset when pigs die in the process of human beings becoming freed from demonic possession?”  I remember hearing this question for the first time and realizing my error.  I was so upset about the injustice done to the pigs that I completely missed the glory of God as two men were freed from their spiritual bondage.  I remembered being rather humbled on that day.  How could I have ever been upset with Jesus for the loss of the pigs when my sympathy for the pigs doesn’t get extended as soon as I’m hungry?

Do you ever get upset about the pigs?  Why is it natural to get upset about the innocent pigs that died?  How does this perspective expose our humanity and how we struggle to see the world through the lens of God’s eyes?

Second Thought:

Yesterday we looked at the influence that Satan and society had upon these men.  Today, let’s look at the influence of Jesus upon these demon-possessed men.  Here’s truth: when God comes into your life, you are freed from bondage.  When Christ comes into your life, you find community with God.  When Jesus comes into your life, there is change over what Satan and society can offer us.  That’s the power of God.  Furthermore, let’s go back to what we spoke about two days ago.  Don’t forget that Jesus intentionally brought His disciples into a very bad storm in order to have this encounter.  Now it all makes sense.  Jesus is not afraid to come to us –and bring His disciples, even – through the storms in life just so that we can be rescued.  That’s the power of God.

Is this true for you as well?  When Jesus comes into your life, do you find freedom from the bondage of the world?  Does Jesus’ influence upon your life manifest in feeling community with God?

Third Thought:

Ultimately, though, this story ends in tragedy.  The townsfolk ask Jesus to leave.  They ask Jesus go away and not just leave their town but to leave their region.  That’s rejection.  But let’s make sure that we understand this story in context.  If we read the version of this story in Mark, we understand that the demon-possessed were charged with telling people about Jesus.  Jesus may not have been welcome, but His fledgling disciples certainly were able to do so!  In fact, the feeding of the 4,000 occurs in a nearby place later in Jesus’ ministry.  There can be little doubt that the gathering in that story has its roots here in Jesus’ rejection and the empowerment of these demoniacs.   For more perspective on this topic I’d encourage you to read my blog post for Mark 5:18-20 - especially the second and third points.

Why is it sad to see the rejection of Jesus after the demon-possessed are freed?  Why is it important to not dwell on the rejection but to also remember the full picture of what God can do even through the rejection of His Son?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 9:1-2