Luke 8:32
And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them. And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.
Luke 8:32 belongs to the deliverance of the demon-possessed men of Gadara, when the demons speaking through the afflicted men asked Jesus to let them leave the men and enter the herd of many swine feeding on the mountain, and Jesus granted and permitted their request. Once the demons entered the animals they drove the herd to panic and destruction, rushing down the steep slope into the sea where the swine drowned and perished. The destruction was intended by Satan to hinder Jesus' work in the region and turn the people away from Him and stop the gospel by means of the financial loss. Blinded by worldliness the people valued their property and the swine more than the men's deliverance, feared further loss, and though confronted with evidence of His power over demons and disease they rejected His visit of mercy and asked Him to leave. The evil meant to drive people away was overruled for good to draw attention to Christ and prepare the region for salvation, while the freed men became witnesses carrying the good news of His saving power through their households and Decapolis, in an open meeting that beheld the supremacy of Christ over Satan.
Request and Destruction Described
Luke 8:32 belongs to the deliverance of the demoniacs of Gadara, where Christ freed two demon-possessed men from Satan's bondage. Their deliverance displays His power to save people from Satan's bondage and to make those freed into witnesses who carry the good news of that saving power to others.
The demons, speaking through the afflicted men, asked Jesus to let them leave the men and enter the nearby herd of many swine feeding on the mountain. Jesus granted and permitted their request, allowing the demons cast out of the two men to enter the swine. He drove the demons out of the two men and then suffered the demons to go into the animals.
Once the demons entered the animals, they drove the herd to panic and destruction. The herd rushed down the steep slope or cliff into the sea or lake, where the swine drowned and perished.
The incident shows the demons' influence over both the possessed men and the swine. Jesus had authority to grant or refuse their plea, so they acted only within limits set by Christ, and the preservation of the swine's keepers and owners depended on His restraint.
Purpose, Rejection, and Witness
The destruction of the swine was intended by Satan to turn the people away from Jesus and hinder His work in that region, using the financial loss to stop the gospel from being preached there. The loss of the animals became a test of priorities, for blinded by worldliness the people saw only the magnitude of their loss and feared further financial harm and loss. They valued their property and the swine more than the deliverance and restoration of the two men, caring more for that property than for Him.
Though the loss brought Jesus before public attention, it confronted the people with evidence of His power over demons and disease and over the elements. They rejected His visit of mercy and asked Him to leave and drove Him away, even after beholding an open meeting of the Prince of Light and the Prince of Darkness in which all present beheld the supremacy of Christ over Satan. He granted their wish, for He never urges His presence where He is unwelcome. They refused to consider the advantage of having One among them who can control the elements by the lifting of His finger and cast out demons and heal the diseased by a word or touch.
The evil intended to drive people away was overruled for good, for instead of stopping the work the event drew attention to Christ and helped prepare the region to hear the message of salvation. The men freed from demons became witnesses to Jesus' saving power, carrying the good news of that power and the message of salvation to their households and neighbors and to the people of Decapolis and through the region. Their deliverance shows Christ's power to save people from Satan's bondage and to free people from Satan's control.
The verse demonstrates Satan's cruel power over animals and people, displayed when the demons were permitted to enter the herd and drive them into the sea, while the preservation of the keepers and owners depended on Christ's restraint. It displays Christ's power over the Prince of Darkness and His mercy in restoring the afflicted men. The loss of the herd was a rebuke to those Jews who raised unclean animals for profit.