And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.
On the eastern shore after the healing of the two violent demoniacs and the drowning of the swine, the terrified population thronged about Jesus and begged Him to leave their coasts before they had even heard His words. They counted the loss of the swine of greater moment than the deliverance of the men, valuing worldly property above the mercy they had witnessed because selfishness, fear of further loss, and unbelief blinded them to the good of having Him among them. Satan meant the destruction to turn them against the Saviour and shut the gospel from that region, yet though they treated the Vanquisher of darkness as an intruder, Jesus honored their choice and at once took ship for the opposite shore. He did not leave them in the darkness they chose, but left the healed men as witnesses to what they had seen and experienced, and what was meant to stop the gospel roused the country and prepared Decapolis so that thousands later received Him. The same prayer to depart is made whenever men put worldly gain above Christ and refuse obedience that would cost a worldly interest, for no one can serve both God and mammon, and to drive away His Spirit for fear of pecuniary loss is to reject His grace.
Setting and Rejection
The plea to depart belongs on the eastern shore of Gennesaret, a comparatively desolate district whose population was more heathen than Jewish and had little communication with Galilee. Jesus had crossed the lake seeking a solitary place, yet people followed him there. Nearby stood Gadara, a prosperous and partly heathen city above the lake, whose hillside held caves and tombs where two dangerously violent men lived, and they rushed toward Jesus as soon as he landed.
After the healing of the two demoniacs and the destruction of the swine, the whole population flocked to Jesus in terror, fear and amazement and thronged about him to beg him to depart. They saw with their own eyes the two men who had been the terror of the country now clothed and in their right mind sitting at his feet and glorifying God, and they heard from those who had crossed the lake how he had stilled the wind and sea in the tempest. Yet they did not rejoice at the deliverance of Satan's captives.
They begged him to leave before they had heard his words and without understanding what they were rejecting. They acted in ignorance, not knowing what his presence could mean for them. They had not rejected his teaching, because they had not heard it before asking him to depart.
They treated the loss of the swine as of greater moment than the deliverance of the men from demonic torment. Though they had seen two men restored and freed from danger, they valued their property and worldly possessions more than the healing, blessing and mercy they had witnessed. They valued the lost animals above the deliverance of the men from demonic possession.
Regret and indignation over temporal loss blinded their eyes to his mercy. Selfishness, fear, unbelief and worldliness blinded them to the greater good of having him among them, despite evidence that he could still the storm, cast out demons, and heal. Supernatural power aroused superstition and fear of further calamities and financial ruin if he remained, for they feared further loss of property. That loss had been permitted in mercy to break the spell of selfish indifference and lead them to accept his grace.
Satan meant the destruction of the swine to turn the people away from the Saviour and to prevent the preaching of the gospel in that region. He used their selfish fears to stir selfish fear, to make them blame Jesus for the loss, and to keep them from listening to him. The swine's destruction also rebuked those who raised unclean animals for gain, while Jesus' restraint of the demons protected their keepers and owners.
The encounter displayed Christ's supremacy over Satan, for they had witnessed Satan's power defeated before their eyes. Yet they rejected his visit of mercy and treated him who had vanquished the prince of darkness before their eyes as an intruder. The Gift of heaven was turned from their doors for fear of endangering earthly interests, to protect earthly interests. Jesus honored their choice and did not force his presence where unwelcome, but complied at once and took ship for the opposite shore.
Aftermath and Application
Jesus honored the request to leave, yet He did not abandon the people to the darkness they had chosen but left light among them. The two men He had healed were left behind to remain as His witnesses and messengers to their own households, to neighbors, and to the wider region. Although they had heard little of His teaching, they could tell what they had seen and heard and personally experienced of His power to save from Satan's bondage. Because the people would listen to these restored men, their testimony carried the good news of His mercy where His own voice had been refused.
What was meant to turn the people away and prevent the preaching of the gospel instead roused the whole country and directed attention to Christ. Their witness prepared the way throughout Decapolis, so that when Jesus later returned thousands were ready to hear the message of salvation. In this way the saving work helped convince the people that He was the Son of God.
The same prayer for Him to depart is still made whenever worldly gain is put above Christ. It is made by refusing to obey His word when obedience would require the sacrifice of some worldly interest, by ignoring His commands and reproofs, and by acting dishonestly and greedily for advantage. By such choices people reject His grace and drive His Spirit from them, lest His presence bring them pecuniary loss. No one can serve both God and mammon, so to choose property and profit above healing and mercy is to treat Him as an intruder. Unbelief that drives away God's servants is the same rejection, and it will be called to account.
On the eastern shore after the healing of the two violent demoniacs and the drowning of the swine, the terrified population thronged about Jesus and begged Him to leave their coasts before they had even heard His words. They counted the loss of the swine of greater moment than the deliverance of the men, valuing worldly property above the mercy they had witnessed because selfishness, fear of further loss, and unbelief blinded them to the good of having Him among them. Satan meant the destruction to turn them against the Saviour and shut the gospel from that region, yet though they treated the Vanquisher of darkness as an intruder, Jesus honored their choice and at once took ship for the opposite shore. He did not leave them in the darkness they chose, but left the healed men as witnesses to what they had seen and experienced, and what was meant to stop the gospel roused the country and prepared Decapolis so that thousands later received Him. The same prayer to depart is made whenever men put worldly gain above Christ and refuse obedience that would cost a worldly interest, for no one can serve both God and mammon, and to drive away His Spirit for fear of pecuniary loss is to reject His grace.
Setting and Rejection
The plea to depart belongs on the eastern shore of Gennesaret, a comparatively desolate district whose population was more heathen than Jewish and had little communication with Galilee. Jesus had crossed the lake seeking a solitary place, yet people followed him there. Nearby stood Gadara, a prosperous and partly heathen city above the lake, whose hillside held caves and tombs where two dangerously violent men lived, and they rushed toward Jesus as soon as he landed.
After the healing of the two demoniacs and the destruction of the swine, the whole population flocked to Jesus in terror, fear and amazement and thronged about him to beg him to depart. They saw with their own eyes the two men who had been the terror of the country now clothed and in their right mind sitting at his feet and glorifying God, and they heard from those who had crossed the lake how he had stilled the wind and sea in the tempest. Yet they did not rejoice at the deliverance of Satan's captives.
They begged him to leave before they had heard his words and without understanding what they were rejecting. They acted in ignorance, not knowing what his presence could mean for them. They had not rejected his teaching, because they had not heard it before asking him to depart.
They treated the loss of the swine as of greater moment than the deliverance of the men from demonic torment. Though they had seen two men restored and freed from danger, they valued their property and worldly possessions more than the healing, blessing and mercy they had witnessed. They valued the lost animals above the deliverance of the men from demonic possession.
Regret and indignation over temporal loss blinded their eyes to his mercy. Selfishness, fear, unbelief and worldliness blinded them to the greater good of having him among them, despite evidence that he could still the storm, cast out demons, and heal. Supernatural power aroused superstition and fear of further calamities and financial ruin if he remained, for they feared further loss of property. That loss had been permitted in mercy to break the spell of selfish indifference and lead them to accept his grace.
Satan meant the destruction of the swine to turn the people away from the Saviour and to prevent the preaching of the gospel in that region. He used their selfish fears to stir selfish fear, to make them blame Jesus for the loss, and to keep them from listening to him. The swine's destruction also rebuked those who raised unclean animals for gain, while Jesus' restraint of the demons protected their keepers and owners.
The encounter displayed Christ's supremacy over Satan, for they had witnessed Satan's power defeated before their eyes. Yet they rejected his visit of mercy and treated him who had vanquished the prince of darkness before their eyes as an intruder. The Gift of heaven was turned from their doors for fear of endangering earthly interests, to protect earthly interests. Jesus honored their choice and did not force his presence where unwelcome, but complied at once and took ship for the opposite shore.
Aftermath and Application
Jesus honored the request to leave, yet He did not abandon the people to the darkness they had chosen but left light among them. The two men He had healed were left behind to remain as His witnesses and messengers to their own households, to neighbors, and to the wider region. Although they had heard little of His teaching, they could tell what they had seen and heard and personally experienced of His power to save from Satan's bondage. Because the people would listen to these restored men, their testimony carried the good news of His mercy where His own voice had been refused.
What was meant to turn the people away and prevent the preaching of the gospel instead roused the whole country and directed attention to Christ. Their witness prepared the way throughout Decapolis, so that when Jesus later returned thousands were ready to hear the message of salvation. In this way the saving work helped convince the people that He was the Son of God.
The same prayer for Him to depart is still made whenever worldly gain is put above Christ. It is made by refusing to obey His word when obedience would require the sacrifice of some worldly interest, by ignoring His commands and reproofs, and by acting dishonestly and greedily for advantage. By such choices people reject His grace and drive His Spirit from them, lest His presence bring them pecuniary loss. No one can serve both God and mammon, so to choose property and profit above healing and mercy is to treat Him as an intruder. Unbelief that drives away God's servants is the same rejection, and it will be called to account.