Matthew 8:33, commentary and pictures

The keepers saw the demons leave the two men and drive the whole herd into the sea to drown, and fled in haste into the city to tell their employers and the people both the loss of the swine and the sudden calming of the possessed. Their report awakened the country as nothing else could have done, drew attention to Christ and His deliverance, and brought the people out to meet Jesus and see the restored men. With eyes blinded by worldliness the people counted the destruction of property of greater magnitude than the joyful restoration of two men long the terror of the region, feared further loss, and in alarm begged Him as an unwelcome invader to depart though they had living evidences of His power and mercy before them. Satan meant the loss to turn them away from the Saviour and stop the gospel in that region, but even demonic power is under the Saviour's control and was overruled for good, for the delivered men remained as channels of light when Jesus left and opened the door so that thousands later flocked to Him in Decapolis. The freed men became the first missionaries Christ sent to Decapolis after only a short time with Him, able not to instruct as the disciples could but to tell what they had seen and felt of His power to save from Satan's bondage, which is the witness for which the Lord calls, while the verse warns against valuing property over grace and driving His Spirit away for fear obedience will cost worldly interest.

Context and Immediate Event

The crossing to the eastern shore took place in the evening after a day spent speaking the first parables of the kingdom beside the lake and healing the crowds. Jesus was utterly wearied from continuous ministry with scarcely food or rest and from criticism, and sought retirement in a solitary place across the lake. He dismissed the multitude, and the disciples took Him as He was into the boat, while other fishing boats crowded with people eager to see and hear Him followed. The destination was the desolate eastern shore of Gennesaret, more heathen than Jewish in population and having little communication with Galilee. It lay in the territory of Gadara at the southern end of the lake, in the region of Decapolis and Gergesa, and Gadara itself was a half-heathen proud trading city standing on table-land twelve hundred feet above the shore and at some distance from it, with marble-pillared avenues, squared-stone buildings, basalt amphitheaters and public baths.

The possessed were two furious madmen who had taken up their abode in the limestone caves and tombs beside the road from the lake to Gadara, caves enlarged as dwellings and tombs with massive stone doors. Their fierceness had made that road almost impassable. Jesus had hardly set foot on shore when they sallied out toward Him shrieking in frenzy against His interference. What befell them was a forced release by the evil spirits and a wonderful sudden change to sanity and calm. Light shone into their minds, their eyes beamed with intelligence, countenances long deformed into the image of Satan became suddenly mild, blood-stained hands became quiet, and they lifted their voices in praise to God.

The keepers of the swine saw the whole transaction with amazement, witnessing the demons leave the men and the whole drove charge recklessly into the sea and drown. Obliged to account to the owners for the loss, they fled in haste to publish the news to their employers and to the people. They went into the city and told everything, both the destruction of the swine and what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Their report brought the people out to meet Jesus and see Him and the restored men.

Rejection Overruled for Good

The fleeing keepers told everything in the city, both the drowning of the herd and what had befallen the possessed men, and that report thoroughly awakened the whole country as nothing else could have done. It brought Jesus directly before public notice, drew attention to Christ and His work of deliverance, made men marvel at the wondrous news, and interested them and made them anxious to have part in the kingdom He taught. It brought the people out to meet Jesus and to see Him and the restored men for themselves.

The reported loss of property raised indignation and spread panic about financial ruin and still greater calamities if Jesus remained. With eyes blinded by worldliness and caring only for worldly advantage while thinking little of eternal interests, the people counted the destruction of the swine of far greater magnitude than the joyful fact that two men long the terror of the community had been restored to reason. They valued the swine more than the men's deliverance, looked with indifference on the healed men sitting calmly and intelligently at Jesus' feet, no longer endangering travelers nor needing bolts and chains.

Those who had crossed the lake with Jesus also told of the peril of the previous night and His miracle in stilling the tempest, and the inhabitants had before them living evidences of His power and mercy in the restored men now teaching salvation with powerful influence to convince that He was the Son of God. The destruction itself showed Satan's cruel power, and that Christ had preserved the keepers and owners from harm. Yet the people, who had not heard His words and did not know what they were rejecting, feared further calamities and additional loss of property, treated Him as an unwelcome invader, and in alarm begged Him to depart from their coast and constrained Him to leave.

Satan meant the destruction of the swine to turn the people away from the Saviour and stop the gospel from spreading in that region. But even the power of demons is under the Saviour's control, and the working of evil was overruled for good to help bring the region to hear the message of salvation. Though Jesus departed, the delivered men remained as witnesses of His mercy, and those who had been mediums of the prince of darkness and servants of darkness became channels of light and messengers of the Son of God to whom the people would listen. That opened a door to the gospel throughout the region, so that when Jesus returned to Decapolis thousands from all the surrounding country flocked to Him, received Him with gladness, and heard the message of salvation for three days.

Deliverance Witness and Warning

The freed men obediently shared with others the good news that Christ can save people from Satan's bondage. They became the first missionaries Christ sent to teach the gospel in the region of Decapolis. They had listened to His words only a short time, and not one sermon from His lips had ever fallen upon their ears. They could not instruct the people as the disciples who had been daily with Christ were able to do, but they could tell what they knew, what they themselves had seen and heard and felt of the Saviour's power. This telling of what the heart has known by the touch of God's grace is the witness for which the Lord calls and for want of which the world is perishing.

Although the demoniacs could utter only Satan's words, their hearts' unspoken appeal was heard. Even people in the deepest distress can find deliverance in Christ, and no cry from a soul in need goes unanswered. The verse warns against selfishly valuing property over grace, overlooking liberation and blindly rejecting His visit of mercy and driving His Spirit away from fear His presence will cost pecuniary loss. The inhabitants had before them living evidences of His power and mercy in the restored men, with the Prince of Darkness baffled before their eyes, yet they saw them restored to reason and still counted the destruction of property of greater magnitude than the healing, and from fear of incurring pecuniary loss treated the Saviour as an unwelcome invader and turned the priceless Gift of Heaven from their doors. The same is done in these days when many refuse to follow His teachings because obedience would require sacrifice of some worldly interest, turning Jesus from their hearts for fear His presence will cost them pecuniary loss.