Matthew 8:34, commentary and pictures

On the eastern shore Jesus freed two violent demoniacs from the tombs, permitted the spirits to enter a herd of swine that rushed into the sea, and when the keepers spread the news the whole city came out, found the men clothed and in their right mind at His feet, and begged Him to leave their coasts. They asked without having heard His words, because the loss of the swine seemed greater to them than the restoration of the men, and in covetousness, terror and fear of further financial ruin they treated Him as an unwelcome intruder rather than welcome Him and bring their sick. He granted their wish at once and took ship for the opposite shore, for He never forces His presence where He is unwelcome. He did not abandon them to the darkness they chose, but left the two restored men as His first missionaries to Decapolis to tell what God had done for them, and through their personal testimony desire was aroused so that when He returned the same people received Him with gladness. The same rejection happens still when obedience seems to threaten worldly interests, for to let love of gain crowd out love of Christ and to slight His commands for pecuniary advantage is in effect to ask Him to depart.

Setting and Preceding Miracle

The place was the eastern shore of the lake across from Galilee, a district with towns here and there beside the water yet desolate compared with the western side, with a population more heathen than Jewish and little communication with Galilee. Jesus had crossed there by boat with His disciples to seek retirement in a solitary place after a whole day of teaching and healing while crowds still pressed upon Him until He was utterly wearied. Other fishing boats crowded with people followed Him, eager still to see and hear Him.

The country was that of Gadara, reached after being driven to the southern end of the lake, a half-heathen proud trading city set on a table-land twelve hundred feet above the shore, full of fine stone buildings, marble-pillared streets, theaters and baths. The limestone hill held many caves used as poor dwellings and as tombs with heavy stone doors, with sculptured basalt sarcophagi along the roadside. Two furiously mad men lived in the caves and tombs beside the road from the lake to Gadara, and their fierceness made the road almost impassable, for their excitement gave them prodigious strength.

The verse closes Matthew's record of the work across the sea, parallel to the stilling of the sea and the demoniacs in Mark 4:35-41; 5:1-20 and Luke 8:32-39. It follows Jesus speaking His first parables beside the sea explaining the nature of His kingdom and the manner of its establishment by the sower, the mustard seed, the leaven, the wheat and tares, the fishing-net, the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price, and the householder. The healing at Gadara leads directly into the coming of Jairus to ask for his daughter.

Just before the verse Jesus landed on the beach in the early morning after the night on the water. Two demon-possessed men from the tombs rushed at Him, violent and terrifying to travelers, broken from chains, cutting themselves with stones, with glaring faces and matted hair like wild beasts and shrieking against His interference. The disciples fled, but Jesus stood calm, held them back and in authority commanded the unclean spirits to come out. At their request through the men He permitted them to enter a nearby herd of swine that then rushed down a steep precipice and drowned in the sea.

The expulsion produced a complete and visible change, for light shone into their minds, their eyes beamed with intelligence, their countenances deformed into the image of Satan became suddenly mild, their blood-stained hands became quiet, and they lifted their voices in praise to God for deliverance from bondage. After the keepers of the swine hurried away to publish the news of their destruction, the whole city and district flocked to meet Jesus. They found the two men who had been the terror of the country clothed and in their right mind, sitting at His feet, listening to His words and glorifying Him who made them whole.

Rejection for Worldly Gain

The people asked Jesus to depart before they had heard His words, in ignorance of what they were rejecting, and in that ignorance they chose darkness. Their refusal of His presence was therefore not yet a rejection of His doctrine.

Covetousness led them to prefer their property to Christ's presence, for the destruction of the swine made Him unpopular with the whole district. The loss seemed to them of greater moment than the joyful fact that two violent men who had been the terror of travelers had been restored to reason and made safe. They did not rejoice at the cure, did not welcome Him, and did not bring their sick to Him for healing. Concern over property and fear of further financial loss outweighed the healing and the good He had done.

In terror they thronged about Him and besought Him to leave, treating Him who had vanquished the prince of darkness before their eyes as an intruder and an unwelcome presence. Superstition was aroused by the manifestation of supernatural power, and panic spread with fear of further calamities and financial ruin if He remained among them. They cared only for what they had lost, feared still greater loss from His presence, and determined to be freed from Him rather than risk their worldly interests. They turned the Gift of heaven from their doors and rejected His visit of mercy, valuing selfish property interests above grace and deliverance.

Worldly concerns blinded them to the good of having Him among them, though they had living evidence of His power and mercy in the restored men sitting clothed and in their right mind at His feet. Those who had crossed the lake told them of their peril in the tempest the night before and how wind and sea had been stilled at His word, yet their words were without effect. With their own eyes they beheld the meeting of the Prince of Light and the Prince of Darkness and the supremacy of Christ over Satan, and saw One who could control the elements, cast out demons, and heal disease by a word or touch, yet refused to consider the advantage of His presence. The loss itself had been permitted in mercy, because the owners were absorbed in earthly things and cared not for spiritual life, and Jesus desired to break the spell of selfish indifference that they might accept His grace, but regret and indignation for temporal loss blinded their eyes to His mercy.

The destruction of the swine was Satan's plan and effort to turn the people away from the Saviour, shut Him out of that region, and prevent the gospel there. By causing financial loss to the owners through the demons entering the herd, he stirred selfish fear and blame so that love of property and resentment over the loss would outweigh joy at the men's deliverance. The plan worked for the moment, for the keepers and owners looked on the cure with indifference as lesser than their loss.

He complied at once by taking ship for the opposite shore, granting their wish and gratifying their request to depart. He left them to their avarice and unbelief, for He never urges His presence where He is unwelcome and does not force Himself on anyone.

Gospel Light After Departure

Though asked to go, He withdrew in body but did not leave them to the darkness they had chosen, sending light again by witnesses to whom they would listen. What was meant to shut Him out of that region roused the whole country as nothing else could have done and turned attention to Him. In this is seen that even the power of demons is under His control and the working of evil is overruled for good.

The two restored men stayed behind as the first missionaries sent to teach the gospel in that region and through Decapolis among the Gentiles. They were sent home to tell their families and neighbors what God had done for them. Though they had listened to His words only a short time and had never heard a sermon from His lips, they could not instruct as the disciples who had been daily with Him, yet they could tell what they knew, what they themselves had seen and heard and felt of His power. That personal testimony is what everyone whose heart has been touched by grace can give, the witness He calls for and for lack of which the world is perishing. Changed from mediums of the prince of darkness into channels of light and messengers of the Son of God, they carried the news of His saving power and opened a door to the gospel throughout that region.

Their sending Him away did not end His work there, for they listened to the messengers He left behind and a desire to see Him was aroused. When He returned to Decapolis the people who had asked Him to leave received Him with gladness. Thousands from all the surrounding country flocked to Him and heard the message of salvation for three days.

The account to which this belongs shows that through Him rest is entered and heaven begins here, for responding to His invitation to come and learn begins the life eternal. Heaven is a ceaseless approaching to God through Him, where the longer bliss continues the more glory is opened, and the more God is known the more intense happiness becomes. Walking with Him in this life fills with His love and satisfies with His presence all that human nature can bear here, which is small compared with the hereafter before the throne where they serve day and night, hunger and thirst no more, are fed and led by the Lamb unto living fountains of waters, and have all tears wiped from their eyes.

While possessed they could speak only Satan's words, yet their hearts' unspoken appeal was heard, showing that no needy soul's cry goes unheeded.

The verse warns that the same act happens still when following Him seems to threaten worldly interests. Though none can now turn from His person as they did, many still refuse to obey His word because obedience would involve sacrifice of some worldly interest, and lest His presence cause pecuniary loss they reject His grace and drive His Spirit from their hearts. Dishonest and greedy choices and daily occupations that exalt the world above His mercy, let love of gain crowd out love of Christ, slight His reproofs and do not heed His commands, act as a request for Him to depart even without saying those words, and many professed Christians in effect banish Him for worldly gain.