What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?

 

 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.

 

- Matthew 8:28-34 

 

Yesterday we read that, in Capernaum, when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."  Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.  But He was asleep.  Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"  But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" 

 

  When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.  My study Bible comments on today's passage that the demons, who recognize Jesus as the Son of God, are surprised that their power is being terminated before the time of the last judgment.  Although their malice is great, they can't do anything against the will of God.  Thus, they can only enter the swine at Christ's command.  Moreover, my study Bible adds, the immediate destruction of the herd reveals that these men had been protected by God's care; without it, they would have perished under the demonic influence.  Additionally, it reinforces that swineherding was not lawful for the Jews.  It shows the incomparable value of human beings, whose salvation is worth every sacrifice. 

 

 This story also appears in the Gospels of St. Mark and St. Luke, but there are a few distinctive differences.  In the story according to Sts. Mark and Luke, there is only one demoniac mentioned, but as there are also more details given to us of his story following his healing, it seems quite possible that those accounts were written about a particular man, while in St. Matthew's Gospel, there are two in need of exorcism.  This is a Gentile region, with a population of mixed Jews and Gentiles, and our story takes place outside of city, in the countryside.  But the people who raise swine are likely Jews who herd and sell swine for a Gentile population, which already tells us something in terms of their adherence to their faith.  Moreover, many sources assure us that such demonic possession is not possible without prior participation in some forms of demonic rituals or practices.  These men live in the tombs among the dead, and so uncleanness is associated with everything in this environment.  It's possible they practice a kind of idolatry; according to at least one Church Father (Chromatius, Bishop of Aquileia, late 4th cent.), this might include venerating the memories of dictators or images of the dead.  All of these are practices forbidden in Judaism.  Over the course of the past few readings we've witnessed Jesus moving to save and heal those who are in some sense unclean, touching the leper to heal him in Saturday's reading, and a willingness to enter the home of the centurion to heal his servant in Monday's reading.  Let us keep in mind also the remarkable story of the journey to get to this place, as Jesus has taken His disciples across a threatening and stormy Sea of Galilee to come here (see yesterday's reading, above).  What it tells us in a nutshell is about the character of Christ, Savior and Redeemer, who will go through any and all lengths required to save what is salvageable.  Of course, this understanding reflects the whole of the story of Christ's Incarnation, and particularly His death on the Cross, and the Resurrection and Ascension that followed.  The fierceness and chaos in these two men reflect the effects of the demonic, the affliction that tears people from civilization and renders them rudderless save for the malice of the demons.  Note that the demons recognize Jesus first, and even indignantly demand to know if He's come to torment them before the time of the Judgment to come.  They know all about Jesus; they know He is the Son of God and call Him so.  Then they bargain before exorcism; they wish Him to send them into the herd of swine, who become suicidal en masse under their influence.  Those who keep the swine flee into the city and tell all to the people.  The whole city returns to beg Jesus to leave their region.  This tells us about an environment as a whole, a people for whom the exorcism of these demons means nothing compared to the loss of their swine.  But again, the stories that appear in the Gospels of St. Mark and St. Luke tell us about one man now freed from demonic possession who will go on to proclaim in the city what great things the Lord has done for him.  Today's story is a kind of reflection of spiritual battle, a picture of Christ -- our ultimate commander and Lord -- who can go into the worst of afflicted environments and yet still command the demons who desire to resist His rule.  He is authority over all; at the conclusion of St. Matthew' Gospel Jesus will declare to the disciples, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (see Matthew 28:18-20).  Clearly we are given to understand that there are no limits to the depth or the breadth of Christ's authority, and this is what St. Matthew's Gospel teaches.  Let us take heed for our faith, and remember that He is with us always, even to the end of the age.