Matthew 8:28-34 God’s Authority, accepted and refused
A battleship and was on exercises as night fell. The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities. Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing reported,
“Light, bearing on the starboard bow.”
“Is it steady or moving astern?” the captain called out. “Steady, Captain,” the lookout replied,
This meant they were on a dangerous collision course with that ship.
The captain then called to the signalman,
“Signal that ship: ‘We are on a collision course, advise you change course twenty degrees.’”
Back came the signal,
“Advisable for you to change course twenty degrees."
The captain said,
“Send: ‘I'm a captain, change course twenty degrees.’”
“I'm a seaman second-class,” came the reply. “You had better change course twenty degrees.”
By that time the captain was furious. He spat out,
“Send: ‘I'm a battleship. Change course twenty degrees.’’"
Back came the flashing light,
“I'm a lighthouse.”"
The battleship changed course! It was a matter of which light had the greater authority!
This account of Jesus dealing with two very deranged men gives us a glimpse of the life of Jesus and his priorities. It also portrays what the human heart is like and the difference Jesus can make if people are willing.
The world is damaged
We read of two demon-possessed men who live amongst the tombs. It reads like a horror movie. Today we would probably diagnose these two as having a severe form of schizophrenia, with deranged minds and severe antisocial behaviour. Presumably they were not always like this, as babies they were probably cute and cuddly and their proud parents liked to show them off. Then, for whatever reason - perhaps they mixed with a bad crowd or couldn’t mix with normal people - they became more and more deranged. As people criticised them it is easy to imagine how they became even more angry and violent and this resulted in further exclusion. What is interesting is that the two had an empathy because of their common problems so they teamed up. Their fierce, violent and destructive behaviour were the result of evil at work, probably both in them and in their society.
The concept of devil possession is much debated today. The Bible clearly teaches that there is a spiritual realm. When a child loses his temper, hurts people, says untrue, cruel things about parents and cannot relate sensibly to anyone this is surely a form of the devil’s work. Fortunately this is usually temporary.
In Genesis chapter 3, Satan tempts Adam and Eve to disobey their creator and do what pleases them instead. Satan is still just as active today. If God stepped into our world today you can be certain that Satan would attack him in some way or another. It was into this scene that Jesus came:
“When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.” Matthew 8:28
People felt powerless in the presence of these sick men. Their society tried to cope by expelling them from their society, just as they expelled lepers or anyone else they considered unacceptable. This doesn’t solve the problem, it just sends it elsewhere, yet in this story there is someone who can really solve it.
2. Jesus has authority
Somehow these men recognised who Jesus really was:
“‘What do you want with us, Son of God?’ they shouted.” Matthew 8:29
Shouting may be because of distance but it can also be because of anger. When sin confronts righteousness it often results in anger. This outburst is ironic. The previous story is the calming of a violent storm that Jesus achieved simply by his word. The disciples naturally asked questions about him:
“Who is this?”
Yet these two deranged men recognise who Jesus is, What led them to understand this? Perhaps there was the usual gossip going around questioning who this gracious teacher and miracle worker was, but this was a new Gentile area, the region of the Gadarenes. Gadara was one of the cities of the Decapolis, a group of ten influential Hellenistic cities east of the Jordan River. Its ruins can be visited today at Umm Qais in Jordan. Would Jesus reputation have preceded him to this area and reached two exiled deranged men? Certainly Satan does recognise and fears God and this may be the source of these men understanding that Jesus was indeed the ‘Son of God’.
This is not all they say - the possessed men continue:
“Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” Matthew 8:29
They have recognised that Jesus is the ‘Son of God’ but they also know that he will also be the judge of all mankind, determining our eternal fate. They know that a final judgment by God is coming. The scene gives us a glimpse into the mouth of hell. Those in hell will be alienated from God and all the good things he gives us. They know that the hell they were already experiencing, ostracised by society, living in a graveyard, is little compared to what is to come for those who remain unforgiven. There will be a judgment when we will all receive from God what they deserve because of our rebellion against God.
If Jesus is their future judge, why had he come to visit these two? Can the God of love help them our of their desperate plight that is the result of sin in the world.
Matthew chapter 8 centres on the authority of Jesus. He exercises this by his words which have extraordinary power. The paralysed centurion’s servant was healed by the word of Jesus, the terrifying storm on the sea of Galilee instantly abated at the word of Jesus. With a word the demons were cast out of these men and entered into a large herd of pigs that were grazing nearby.
“Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding.The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.” Matthew 8:30-32
In Mark’s version of this story we read that about 2,000 pigs died (Mark 5:1-17)
Poor pigs!
Today this is a common reaction to the story, even from people who enjoy bacon for breakfast.. Why did the pigs have to die? This part of the story is clearly meant to shock us but also to teach us an important fact.
Some people take the high moral ground in defence of pigs. Bertrand Russell, the famous atheist philosopher in the early 20th century gave a lecture titled, ‘Why I am not a Christian’. In this he highlighted the pig problem, saying:
“There is the instance of the Gadarene swine where it certainly was not very kind to the pigs to put devils into them and make them rush down the hill to the sea. You must remember that He was omnipotent, and He could have made the devils simply go away; but he chooses to send them into the pigs.”
The question is ‘Could he?’ We will respond to this question later.
We have seen that the region of the Gadarenes was outside of Israel. No Jew could farm pigs as they were unclean animals. But so were the Gentiles in Gadar and Jesus wanted to go and teach there. One lesson we must learn from this story is that the authority of Jesus extends outside of Jewish territory and extends to the whole world. This is the message of the whole Bible. When Solomon commissioned the temple he had built, he reminded the sons of Abraham what God’s intention has always been:
“. . . that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other.” 1 Kings 8:59-60
The ‘servant king’ was not only Solomon but, as Isaiah repeatedly taught, a new Servant King was to come into the world. It is he who would lead his people eternally after giving his life to pay for their sin. This is what Jesus was doing for these two men.
But why did the pigs have to die. This act does confirm the seriousness of sin. It is a destructive force and not a plaything, something to be dabbled with. So often we like to indulge it a bit, confident that we will not go too far. But isn’t this how most drug addicts start? Evil is not fun. The devil’s aim is to take hold of us and destroy us. Jesus came for the very purpose of doing something about the sin in each of us. This transfer of the evil spirits into the pigs certainly teaches us that a human is worth much more than a thousand pigs!
In Marks record of this healing one of these men said:
“My name is Legion, for we are many”. Mark 5:9
While an exact number isn't specified, because the word ‘legion’ represents an entire Roman army division. This could range from 3,000 to 6,000 soldiers and was enough to possess a herd of about 2,000 pigs, it signifies thousands of possessing spirits.
Jesus brings hope to a world that is facing problems we cannot solve. Nothing is beyond him. When we face desperate problems there is someone who can help us. No-one is beyond his reach and when we are under his protection he has given us a promise:
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
3. The demand to leave
The news about the healing of these two men travelled fast:
“Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus.” Matthew 8:33-34
Everyone must have known about these two violent men and heard how Jesus had said a word and the power of evil had left them. Jesus had done what no mere human could do. You would expect verse 34 to read:
“Everyone was overjoyed that this miracle had been performed in their land, that two people had been saved at Jesus’ command, and they pleaded with him to stay amongst them!”
However the opposite reaction occurred. Matthew actually says:
“And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.” Matthew 8:34
They wanted nothing to do with this amazing righteous man who can give life to people. Instead they reject him and demand that he leave them alone. Isn’t this just what our society says to this same Jesus today?
Why were they so hostile? Surely it was because of the pigs! The pigs meant more to them than anything else. Farming pigs was their living. Pigs were a valuable commodity. The people only looked at the cost and not at the benefit.
Ask people if they would like to live in a world without suffering, without evil, without disorder, without illness and death and the majority would reply,
‘Of course I would!’
Well, here is a man who has promised us just that. Jesus is not a myth or fairy tale. He really lived and many were drawn to him but they only want to be partially involved with him. They don’t like parts of what Jesus teaches. Yet Jesus rejects half-hearted devotion. He says that we will only be blessed by God if we start a new life, living for his world and not our own. The Sermon on the mount started’
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:3-6
The Christian life starts when we see our need and turn to him to be the centre of our life, when his righteousness becomes our goal. When Jesus calls us he changes everything. He becomes Lord of all. We cannot have a little bit of Jesus just as he does not want a little bit of us.
Later Jesus says:
“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:32=33
Jesus is either all or he is nothing. If a person comes to Jesus he will transform life, but it will be infinitely for the better. Earlier in this chapter Jesus discussed the cost of following him:
“Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” Matthew 8:19-22
When we follow Jesus our priorities change to his priorities. I visited a church member who was in hospital after a major operation. They were most unhappy, complaining about almost everything. The words ‘I’ and ‘me’ kept being repeated. This is understandable but he had forgotten what he was on earth for - to give glory to our Saviour.
When Jesus was dying on the cross his concern was for the thief crucified next to him who both recognised his sin and also recognised who Jesus was. Jesus promised him that he would soon be with him in paradise. He was also concerned that his mother was cared for. Such selflessness is surely the spirit of Jesus. When Paul was chained in Rome on capital charges he could still write:
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. . . . For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.” Philippians 1:21-29
Jesus’ Response
The people demanded that Jesus leave the area. This was a blatant rebellion against their creator and Saviour.
“Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.” Matthew 8:34
What is striking is the absence of verse 35. Where is God’s judgment at such rejection. There were no lightning strikes, heavy hail storms or locust invasion. There appears to be no response from Jesus at all. Isn’t this the same today. People reject Jesus in spite of all he has done and continues to do, and he simply walks away. However there is a time coming when he will act in judgment.
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.” Matthew 25:31-33
The writer of the book to the Hebrews put this very succinctly but adds a reminder that there is one answer:
“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Hebrews 9:27-28
Let us now return to the question Bertrand Russell posed. Could Jesus have just waved a magic wand and made evil disappear? This passage and later passages in Matthew answer this question. Sin is so serious that it must be paid for. Evil cannot just evaporate into thin air. To free those men from sin, the sin had to go somewhere. Just before this section in Matthew 8, Matthew reminded us what Isaiah had said about sin having to be paid for. We read:
“When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.This was to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.” Matthew 8:16-17
Jesus bore the sin and its consequences on himself when he died on that cross. What do you think Jesus felt like when the people of Gadara sent him away. Did he have tears in his eyes? He went there to help them and share the good news of salvation with them, and they said ’No’.
It is the same today. The only way we can experience the forgiveness of our sin and the power to live a new godly life is to turn to Jesus for his salvation and help.
The next verse tells us what happened next. Jesus did not waste his time with this people, they had made their decision:
“Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town.” Matthew 9:1
There, in Capernaum, he heals another paralysed man after pointedly first forgiving his sin, so openly claiming to be God. The religious onlookers recognised this and thought it was blasphemy. If he is not God he could not miraculously heal the paralysed man. If he is God he can and he alone can forgive us our sin against God.
Matthew is making the Christian gospel very clear. Jesus is full of love for all people from all nations and longs to be allowed to both forgive us our sin and to change us into becoming the sort of people God wants. The decision is ours. He alone has the authority to defeat the evil in us. If we accept and follow Jesus we will live with him in the now and we will be with him in eternity where there is no sin or suffering. The price for us has been paid. The lesson is clear, sin and God cannot coexist.
BVP
