Matthew 8:28-34
28 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so violent that no one could pass that way.
29 And see, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”
30 Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at a distance from them.
31 And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.”
32 And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and see, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters.
33 The herdsmen ran away, and when they came into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men.
34 And see, all the city came out to meet Jesus, but after they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.
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Stay away!
The fear shown by the people who lived near the demoniacs was entirely understandable. These men were known for violent, unpredictable behavior, and anyone who valued personal safety would have kept a wide distance. Their community had learned through painful experience that the demoniacs were dangerous, and avoiding them was an act of basic wisdom. Scripture does not portray that fear as weak or foolish; it simply reflects the reality of living near individuals overtaken by destructive spiritual forces.
The fear displayed by the demons, however, reveals a deeper truth. Their terror was not rooted in physical danger but in the certainty of divine judgment. They recognized Jesus as the Son of God and understood that His authority extended far beyond the present moment. They knew that a day is appointed when Christ will judge all creation, when every deed will be exposed, and when those whose names are not written in the book of life will face torment for their rebellion and ultimately be cast into the lake of fire. Their fear was rational because it was grounded in the reality of God’s holiness and justice.
Matthew’s account draws attention to a third kind of fear—one that is neither wise nor grounded in truth. When the townspeople learned what Jesus had done, when they saw the demoniacs restored and the destructive power of evil broken, they responded not with gratitude or awe but with a plea for Jesus to leave. Their fear was irrational because it rejected the very One who had delivered their community from danger. Instead of welcoming the presence of the One who heals, they recoiled from Him. They preferred the familiar patterns of life, even with their dangers, over the unsettling arrival of divine authority and grace.
This reaction exposes a recurring human tendency: the impulse to push God away when His power disrupts comfortable routines or challenges long‑held assumptions. But Jesus cannot be escaped or dismissed. His presence always demands a response. He will either be the One who delivers, restores, and saves, or the One who judges. The story presses the reader to recognize that avoiding Him is impossible; the only question is whether His coming will be met with trust or with rejection.
LORD, grant the wisdom to seek Your presence rather than shrink back from it, and to welcome the One who brings true deliverance.
