Fear of God's Power

Matthew 8:28-34

Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons

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 fierce that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” ³⁰ Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some 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 behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. ³³ The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. ³⁴ And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

While we marvel at the authority Jesus had over the demons, we might also wonder why the people begged Jesus to leave their region. Surely, the loss of the herd was an economic issue, but wouldn't the release of the two men from satanic bondage justify the action of Jesus?  Men are men and pigs are pigs. Are not the men worth more than they:? Granted the herdsmen never witnessed such power and no doubt wondered what would come next, for they had never experienced God's power so vividly at work.  Theirs was a natural reaction, no doubt, based on fear of the unknown.  We might find ourselves reacting similarly when we face the power of God at work in our lives. May we learn again and again to acknowledge God's power and not run away  from it.

Bro. Rene