PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 8:28-34
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“They pleaded with him to leave their region.” (Matthew 8:34)
The goal of the deceiver is to trick people into rejecting God and Jesus.
This is what the serpent did with Adam and Eve, and what happens here.
The ‘demons’ used the herd of pigs to scare the people away from Jesus.
What they saw was not God’s grace in action, but the mad pig disaster.
“The whole town went out to meet Jesus…” (8:34), but sadly they didn’t see Jesus.
I think the same thing is happening today in the church and the world.
People are not seeing the grace of Jesus, they are seeing the mess of the church.
They see the abuse, the arguing, the ungracious behaviour going on in the church.
It is not surprising that the deceiver does this; but why does the church cooperate?
Are we more like a community of grace, or like a frenzied herd of pigs?
We know what the Son of God wants with us… to witness to his goodness and grace!
To be a people that the world hears about and makes them want to meet Jesus.
To help them see Jesus in us, and plead for Jesus to come into their lives!
Are we drawing them to Jesus, or driving them away?
PRAYER
Lord, does my life lead others to say ‘Jesus, come into my life too?’ May I be known more for my radical love, and not my crazy religion!
“And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.” Seems like they were afraid of Jesus – they saw what he did to change the lives of these 2 men -and how their pigs were destroyed – were they afraid that Jesus might change them too? Probably. I’ve seen this in others – people not ready to accept Jesus claims – maybe afraid of what it will do. I think especially of Muslims – who if they start to follow Jesus how their lives are threatened by their community. Yet the people feared the 2 demon possessed men – and now they are free – totally changed. You would think they would want that too – but the people were afraid of the change – were they also captivated by evil spirits – to shun Jesus? I’m sure Satan was at work to stop what Jesus was doing. So it is today with any advance of the gospel – there is push back – but we must be faithful and not be discouraged – even as it is sometimes within our own circles! Lord Jesus – help me to be more like you!
Keeping of the pigs by the Jews was contrary to their beliefs. And when the evil spirits went into the pigs the people did not focus on the miracle, on Christ, but on their jobs, their financial loss. The people hurried themselves to ruin and drowned in their own destruction. The devil’s power is great but limited. God is in control.
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!