34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35 and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him. ~ Luke 8:34-39
Deliverance was now the new theme of the once demon-possessed man. I can only imagine what it was like to be able to think again, to be able to behave as the man he was before these propagators of darkness came into his life. This once isolated man is now sitting at the feet of the Lord Jesus. As a result, according to v.34, those tending the pigs, those who had seen the miracle of deliverance happen, ran into town to tell everyone the things they had witnessed.
In v.35 after hearing the testimony of those tending the pigs, the towns people went out to see what had happened. And, the people were afraid at what they saw. They saw the once uncontrollable man in his right mind sitting at the feet of the one who had delivered him from the demons who had controlled him for so long.
The demons exerted their power, yet, the Lord Jesus brought a greater power. We live in a world where some exercise their power, yet God is more powerful. And, knowing this, we bow before no one but the one with the greatest power.
In Isaiah 43:18 we read, "Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old." Despite the fact that the demons were gone, this man had to work at being defined by the Lord Jesus henceforth. There would always be the possibility that this man would be defined by wickedness, again. We do not have to be in jail to be imprisoned.
The townsfolk contradicted the experience of the freed man. It is the nature of sin to blind. But they didn't see sin as sin. For them sin was normal, it was comfortable. It is the nature of sin to hate the uncomfortable truth. It is the nature of sin to reject blatant proof. It is the nature of sin to resist unfamiliar righteousness. It is the nature of sin to cling tightly to numbing comfort. Here we have irrefutable evidence that Jesus is God. Here we have a miracle that is so massive that demonstrates His power over the supernatural world.
Again, we see the same thing that we have seen with the previous story. The people realized they were in the presence of God are were frightened, and terrified. When the Lord Jesus stopped the waves, the disciples rightfully were frightened in His presence. Whether He is healing or raising the dead, the Lord Jesus creates a certain amount of terror in those who were witnessing His power.
A fearful awe is good, but fear that drives us away from Him isn't. "The tragedy of modern faith is that we no longer are capable of being terrified. We aren't afraid of God, we aren't afraid of Jesus, we aren't afraid of the Holy Spirit. As a result, we have ended up with a need-centered gospel that attracts thousands...but transforms no one." Mike Yaconelli
Instead of being naked, the man was clothed. Instead of wandering aimlessly, the man was sitting at the feet of Jesus. Instead of being in the tombs, the realm of the dead, he was sitting among the living, Jesus and His disciples. Instead of shrinking and screaming, the man was quiet. Instead of deadly and threatening, he was peaceful. Instead of tormented, he was comforted. Instead of insanity, there was sanity. Instead of chaos, there was tranquility. This is a incredible picture of the salvation the Lord Jesus came to deliver.
Notice v.36 which reads, "Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured." We would think these folks would have been convinced of the Lord Jesus identity, because this was a tremendous miracle, but they were not. The idea that we are convinced by the most powerful of miracles just isn't true. Only the word of God creates faith in the willing. The word of God is representative of the truth for His word describes things as they should be, in keeping with His reality.
In v.37 we read, "Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left." These people saw miracle after miracle after miracle for three years. And at the end of that time they wanted the Lord Jesus dead. I can't imagine a more dramatic event than sending thousands of demons out of a man with a word. And the proof of it in the drowning of this herd of pigs. But the truth of the matter is, this is hard soil back from Jesus' story in John 8:5-12. The seed of the truth fell on hard hearts and it didn't penetrate.
They saw the Lord Jesus as a greater danger than that formerly demon-possessed man. They would rather have a maniac than the Son of God. They would rather be terrified by Satan than terrified by God. They would rather endure the presence of demonic danger than the presence of divine deliverance. They preferred the unholy to the holy. They preferred a tomb dweller over the Lord of life. Just like Israel. They were not asking Jesus to go away because He messed with their economy, killing their pigs.
The whole town and the whole region wanted Him to go away because they were terrified of His holiness. You know, the world is really comfortable with pigs and maniacs, but it's not comfortable with Jesus Christ. This is the blindness and the damning darkness and ignorance of sin.
By the way, the Lord Jesus never came back to that city. They begged Him to leave and He got into the boat and went back to Capernaum. This was a damning rejection and Jesus never ever came back.
In v.38 we read, "The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying." The demons begged the Lord Jesus to not send them to the abyss, the townspeople begged Him to leave, and the man who had been delivered begged the Lord Jesus, "Let me go with you."
In response to the once possessed man the Lord Jesus said in v.39, "Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him." Legion became the first missionary to proclaim what Jesus can do for the willing heart.
"The man," according to v.39, "went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him." The demoniac was the first Gentile missionary. The Lord Jesus sent him back to his own people to tell them what great things God had done for him. He told them what the Lord Jesus had done because He experienced a connection with the Lord Jesus for Himself.
You see, this is Christianity, a personal relationship with God. It is not about our behavior or our performance, it is about getting to know God personally. I trust this has happened to you.
