January 26, 2016
DUMBER THAN THE DEMONS
Matthew 8:28–34
Liz Brock
Central Truth
Jesus holds all power and authority in heaven and on earth. When we are confronted with the truth of who Jesus is, we have to decide if we will ask Him to be the Savior and Lord of our lives, or if we will ask Him to leave.
Key Verse | Matthew 8:34
And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region. (Matthew 8:34)
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, 1 8:28 Some manuscripts Gergesenes; some Gerasenes two demon-possessed 2 8:28 Greek daimonizomai (demonized); also verse 33; elsewhere rendered oppressed by demons 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.
Dive Deeper | Matthew 8:28–34
I smacked my palms against my forehead when I read the reaction of the people of Gadarene. Are they FOR REAL? I tried to imagine a section of town that I couldn’t pass through because two demon-possessed men were there. Two thoughts entered my mind: how horrifying, and how inconvenient that would be. I can only imagine the relief and freedom I would feel to learn that the men had been healed. A part of me likes to think that I would go find Jesus and high-five Him. I was perplexed by the people's response.
This story left me with a thousand questions. Why did the demons want to go into the pigs? Who are the herdsmen? What happened to the demon-possessed men after the demons left them? Why do the people of Gadarene want Jesus to leave? Did they not understand or believe who He was? How could they not after what He had done?
And then it hit me, apart from all the unanswered questions of this passage, we do have this answer: Jesus holds power and authority over everything, even evil. In a jaw-dropping interaction, we see that the demons have to ask for His permission to go into the pigs. They recognize they can’t do anything without Jesus' permission, and they clearly acknowledge His authority. We see this play out in their questions to Him in verse 29. They knew the power that Jesus had over them and that He would bring judgment on them.
Then you have the Gadarenes, and it seems that they’re dumber than the demons. They hear from the herdsmen what Jesus did, and their response is to ask Him to leave. Here we see that Jesus made Himself known to both parties, and in the same way He has made Himself known to us. He gives everyone the opportunity to know Him. But are we willing to submit to His authority, trusting that He is a good and loving Father who is sovereign over all things? Or, are we like the people of Gadarene, asking Him to leave?
Discussion Questions
1. Have you submitted to Jesus' power and authority in your own life?
2. If you haven't, what is holding you back? Compare your reasons for either not believing in His power and authority, or not submitting to it, against the truth found in the Bible.
3. If you have, in what ways do you see this play out in your life? Are there still areas of your life about which you have a hard time believing that He is in total control?
4. As you think through those things, how does this passage impact the way you view those areas? Here are some great verses about God being in complete control: Job 42:2, Isaiah 14:27, Proverbs 16:9, and Genesis 50:20.