Matthew 8:28-3428And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. 29And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? 30And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. 31So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. 32And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. 33And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. 34And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts. (Matthew 8:28‑34)
One evening after Jesus had talked to many people, and had cured many of sicknesses, in a town on the shore of Galilee, He went into a boat, and told the men to go to the other side of the sea. It must have been a large boat, and Jesus must have been tired, as He laid down in the boat to rest, and went to sleep.
While the men were rowing (or sailing) across the waters, suddenly a hard storm came up, the wind began to blow the big waves into the boat. The men were used to the sea, but the storm was so dreadful, they were afraid the boat was going to sink. They awakened Jesus, saying,
“Lord, save us: we perish!”
Could the Lord save them from a storm? O yes, He arose and spoke to the waves to be still. The great wind stopped at once, and all was quiet, and the boat was safe. The men had seen Jesus do wonderful things, curing the sick, yet they wondered at the power that could stop the mighty waves of the sea. But Jesus was the Creator of all, and all obeyed Him.
This story gives comfort to all who trust Jesus now, to think He can still give peace to the heart, even in great trouble.
When Jesus and the men with Him had landed on the other shore, they were in a country where the people seem not to have honored God for a very long time, but had given themselves to wicked ways and to wicked spirits, until wicked spirits lived within some of them. There were two men with wicked spirits, which made the men so fierce, other people were afraid of them. The men stayed in caves and tombs of the wild land.
Those wicked spirits knew Jesus had power over them, and expected. Him to cast them out of the men; and they begged of Him to let them enter a herd of swine, or pigs, which were feeding on the hills high above the seashore. Jesus told the evil spirits to go; as soon as they entered the herd, the swine ran down the steep banks into the sea, and were drowned.
But the men who had been so badly treated by the wicked spirits, were made free, and instead of being fierce and wild, it tells of one of them who sat quietly at the feet of Jesus (Mark 5:1515And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. (Mark 5:15)).
The men who had been keeping the swine, ran to the town to tell the owners what had happened. Then the men of the town were so disappointed that the swine were lost, and seemed to fear they might lose something more, that they came to where Jesus was, and begged Hi to go away from their land: they did not think how much better it was to have the fierce spirits gone and the men free: they thought only of the loss of the animals.
Sometimes people now think if they listen to words of Jesus, that they will have to lose, or give up something they have, or want to do; so they will not listen to His words, or about Him. But how much better to be blessed by the Lord, than to be like those men who begged Him to leave their country!
ML 03/14/1943