Luke 8:26–39
26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes,1 which is opposite Galilee. 27 When Jesus2 had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” 29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) 30 Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. 32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
34 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 36 And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed3 man had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
1 Some manuscripts Gadarenes; others Gergesenes; also verse 37 2 Greek he; also verses 38, 42 3 Greek daimonizomai (demonized); elsewhere rendered oppressed by demons
Section Overview
Jesus has exercised authority over the winds and the waves, and in this account we see his authority over a legion of demons. Jesus probably disembarked in Gentile territory near the Sea of Galilee, and he is confronted by a demonized man who wanders about naked, lives in graveyards and the desert, and has superhuman strength. The man recognizes immediately that he is no match for Jesus, begging for mercy since Jesus has commanded the demon to leave the man. It becomes clear in the course of conversation, however, that the man is inhabited by many demons, and the demons implore Jesus not to send them into the abyss. Jesus consents, and the demons enter a herd of pigs, which rushes down into the lake and drowns—proving, incidentally, that many demons inhabited the man. The people of the town see that the man who was demonized is sane and has returned to normal society, but instead of welcoming Jesus they ask him to depart, perhaps because they do not want him to disturb their lives. The man liberated by Jesus wants to travel with him but is instructed to spread the news of what God has done for him; he proceeds to declare the works of Jesus. The story raises the same question as the previous account: who is this who has such authority over demons? We know from earlier in Luke that he is the Son of God (1:35; 3:38; 4:3, 9, 41; 22:70).
Section Outline
III. Jesus Proclaims Salvation in Galilee by the Power of the Spirit (4:14–9:50) . . .
E. The Revelation of Jesus’ Identity and Destiny (8:22–9:50)
1. Jesus’ Extraordinary Miracles (8:22–56) . . .
b. Legion Expelled (8:26–39)
Response
No opponent is stronger than Jesus, not even a legion of demons. When Jesus works in our life, we become truly sane and rational. For the first time in our lives we are truly in our right mind about life. On the other hand, those who give themselves over to evil are traveling the path to insanity. There are different degrees of insanity, but all evil is insanity, and hell will be nothing less than one big insane asylum. I am not speaking clinically here, of course!
When Jesus has delivered us, when he has made us new, when he has transformed us, we too want to tell others what Jesus has done for us.
Some manuscripts Gadarenes; others Gergesenes; also verse 37
Greek he; also verses 38, 42
Greek daimonizomai (demonized); elsewhere rendered oppressed by demons
8:26–27 Jesus must have set the destination, and they sail to the region of the Gerasenes. The reference to “Gerasenes” is difficult, since it is 33 miles (53 km) from the sea—an impossibly long run for the pigs. The textual history is complicated. Perhaps Luke refers to the region in general terms. In any case, Jesus is on the east side of the Sea of Galilee and is likely in a Gentile region near the water. When Jesus steps out of the boat, he is immediately confronted by a man who is demonized. The demonic presence has afflicted him for some time, and he cannot reside in ordinary society, running about without clothing and living among the graveyards instead of in a home. We must remember that the text does not attribute demonic presence to the sin of those who are demonized; some are extremely troubled because we live in a sinful world, a world that is disfigured, devastated, and distorted.
8:28 Upon seeing Jesus, the demonized man cries out and falls before him, as one stricken with terror. He asks, “What have you to do with me . . . ?” This expression could be paraphrased to mean that two parties have nothing to do with one another, that they do not share a common interest or goals (Judg. 11:2; 1 Kings 17:18; 2 Kings 3:13; 2 Chron. 35:21; Mark 5:7; John 2:4). The demon also recognizes Jesus and confesses him as the “Son of the Most High God.” His Christology is correct (cf. Luke 1:32, 35; 3:22; 9:35; 20:13), but he recognizes at the same time that they are not allies. In fact, the demonized man is filled with dread, realizing that Jesus has the power to torment him, and thus he cries out for mercy.
8:29 The reason the demonized man asks to be spared from torment is now explained. Jesus has ordered the “unclean spirit” to depart from the man, and thus the demons knows they are in trouble. The need for eviction is also explicated. The demon would regularly take control of the person. Society has tried to curb his destructive tendencies by putting him in chains and fetters. But the demoniac has almost superhuman strength and would break apart the restraints and then head off into the desert. The desert is described elsewhere as a haunt for demons (Rev. 18:2) and desolate and unclean creatures (Isa. 13:21; 34:11, 14).
8:30–31 The fierce resistance of the demon spurs Jesus to ask the demon its name. No actual name is given, however, and there is no evidence that the name of a demon must be uttered in order to exercise power over it. The demon does not utter its name but instead replies “Legion,” which “in the time of Augustus [encompassed] 6,000 soldiers.” We should not press the number; the point is that the man has thousands of demons in him and is severely demonized. The demons realize they are no match for Jesus, entreating him not to send them into the abyss. The abyss is the place for the dead (Rom. 10:7), for demons (Rev. 9:1–2; cf. 2 Bar. 59:5; 1 En. 54:5; 88:1; 90:24–27; Jub. 5:6), and for Satan during the one thousand years (Rev. 20:3). Indeed, the ruler of the angels of the abyss is probably Satan himself (Rev. 9:11). The beast also comes from the abyss, which means that he comes from the place in which evil rules (Rev. 11:7; 17:8). Probably the demons fear going to the abyss since doing so would curtail their activities on earth.
8:32–33 Meanwhile, a large herd of pigs grazes nearby on a hill. We are certainly in Gentile territory, since pigs were unclean animals (Lev. 11:7; Deut. 14:8; Isa. 65:4; 66:3, 17; Matt. 7:6; Luke 15:15–16; 2 Pet. 2:22). Although we as readers might be concerned about the fate of the pigs, Jews would feel differently, since pigs were considered unclean. The demons do not want to be sent to the abyss and thus entreat Jesus, asking to be sent into the pigs instead. When the demons enter the pigs, the herd becomes crazed and rushes down pell-mell into the Sea of Galilee and drowns. The sea is often considered the abyss, so perhaps the idea is that they end up in the abyss anyway (cf. Gen. 7:11; 8:2; Job 28:14; 38:16; Pss. 36:6; 107:26; 148:7; Prov. 3:20; Jonah 2:5). At the end of the day, the demons, not Jesus, drive the pigs into the lake. The destruction of many pigs provides concrete evidence that thousands of demons inhabited the man, because, when evicted, they entered into the pigs and destroyed them.
8:34–35 The herders flee the scene, reporting in the town and the countryside what has happened to the pigs. The people come to Jesus themselves, checking out what has occurred. The man who was demonized is now sitting quietly, showing that his life has been transformed. He is no longer rushing about in a violent and crazed state but sits quietly and at peace at Jesus’ feet. Doing so is a sign that he is now a follower of Jesus (cf. Luke 10:39). He is now clothed and in his right mind. His true humanity is restored, and he is able to be a normal member of human society. The people, upon seeing this, are seized with fear (cf. 8:25). Perhaps they are fearful upon seeing such remarkable evidence of supernatural power.
8:36–37 The eyewitnesses recount how the demonized man was delivered, and thus the visitors know from the testimony of others exactly what has happened. Surprisingly, the people of the country ask Jesus to depart from their region, and he heeds their request. It is difficult to know why they want him to leave. We are told that they are gripped with intense fear. We might think they urge him to leave for economic reasons, since thousands of pigs have been drowned, which certainly would affect the region financially. But the reference to fear does not seem to accord with an economic motivation. Perhaps they liked life the way it was; they worry that Jesus would transform society, that life would be changed too drastically if Jesus continued to be with them. We think of how Peter asked Jesus to depart from him at the remarkable catch of fish (5:8), and the locals may have sensed as well that they were in the presence of the holy and the numinous.
8:38–39 The man who was demonized understandably wants to continue to be with Jesus, asking if he may leave with Jesus and follow him. But Jesus has a different plan for this man, instructing him to go back home and tell everyone in his home what God has done for him. The man, however, returns to the city and proclaims “how much Jesus had done for him.” We have no contradiction here, for Luke is showing us that God is working in and through Jesus. In fact, we have seen in Luke’s Gospel that Jesus shares the identity and nature of God. In other words, the work of Jesus is the work of God.