Matthew 8:28-34

Matthew 8:28-34

When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes,

two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him.

They were so savage that no one could travel by that road.

They cried out, “What have you to do with us, Son of God?

Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”

Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding.

The demons pleaded with him,

“If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.”

And he said to them, “Go then!”

They came out and entered the swine,

and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea

where they drowned.

The swineherds ran away,

and when they came to the town they reported everything,

including what had happened to the demoniacs.

Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus,

and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I thank you for sending your Son to conquer evil and dismantle the Kingdom of the devil. Where there is death, your Son brings life. Where there is sin, your Son brings reconciliation. Where there are wounds, your Son brings healing. Where there is darkness, your Son brings light and grace.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Cleansing Power of the Kingdom: In the Gospel of Matthew, each of the five major discourses of Jesus is preceded by a narrative that anticipates the theme of the discourse that follows. Chapters 8 and 9 prepare us for the “Missionary Sermon” in Matthew 10:5-42. The twelve apostles will be sent out to preach about the coming of the Kingdom, to heal the sick, to raise the dead, to cleanse lepers, and to cast out demons (Matthew 10:7). These are the same things that Jesus has done. He preached about the Kingdom, especially in the Sermon on the Mount. He healed the sick in Galilee (Matthew 4:23) and in Capernaum (Matthew 8:5-17). He raised a girl from the dead (Matthew 9:23-26). He cleansed a leper (Matthew 8:1-4). And, in today’s Gospel, he casts out demons. Jesus has the power to cleanse what is unclean, and it is a power he will grant to his Apostles. It is a power he has granted to the bishops and priests of the Church, who in the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing, and the Rite of Exorcism, continue to cast out demons, evil, and sin.

2. Authority over Satan’s Minions: Jesus brings his disciples into a very unclean territory: there is a non-Jewish population, two demoniacs, dead bodies, and pigs. The unclean land, spirits, people, place, and animals all heighten the uncleanness of the scene. “Nevertheless, just as with the healing of the leper in Matthew 8:1-4, Jesus’ supernatural power makes clean what is considered unclean. And he does so in a magnificent way. We now see that Jesus has authority over not only leprosy, paralysis, fevers, and storms (Matthew 8:1-27), but even the minions of Satan” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 131). Just as the storm tried to prevent Jesus and his disciples from crossing the sea, so also the demons, through the men they possessed, tried to keep Jesus and his disciples from bringing healing to the Gentiles in the territory of the Gadarenes. 

3. The Defeat of the Kingdom of Darkness: The encounter with the demoniacs reveals that Jesus has come not merely to heal individuals, but to overthrow the kingdom of Satan and establish the Kingdom of God. The demons immediately recognize who Jesus is and tremble before his authority. “The demons fear that Jesus is coming to judge them before the appointed time, a reference to the judgment the devil and all demons will face at the end of time (Matthew 25:41)” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 131). The demons know that Jesus has the power to drive them out and plead for a new home until the day of judgment. Jesus permits the demons to enter the herd of swine. Instead of remaining in the swine, the demons drive the herd to its destruction in the Sea of Galilee. “Matthew is not concerned with explaining Jesus’ motive for allowing this, but only with depicting his authority. Just as Jesus tamed the storm through the power of his word, so he suppresses the demons by saying, ‘Go then!’ His miracles in Galilee sparked enthusiastic messianic expectation among the Jews, but the pagan Gadarenes seem afraid of his supernatural power, and they beg him to leave their district” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 131-132). One day, the Gentiles will be ready for the Gospel, the Messiah, and the supernatural power and authority granted to the Church.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are stronger than every power of darkness and every force that opposes your Kingdom. By the power of your Cross and Resurrection, free me from sin, temptation, and every attachment that keeps me from following you wholeheartedly. Grant me confidence in your victory and a deep trust in your mercy. Fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I may live as a child of the light and bear witness to your saving power in the world.

Living the Word of God: Are there areas of my life where I have allowed sin, fear, resentment, or unhealthy attachments to gain influence over my heart? What concrete step can I take today to invite Christ's healing and freedom into that area? Do I welcome the presence and authority of Jesus in every aspect of my life, or am I sometimes tempted, like the Gadarenes, to keep him at a distance because his grace might require me to change?