Tag: pigs

32.a. “Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.”

 

Matthew 8:28   And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 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?” Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” 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. The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

 Job 21:14   They say to God, ‘Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.

 Job 22:17   They said to God, ‘Depart from us,’ and ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’

 Mark 5:17-18    And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region.

 John 15:23-24   Whoever hates me hates my Father also.  If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.

The work of Jesus had unified the whole city, and they had all come out to meet with and to talk to Jesus, but it was not in a good way. “Here was a whole city against their own blessing… Horrible was their decision, but it was heard, and Jesus departed out of their coasts.” (Spurgeon)

We would think that the people of the region would be happy that these two demon-possessed men had been delivered. Perhaps they were more interested in their pigs than in people. Certainly, the delivering power of Jesus did not make all men feel comfortable. (Guzik)

Their conduct directly from their lips…” leave, depart from our region”, makes me wonder what it is that causes man to reject things of God. Unbelief in God, unbelief in a living God, unbelief in an all-powerful God, unbelief in an ever-present God, unbelief in all-knowing God, comfortable in living after the flesh and reliance in their own power and will for their lives, and having no room in their heart or mind for things of God. They are content with their current way of life and do not see any reason to change. Could it be their prosperity, position, power, the comfort of life and not wanting to rock that boat in any way? 

Whatever the reason, they chose as individuals and corporately to ask the Son of God to leave them and their region. These people have seen first hand what Jesus had done and what the herdsmen told them…that the two demon-possessed men were no longer possessed and the demons fled into a herd of pigs which after being possessed red off a cliff and died. They knew this. They knew something had transpired that no human could do. They knew that person was Jesus and they begged Him to leave. 

How many times have we read the Word of God and get uncomfortable with something we have read? How many times has the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit been pushed out of our minds?  We may not specifically ask it to leave our minds but certainly, the rejection of it in our life is just the same as “leave, depart”. 

It is an intentional choice to proudly defend selfishness, reject, deny, turn away from, cast aside, go your own way, and disobey things of God. Likewise, it is an intentional choice to humbly surrender, invite, seek, desire, believe, trust, follow, and obey. Are you desiring and seeking or firmly asking all influence of God in your life to leave and depart?

15.g. “They asked him to stay with them”

John 4:27  Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and were coming to him.

John 4:39  Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

John 4:45  So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him,

Mark 5:15  And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs.  And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region.

Jesus so impressed this woman that she was compelled to tell those in her city that they should come to the well and meet Jesus. Jesus impressed and attracted her, even though He confronted her with her sin.  Jesus displayed so much love and such a sense of security that she felt safe with Him even when her sin was exposed. The woman’s invitation was effective. The people came when she told them who Jesus was and how He had impacted her life with their brief conversation. The people came to see this man who the woman claimed “Can this be the Christ?”  They came to see Him.  What is clear to see about their hearts is that after a brief time with Him at the well they asked Him to stay with them.  The same clarity can be seen in those in Galilee – they welcomed Him.  A different mindset can be seen in the country of Gerasenes.  After a great miracle of casting out demons from a possessed man the shepherds fled and told of it in the city and country.  People came to see, but what they did reflects their heart.  They begged Jesus to leave and depart from their region.  Such is the heart of man.  Some will have a heart that invites Him in and others will beg Him to leave.  Each individual will make a choice of invitation or rejection.  Each individual decision results in either eternal life or eternal hell.  The open heart will find peace, love, refuge, and joy with their invitation to Jesus to stay.  The closed heart will find torment, fear, hatred, and anger with their rejection of Jesus.

Only Jesus can bring peace to the heart, mind, and soul.  Everything else that we believe can or will do this is a deception and lie.