When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”. Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”. He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
This account is in three of the gospels and it was clearly a big event. Jesus took demons out of the possessed and destroyed the pigs he put them into. What interests me most though is that the people then told Jesus to go. What's that about?
Well they must have been Gentiles because they were raising pigs which the Jewish people thought were unclean. And they were probably a little cross that their livelihood had just been destroyed. But mostly I think they were scared; how had this man just cured these people and had control of the spirits. If Jesus could put them into pigs, could he put demons into the people?
And so it all makes sense today; people who don't understand, or want to understand, run away screaming (not necessarily literally).
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