“And when he was come on the other side of the water, into the country of the Gerasens, there met him two that were possessed with devils, coming out of the sepulchres, exceeding fierce, so that none could pass by that way. And behold they cried out, saying: ‘What have we to do with thee, Jesus Son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time?’ And there was, not far from them, an herd of swine feeding. And the devils besought him, saying: ‘If thou cast us out hence, send us into the herd of swine.’ And he said to them: ‘Go.’ But they going out went into the swine, and behold the whole herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea: and they perished in the waters. And they that kept them fled: and coming into the city, told every thing and concerning them that had been possessed by the devils. And behold the whole city went out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart from their coasts.”
The Gerasene territory was primarily Gentile, which is emphasized by the presence of swine herders; swine were considered unclean animals in the law. Consider the mess that Jesus walked into: Gentile territory towards demoniacs that were “exceedingly fierce.” He went to them because they were too ferocious to be brought to Him, and so it is with His willingness to go to His enemies and love them: “But God commendeth his love towards us; because when as yet we were sinners, according to the time, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8); “Let us therefore love God, because God first hath loved us” (1 John 4:19). Though this can be enacted solely by grace: “The God of our fathers hath preordained thee that thou shouldst know his will, and see the Just One, and shouldst hear the voice from his mouth” (Acts 22:14), it is more common that it be done through His faithful, which means you: “Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you: and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you: that you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise upon the good, and bad, and raineth upon the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:44-45). These two hindered all that would come near them, so too does the one entirely lost to sin hinder love at every opportunity, not realizing what it is they are doing, but being so consumed with vice, demons, pride, error, or any combination thereof, they in a sense can’t help but make a mess of love in their life: “And I went in [to the temple] and saw, and behold every form of creeping things, and of living creatures, the abominations and all the idols of the house of Israel, were painted on the wall all round about” (Ezechiel 8:10). It is the gentle Lamb that goes before these demoniacs, the simplicity of His love being utter torture to the spirits of hate, which writhe in the face of a love beyond all understanding: “Behold, God is great, exceeding our knowledge” (Job 36:26). From this torture, the demons suppose Him to be the Son of God, wondering why He had come to torment them so before the Day of Judgment. Now here is a great lesson, that when you are united to Jesus in love, your souls are one, and thus when you love, the malicious spirits in your life are tormented: “Put you on the armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11); “And there came down fire from God,” which denotes love, “and devoured them; and the devil, who seduced them, was cast into the pool of fire and brimstone” (Apocalypse 20:9). Consider too how Jesus finds them doing a grave evil by marring the goodness of one of His beloved little ones, and they know something is to be done, therefore they beg as disobedient, caught miscreants. Now, the angels are capable of great and mighty works: “And it came to pass that night, that an angel of the Lord came, and slew in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and eighty-five thousand” (4 Kings 19:35), but the those that fell are reduced to sniveling and swine: “Thou art cursed among all cattle, and beasts of the earth: upon thy breast shalt thou go, and earth shalt thou eat all the days of thy life” (Genesis 3:14). They are not to be feared, but simply represent the to-be-defeated villains of your love story; what’s more they are outside the reach of the virtue of charity, therefore call on God, Mary, the saints to do with them what divine justice calls for: “Do to them as thou didst to Madian and to Sisara: as to Jabin at the brook of Cisson. Who perished at Endor: and became as dung for the earth” (Psalm 82:10-11). Seeing Jesus before them, they do not ask to go into someone else, or into the air, their desire to hurt others being known, they ask to go into the most unclean of animals, which He permitted. This was done for several reasons, but here it will be highlighted that this is an exhibition into the incredible damage demons long to do to people. Consider that “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father” (Matthew 10:29), and so even these swine were precious creatures to Jesus. This demonstrates the importance of the lesson that demonic forces are so filled with hate, so unthinkable in their despising mankind that to give an inch to them yields death on the scale here displayed. This is your enemy, but you have been called into the army of love, something not to be taken lightly: “Speak to the people, and proclaim in the hearing of all, ‘Whosoever is fearful and timorous, let him return’” (Judges 7:3). There is also a great expression of your dignity here, because though these creatures are loved by Jesus, He gives them up by the thousands for the sake of two men. You were made in the image of God, not of animals, and carry within you the divine presence: therefore, you are nearer to God than you are to beasts. You have been made for love, therefore live in love: “Thy hands have made me and formed me: give me understanding, and I will learn thy commandments” (Psalm 118:73). Living as a beast, a swine in the uncleanness of sin, opens one up for demonic activity as does leaving open windows invite pests. Finally, after commanding demons, Jesus exhibits a beautiful clemency, for when the people sought to drive Him away out of their midst, He humbly obeyed. There are here two mysteries: Jesus knocks on every door with subtle grace, but is never forceful: “My beloved put his hand through the key hole” of your heart “and my bowels were moved at his touch” (Song 5:4), and will submit to the one who asks Him to leave. In like manner, He comes with joy into the heart that welcomes Him: “Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is full of dew,” which is grace, “and my locks of the drops of the night.” Jesus’ heaven is in your heart, and you only need invite Him: “Cry to me and I will hear thee: and I will shew thee great things, and sure things which thou knowest not” (Jeremias 33:3). The second mystery is that the Lord works in His own time for those whose salvation is in your heart, if you simply trust in His mercy, His love, and His timing. The demoniacs and the swine herders are seeds left in the Gerasene territory that plants may eventually grow. The good farmer sews his seed and waits for rain to fall, not digging up the seeds to see if they are sprouting yet, but trusting that they will come. So too is it your duty to love, to sow seeds how you see fit, “do what thou hast a mind, but not in sin or proud speech” (Ecclesiasticus 32:16), not checking to see if they are bearing fruit, but trusting in the rains of grace and the sun of love: “I have planted, Apollo watered, but God gave the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6).