So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. Matthew 8:31-32
It’s amazing how there is nothing new under the sun. Time after time, we circle back to events that while they involve new people, the events are the same setup, the same situation. Here in Matthew 8, Jesus is approached by two from the tombs full of devils, and they ask Jesus the same thing non-believers throw at believers still today. Have you come to torment us?
Off in the distance was a herd of swine feeding, and the spirits besought Jesus, “If thou cast us out, suffer us to go into the herd of swine.” Scripture says when they entered the swine, they “ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.”
I stand astonished how:
- A human will invite in what a hog has to have permission from God to have inside of them.
- A hog will not live with what a human will.
It is interesting to me how an already unclean Hog was willing to run to the sea and die rather than to live being inhabited by unclean spirits. Yet, humanity will house unclean spirits, live unrepentant before God, and refuse the waters of baptism/watery grave.
Our prayer for you this week: May you come to realize how important repentance and being buried in baptism in the name of Jesus really is.
