Read Online
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. Matthew 8:33–34
Why would “the whole town” beg Jesus to leave their district as a
result of Jesus delivering two of their fellow townsmen from
demons? This event took place on the northeast edge of the Sea of
Galilee near a town of the Gadarenes who were not of Jewish
background, which accounts for the fact that there was such a large
herd of swine (the Jewish people did not eat pork). Two of the
Gadarenes were possessed by demons, and Scripture reports that
“They were so savage that no one could travel by that road.” And
when Jesus delivers them from this awful plight, instead of
rejoicing in gratitude, the townspeople begged Jesus to
leave.
Saint Jerome says that it is possible that the people were actually
acting in humility, in that they did not consider themselves worthy
to be in the presence of someone as great as Jesus. Like Saint
Peter who fell at the feet of Jesus and cried out, “Depart from me,
for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8), these townspeople may
have been in such awe at what Jesus did for them that they did not
see themselves as being worthy of His presence. However, other
Church Fathers point out that it is more likely that these
townspeople signify those who are stuck in their life of sin and do
not want to come face-to-face with the Gospel or with the Person of
Jesus. They prefer to close their ears to the truth and to remain
in their life of ignorance and sin.
It’s also helpful to reflect upon the relationship between the
townspeople and these two demoniacs. Ideally, when the townspeople
saw these two men completely freed of the demons who tormented
them, they would have rejoiced in a way similar to the way the
father of the Prodigal Son rejoiced when his son returned to him.
Sadly, in this case, there seems to be a tremendous lack of
excitement by their fellow townsmen over the freedom these two
demoniacs experienced. This shows a clear lack of love for these
two men within the town. Perhaps many of the townspeople took a
twisted form of pleasure in their mockery of these two men over the
years, and they enjoyed telling stories about how crazy they were.
Now, they were faced with these two men who were completely
changed, and they may have found it difficult to speak well of them
because of their pride.
This negative example set by these townspeople gives us an
opportunity to reflect upon how we think about and treat those who
have changed their ways and have turned from evil to good. Perhaps
you have a family member who has sincerely tried to change. Or
perhaps someone at work, a neighbor or some other acquaintance has
gone from a life of sin to a life seeking virtue. The real question
to ponder is whether you rejoice over the goodness of others, over
their ongoing conversion and pursuit of holiness, or whether you
struggle with truly expressing joy as you see people you know
change for the good. It’s often very easy to criticize but much
more difficult to rejoice in the holy transformation of
another.
Reflect, today, upon those in your life, those close to you and
those with whom you are mere acquaintances, who have been set free
by our Lord in some way and have moved from a life of sin toward a
life of virtue. How do you react to them? Are you able to sincerely
rejoice in the goodness of others? Or do you find yourself
struggling with jealousy, anger, envy and the like? As you do see
the goodness of God at work in others, try to put on the mentality
suggested by Saint Jerome above. Allow yourself to be in awe of
God’s action in their lives. As you do, humble yourself before the
transforming power of God, admitting that you are not worthy to
witness His transforming power but rejoice in gratitude
nonetheless.
My all-powerful Lord, You overcame the power of the evil one and
cast demons from these two men who suffered through this oppression
for many years. Give me the eyes I need to see You at work in our
world and to joyfully bear witness to Your transforming action in
the lives of others. May I always humble myself before Your saving
actions and learn to express true gratitude for all that You do.
Jesus, I trust in You.
James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Source of content:
catholic-daily-reflections.com
Copyright 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved.
Used with permission via RSS feed.
Kommentare (0)
Melde dich an, um einen Kommentar zu schreiben.