Gospel
When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes,
two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him.
They were so savage that no one could travel by that road.
They cried out, “What have you to do with us, Son of God?
Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”
Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding.
The demons pleaded with him,
“If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.”
And he said to them, “Go then!”
They came out and entered the swine,
and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea
where they drowned.
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.
Why did they beg him to leave them?
Other Gospels say they were seized with great fear. Which can be a curious reaction I think. Jesus has been going throughout this region healing again and again. But when he shows power over those possessed by evil the people are afraid of him and he leaves them. This was a gentile area, as Jews would not be raising pigs. So, these were gentiles who could not accept the Son of God who has power over even those known to be demon possessed.
I would think we would not be afraid of him.
But maybe this event caused them to see Jesus as more than just a healer, but true God and they saw his true light and divinity.
We may think that if we see God face to face we would be overwhelmed with joy. And I suspect we would be.
But we would also see the light of God reveal to each of us who we truly were. Our sin and weakness would be in such a stark contrast to Jesus Christ even as those who follow Christ … it would be a moment of instant judgment and perhaps seeing our own self for better or worse, and cleared than ever before.
If I am standing before God all is revealed. Our sin. Our betrayal of God in sin. And his great love that shines so bright it is all consuming. It is undeniable. It shines in every pore of our being and every part of our mind, soul and heart.
Maybe, and it is only my opinion, they saw a glimpse of the divine. And it was overwhelming to them. It was not Jesus they feared but what they saw in their own hearts and lives.
Deacon Tony Pynes 
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