28 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes,two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 30 Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. 31 And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” 32 And he said to them, “Go.”So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters.33 The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region. (Matthew 8)
This is one of the most memorable demonstrations of Christ's power recorded in scripture: casting out the demons into the swine. It's a picture we can envision put onto the big screen. But what is most memorable is the response of the people: they would rather be scared by demons than overwhelmed by the power of God. The preferred stinky pigs to the Son of God. They wanted to continue to live in darkness, fear, and evil. How often people are the same way. Maybe we ourselves prefer the darkness of certain sins or "comfortable areas" of our lives, which Christ wants to clean out. We prefer pigs, and the demons to the holiness of God. May God do more than change our preferences. May He drive out all the evil, sin, fear and darkness we allow, put up with, and even enjoy.
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