Luke 8:28Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

All of humanity is under His dominion; yet, you have wickedly led them astray, diverting them from the knowledge of the true Lord and Creator, ensnaring them in sin, causing them to worship you. After all this, you dare to ask, “What is there between us?” Which earthly monarch would stand by while his subjects were overrun by invaders? What shepherd could remain indifferent when wild animals threaten his flock? Acknowledge, even if reluctantly, your true identity and Him to whom you speak. Express what is fitting for your situation: say, “I beseech You, do not torment me.” “For He commanded,” it is written, “the spirit to come out of the man.” Observe the unparalleled majesty of Christ, who transcends all. With unmatched might and unparalleled authority, He vanquishes Satan merely by desiring it. He does not permit him even a glance of defiance against His commands. Fire and flame are his fate—this was Christ’s decree, such that, as the blessed psalmist declares, “the hills melted like wax before the Lord.” In another passage, it states, “Touch the hills, and they smoke.” The hills symbolize those lofty and arrogant forces of wickedness, which nevertheless melt like wax before the power of our Savior, as if touched by fire. Furthermore, they produce smoke: smoke signifies that the flame is on the brink of igniting, which is the doom reserved for unclean spirits.

Zechariah declared: “And it will be in that day, the Lord will destroy the names of idols from the earth, and they will no longer be mentioned... And I will burn out the unclean spirit from the earth” (Zechariah 13:2). From this, we understand that the demons will not exist indefinitely, nor will their malevolence persist eternally. In terror of punishment, they proclaim, “You have come to destroy us” (Mark 1:24; Matthew 8:29). Nevertheless, desiring to remain on earth yet withdrawing from humankind, knowing they will face judgment, the demons plead to be sent into the swine.

What kind of swine are these? Are they not the ones about whom it is written, “Do not give holy things to dogs, and do not cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet” (Matthew 7:6)? They resemble unclean creatures—deprived of speech and reason—who tarnish the inherent beauty of their virtues through their vile actions. They rush into the abyss, unmindful of the thought of retribution. As if sliding down the steep incline of depravity, they are engulfed by the torrents of this world and perish as if they are suffocated. Those who hesitate to navigate the swirling waters of pleasure can no longer inhale the Spirit of life. Thus, we observe that humanity inflicts torment upon itself. If some individuals did not conduct themselves like swine, the devil would possess no authority over them; or if he did, he would test them rather than destroy them. Perhaps, after the arrival of the Lord, the devil is unable to entice the righteous and now aims for the downfall not of all people, but only of the heedless, just as a thief targets the unarmed and torments the weak, knowing that the strong will ignore him and scorn him.

Yet one might question: why does God allow the devil such freedom? I would respond that it is so the virtuous may be tested and the wicked may face punishment; such is the consequence of sin. Consider that the Lord allows fever, trembling, evil spirits, blindness, and various scourges to befall sinners according to their iniquities. But let us return to our topic.

This wretched assembly of evil spirits, filled with confusion and fearing the dreadful fate awaiting them in the fiery abyss of Gehenna, where they would experience eternal immobilization and the cessation of all activity, felt compelled to approach Him and speak humbly, acknowledging Him as the Son of the Most High God. However, they cunningly hoped that such acknowledgment would sway the will of the Lord of all. The Lord permitted this acknowledgment for the instruction of those in the boat. Witnessing the remarkable miracles He performed at sea, they were filled with wonder, asking one another, “Who is this, that the winds and the sea obey Him?” Now they understood His true identity, realizing He was indeed the Son of the Most High God. Even the devil inadvertently furthers God’s intentions, lacking true preference or understanding of them. Thus, some righteous individuals assert that evil sometimes serves to advance good, not out of goodwill.

This indicates that if these demons were to repent and seek God's forgiveness, God would, indeed, extend His mercy and listen to their cries. Yet, the demon called out loudly and begged; upon hearing the powerful voice of Jesus, he was filled with fear.

I implore You by God, do not torment me!’” According to Mark, Jesus responded by commanding, “Come out, unclean spirit, out of this man.” Luke recounts this event similarly: “When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and said with a loud voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I plead with You, do not torment me!’” Luke also recounts Jesus directing the unclean spirit to leave the man. Acknowledging the truth of all three Evangelists’ accounts, we can consider the sequence of events they describe. When the demon-possessed men noticed Jesus from a distance, they called out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the right time?” Then, one of these men, the one who could not be restrained, rushed toward Jesus, fell at His feet, and worshiped Him. Jesus commanded, “Come out, unclean spirit, from this man.” The man then cried out loudly, “What do you care about me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You by God, do not torment me!”

Now, let us consider whether all that the demon-possessed man said and did can be attributed to him as a self-directed individual. The wild man, who had retreated long ago to desolate coastal crags, lived in caves, and had no contact with others, surely could not have had knowledge of Christ's arrival or His identity. Yet, upon seeing Him, he calls Him Jesus, the Son of God, and reproaches Him for coming to torment him ahead of time. He then runs to Him, kneels before Him, and seemingly seeks deliverance from some dreadful fate. When commanded by Jesus to expel the unclean spirit, rather than expressing gratitude, the man exclaims in a loud voice, “What do you care about me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” This conflicting behavior suggests a struggle within him: he approached Jesus, knelt in reverence, and worshiped Him, which is characteristic of those seeking salvation or rescue from adversity. However, he fails to articulate the true desires of his heart, expressing words that reveal a vastly different yearning. His statements, in stark contrast to his humble worship of Jesus, suggest they cannot be solely his own.

Clearly, the demon-possessed man was not speaking from his own will; instead, he unwittingly voiced another’s intentions—those of the malevolent force that had driven him into despair and isolation. The fact that Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to depart illustrates the presence of demonic influence within him. Those who doubt the reality of such spirits should earnestly reflect on the inconsistencies between the man's words and actions alongside the genuine desires he ought to have shared with Jesus. In doing so, they may come to recognize that another entity was indeed speaking through the demon-possessed man. Who could this be? What explanation might they provide, other than the one revealed in the Gospel?

It is evident that the foul and untamed conditions of such hideaways, filled with fear and shadows, offered no peace to the afflicted—especially to one particular individual who could not be restrained. Attempts to bind him were futile, as in his mania he exhibited supernatural strength, easily breaking free from his shackles. He roamed the desolate and wild ravines, his harrowing cries echoing day and night, posing a danger to himself and others as he lashed out at the rocks. The second man, although less tormented, was still under the sway of demonic influence. They boldly approached Jesus, recognizing in Him the Savior and Redeemer from the darkness that ensnared them. They fell before Him in worship, and the unclean spirits, with a loud and terrified voice, implored the Savior not to torment them before their appointed time.

When Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to leave this man, He asked him, "What is your name?" The man, overwhelmed and lacking control due to his darkened state, could no longer respond, and thus the unclean spirit replied on his behalf: "Legion." This term refers to a Roman military unit of approximately 6,000 soldiers, comprising both infantry and cavalry. The demons then begged Jesus not to expel them from that region or send them into the abyss. Nearby, on a hillside, there was a considerable herd of pigs, likely belonging to Gentiles residing along the eastern shore of Lake Gennesaret. The evil spirits requested of Christ, "If You drive us out, let us go into the herd of swine." The Lord Jesus granted their request, instructing them to go. He complied with their plea, as St. John Chrysostom states, not because He was persuaded by them, but to make evident His omnipotence to the people in that region and to more clearly reveal the malevolence of the demons from which He liberated those under their influence, demonstrating that they cannot harm even pigs without His divine permission. The evil spirits, upon leaving the man, entered the pigs, and suddenly the entire herd, which numbered around two thousand, rushed down a steep bank into the lake and drowned in the waters.