Luke 8:32Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Let your heart be at ease; you may have felt alarmed upon hearing that a multitude of evil spirits had possessed one individual, leading him to roam among the tombs in shame and without reason. Since you are also vulnerable to temptation, you may worry that should Satan strike you, you could face such a dire and unbearable fate. Therefore, cultivate confidence within yourself; do not fear that such horrors can occur while Christ envelops us in His protection and love. They are powerless even over swine, illustrating the profound providence the Sovereign Governor of our lives provides to humanity. He said to His holy apostles, "Are not two sparrows sold for one penny? And not one of them shall fall to the ground without your Father. And the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows." If He extends His care to such seemingly insignificant beings, how can He fail to regard us, who are created for His glory and for whom He, in His divine nature, became man and endured suffering at the hands of people? Hence, cast aside your fear, for God protects and envelops in His grace those who seek to live for Him and strive to fulfill what delights His heart.

They lack knowledge of the future yet recall prophecies. Zechariah prophesied: “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). This indicates that the demons will not endure indefinitely, nor will their malevolence persist eternally. In fear of retribution, they declare, “You have come to destroy us” (Mark 1:24; Matthew 8:29). However, desiring to remain upon the earth and evading people whom they fear would lead to their punishment, the demons plead to inhabit the pigs. What kind of pigs are these? Are they not the ones referred to in scripture: “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)? These are the ones, like unclean creatures devoid of speech and reason, who defile the innate beauty of virtues bestowed upon them by their Creator through their vile actions. They plunge into the abyss, unconcerned by thoughts of retribution. As if sliding down the steep incline of moral decay, they are consumed by the rushing waters of this world, perishing as if suffocated from a lack of air. Those who hesitate to navigate through the swirling currents of pleasure cannot inhale the Spirit of life. Thus, it becomes evident that humanity inflicts torment upon itself. If individuals did not conduct themselves like swine, the evil one would hold no sway over them, and if he did, he would not annihilate them but would test their fortitude. It may be that following the Lord's coming, the devil can no longer entice the righteous and thus targets not all humanity but only the wayward, much like a thief who avoids the armed in favor of the defenseless, tormenting the vulnerable, knowing the strong will disregard him and condemn him. But one might question: Why does God permit the devil this power? My response would be that it serves to test the righteous and punish the wicked; this is the consequence of sin. Scripture reveals that the Lord permits fever, tremors, and evil spirits, along with various afflictions, to pursue the sins of the guilty. Now, let us return to our main topic.

And the demons went out of the man, and entered into the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep hill into the lake, and sank.” This passage illustrates how the demons, in their search for asylum with malevolent intent, requested to inhabit the pigs after being expelled by the Savior, fully aware that they could not be cast out from individuals one by one, but rather unifiedly through one.

Furthermore, it is critical to note that Jesus intended to send this man, now liberated from evil spirits, back to his hometown as a witness to the miracle. For such a messenger, tasked with winning the hearts of the Gentiles for Jesus, it was vital that he was unwaveringly convinced of his freedom from demonic influence. This was effectively demonstrated by the request from the demons to enter the herd of pigs, followed by the swift demise of the peaceful animals, coinciding perfectly with the man's complete renewal. This event eliminated any doubts he might have had regarding his release from the dominion of dark spirits.

When posed with the question of why such a loss occurred for the swine owners, we can find insight in Job's reflection: ‘The Lord gave, the Lord also took away’ (Job 1:21). Can we truly regard the loss of the pigs as significant? This incident was, in fact, what drew the inhabitants of nearby villages and the closest town to Jesus; otherwise, they would not have encountered Him nor believed the man who returned home, proclaiming his liberation from demonic forces through Jesus' authority over them. The faith they eventually came to have in Christ—though not instantaneously—is an invaluable gain for the soul that far surpasses any financial loss from the pigs' demise. The resolution to this question connects back to the initial query, with the added clarification that the pigs did not drown as a result of the demons’ will. Some scholars suggest that the swine, driven by an inner compulsion of newfound strength beyond the demons’ control, leaped into the sea. We hold that it was indeed God's intention for them to do so.

In commanding the unclean spirit to depart from the man, Jesus inquired, “What is your name?” Overcome by darkness, the afflicted man had lost control of his own identity, and the malevolent spirit replied on his behalf: “Legion.” This term refers to a Roman military unit of 6,000 soldiers, comprising both infantry and cavalry. The demons entreated Jesus not to expel them from the region or consign them to the abyss. Nearby, on a hillside, there was a considerable herd of pigs, likely owned by Gentiles present on the eastern shore of Lake Gennesaret. The evil spirits implored Christ, “If You cast us out, grant us permission to enter the herd of swine.” The Lord Jesus readily permitted it, responding simply, “Go.” He granted the request of the demons—not due to their persuasion, as stated by St. John Chrysostom, but to show the inhabitants of that area His divine power, and to make evident the wickedness of the demons from whom He liberated those tormented by them, illustrating that without God’s permission, they could not even harm the pigs. Once the unclean spirits exited the man, they entered the pigs, and immediately the entire herd of approximately two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the lake and drowned in the waters.