Persons or pigs

Matthew 8 : 28 - 34

....they begged him to leave....

It is strange or perhaps not so unexpected that the townspeople begged Jesus to leave, even after being told about the miraculous deliverance of the two demoniacs. Perhaps the news that struck them was not so much the freedom from bondage of the two men, but that their swine perished in the sea water. That would have been a great loss, materially. The two men might have been demonised for a long time and no longer even considered as valuable persons.

Meeting the Lord is not always a comfortable experience. Even those of us who know him, as we believe, well, and have followed quite obediently know this in our heart of hearts. From time to time, we meet a wall or at least a barrier of resistance when he sets before us a new way of perceiving and acting. He invites us to a deeper level of trust in him, as he leads us down unfamiliar paths. At those times, his ways seem to contradict what we want from him, based on the image of him we have lived with........

The townspeople may have wanted the demoniacs taken care of in some way, so as not to be a nuisance to them. But at the same time, they did not reckon on losing a whole herd of swine. That was a cost that they were not prepared to pay. No, they were afraid of the miracle worker who did such things. They would rather not have him around any more - what else would he do?

I have realized that from time to time, my 'images' of the Lord become idols and have to be corrected by him. He shows me his ways that seem uncomfortable, that leave me resisting......until I learn to listen to his heart of love behind it all, and his desire for my ultimate good.

We may not have swine to lose, but there are many other attachments that he may lovingly have to loosen our hold on.