When Christ “permitted” the demons to enter into the swine, according to Aquinas, Jesus teaches us a few things.
First that Christ did not follow their command or suggestion, but rather merely permitted their will to be exercised. Why he permitted this evil was to demonstrate to the people two things:
1) That an entire herd of animals did not match the dignity of the man to whom he was seeking to save.
2) To the people, the utter cruelty of the demons and their desire to torment the people.
In the end, while Christ did tolerate such evil, he also led the pigs to be drowned, thus bridling the effects of their freedom.
Now, the people’s reaction to Christ’s work here was to ask him to leave. Why might this be? Perhaps they did not agree that the man’s dignity was worth the herd of swine? Perhaps they conflated his permission of the demons to condone evil. There is no doubt that an evil occurred following his permissive will, but He did not cause this evil, the demons did.
As a result of such people confusing the dignity of the man oppressed by the demon with the utility of a herd of pigs, the people were blind to receiving the incredibly loving act as an acknowledgement to the gentiles that they were so incredibly loved by God. That in fact, all of creation, as good as it is, was NOT worth more than a single soul of man. This treasure of wisdom and revelation, was thereby not perceived, because man loved swine more than a single man.
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2 thoughts on “The Demons and the Swine”
The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry.
[Jesus] left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled:
“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness
have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.”
It is interesting that Zebulun and Naphtali are referred as Gentiles. Here, Jesus heals the Centurion’s servant. Of course this area was likely the first to be conquered by the Assyrians, so it is fitting that Jesus’ ministry begins there.
Next (chapter 8), Matthew refers to this demoniacs’ area as “territory of the Gadarenes” which is also obviously now Gentile. This must be the former land of the tribe of Gad?!
Of course pigs were also considered unclean by the Jews. This would seem to indicate a message about demons (sin) and condemnation. Something of a warning can probably be drawn from this episode.