Read: Matthew 8:28-34
What have you to do with us, O Son of God? (v. 29)
C. S. Lewis described our world as enemy-occupied territory. This story in Matthew 8 offers a clear sign of what happens when the kingdom of God invades it. In the person of Jesus, God’s rule has arrived in the world, and when God’s kingdom comes into conflict with Satan’s, evil is vanquished. Jesus the Great Deliverer overthrows the power of Satan, the Great Usurper.
The Devil is no match for the Lord; the contest between good and evil is not a struggle between equals. When Jesus deals with these oppressed men the outcome is never in doubt. The demons cringe and cower at the sight of the Son of God. They realize who he is and what their end will be. In the day of judgment they will be cast into the abyss (see Luke 8:31). And here and now they cannot hurt even a bunch of hogs without Jesus’ permission.
But did you notice the reaction of the locals? “All the city came out . . . and . . . they begged him to leave their region” (Matt. 8:34). Here is this tremendous demonstration of the power of Jesus to deliver, and all these folks can think about is the loss of their pigs. Jesus was simply too disruptive for them. The values of God’s kingdom come into conflict with the economics of their society, and Money wins. In their own way, these people were just as much in bondage to the Devil as the two demon-possessed men. They just didn’t realize it. —David Bast
As you pray, ask God to “deliver us from evil.”
About the Author
Rev. Dave Bast retired as the President and Broadcast Minister of Words of Hope in January 2017, after 23 years with the ministry. Prior to his ministry and work at Words of Hope, Dave served as a pastor for 18 years in congregations in the Reformed Church in America. He is the author of several devotional books. A graduate of Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, he has also studied at both the Fuller and Calvin seminaries. Dave and his wife, Betty Jo, have four children and four grandchildren. Dave enjoys reading, growing tomatoes, and avidly follows the Detroit Tigers.
