Lots of questions arise in my little head surrounding this situation. Why were these guys demon-possessed? What wrong choices or negative experiences in their background were causes for this ugly condition? Was it an instantaneous transformation, or slow-brewing? How did the demons within these men know so much about Who Jesus was, when normal demon-free people hardly had a clue? Why would demons prefer to inhabit pigs if they were to be evicted from these two men? Did the demons know that their pig occupancy would be so short-lived? Once the pigs were dead in the lake, then what?—what did the demons do after that, and where did they go? And here is a question that I think is particularly worth pondering: Is being demon-possessed any worse a status than the condition of the community residents who rejected Jesus and wanted Him to leave town. In so many words they were saying, “We quite like the familiar order and routine surrounding our pig farming and demon-possessed crazies. Please, Jesus, don’t rock our boat…and just leave us alone.”
I’ve never been a demon before—at least, not in the real sense. So I don’t know exactly how they think and why. But they are displaying a clear awareness of some truths that tend to elude many humans, if not most. Firstly, they recognized that Jesus held Sovereign Authority over them. Don’t you agree that’s a pretty good concept for we humans to live with? Secondly, they recognized that their own status with limited freedoms was only temporary—that they were on a timeline heading for certain judgment and termination. Don’t you also agree we would all be benefitted by maintaining that awareness?
An idea is growing on me as it relates to the attitudes we hold toward Sovereign God. With or without Bibles or churches or preaching, it just makes a lot of sense to me that ALL MEN ARE OBLIGATED TO SEEK AND PLEASE GOD—NO MATTER WHAT! My sense of logic and reasoning says that I HAVE NO VIABLE ALTERNATIVE BUT TO DO SO. How I perceive His character—whether good or evil—really makes no difference at all. I still have no choice. It is absolutely in my best interests to please an ABSOLUTE GOD. The glaring comparison between the bulk of His authority and power over the miniscule bulk of mine leaves no contest. There is no amount of criticism, disagreement, or questioning of His moral character that can hope to change Him into being closer to my liking—or alter my accountability to Him.
Thankfully, you’re not a demon either. And thankfully, the Sovereign God of the Bible is not evil, but is presented in Scripture as “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth” (Exodus 34:6, KJV). We are wise to know that our status of limited freedoms are only temporary as well. Furthermore, we are wise to beware: Those freedoms, if exercised and consumed without Biblical understanding, can be mind altering and intoxicating!—indeed demonic!