The Bible

 

Luke 8:26-39 : Jesus Sends Demons into Swine (Luke)

Study

26 And they sailed to the country of the Gerasens, which is over against Galilee.

27 And when he was come forth to the land, there met him a certain man who had a devil now a very long time, and he wore no clothes, neither did he abide in a house, but in the sepulchres.

28 And when he saw Jesus, he fell down before him; and crying out with a loud voice, he said: What have I to do with thee, Jesus, Son of the most high God? I beseech thee, do not torment me.

29 For he commanded the unclean spirit to go out of the man. For many times it seized him, and he was bound with chains, and kept in fetters; and breaking the bonds, he was driven by the devil into the deserts.

30 And Jesus asked him, saying: What is thy name? But he said: Legion; because many devils were entered into him.

31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go into the abyss.

32 And there was there a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain; and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.

33 The devils therefore went out of the man, and entered into the swine; and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were stifled.

34 Which when they that fed them saw done, they fled away, and told it in the city and in the villages.

35 And they went out to see what was done; and they came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at his feet, clothed, and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

36 And they also that had seen, told them how he had been healed from the legion.

37 And all the multitude of the country of the Gerasens besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear. And he, going up into the ship, returned back again.

38 Now the man, out of whom the devils were departed, besought him that he might be with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying:

39 Return to thy house, and tell how great things God hath done to thee. And he went through the whole city, publishing how great things Jesus had done to him.

Commentary

 

What Would Love Do? Part 6 of 7 - The Prisoner

By Todd Beiswenger


To continue browsing while you listen, play the audio in a new window.

Jesus tells us that we should visit the prisoners, and like with the sick, we aren't supposed to set them free, but rather just be present with them. Spiritual prisoners are people who a trapped by beliefs that are not true. Like children who are scared of the dark, these beliefs imprison us. For those who are in this state, all we can do is be present with them, and help guide them to their own freedom.

(References: Acts of the Apostles 12:6-11; Arcana Coelestia 5022, Genesis 39:6-20, 41:50-52; Luke 8:26-39)