26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” 29 For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. 30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31 And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. 32 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. 33 When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. 34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35 and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. (Luke 8:26-35)
This passage is about Jesus casting out demons. The man possessed by demons had long lived without clothes or a house, only in the tombs. The demons possessing him knew Jesus, knew that he was the Son of God. Demons are evil spirits; they are fallen angels, and they knew Jesus. When Jesus asked the demons their names, they said that their name was “Legion,” meaning many demons, that is to say many demons can possess one person at the same time. Fearing that Jesus would cast them into the abyss, the demons begged Jesus to let them into the pigs nearby. After the demon entered the herd of pigs, the pigs rushed down the cliff and threw themselves into the lake, where they died. The parallel passage in Gospel Mark says that there were two thousand pigs; we know that there are a lot of the demons. The man who had been healed understood and wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus told him to go home and proclaim the wonders God had done for him. So he spread the word throughout the city about the wonders Jesus had done for him. Jesus leads different people differently; some followed Him directly after being healed, while others were told not to tell anyone, so as not to hinder his work of spreading the gospel later.
May God bless you and your family!
