Luke 8:37

Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.

Luke 8:37 (KJV)

Context

This verse concludes the account of Jesus healing a demon-possessed man in the region of the Gadarenes, also called Gerasenes or Gergesenes in some manuscripts. The people of the surrounding country, having heard what happened, gathered and, gripped by great fear, begged Jesus to leave them. Their request came right after the demons had entered a herd of pigs, which then rushed down a steep bank into the sea and drowned.

Meaning

The people’s fear was not the reverent awe that leads to faith, but a dread that drove them to reject Jesus. They had witnessed a remarkable deliverance, yet their concern over the loss of the pigs and their unease at such divine power outweighed any desire to know Him. Jesus did not argue or force His presence; He simply got into the boat and returned to the other side. His response shows that He does not impose Himself on those who refuse Him.

Biblical connections

The contrast continues in the next verses: the healed man begged to stay with Jesus, but Jesus sent him home to declare what God had done for him (Luke 8:38-39). Here, the Gadarenes’ fear leads them to send Jesus away, while the delivered man becomes a witness to His power.

Application

This verse warns us that fear and unbelief can close our hearts to Christ, even after we have seen His work. The people preferred the familiar and the comfortable over the transforming presence of Jesus. We may do the same when we cling to material concerns or resist the changes He calls us to make. Jesus respects our choices; He will not force Himself on us. But rejecting Him means missing the ongoing presence and teaching of the Son of God.

Reflection

Consider what might cause you to ask Jesus to depart from your life. Is it fear of losing control, attachment to possessions, or unease with His power? The Gadarenes’ loss was great, but greater still was what they forfeited by sending Him away. May we instead respond like the healed man, who longed to be with Jesus and then went out to tell others what God had done for him.