WHY DID JESUS ALLOW THE GADARENE DEMONS TO POSSESS AND KILL THE SWINEHERD?

The Lord Jesus healed the Gadarene possessed by evil spirits.

Richard Friend said...

Hi Father. I have a question. I have always pondered the meaning of this.

The story of Jesus casting a legion of demons into a herd of pigs is found in Matthew 8:30-37; Mark 5:1-20; and Luke 8:27-38. Why did Jesus allow the demons to enter the pigs? Why didn't He simply cast them back to hell? Scripture does not provide any explanation.

Catholic theology teaches us that animals, unlike man, have "souls" but not a spirit. Man has a spiritual soul. Demons are evil spirits. Unless restrained by a greater power, they would destroy creation in hatred of God. I see in the story of the demons entering the herd of pigs two important clues about this reality: (1) Having no free will that comes with a spiritual soul the pigs were unable to offer resistance to the demons who possesed them completely at once. (2) Having taken complete control of the pigs, the demons lost no time in betraying their murderous intentions by quickly killing all the pigs.

In the rare case when a man is possessed by a demon, the possessed usually still retains some free will, and it is this remnant of man's free will that eventually makes exorcism possible. Without free will the possessed cannot be exorcised. I think the Lord allowed the demons to enter the pigs to show that if the demons had their way they would murder all of us, just as they did with the pigs. What do you think?

September 3, 2010 8:19 AM

Fr. Abe, CRS said...

Dear Bro. Richard,

[Hi Father. I have a question. I have always pondered the meaning of this.]

Yes Brod. I hope I can answer it. You are a very scholarly man and usually researches things well. He, he, he... Usually you are more advanced than me in reading valuable materials. He, he, he...

[The story of Jesus casting a legion of demons into a herd of pigs is found in Matthew 8:30-37; Mark 5:1-20; and Luke 8:27-38. Why did Jesus allow the demons to enter the pigs? Why didn't He simply cast them back to hell? Scripture does not provide any explanation.]

I think the reason why The Lord didn't cast them back to hell because it was not yet time:

Matthew 8:29 And behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

The Book of Revelation is full of symbolic number of days or period of time given to the Dragon for which he can torture the earth [cf. Rev 20:3].

Why on the pigs? I myself is wondering why. He can send the demons to the desert to infest a deserted place instead. But to the pigs which later suffered terribly by being killed by the demons.

I think the Lord Jesus is giving us the message that man is more important than Animals. He noticed that the people of that place were taking good care of those pigs but were neglecting the possessed. Even if the full power of the Sacraments of the Messiah was not yet available for thse people but if their family members and friends brought them earlier to Jesus or to John the Baptizer or even the simple things of Offering Atonement for their Sins in the Temple as prescribed in the Torah, at least these poor souls would have received spiritual consolation or total healing of course from the hands of the Lord.

The herd could be properly treated while the possessed were simply left to the claws of the Evil Spirits. Thus the Lord made a categorical statement that the Children of God are more important than animals. The soul of every person is more precious than an entire livestock.

[Catholic theology teaches us that animals, unlike man, have "souls" but not a spirit.]

Yes.

[Man has a spiritual soul.]

Correct.

[Demons are evil spirits.]

Yes. They are angels who lost permanently their state of grace due to rebellion against God. Thus, Fallen Angels.

[Unless restrained by a greater power, they would destroy creation in hatred of God.]

Yes. Because they are not stewards of Creation. As they are having hatred of God they are also angry at all His Creation including the world.

[I see in the story of the demons entering the herd of pigs two important clues about this reality: (1) Having no free will that comes with a spiritual soul the pigs were unable to offer resistance to the demons who possesed them completely at once.]

Correct. They are helpless being against the evil spirits.

[(2) Having taken complete control of the pigs, the demons lost no time in betraying their murderous intentions by quickly killing all the pigs.]

Obviously done by the evil spirits.

[In the rare case when a man is possessed by a demon, the possessed usually still retains some free will, and it is this remnant of man's free will that eventually makes exorcism possible.]

Very true. We were told that when the case comes that we have to perform Exorcism, with Bishop's permission of course, we have to ask the possessed person to pray with us to the Lord and personally request liberation from Satan.

[Without free will the possessed cannot be exorcised.]

Correct. Especially if the possessed deliberately accepted the possession or if he was the one who requested for it to the Devil.

[I think the Lord allowed the demons to enter the pigs to show that if the demons had their way they would murder all of us, just as they did with the pigs. What do you think?]

That is a very valid conclusion and interpretation Bro. Richard. I think that is also correct. The Gospel accounts are so rich that we can get a lot of treasures in there, a lot meaning that will be useful for our spiritual life.

The text could be seen as the Lord's way of showing us the EVIL INTENT of Satan and also to teach us TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF THE HUMAN SOUL more than our properties.

We can also view it as a tactical move by the Lord in a Spiritual Warfare. Temporarily the Lord allows Satan to occupy some animals or certain places in the world but as the Battle between Good and Evil reaches its climax the Lord will capture the world and the entire Universe. Then He will submit it to God the Father and the Father will hand Him All Power and Glory and Kingship. God shall be all in all.

September 3, 2010 11:31 AM