Chapter 8:28-34 Jesus Casts Out Demons

8:28 And when He was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.

Coming out of the tombs - It is pretty evident that cupolas were generally built over the graves among the Jews, and that these demoniacs had their dwellings under such: the evil spirits which were in them delighting more in these abodes of desolation and ruin.

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

A word of defiance; What have we to do with thee? - The literal translation of τι ημιν και σοι, is, What is it to us and to thee; which perhaps might be understood to imply their disclaiming any design to interfere with the work of Christ, and that He should not therefore meddle with them; for it appears they exceedingly dreaded His power.
Art Thou come hither to torment us before the time? - This question implies the apprehension the devils had of Christ as a judge, and their sense of His authority, and power, to punish them; as also that they deserved it, and expected it. 

*They were afraid lest Jesus had come to inflict upon them the penalty of their evil deeds before that last great day.

8:30 And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.

The owners of these animals had no business to have any swine there; swine were forbidden in that holy country, and they should not have been kept there.

8:31 So the devils besought Him, saying, If Thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.

If Thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine -  Hereby, 

[1.] They discover their own inclination to do mischief, and what a pleasure it is to them; those, therefore, are their children, and resemble them, whose sleep departeth from them, except they cause some to fall, Proverbs 4:16. 

If they might not be suffered to hurt men in their bodies, they would hurt them in their goods, such malicious devices hath that old subtle serpent! 

[2.] They own Christ’s power over them; that, without His sufferance and permission, they could not so much as hurt a swine. This is comfortable to all the Lord’s people, that, though the devil’s power be very great, yet it is limited, and not equal to his malice (what would become of us, if it were?) that Satan and his instruments can go no further than he is pleased to permit; here shall their proud waves be stayed.

8:32 And He said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.

*And He said unto then, Go - Jesus never wastes words upon devils; He is always short and sharp with them: “Go.”
*Ran violently down a steep place, etc. - The prayer of these demons is heard and answered! Strange! But let it be noted, that God only hears demons and certain sinners when their prayer is the echo of His own justice.
*It may be asked, 

Q: why did Christ suffer the devils to enter the herd of swine, and destroy them, which was a considerable loss to the proprietors? 

A: To which may be answered, that if the owners were Jews, and these creatures were brought up by them for food, it was a just punishment of their breach of the law of God; or if to be sold to others, for gain and filthy lucre's sake, it was a proper rebuke, both of the avarice and the contempt of the laws of their own country, which were made to be a hedge or fence for the law of God.

8:33 And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils.

And they that kept them fled - Terrified at what had happened to the swine.

8:34 And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw Him, they besought Him that He would depart out of their coasts.

You feel that they are going to worship Him, or at least to ask Him to come, and teach them the way of salvation; nothing of the sort.

Their curiosity brought them out to see Jesus. The whole city came out to meet Him, that they might be able to say, they had seen a man who did such wonderful works. Thus many go out, in profession, to meet Christ for company, that have no real affection for Him, nor desire to know Him.

Chapter 8:18-27 Discipleship Tested

8:18 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave commandment to depart unto the other side.
He gave commandment to depart unto the other side - Different were the reasons, which at certain times moved Christ to depart from the multitude; as that He might have an opportunity of private prayer, or to preach to others, or to show He sought not popular applause: His reasons here seem to be--- 

*with respect to Himself, that being wearied as man, with the work of the day, He might have an opportunity of refreshing Himself with sleep; 

*with respect to His disciples, that He might have a trial of their faith, when in danger at sea; 

*and with respect to the multitude, because of their carnality, and sole concern for their temporal, and worldly good.

8:19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto Him, Master, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest.
and said unto Him, Master, or Rabbi, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest - One would have thought, that this man desired in good earnest to be a disciple of Christ, were it not for Christ's answer to him, who knew his heart: from whence it appears.

8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head.

but the son of man has not where to lay His head - when He is weary, and wants rest and sleep, as He did at this time. 

So that though he was Lord of all, as being the mighty God; yet as "the son of man", a phrase, expressive both of the truth and meanness of His human nature, the most despicable of creatures in the earth and air, were richer than He. 

This He said, to convince the Scribe of his mistake; who expected much worldly grandeur and wealth, by becoming His disciple.

8:21 And another of His disciples said unto Him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

Another of His disciples - This does not mean any of the twelve, but one of those who were constant hearers of our Lord's preaching; the name of disciple being common to all those who professed to believe in Him.

8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow Me; and let the dead bury their dead.

Nothing, not even the duties of filial love, must be allowed to come in conflict with the command of Christ, “Follow me.”

I take it that this is not so much a word to the common disciple as to a disciple called out to a special ministry: “Your ministry is to be your first, your main, your only occupation: ‘follow me: and let the dead bury their dead.’

8:23 And when He was entered into a ship, His disciples followed Him.

His disciples followed Him into the ship, and they only; for as for the men hereafter mentioned, they were the men that belonged to the ship, and had the management of it: the multitude were dismissed, and in order to be clear of them.

8:24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but He was asleep.

Q: What! a tempest where Christ is? 

A: Yes, it is generally so. If all seems very calm, thou mayest question whether Christ is there, but when He goes into the ship, and His disciples follow Him, it is not remarkable that the devil comes after Him.

8:25 And His disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

Lord, save us: we perish - One advantage of trials is to make us know our weakness, so as to oblige us to have recourse to God by faith in Christ.

8:26 And He saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

“A great calm.” No ordinary stillness of the sea; but it was a great calm, as the tempest had been great which had preceded it.

8:27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!

They did not know their Lord yet; nor do we. 

Perhaps we have to go to sea to learn more of Him, 

I mean that troubles and trials of a greater sort 

than we have known before may yet have to come 

to be our schoolmasters to teach us what Jesus is.