Matt. 8:28-9:1, Added Notes (3)

Finally, from the story of the demon possessed man (5:1-21) …

1.    v1: “region of the Gerasenes”: in the NIV Mark and Luke say “Gerasenes.”  Matt says Gadarenes. Gadera was a small town about 6 miles from the sea; Gerasa was a larger city about 37 miles SE of the sea. However, there were ruins of the old town of Gerasa in the region of Gadera.  This may be the place in mind here for there is a cliff that overlooks the sea.  And the area has many caverns, etc., good for tombs (cf. v2,13). 

a.     This region will be visited again by Jesus in Mark 8 where Jesus will feed the 4000.  It is helpful in these stories to remember that this is a Gentile-dominated area.  In the case of the pigs, some may think Jesus sent the demons there because the Jews weren’t supposed to eat pork.  But that assumes they belonged to Jews.  And further, in Mk. 7 we will see that Jesus was not hung up on that issue (He declared all foods clean, 7:19).  But it also helps understand why there was a feeding of the 5000 and one of 4000.  By the time we arrive at Mark 8 Jesus will have begun laying the groundwork for His disciples to have a heart for Gentiles and not just their fellow-countrymen.

2.    v2: “a man”: Matt states there were two men.  Apparently, Mark and Luke key on the one more prominent of the two.  It appears that what happened, happened to one man.  This is interesting.  Matthew also mentions two blind men near Jericho (Mt. 20:29-34) while Mark and Luke only refer to one (Mk. 10:46-52; Lk. 18:35-43).  Mark is the only one who mentions the name of one blind man, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus.  It seems like Bartimaeus must have been known in the early Church.  We normally don’t know the names of people Jesus healed.  So again, perhaps Bartimeus stood out, perhaps because he had become known to Mark and the early Christians.

3.    v9: “Legion”: a Roman legion had 6826 men.  This name means simply that there were many.

4.    Lk. 8:31: the demons beg Christ not to send them to the deep or the “abyss.”  Some think they are asking Christ not to send them into the sea.  However, the term “abyss” probably has another meaning.  It is the abode of the grotesque (perhaps demonic) locusts of Rev. 9:1-11; it is Satan’s prison during the Kingdom (20:1-3).  The abyss may be the abode of many “evil angels” or “demons” chained there in darkness awaiting judgment (Jude 6; 2 Pt. 2:4).  Thus these demons permitted to run free were asking Christ not to send them to the place of confinement.