What does Matthew 8:34 reveal about human fear of divine power? Canonical Text “Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.” — Matthew 8:34 Immediate Narrative Setting Jesus has just crossed the Sea of Galilee, calmed a life-threatening storm (Matthew 8:23-27), and driven a “legion” of demons from two men into a herd of pigs that then plunged into the sea (Matthew 8:28-33). The liberated men are sitting in their right minds (cf. Mark 5:15), yet the townspeople, seeing the unmistakable stamp of divine authority, plead with Jesus to depart. Human Fear of Divine Power: Core Observations 1. Recognition of Supernatural Authority. The townspeople grasp that a power greater than any local deity or Roman official stands before them. The request for Jesus to leave parallels Israel’s reaction at Sinai: “Speak to us yourself and we will listen, but do not let God speak to us, or we will die” (Exodus 20:19). Terror, not reverence, dominates. 2. Threat to Economic Security. Roughly two thousand pigs (Mark 5:13) represent substantial capital. Loss of livelihood triggers fear that the divine may dismantle personal securities. Cf. Acts 16:19, where Philippian slave-owners, seeing profit vanish after an exorcism, drag Paul before the magistrates. 3. Moral Exposure. Divine holiness exposes human sin (Isaiah 6:5). Peter’s “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8) and Felix’s trembling under Paul’s preaching (Acts 24:25) mirror the Gadarenes’ unease. The heart recoils when confronted with the demand to repent. Comparative Biblical Instances of Fear-Driven Rejection • Pharaoh’s magicians, when the plagues grew “beyond their arts,” still hardened their hearts (Exodus 8:18-19). • The Gerasenes’ cousins in Samaria refused hospitality when Jesus “set His face toward Jerusalem” (Luke 9:53). • Revelation describes men calling on rocks to hide them from “the wrath of the Lamb” (Revelation 6:16). Theological Implications Reverential Fear vs. Servile Fear: Scripture commends the fear of the LORD that births wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Matthew 8:34 illustrates servile fear—a dread causing flight from God—contrasted with the healed demoniacs who follow Jesus (Mark 5:18-20). Revelation of Messianic Authority: Jesus demonstrates dominion over nature (storm), the spirit realm (demons), and human hearts (authority acknowledged even in rejection). The passage foreshadows universal accountability at the final judgment (Acts 17:31). Pastoral and Evangelistic Applications • Examine Motives: Do economic interests or social pressure keep one from Christ? • Move from Dread to Worship: The proper response to divine power is submission and faith, not avoidance (Hebrews 4:16). • Witness of the Delivered: Jesus sends the healed men as living apologetics (Mark 5:19-20). Personal testimony remains a potent evangelistic tool. Conclusion Matthew 8:34 exposes the reflex of fallen humanity to shrink from unveiled divine power, choosing temporal security over transformative grace. The episode calls every reader to reassess fear—not as a barrier—but as a gateway to repentance, trust, and the joy of welcoming the Savior rather than begging Him to leave. |
    |