CHAPTER 8
When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. Matthew 8:1
The mountainside mentioned here is likely what is known as the traditional Mount of Beatitudes. As we have mentioned, this was the only prominent mountain within the Evangelical Triangle where Jesus did most of his ministry (cf. comments on 4:17 & 5:1-2). This mountain was quite close to Capernaum. It is obvious that the crowds followed him home from the mountain.
“A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean’” (8:2). Matthew does not pretend to have a chronological arrangement of his materials. Rather, it is more of a topical arrangement.1 Jesus is dealing with the kingdom of God and he is presenting himself as the King (Chs. 1-4). First he presents the principles of his kingdom (Chs. 5-7) and now he presents the power of his kingdom.2 This section is an arrangement of ten miracles that reveal his awesome power. These miracles focus upon the outcasts of Israel, lepers, Gentiles and women. It is said that the Pharisees prayed each day, “I give thanks that I am a man and not a woman, a Jew and not a Gentile, a free-man and not a slave.” 3
In ancient Israelite culture a leper was surely at the bottom rung of humanity and for all practical purposes was absolutely hopeless. While there were different types of leprosy, Barclay describes a common form of the disease:
It might begin with little nodules which go on to ulcerate. The ulcers develop a foul discharge; the eyebrows fall out; the eyes become staring; the vocal chords become ulcerated, and the voice becomes hoarse, and the breath wheezes. The hands and feet always ulcerate. Slowly the sufferer becomes a mass of ulcerated growths. The average course of that kind of leprosy is nine years, and it ends in mental decay, coma and ultimately death…the nerve trunks are affected; the muscles waste away; the tendons contract until the hands are like claws. There follows ulceration of the hands and feet. Then comes the progressive loss of fingers and toes, until in the end a whole hand or a whole foot may drop off….It is a kind of terrible progressive death in which a man dies by inches.4
The law was very strict concerning a person with leprosy (Lev. 13:44-46). Since there was no known cure the only solution for a leper was banishment from society. Lepers were thus cut off from family, society and from worship with God’s people. They lived, or rather existed, in leper colonies outside the town limits. When others approached them they had to cover their faces and cry out “Unclean! Unclean!” The only greater defilement in Israel was the defilement with the dead.5 About the only disease today that compares with ancient leprosy is the AIDS plague. 6
We need to notice some things about this particular leper. He came to Jesus in great boldness and faith. He knew Jesus could heal him if he only wished to do so. In approaching close to Jesus and the crowd he was risking being stoned. It was an alarming thing for a leper to approach a Jewish Rabbi and thus defile him. But he came in reverent humility. The Greek word used here for kneeling down is proskuneo, and it has the meaning of “worshipping.” 7 Also, Guzik points out how this is the first place in the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus is called “Lord.” 8
“Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing’” he said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy” (8:3). Here we observe the wonderful willingness of Jesus. He is always willing to help us and to reach out a hand to us. The problem is often our unwillingness to ask him.
Let us think about this poor leper for a moment. People had shunned him and fled from him. Probably no one, other than another leper, had touched him in years. Then, can we imagine how the man felt at his healing, as the awful effects of his leprosy simply faded away! No doubt there was a gasp in the crowd when all the ugly manifestations of this awful disease melted away and he suddenly became a normal healthy-looking person.
“Then Jesus said to him, ‘See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them’” (8:4). Commentators have wondered why Jesus gave the healed leper these instructions. Some have thought that he wanted the leper to bear witness to the priesthood, since they mostly rejected the Lord. That is possible. Others have noted that this is a continuation of the so-called “messianic secret,” which is seen particularly in Mark and in the other Synoptic Gospels.9 Osborne says, “Jesus did not want to be a miracle worker in a sideshow; he wanted to be the Savior of their souls.” 10
Jesus did not want to be known simply as a miracle worker. Neither did he want to be known as the Messiah because most people would have misunderstood that term and would have seen it only in a political sense. The people greatly longed for a political messiah who would free them from the oppressive Roman rule.11
Mark tells us that the cleansed leper did not obey Jesus. Rather, he went out and told of his healing everywhere (Mk. 1:45). This passage reflects what may have been the real reason for such secrecy. Large crowds then gathered around Jesus so that he could not openly enter a town, but rather had to confine his ministry to the wilderness areas.
THE CENTURION AND HIS GREAT FAITH
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” Matthew 8:5-6
As we have noted in 4:12-16, Jesus made Capernaum his home (cf. 9:1; Mk. 2:1). Capernaum was a good-sized harbor city on the northwestern shores of the Sea of Galilee. It was large enough to have a Roman garrison. Here, the Roman commander, a centurion, either came in person or sent a message to Jesus.
In New Testament times a person could send another as a personal representative and thus he himself would appear through agency.12 Matthew speaks as if the centurion came in person. However, Luke says that he sent Jewish elders on his behalf with his request. They testified how the centurion loved the Jewish nation and how he had built them a synagogue. This centurion could likely have been a God-fearer. We note how he was very sensitive to Jesus and his Jewishness. He probably knew that Jewish people could not come into a Gentile house without being ceremonially defiled.13 We might say here that a centurion was the commander of one-hundred Roman soldiers.
Practically speaking, sometimes the command would contain as few as sixty soldiers. This particular force was probably under the immediate command of Herod Antipas and it was probably drawn from non-Jewish recruits from Lebanon or Syria.14 Galilee was not under Roman occupation until the death of Herod Agrippa in AD 44.15
Let us note something else that is interesting about this centurion. He had a great love for his servant. Such a thing was unusual in the Roman world. Servants were considered as living tools. They could be worked until they were too old or sick and then be cast out of the house. The master in the Roman world even had the right to kill a slave. Barclay says, “In the Roman Empire slaves did not matter. It was a matter of no importance to anyone if they suffered, and whether they lived or died.” 16 But this centurion was greatly interested in the welfare of his slave. The slave must have been a great friend and companion to him. In the Roman army a centurion was not allowed to marry. However, some centurions did maintain concubines and this was apparently acceptable.17
“Jesus said to him, ‘Shall I come and heal him?’ The centurion replied, ‘Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed’” (8:7-8). Clearly, Jesus was ready to go and visit in a Gentile home. However, there is no record that he had ever done such a thing.18 It is rather astounding that the Roman would bring up the matter of healing at a distance. Keener says, “…long-distance healings were rare and considered especially extraordinary.” 19
“For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it” (8:9). Keener says, “Romans soldiers were…the ultimate model of discipline and obedience in the Roman Empire.” 20 For a soldier to refuse an order from the centurion it was almost the same as refusing an order from Caesar himself.21
“When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, ‘Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith’” (8:10). Wiersbe notes that Jesus marveled only twice in the gospels. He marveled at the belief of this Gentile centurion and he marveled at the unbelief of the Jews in Mark 6:6.22 Surely, this account was meant to be a picture of the millions of Gentiles who would come into the kingdom by God’s grace and by their simple faith.
“I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (8:11). The Bible makes it clear that the Jews were God’s chosen people (Deut. 7:6). The Jewish people believed that in the end of days God would give a glorious messianic banquet and that they would be in attendance (Isa. 25:6-9; 56:3-8; 65:13-14; cf. Lk. 14:15; Rev. 19:9). The Bible taught that this banquet was for all people, but the Jews considered that they would be the only ones in attendance.23 This passage makes clear that people would come from all over the earth for this great banquet.
“But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (8:12). This passage also makes clear that many of the Jewish people would not be invited to this banquet. Rather, they would find themselves thrown out into the outer darkness where people would gnash with their teeth. The outer darkness and the gnashing of teeth were pictures of the fate of ungodly people (cf. Psa. 112:10).24 Osborne says, “This passage is one of the strongest passages in Matthew on God’s rejection of the unbelieving Jewish people (see Rom. 9-11).” 25
“Then Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.’ And his servant was healed at that moment” (8:13). The centurion came to Jesus with a military mindset and Jesus sent him away with what appears to be a military command. It was a happy moment for Jesus, for the centurion and for the poor sick servant. Since this centurion apparently lived in Capernaum it would have been an easy task for this healing to have been verified by the disciples.
Schweizer chides us western Christians with these words: “The warning in this story may be especially urgent in an age when Africans and Asians in the community of Jesus may well be called on to show to ‘Christian’ Europe what Christian life really is…” 26
JESUS HEALS MANY PEOPLE
When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. Matthew 8:14
At this point Jesus must have been totally exhausted. He had ministered to a crowd of people, he had dealt with a leper and a demon possessed man (Mk. 1:21-28). Now he came home only to be greeted by Peter’s sick mother-in-law. From other accounts we know that power went out of him with each healing (Mk. 5:30; Lk. 6:19).27 Yet, Jesus never got too tired to help people. We have seen how women held a low position in that society, however, we will see Jesus on this and many other occasions lifting women up to a very high position.
It seems fairly certain today that we are able to identify the house of Simon Peter. From Mark’s description (Mk. 1:29), the house of Simon and Andrew was very near the synagogue where Jesus had just ministered. Archaeologists have placed this house approximately 100 feet (30 m.) south of the synagogue. This site has been preserved in some form since the first century. The archaeologist Rami Arav, along with his associate John J. Rousseau, state how this structure may have been a place of worship by the end of the first century. They note how there were no traces in the home of domestic activity, such as ashes or cookware, although coins, lamps and fishhooks were found. Instead of pottery and other domestic items there was an abundance of graffiti in several languages scratched on the walls. This graffiti included a boat and several crosses.28
Arav and Rousseau note how several early pilgrims had also identified the ruins as Peter’s house. To further confirm this, in the fourth century the whole complex around the house was enclosed by a wall, the remnants of which can still be seen today. In the fifth century an octagonal church was constructed directly over the house, and its ruins can also be seen.29 No doubt, early Christians revered this site.
We know from this account that Peter was married (1 Cor. 9:5). He and Andrew were originally residents of Bethsaida (Jn. 1:44) but they moved to Capernaum. They possibly made that move to be near Jesus.30 Barclay points out how Bethsaida was where the Jordan River emptied itself, was very prone to mosquitoes and malaria was a common thing. 31 It is quite likely that Peter’s mother-in-law had a case of malaria.
“He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him” (8:15). Religious men would normally refrain from touching a woman because of the possibility of her uncleanness (Lev. 15:19).32 I can remember, that in our earlier years in Israel, women clerks at the stores would never place change in a man’s hand but would lay it on the counter, no doubt for the same reason.
It is amazing that Jesus always succeeded in his healings and they all were instant and complete. Here, the mother-in-law not only got up from her bed but she probably began to prepare a meal for Jesus and his disciples.
“When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick” (8:16). The Pharisees and others did not believe in healing on the Sabbath. They considered this “work” and forbade it. While they would permit steps to be taken to keep a person from getting worse, they would not allow any steps to help the patient get better. It is undoubtedly for this reason that people waited until the evening to bring the sick and demon possessed to Jesus.33
After the Sabbath ended the people came carrying their sick and bringing their afflicted to Jesus (cf. Mk. 1:32-34). He healed them all. The sick were healed by touch and the spirits were sent out by word, and never by touch.34
“This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases’” (8:17). Here the Lord is quoting from the suffering servant passages in Isaiah 53:4, “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.” We simply cannot miss the idea of the substitutionary atonement in this passage. Jesus’ healings looked beyond themselves to the Cross.35 Morris says, “…we can say that sickness was not part of the original creation and that it will have no place in the final state of affairs…Ps. 103:3…Rev. 21:4.” 36
“When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake” (8:18). Jesus would quickly deal with two who wished to be his disciples but who were not fully committed. However, his desire was to get his disciples in the boat and sail to the other side of the lake.
THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP
Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Matthew 8:19-20
This situation was a bit unusual since most all of the teachers of the law or scribes opposed Jesus. Somehow this scribe was different, but he was lacking in the area of commitment. He still referred to Jesus as “Rabbi” (Gk. didaskalos or teacher).37
Here for the first time in Matthew Jesus applies the title Son of Man to himself. It seems that Jesus favored this title rather than that of “Messiah,” which was almost universally misunderstood by the Jews. Son of Man in scripture could often refer simply to man but it could also refer to the divine figure of God’s Redeemer. This title seems to be taken from Daniel 7:13-14. Blomberg says, “…In general “Son of Man” focuses more on Christ’s divinity than on his humanity.” 38
Many teachers today gladly accept followers but Jesus “threw cold water” on this one and quickly dashed the hopes of this prospective disciple. The life that Jesus offered in the flesh was a difficult one. It required sleeping on the ground summer and winter. It required leaving family, friends and all comforts of life.
“Another disciple said to him, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father’” (8:21). When we consider Jewish customs and sensibilities regarding death, we can be relatively certain that the father had not just died. That being the case, the son would in no way have been out in public speaking with a Rabbi. Rather, he would have been secluded for seven days mourning the death of his father. Keener feels like this situation pertained to the secondary burial of the father, about a year after the original burial. At that time, when all flesh had decayed off the bones, they were carefully gathered and placed in an ossuary, which was then stored permanently on a shelf in the tomb’s wall.39
Other scholars feel that the parent was still living and that the son was speaking of his duty to look after the father in his declining years, and until his death.40 This theory seems less attractive than the secondary burial idea. The ministry of Jesus was so urgent that he could not wait on a prospective disciple even in such cases. Barclay says, “Jesus knew the human heart; and Jesus knew well that, if that man did not follow him on the moment, he never would.” 41
We note that this man and possibly the other one were already disciples in a very loose sense. They were following Jesus around at least. Many, many people were following Jesus around and were disciples in a more loose sense than the Twelve.42
“But Jesus told him, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead’” (8:22). The man was to follow Jesus immediately and let the spiritually dead worry about burying the dead. Clarke says, “It was usual for the Jews to consider a man as dead who had departed from the precepts of the law; and, on this ground, every transgressor was reputed a
dead man.” 43
THE STORM AT SEA
Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Matthew 8:23
We noticed in v. 18 that Jesus had already given orders to his disciples, instructing them to prepare for crossing the sea. They were using their fishing boats for this crossing and perhaps we should take a moment to discuss these boats.
For a sea crossing they apparently used a larger fishing boat, or one with a sail. It is interesting that a picture of this sail-type fishing boat was found some years ago on an ancient mosaic floor at the coastal city of Magdala. Then in 1986, during a severe drought and a time when the sea was at its lowest point, the well-preserved remains of such a fishing boat were found buried in the sand near Kibbutz Ginnosar. The waterlogged remains were carefully preserved over the next several years and now are on display at the kibbutz. This boat measures 27 feet (8.2 m.) in length and 7 feet, 7 inches (2.3 m.) in width and 4 feet (1.25 m.) in depth. The remains were dated between 100 BC and AD 70, which would have fit well into the time of Jesus. The boat had a sail as was common in fishing boats and was propelled by four oars, two on each side.44.
We know from other sources that the boat could have held about fifteen people. It probably required a crew of five, and that it was likely designed for seine fishing and thus had a deck on its aft part. It is probable that the pillow Jesus later rested on was a sandbag that was used for ballast.45
“Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping” (8:24). The storm mentioned here was likely the “Sharkia” (Arabic for “shark”). Mendel Nun, who was a friend and fishing expert when we lived in the area states, “Even today this storm, which usually starts in the early evening, is good cause for apprehension among fishermen.” 46 In the cooler months the Sharkia drives down from the east and when the lake is full it can cause considerable damage even to the shoreline areas of Tiberias on the other side of the lake.
We remind ourselves that many of those on board were experienced fishermen but they were really scared. This must have been quite a storm. Today it is customary for insurance people to call violent storms, tornadoes, and such things as “acts of God.” We need to understand that while the earth and everything in it belongs to the Lord, nevertheless, Satan is called the prince of this world (Jn. 12:31), and he is allowed to exercise a great deal of power and authority in the earth. Many times the hand of Satan can be seen in certain things that we blame on the Lord. It is very likely in this case that Satan, the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2), was trying his best to annihilate Jesus and all his disciples in one fell swoop.47 We might wonder how the disciples could be so terrified with Jesus on board, although he was fast asleep. After all, he had promised that they would make it to the other side.
“The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’ He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm” (8:25-26). Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea and there was a great calm. Edwards comments on the parallel account in Mark 4:39: “The Greek word for ‘Be still!’ (pephimoso), carries the sense of ‘muzzled.’ It occurs in the second person singular, as though Jesus was addressing a personal being…Such language is more appropriate of demonic forces than of inanimate nature.” 48
We might wonder how such a small lake could have such a terrible storm. The Sea of Galilee is 680 feet (207 m.) below sea level. It has the Mediterranean Sea on its western side, towering Mt. Hermon on its north and the mountains of the Golan on its east. Barclay notes how the deep valleys form giant funnels forcing the raging wind down upon the lake in a unique manner.49 Even the Greek description of this storm, seismos, literally means an earthquake.50
After Jesus rebuked the storm there was a great calm. His disciples were astounded. We can imagine the disciples staring in disbelief at a completely calm sea, yet a moment before they had been in a terrifying storm and were no doubt still dripping with water. William Cowper wrote these soothing lines for the storms we all face:
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head. 51
“The men were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (8:27). The psalmist had spoken long before of the waves and storms:
“They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. They reeled and staggered like drunkards; they were at their wits’ end. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed” (Psa. 107:25-29).
JESUS HEALS THE DEMON POSSESSED
When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. Matthew 8:28
Matthew tells us that Jesus and his party landed in Gentile country. Much of the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee was occupied in Jesus’ time by Gentiles. This was largely the result of Alexander the Great’s campaign into the region in the fourth century BC. There developed a league of ten Greek cities called the Decapolis. They stretched from Damascus in the north to Philadelphia in the south.
When the Romans invaded the area under Pompey in 63 BC, these ten cities were given some political autonomy and each was allowed to function as a polis or city-state. The name of the region, written in Mark as “Gerasenes” (Mk. 5:1), has brought about much discussion by commentators over the centuries. Matthew here calls it the area of the Gadarenes while Luke agrees with Gerasenes (Lk. 8:26). Pixner, a scholar who spent a great deal of time in the area, continues with this idea and mentions an old Jewish tradition claiming the Girgashites inhabited this area when they were expelled by Joshua. This tradition is reflected in the Palestinian Talmud and also by the early church father Origen. Pixner feels the word may have a connection with the Hebrew Gerushim or Gerashim, relating to “expelled people.” 52 Edwards, who is aware of these traditions feels that the area should be connected with the city of Kursi/Gergesa, a village on the eastern shore.53
During the 1971-74 excavations of a road in this area a fifth century Byzantine monastery was discovered at this site. The monastery apparently marked the location of Jesus’ miracle. Today this area has been turned into the Israeli National Park of Kursi, and it commemorates the miracle of the swine.54 No doubt this was the very area where Jesus and his disciples came after their storm experience.
Matthew here notes that there were two demon possessed men, while the other Synoptic Gospels mention only one. Blomberg comments that only one of the two may have dominated the conversation and that the other gospels focus on this one.55
Nevertheless, the sight the disciples saw when they landed their boat would make a normal person’s hair stand on end. They were met by two filthy, naked, screaming, demon-possessed men. Some modern interpreters have serious problems with this story. They have problems because they do not believe in demon possession. In our modernistic world we were taught that the only things real were those things which could be seen, touched and examined by science. In the twentieth century, many missionaries from modernistic churches were sent to utterly pagan countries, only to be surprised by people who were truly demon possessed.
Today we seem to have plenty evidence of demon activity all around us in our society. The Idaho (US) kidnapper and murderer of children, Joseph Duncan III, posted on his internet blog ‘The demons have taken over.’” 56 Infamous BTK slayer who terrorized the US city of Wichita, Kansas for 31 years said a demon got inside him at a young age.57 The pagan world has known for a long time that there are demons but now it seems that the church has finally awakened to this fact.
We are told that the demon possessed men were coming out of the tombs. Keener says, “Tombs were ceremonially unclean and were thought to be popular haunts for evil spirits…” 58 Many modern accounts about demons often picture the unusual strength demon possessed people have. In the case here people were fearful to pass through that area for fear of physical harm. In Luke’s account it is mentioned that the afflicted were chained hand and foot and placed under guard but the demon still had broken the chains (Lk. 8:28).
“‘What do you want with us, Son of God?’ they shouted. ‘Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?’” (8:29). It is amazing that the Jewish leaders never once recognized who Jesus was but the demons on several occasions recognized him as God’s Holy One (cf. Mk. 1:24: Lk. 4:34).
The demons were fearful that Jesus had come to bring judgment upon them before the final day of judgment (cf. 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 1:6). It is interesting that demons know full well that judgment is coming but most humans seem to have no inkling of this.
“Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, ‘If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs’” (8:30-31). Poole says here, “The devil is so fond of doing mischief, that he will rather play at a small game than stand out.” 59. Mark in 5:13 tells us that the herd numbered about 2000 animals. This large herd of swine was located some distance away.
“He said to them, ‘Go!’ So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water” (8:32). Mark also tells us that the whole herd of pigs ran down a steep embankment and were all drowned in the sea. It is interesting that there is only one such steep embankment on the whole eastern side of the sea. It is found about two miles south of Kursi/Gergesa.60 In the past I have often taken groups of tourists to this point. However, the pigs would have a time getting to the water today because this site was once occupied by the Syrians and the whole area from the road down to the water is still heavily mined.
Many in our age are quite happy to entertain demons and are heavily involved in sorcery. However, the pigs would not put up with demons for a minute. The famous preacher, Spurgeon, said of this: “Swine prefer death to devilry; and if men were not worse than swine, they would be of the same opinion.” 61
“Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region” (8:33-34). The loss of 2,000 pigs was no doubt a great economic blow to the community. Apparently the townsfolk were more concerned about the pigs than about the man who had just been made whole. The same sentiments would likely prevail in our “enlightened” society today. They therefore asked Jesus to leave their area. Utley says, “This is one of the saddest verses in all of the Bible.” 62
On the brighter side, Matthew does not tell us that this delivered man went to his own people as a missionary (Mk. 5:20). Later, when Jesus returned to that area, he had great and unexplainable successes, some of it perhaps due to this man.