Why did Jesus allow the demons to enter the swine?

[Choosethisday]

In Matthew 8:31 and the parallel passages in Mark in Luke is the story of the demons entreating Jesus to allow them to go into the swine instead of being cast out. At church Sunday a discussion came up about why Jesus would consent to this. I offered up the idea that perhaps Jesus, as the Creator of all things, including the demons, felt compassion for them. I argued that just as in other cases where Jesus felt sadness, He was moved by another example of the effect of the fall. I think that while Jesus thought of the demons as evil at the time He remembered what they had been created to be. Anyway, for the many of you here who have displayed much greater wisdom and knowledge of Scripture than myself please show where this doesn't make sense or if it does make sense, maybe more reason to think this way.
Blessings

[dizerner]

[user account removed]

[Choosethisday]

I'm not suggesting demons are in any way redeemable. And they are certainly enemies of the Kingdom. However, just as in wars this country has fought, with the civil war being a good example, our soldiers have found themselves on opposite sides of the lines from others who could have otherwise been good friends. Leaving aside the controversies of whether war is ethical, given the situation is quite different otherwise, would Jesus have felt sorrow at having to destroy a creature who, although an enemy, had been created to be a servant for the Kingdom and not an enemy?

[robbyyoung]

In Matthew 8:31 and the parallel passages in Mark in Luke is the story of the demons entreating Jesus to allow them to go into the swine instead of being cast out. At church Sunday a discussion came up about why Jesus would consent to this. I offered up the idea that perhaps Jesus, as the Creator of all things, including the demons, felt compassion for them. I argued that just as in other cases where Jesus felt sadness, He was moved by another example of the effect of the fall. I think that while Jesus thought of the demons as evil at the time He remembered what they had been created to be. Anyway, for the many of you here who have displayed much greater wisdom and knowledge of Scripture than myself please show where this doesn't make sense or if it does make sense, maybe more reason to think this way.
Blessings

Hi Choosethisday,

This is an interesting question. The Book of Enoch sheds some light on these beings and who they are. They are the offsprings of Angels and earthly women. The flood destroyed them and they became disembodied spirits, to walk the earth forever. This would explain why they need bodies deseparately and Yeshua at least granted them temporary relief through animals.

I haven't thought the whole matter out, just thought I mention this quickly.

God Bless.

[Paidion]

Origen believed that all rational beings are redeemable—even Satan.


Origen (185-255)

The Reconciliation of All things to God (Including the Devil!)

The restoration to unity must not be imagined as a sudden happening. Rather it is to be thought of as gradually effected by stages during the passing of countless ages. Little by little and individually the correction and purification will be accomplished. Some will lead the way and climb to the heights with swifter progress, others following right behind them; yet others will be far behind. Thus multitudes of individuals and countless orders will advance and reconcile themselves to God, who once were enemies; and so at length the last enemy will be reached. ... De Principiis, III.vi.6

Through His Repentance, the Devil Shall Be Destroyed

When it is said that ‘the last enemy shall be destroyed’, it is not to be understood as meaning that his substance, which is God's creation, perishes, but that his purpose and hostile will perishes; for this does not come from God but from himself. Therefore his destruction means not his ceasing to exist but ceasing to be an enemy and ceasing to be death. Nothing is impossible to omnipotence; there is nothing that cannot be healed by its Maker. De Principiis, 1.vi.1-4

The Remedial Judgments of God

[Isa. I. II ... 'the fire which you have kindled'.] This seems to indicate that the individual sinner kindles the flame of his persona! fire and that he is not plunged into some fire kindled by another, ... God acts in dealing with sinners as a physician ... the fury of his anger is profitable for the purging of souls. Even that penalty which is said to be imposed by way of fire is understood as applied to assist a sinner to health ...[cf. Isa. xlvii. 14,15, x. 17, Ixvi. 16; Mal. iii. 3]De Principiis, II.x.4,6

[Singalphile]

Yes, it's strange to us.

I believe this was a stark visual lesson to the Jewish people to whom were spread the story, of their lack of fulfilling their side of the covenant, the swine representing the unclean things the country had allowed in her midst and the ways it had transgressed the law, thus bringing in the judgment upon their flesh, just as Jesus had no personal hatred for a perfectly nice fig tree yet felt fit to use this fallen creation as a parable of God's divorce from his people. (Some commentaries indicate the region may have been a wealthy one, which would add to the contrast.)

Something like that makes the most sense to me. It certainly does illustrate how destructive evil is; the pigs were promptly destroyed. Jesus, knowing that, might have allowed it to demonstrate that lesson. Evil can destroy us too if we let it. We must be alert and faithful (1 Peter 5:8-9).

[TheEditor]

Compared to the way the pigs would have been slaughtered (the manner, no "kosher kills" for them) and then sold to Gentiles to eat, the drowning was probably more merciful.

Regards, Brenden.

[Choosethisday]

"drowning was probably more merciful."

So, once again, was Jesus showing compassion to the pigs?

[Choosethisday]

I meant demons, not "pigs"

[TheEditor]

I was referring to the pigs. But what do I know about demons? I think there seems to be at least a kind of "giving a dying man a drink of water" kindness to what Jesus did, though. After all, the demons begged to be allowed to enter the swine, so there must be some kind of release or satisfaction in doing so. And, Jesus let them.

Regards, Brenden.