Luke 8:38

And he besought him etc. Here fourthly is described the benevolence of the healed man in his obedience, which the Evangelist commends on four grounds, namely from the offering of service, from the condescension of the Physician, from the commission of office, and from the …

As for Matthew saying that two were cured from the legion of demons, while Mark and Luke mention only one, understand that one of them was a more notable and famous person, whom that region especially grieved for and whose salvation they greatly desired. The …

And the man from whom the demons had gone out begged him that he might be with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your home, and tell how much God has done for you." These words can be rightly understood from the …

Now the man out of whom the devils were departed,.... Sensible of the power of Christ, and of the favour he had received from him, was of a quite different mind from his countrymen: and besought him that he might be with him; See Gill on Mar 5:18. But Jesus sent him away; from him, into the country: saying, as follows.

We see in this passage, two requests made to our Lord Jesus Christ. They were widely different one from the other, and were offered by people of widely different character. We see, moreover — how these requests were received by our Lord Jesus Christ. In either case, the request received a most remarkable answer. The whole passage is singularly instructive. Let us observe, in the first place — that the Gadarenes besought our Lord to depart from them, and their request was granted. We read these painfully solemn words — "Then all the people of the region of the Gadarenes begged Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left." Why did these unhappy men want the Son of God to leave them? Why, after the amazing miracle of mercy which had just been wrought among them — did they feel no wish to know more of Him who wrought it? Why, in a word — did they become their own enemies, forsake their own mercies, and shut the door against the Gospel? There is but one answer to these questions. The Gadarenes loved the world, and the things of the world — and were determined not to give them up! They felt convinced, in their own consciences, that they could not receive Christ among them and keep their sins — and they were resolved to keep their sins! They saw, at a glance, that there was something about Jesus with which their habits of life would never agree — and having to choose between the new ways and their own old ones, they refused the new — and chose the old. And why did our Lord Jesus Christ grant the request of the Gadarenes, and leave them? He did it in judgment — to testify His sense of the greatness of their sin. He did it to show how great is the wickedness of those who willfully reject the truth.