Gospel reading for 7/4/18

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Why do you think the people ask Jesus to leave? My guess they wanted to keep eating swine.
 
A snippet from the Haydock:
Ver. 34. That he would depart from their coasts. St. Jerome thinks these people did this out of a motive of humility, looking upon themselves unworthy of his presence: others judge that the loss of the swine made them apprehend lest Christ, being a Jew, might do them greater damages. (Witham) — The fear lest his presence might cause them some fresh loss, seems to have overbalanced, in their estimation, the advantages they might have expected from his visit. (Bible de Vence)…
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My first thought was that they were afraid of the power Jesus demonstrated and that some harm might come to them if he stayed.
 
A person’s herd was important to them economically. I think they asked him to leave out of worry that their herd would be the next to drown itself, costing them a substantial amount of money and maybe their livelihood.
 
I assumed they were Jews. I didn’t think Jesus was reaching out to gentiles yet.
 
Jesus sent the Apostles and Disciples out to preach to the Jews, first, because they were the ones that were given the Promise of Abraham. However, there are many instances in the Gospels where Jesus also spoke to Gentiles, including the woman at the well (a Samaritan), and even cured them or members of their family (or household), like the Roman Centurion who came to Him because he believed that Jesus could help him. So, I don’t think it’s impossible to believe that He also preached to other Gentiles, especially if they were nearby.
 
If your sole means of livelihood was suddenly decimated by a wandering preacher with a Messianic complex (or so you thought of him) you’d probably beg him to leave, too. Or, today, call the cops to have him arrested.
 
mrsdizzyd said:
St. Jerome thinks these people did this out of a motive of humility, looking upon themselves unworthy of his presence
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It’s possible that those people might have had roots in Judaism, but had fallen away from it’s practice and lived among the Gentiles for generations. It would make sense that if they were related to the Jews and were keeping pigs, that they might be embarrassed (because they felt guilty about it) and afraid of Jesus approaching them. Just a thought.
 
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The two possibilities seem to be both right - (1) Jesus destroyed their economy and (2) they were embarrassed of their waywardness in the presence of a man of God.

Perhaps it speaks about us as well often times. We had a chance to straighten our lives but chose to reject it due to not wanting to pay the cost or we just do not want to change from our old way of lives.
 
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