Why the Pigs?

Ever wonder why the demons begged to enter into the pigs?

"And the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the pigs so that we may go into them!" - Mark 5:12

In Mark chapter 5 we see the story of a demon possessed man. He was so violent that no one could keep him confined. Jesus comes along and decides to cast the demons out of him. Before He does, however, the demons BEG Jesus to be cast into a nearby herd of pigs. Here lies a valuable pearl of wisdom that's too good to pass by. 

Demons prefer a host over roaming free. The Bible even alludes to this when it notes that when the demons roam and can't find a suitable place, they often return to where they feel welcomed. (And they seldom come back alone)

"Now when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through waterless (dry, arid) places in search of rest, but it does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came' And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there." - Matthew 12:43-45

Demons prefer a host because it's a hiding place. A place where they can operate in disguise. Making the people focus on the man, and not what's inside of the man. Their rest in essence is having company in their anguish and unrest. 

There is an in-depth reasoning why the demons didn't want to simply be cast out but cast INTO.

By entering the host, the Bible alludes that it caused this man pain.

" Night and day he was constantly screaming and shrieking among the tombs and on the mountains, and cutting himself with [sharp] stones." - Mark 5:5

By entering the host, the Bible alludes that it kept the man in constant states of confinement.

"For he had often been bound with shackles [for the feet] and with chains, and he tore apart the chains and broke the shackles into pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue and tame him." - Mark 5:4

By entering the host, the Bible alludes that it separated the man from his family, and all of society, keeping him in isolation.

 "And the man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with chains...Jesus did not let him [come], but [instead] He said to him, "Go home to your family..." - Mark 5:3 and 19b

By entering the host, the Bible alludes that the man caused a great deal of trouble for the region which is why they constantly wanted to confine him.

"And the man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with chains." - Mark 5:3

t's amazing the damage demons can do when we give them a host. This is because they can't create, they can only manipulate. Mind you a host's job is to make their guests feel comfortable. When we become comfortable with sin in our lives, we invite demons in to begin manipulating everything from our thoughts to our actions, and these behavioral changes impact others around us. 

Notice they begged not to leave the region as well?

"And he began begging Him repeatedly not to send them out of the region." - Mark 5:10

This is an important part. They already knew the footholds of the people nearby, not just the man they possessed. They knew that by entering the 2,000 pigs and sending the herd off a cliff to drown them one by one would cause an economic decline for the region. That number of pigs could possibly be worth more than $60,000 or more in today's modern world - which would be like an entire year's worth of a salary. This would also cause fear to arise as well, and this fear and loss would lead the people to be angry, and they wouldn't want Jesus there anymore.

"So the people began to beg with Jesus to leave their region." - Mark 5:17

Demons want a host because they do more damage with one than alone. The Bible says the town folk were frightened when they saw the wild man in his right mind. "They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the man who [previously] had the "legion" [of demons]; and they were frightened." - Mark 5:15

This is key. They had grown so comfortable with the demonic that freedom was scarier than their idea of controlled chaos. So even though Jesus had cast the demons out of the man tormenting the region, the region cast Jesus out for bringing a freedom that cost them something more than they were willing and ready to give up: their comfortability. Comfortability will always cost you something. This is why Satan thrives off stagnant believers, and why Jesus consistently calls us to change and growth.

"but grow [spiritually mature] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ..." - 2 Peter 3:18

"...and grow in respect to salvation [its ultimate fulfillment]" - 1 Peter 2:2

"...and it continues [to increase] growing into a holy temple in the Lord..." - Ephesians 2:21

"...let us grow up in all things into Him..." - Ephesians 4:15

The truth was the pigs was a strategic move to take Jesus away from an environment that was comfortable with the demonic activity, as long as it didn't threaten what they loved, or better yet idolized. They didn't want change if it cost them anything. I see so many people falling into this category on a daily basis. Scared of change. Scared of letting things go. Scared of a fresh start. Scared of freedom because they grew comfortable with the chains. No different then the Israelites who longed for Egypt when the wilderness was hard, we too reject the hard adjustments when its freedom takes away what we were comfortable with.  

Sincerely Selena