DAY 189
CHALLENGE
“Jesus purposelessly destroyed another man’s property by allowing demons to enter a herd of pigs, causing it to drown in the Sea of Galilee.”
DEFENSE
Jesus had reasons for this act; it was not a purposeless destruction of property.
First, Jesus did not destroy the pigs. In freeing a man from demonic possession, he allowed the demons to enter a herd of pigs. These de- mons had caused self-destructive behavior in the possessed man (Mark 5:5), and they apparently began tormenting the pigs, which tried to flee and unintentionally stampeded downhill into the sea (Mark 5:13).
This may have been a foreseeable result, but foreseeing something is not the same as causing it. Jesus granted the demons’ request to enter the pigs, and the demons thwarted their own plan to live in the pigs by tormenting them so that they stampeded and died, revealing the self-destructive nature of evil.
Second, foreseeable events that have negative consequences can be morally justified for an adequate reason. That was the case here, be- cause the event taught multiple valuable lessons.
The owners of the pigs, and the people in the region where this occurred, were Gentiles. Although the pigs’ owners suffered economic loss, they stood to gain vastly more in terms of spiritual wealth. The death of the pigs provided a vivid demonstration of Jesus’ spiritual authority and his role in God’s plan. By allowing the demons to go into the pigs, the exorcism was accompanied by a forceful and memorable demonstration of God’s power and of his compassion for the demoniac. The fact that the demons seized control of a herd of 2,000 pigs showed just what kind of spiritual oppression the man was suffering, and yet Jesus was able to free him.
This revealed the power and love of the true God to the Gentile natives. It showed them that the true God could free them from even the most powerful manifestations of evil. It also showed them that the God of the Jews loves and has compassion for Gentiles.
The spiritual value of these lessons—which could bring souls to God—greatly exceeded the economic value of the pigs. Had Jesus not granted the demons’ request, the lessons would not be underlined in the unforgettable way they are.
TIP
For more on this event, see Jimmy Akin, Mark: A Commentary.