And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their region.
All Commentaries on Matthew 8:34 Go To Matthew 8
Chromatius of Aquileia
AD 407
The town from which they came to meet the Lord, asking him to leave their district, represents the synagogue, which did not want to receive the Lord and Savior of the human race even after witnessing his divine power. He therefore returned to his own town. Because he was rejected by the synagogue, he came to his church, which is properly called the city of Christ. On seeing him, the Gerasenes entreated the Lord to depart from their district. Such people are also found among us. Out of faithlessness they compel the Lord and Savior of the world to depart from the district of their hearts, for according to Scripture, “the Holy Spirit will not enter a perverse soul or dwell in a body enslaved to sin.”
