And they began to beg Jesus to leave their region.
This is the most painful response of those people. They did not ask Christ to remain longer and do more good among them. Nor did they ask Him to teach or heal them as well. Instead, they begged Him to leave. Why? Commentators point out that their hearts were bound more to their possessions, to their seemingly peaceful order, and to their familiar condition than to the holy presence of God. The coming of Christ disturbed the ordinary course of their region, and they preferred to live their former life rather than receive the power of God. This is a tragic picture of the human heart. When earthly profit becomes more precious than the divine presence, a person may ask even the Savior Himself to depart. This verse is a serious warning to people not to cling to things that can drive them away from the presence of Christ, but to be ready to receive Him, even when it strikes their false securities.