and now, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
In this passage, the residents of the city, after hearing what the swineherds reported, come out to meet Jesus. Although Jesus performed a great miracle by freeing the demon-possessed men from evil spirits, the people of the city ask him to leave their region. This response may express their fear, both of Jesus’ power and because of the lost pigs, which was a financial loss for them. This situation shows that, despite the miracle Jesus did and the liberation of people, some are more concerned about their material losses and their fear of the unknown. They are not ready to accept Jesus’ presence, but prefer that he leave their region. Or perhaps these people were not able, or did not want, to understand the true meaning of Jesus’ power.