The aim
Satan's aim is to reduce humanity to a state of prostration so that it will ultimately let itself fall into an abyss of self-destruction, just as the herd of swine described in the Gospel. And how does Satan achieve his goal? What is his favorite persuasive system? What is his favorite system of corruption? Satan's system is both simple as well as complex. Satan knows that all human life depends solely on man's relationship with God as it determines absolutely everything with regard to man's life as far as his relationship with himself, with others, and with nature are concerned. Knowing this, Satan must operate in any possible way to ruin the relationship between man and God. One of the main ways to achieve his goal is to keep humanity in a state of profound ignorance and fear of God and His true image as long as possible. Religions and traditional forms of religiosity are very useful to this aim. Another very effective way is to ruin every loving relationship with God by turning true faith and spirituality into magic forms of spiritism, witchcraft, magic and sorcery. Another of Satan's favorite and no less functional ways is to instigate man to doubt not so much and not only about God's existence, but about God’s love for humanity and His concern for humanity's destiny and happiness. Satan is the undisputed master in knowing how to insinuate into the human mind the suspicion that God does not love us and does not really provide for us or care about us. When Jesus encounters the two demoniacs described in this Gospel text, He not only meets them but all the people living in the Gadarenes area who, without knowing it, were already under the yoke and dominion of Satan. Jesus faces not only the terrible madness of the two demoniacs but also the appalling ignorance and fear of that population that had no relationship with God and lived unknowingly in slavery, despair, and desolation. The herd of swine, which rushes down into the sea to drown in the abyss, is the perfect image of what will happen to that population if they do not change their spiritual and mental orientation towards God. Indeed their orientation is so deteriorated and conflictual that they beg Jesus to leave their district.