15. And they come to Jesus--Matthew
(Mt 8:34)
says, "Behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus."
and see him that was possessed with the devil--the demonized person.
and had the legion, sitting--"at the feet of Jesus," adds Luke
(Lu 8:35);
in contrast with his former wild and wandering habits.
and clothed--As our Evangelist had not told us that he "ware no
clothes," the meaning of this statement could only have been conjectured
but for "the beloved physician"
(Lu 8:27),
who supplies the missing piece of information here. This is a striking
case of what are called Undesigned Coincidences amongst the
different Evangelists; one of them taking a thing for granted, as
familiarly known at the time, but which we should never have known but
for one or more of the others, and without the knowledge of which some
of their statements would be unintelligible. The clothing which the
poor man would feel the want of the moment his consciousness returned
to him, was doubtless supplied to him by some of the Twelve.
and in his right mind--but now, oh, in what a lofty sense! (Compare
an analogous, though a different kind of case,
Da 4:34-37).
and they were afraid--Had this been awe only, it had been natural
enough; but other feelings, alas! of a darker kind, soon showed
themselves.
JFB.
Picture Study Bible