This was the first test of the faith of the Apostles, and they turned out to be of little faith: sailing with Jesus Christ, they were frightened by the storm and imagined that they could perish, and when the wind and the sea instantly obeyed the command of Christ, they were perplexed in great fear and asked one another: Who is this, that both the wind and the sea obey Him? According to Matthew, this was said by people, probably boatmen, who were not among the disciples of Jesus according to the stories of Mark and Luke, and so did the disciples.

"You swim across the sea of this life (says Augustine), and the wind rises, storms and temptations overtake you. Why is this, if not because Jesus falls asleep in you? If He had not slept in you, you would have enjoyed inner silence. What does it mean that Jesus falls asleep in you, if not that in your heart the faith of Jesus is dormant? What must you do to deliver yourself? Awaken Him and say: Teacher! We are perishing! He will awaken, that is, faith will return to you and abide in you. When Christ awakens, then even in the midst of stormy turmoil the water will not flood your ship, your faith will command the winds and waves, and the danger will pass."

The Healing of the Possessed in the Land of the Gadarenes

Continuing to sail to the other side, Jesus and his disciples sailed to the land of the Gadarenes, lying on the eastern shore of the lake. This country Luke calls the Gadarene country, after the city of Gadara that was located in it, and Matthew calls it the country of Gergesene, after the name of another city of Gerges; both of these cities were among the cities of the Decapolis.

Those who came ashore were met by a demoniac man, a man possessed by an unclean spirit. The Evangelists Mark and Luke speak of one demon-possessed, and the Evangelist Matthew of two (Matt. 8:28). In this, in the opinion of Chrysostom, there is no disagreement: the disagreement between the Evangelists would arise only when Mark and Luke said that there was only one demonic, and there was no other; but when one speaks of two, and the others of one, this is not a sign of disagreement, but only shows a different way of narration.

Considering the narrations of all the Evangelists to be absolutely true, we must admit that there were two demon-possessed, but since one of them was especially ferocious, and the other, in comparison with the first, remained barely noticed, Mark and Luke mention only one, as the most remarkable. He possessed extraordinary, inhuman strength: he broke chains and broke fetters; Many times he was bound with fetters and chains, but each time without success, as a result of which he was left to the mercy of fate. He lived in mountain caves called coffins, because in such or similar artificial caves the dead were buried. In terrible agony he cried out day and night, in despair he beat himself against the stones, and with his frantic cries he struck such fear into all the inhabitants of the neighbourhood that no one dared to go the way by which he could meet him.

What did this sufferer do when he saw Jesus and His disciples coming out of the boat to the shore? The Evangelist Matthew, who speaks briefly about this event, testifies that two demoniacs, seeing Jesus, cried out: "What have we to do with you, Jesus, Son of God? Thou hast come hither before the time to torment us. The Evangelist Mark narrates the same event in the following way: when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped Him, and cried out with a loud voice, saying, "What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure Thee by God, do not torment me! For, the Evangelist explains, Jesus said to him: "Come out, you unclean spirit, out of this man." The Evangelist Luke recounts this event in full agreement with the Evangelist Mark: when He saw Jesus, He cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech Thee, do not torment me. (Luke 8:28). For, Luke also explains, Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to come out of this man (Luke 8:29).

Recognizing the narratives of all three Evangelists as unconditionally true, we consider it possible to accept the following sequence of events narrated by the Evangelists. Seeing Jesus from afar, the demoniac cried out: "What have you to do with us, Jesus, the Son of God? Thou hast come hither before the time to torment us. Then, one of the two demoniacs, the one whom no one could tame, ran up, fell down before Him, that is, Jesus, and worshipped Him. Jesus said, "Come out, you unclean spirit, out of this man." Then the demoniac cried out and said with a loud voice: "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure (or beseech) Thee by God, do not torment me.

Having established the sequence of all that has happened, let us answer the question: is it possible to ascribe everything done and said by the possessed person to himself, as a freely acting person?

Одичалый, давно удалившийся в пустынные прибрежные скалы, живший в пещерах, не имевший к тому же никаких сношений с людьми, не мог, конечно, знать ни о явлении Христа, ни о том, Кто Он. Между тем, только что увидев Его, он называет Его Иисусом, Сыном Божиим, и с упреком кричит Ему, зачем Он пришел преждевременно мучить его; затем подбегает к Нему, падает пред Ним на колени, кланяется Ему и как бы просит избавить его от чего-то ужасного. А когда Иисус повелел нечистому духу выйти из него, то он вместо благодарности громким голосом говорит: что Тебе до меня, Иисус, Сын Бога Всевышнего? умоляю Тебя, не мучь меня!