What was likely to happen to a good Jewish disciple in the Gentile country of Decapolis? If he ordered fish
for lunch it would likely be catfish from the lake. That was probably the fish that the Jews threw away
(Matt 13:48). If he ordered other meat, it might turn out to be pork. In both cases, a good Jewish disciple
would be defiled by eating forbidden food (Lev 11:7-9). It is likely that the Prodigal Son of Y‘shua‘s famous
parable found himself in the Decapolis. There, he finally became so hungry that he agreed to herd swine and
was ready to eat their food. Jewish people didn‘t normally herd swine.
Y‘shua probably got his disciples into the boat and they headed for the area of Kursi in the edge of the
Decapolis. As the boat docked, Y‘shua immediately confronted the demon-possessed man, named ―Legion‖.
Although this man was possessed with "legions" of demons, Y‘shua quickly delivered him and cast them all
out. The Gospel accounts tell us how the demons begged to go into the swine and Y‘shua accommodated
them. The herd of about 2,000 swine then ran violently down into the sea and were all drowned.
The miracle
The site of this miracle has undergone some debate, especially with the mentioning of the country of the
Geresenes in Matt 8:28 and the Gadarenes in Luke 8:26 in connection with this miracle. In the Fifth and
Sixth Centuries, a Christian church was built to mark the spot of the biblical location. However, the church
was lost to history until it was uncovered by the building of a new road in 1970. Archaeological excavations
continued at the site from 1970-74. Around the vicinity of the church, caves are still visible—no doubt like the
ones the demon-possessed man frequented. There is also a mountain that drops down into the sea. It is the
only place in the whole area where a mountain actually extends down to the seashore.
After this astounding miracle, the previously demon-possessed man sat at the feet of Y‘shua. He was now
clothed and in his right mind. As Y‘shua was about to depart, this man begged Y‘shua that he might go with
Him and become a disciple. It is interesting what Y‘shua replied to this eager follower: ―Return home and tell
how much God has done for you...." (Luke 8:39). The man obeyed and returned to minister among his own
people, the Gentiles.
Jews and Gentiles
We might ask what would have happened had this man gotten into the boat with the twelve? They may have
done back-flips out of the boat and into the water. The reason: they had no close association with the
Gentiles.
We see that great crowds followed Y‘shua in the Gospel accounts. Some of the people in these crowds were
from Decapolis and other Gentile areas. They overheard the Good News that Y‘shua was proclaiming to the
Jews. However, at this point, the Gospel was delivered primarily to the Jews.
At the close of his ministry, some Greeks came seeking Y‘shua (John 12:20 ff.). Their request seems on the
surface to be a simple one—just to see Y‘shua. We would suppose that such a request would bring joy to the
disciples and to Y‘shua. However, we see that Philip and Andrew struggled with the request. Finally they
timidly brought it to Y‘shua. It is interesting that Y‘shua apparently never answered the Greeks. Instead, He
began to speak about his approaching crucifixion and resurrection. Only after these events would the door
be finally opened to the Gentiles who would come into covenant.
One writer has remarked about this dilemma in the early church, saying: "In the first century, the most
heated, controversial, doctrinal issue of all that the church faced was: ̳How do the Gentiles fit into all
this?‘...Today the most heated, controversial, doctrinal issue that the church faces is: ̳How do the Jews fit
into all this?‘" (Daniel Gruber, The Church and the Jews The Biblical Relationship, General Council of the
Assemblies of God, Springfield, MO, 1991, page 2)
The episode at Kursi illustrates clearly that Y‘shua came first of all to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. It
was true then and it is true today that the first job of the Messiah is always to save and care for Israel. The
second job is to save and bring in the Gentiles with Israel, and ultimately to unite the two. Over the years, the
church has somehow gotten the whole thing backwards.