What does Luke 8:33 mean?
A horde of demons (Luke 8:27–32) has agreed to Jesus' demands to leave their victim. Yet they have negotiated a transition into a herd of about two thousand pigs (Mark 5:13). This passage leaves many unanswered questions: Why did Jesus allow the demons to enter the pigs? Why did the pigs—who are good swimmers—drown, at all? Did they choose to go into the water to try to shake off the demons or did the demons drive them? What happened to the demons after the pigs drowned? We aren't told.Another common question is why Jesus thought the pigs deserved this kind of death. There's no reason to think He did, or that there was malice in His choice. Scholars have many speculations as to why Jesus allows the pigs to be possessed and destroyed. Some brush them off as unclean animals, whose lives don't matter. Others see a public announcement that the man has been healed. Others note that people are more important than animals. The truth is, we don't know the exact reasoning involved.
While not an explicit reason, some perspective is gained by looking at how God created Adam and Eve. He commissioned them to "have dominion over…every living thing that moves on the earth" (Genesis 1:28). When God created us in His image and left us on earth, it was as His representatives: to rule in His place. When we sin, that which we have authority over suffers (Genesis 3:17–19). Romans 8:19–22 says "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now." It's unclear if this man became possessed because of his own sin or the sin of his culture that enticed demons to act. But because of sin, this man was possessed and during his rescue, animals were harmed.
Another thought is that although they are in the wilderness, a city is not far away. It would be better to lose a herd of pigs than allow thousands of demons to enter the city and attack the people.
It is interesting to note that not long before, Jesus had calmed the chaos of a fierce storm in the Sea of Galilee with a single statement. With the demons, violence returns to the Sea.
