“What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high?”
The full verse · Luke 8:28 · KJV
he , he cried , fell down , with a , have to do , , thou of most ? I , .
Asked by
Demoniac: a man of the city who "had devils long time," wore no clothes, and lived in the tombs in the country of the Gadarenes (Luke 8:26-27); Demons: the unclean spirit in him, whom Jesus had commanded to come out, speaking through the man (Luke 8:29)
Asked to
Jesus: the Son of God, who had just crossed the lake and stepped ashore in the country of the Gadarenes (Luke 8:26-27)
The Scene
As soon as Jesus steps ashore in the country of the Gadarenes, He is met by a man from the city who "had devils long time," wore no clothes, and lived in the tombs (Luke 8:26-27).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionLuke gives the reason for the outcry: "For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man" (Luke 8:29). The spirit knew exactly who Jesus was and feared what He would do. Barnes, on the parallel in Matthew, says the question could be read, "What hast thou to do with us?" and that "the meaning is 'Why dost thou trouble or disturb us?'" It is a plea to be left alone. Matthew Henry observes, "They do not say, I beseech thee, save me, but only, Torment me not."
The Response
What Scripture recordsJesus did not leave. He asked, "What is thy name?" and the answer was "Legion: because many devils were entered into him" (Luke 8:30). The devils begged Him not to command them "to go out into the deep" and asked to enter a herd of swine, "And he suffered them" (Luke 8:31-32). The herd ran down into the lake and was choked (Luke 8:33). When the people came out, they found the man "sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind" (Luke 8:35).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsThe man's condition was severe. He had been "kept bound with chains and in fetters," but "he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness" (Luke 8:29). Barnes, on the parallel in Mark 5, describes these as the marks of a madman: a wretched outcast, strong and dangerous.
"Most high" translates hypsistou, a superlative: the highest. "Torment" is basanizō. Thayer's lexicon says it meant "properly, to test (metals) by the touchstone," and then "to torture" or "to vex with grievous pains (of body or mind), to torment." Matthew records the demons asking, "art thou come hither to torment us before the time?" (Matthew 8:29), and Barnes explains that "the time" is "the day of judgment."
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyLuke places this cry right after the disciples asked, "What manner of man is this!" (Luke 8:25). The unclean spirit answers that question at once: "Jesus, thou Son of God most high." Yet knowing who Jesus is did not draw the spirit to Him. Henry says devils "have neither inclination to do service to Christ nor expectation to receive benefit by him." Knowing the truth about Jesus is not the same as trusting Him.
The spirit wanted Jesus to stay away, but Jesus did not turn back. By the end of the story the one who lived among the tombs sits at Jesus' feet and is sent home to "shew how great things God hath done unto thee" (Luke 8:39). Luke then says he told "how great things Jesus had done unto him" (Luke 8:39).
Look Closer
Why did the man cry out, "torment me not"?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord Jesus, You met the man from the tombs and set him free; what chains in my life, or in the lives of people I love, are You ready to break?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- The spirit knew exactly who Jesus was and still wanted Him to go away. How is knowing facts about Jesus different from trusting Him?
- The freed man went home and told how great things Jesus had done. Share a great thing God has done for you or for someone you know.
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
This man was not beyond the reach of Jesus. He lived among the tombs, broke every chain, and was driven into the wilderness (Luke 8:27, 29). Jesus did not turn away from him. That gives hope when you pray for people whose lives seem hopeless.
The story also warns against a faith that only knows the right words. The unclean spirit called Jesus "Son of God most high" but begged Him to stay away. True faith comes close, like the freed man who sat at Jesus' feet and then went to tell others (Luke 8:35, 39). Notice too that the spirits plead before Jesus, not the other way around (Luke 8:31-32). He is not threatened by any power that holds a person.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
“What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God?”
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