There is a rather familiar story in the gospel of Luke about Jesus healing the man with many demons (Legion). As I read the story again I noticed something funny/profound. Here's the part of the story that caught my attention, Luke 8:30" Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged him not to command them to depart into ithe abyss. 32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into jthe lake and were drowned." So here's the funny/profound: The demons beg Jesus not to send them into the abyss. The abyss is the place where demons are sent and they can't escape and cause more trouble. In Jewish thinking bodies of water, especially large bodies of water like the Sea of Galilee=the abyss. So the demons beg Jesus not to send them into the abyss, Jesus agrees and sends them into the pigs, the demons respond by sending themselves into the abyss (the Sea of Galilee). Two things: 1. those reading this in Luke's day must have gotten a huge laugh 2. This shows us that evil while truly destructive is also truly dumb--it eventually brings about its own destruction.
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