Why did the Lord Jesus send the evil spirits into the swine? He could have sent them into the trees or the rocks, so why particularly into the swine? Not in order to do what the demons asked, but in order to teach men. Where there are swine, there is uncleanness, and the impure spirits love uncleanness; where it does not exist, they create it by force. Where is a little, they very quickly add to it, and soon make that little into much. When they settle within the purest man, they very quickly amass swinish impurity within him. By the swine’s rushing downhill and drowning in the sea, the Lord wanted to teach us how weak a defense voracity and gluttony are against diabolic powers, and to remind us about fasting. What do voracity and gluttony have to do with the swine? See how quickly the demonic power overcame them and drove them to destruction! So it is with voracious and gluttonous men, who think that they can, by gluttony, build up their strength. They do not, however, increase their strength in this way, but rather their weakness, both physical and spiritual.

We see here an even clearer teaching: how terrible the demons’ power is when God does not hold it in check. The demons, who had been in only two men, overcame, and drowned in a few moments, about two thousand pigs. But God held them there until Christ came—to show His power and authority over them; and then He let them go—to show the power of the demons. Were God to have allowed it, the demons would, in a few moments, have done with all men on earth as they did with the swine. But God loves mankind, and His limitless love holds us in life and protects us from our fiercest and most terrible foes.

12-13. Now when Jesus had heard that John had been handed over, He departed into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim. Jesus departs, teaching us not to throw ourselves into dangers. He departs into Galilee, which means "rolling down," for the Gentiles had rolled down into sin. He dwells in Capernaum, which means "house of comfort and consolation," because Christ came down from heaven to make the Gentiles the house of the Comforter. Zabulon means "nocturnal" and Nephthalim, "a broadening." The life of the Gentiles, therefore, was both dark and broad, for they were walking not the narrow way, but the way leading to destruction.

14-16. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; the people which sat in darkness saw a great light; and on them which sat in the region and shadow of death life hath dawned. By the way of the sea means "which is situated along the sea." The great light  is the Gospel; the law, too, was a light, but a smaller one. The shadow of death is sin, for sin is the likeness and silhouette of death. Just as death overpowers the body, so too does sin overpower the soul. The light has dawned on us, when we were not seeking it; it appeared to us as if it were pursuing us.

17. From that time Jesus began to preach and to say. From the time John was arrested, Jesus began to preach. Jesus waited for John to first bear witness to Him and to prepare the way for Him, in the same manner in which servants make preparations for their masters. Being equal to the Father, the Lord also had John as a prophet, just as God the Father had the prophets who were before John; yet in truth these were the prophets of both the Father and the Son. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The kingdom of heaven is Christ; it is also the life of virtue. When someone lives on earth as an angel, is he not heavenly? So also the kingdom of heaven is within each one of us when we live as angels.

Holy and divine instrument of wisdom, joyful trumpet of theology, with one accord we sing thy praises, O Gregory inspired by God. But since thou standest now in mind and spirit before the Original Mind, guide our minds to Him, O father, that we may cry to thee: Rejoice, preacher of grace!

Thou hast appeared on earth as an angelic messenger, proclaiming unto mortal men the mysteries of God. Endowed with a human mind and flesh, yet speaking with the voice of the bodiless powers, thou hast filled us with amazement, O saint inspired by God, and made us cry aloud to thee:   
    Rejoice, for through thee the darkness is dispelled:
    Rejoice, for through thee the light has returned.
    Rejoice, messenger of the uncreated Godhead:
    Rejoice, reprover of created folly.
    Rejoice, height impossible to climb, that tells us of God's nature:
    Rejoice, depth hard to scan, that speaks of His energy.
    Rejoice, for thou hast rightly proclaimed God's glory:
    Rejoice, for thou hast denounced the opinions of evildoers.
    Rejoice, torch that shows us the Sun:
    Rejoice, cup filled with nectar.
    Rejoice, for through thee the truth has shone forth:
    Rejoice, for through falsehood has been plunged in darkness.
    Rejoice, preacher of grace!
    (The Kontakion and Ikos of Matins)
 

Today He Who is in essence unapproachable, becomes approachable for me and suffers His Passion, delivering me from passions. He Who grants light unto the blind is spat upon by the mouths of the transgressors, and He gives His back to scourging for the sake of those that are held captive. When the pure Virgin, His Mother, saw Him on the Cross, she cried aloud in pain: “Woe is me my Child! What is this that Thou hast done? Thou Who was in beauty fairer than all mortal men, now appears without life and form, having neither shape nor comeliness. Woe is me, my Light! I cannot bear to look upon Thee sleeping, and I am wounded inwardly, a harsh sword has pierced my heart. I sing the praises of Thy Passion, I venerate Thy merciful kindness: O long suffering Lord, glory to Thee!”

(From the Glory, of the Praises at Matins)

The grace of truth has shone upon us; the mysteries darkly prefigured in the times of old have now been openly fulfilled. For behold, the Church is clothed in a beauty that surpasses all things earthly, through the icon of the incarnate Christ that was prefigured by the ark of testimony. This is the safeguard of the Orthodox faith; for if we hold fast to the icon of the Savior whom we worship, we shall not go astray. Let all who do not share this faith be covered with shame; but we shall glory in the icon of the Word made flesh, which we venerate but worship not as an idol. So let us kiss it, and with all the faithful cry aloud: O God, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.
(from Lord, I have cried, at Vespers)

Moses, in the season of abstinence, received the Law and proclaimed it to the people. Elijah by fasting closed the heavens; and the three children of Abraham through fasting overcame the lawless tyrant. Count us also worthy, O Christ, through fasting to attain the Feast of Thy Resurrection, as we cry aloud: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy on us.
(from Glory, of the Ninth Ode, at Matins)