Why did Jesus reject the demonized man as a disciple?

info All commentaries are written by volunteers, readers, or supporters of our Bible translation project. These are not official views of our project; we are not a religious denomination and we do not establish doctrine. These commentaries reflect a variety of views and some disagree with each other.

In the account found at Luke 8:26-39, Jesus encountered a man that was possessed by many demons, which he thereafter cast out of him and sent into a nearby herd of pigs. Then as Jesus was leaving, the man asked Jesus if he could come with him (become one of Jesus’ disciples). However, Jesus told him no, and to just return to his town and tell the people there what had happened.

These actions of Jesus may seem strange to some, because he had never declined an offer for someone to become a disciple, nor did he want people spreading the news about his miracles.
So, why did he react so differently in this case?

Well, notice that the land where he did this was outside of the borders of IsraEl, in a Greek settlement called the DecaPolis (Ten Cities), near one city that may have been called Geras (since it was called the land of the Gerasenes). Therefore, the man was likely a gentile that lived in a gentile land (notice that they were herders of pigs, which were unclean animals to the Jews). And since Jesus’ commission from God was just for him to go to the Jews and the related Samaritans, this gentile would have been an inappropriate disciple in the land of IsraEl.