FRAMEWORKS:
Luke's Gospel, Chapter 8
For
preliminaries see chapter 1
v.1-3
Jesus' travels and his women supporters
v.4-8
The Parable of the Sower told
v.9-15
The Parable of the Sower explained
v.16-18
A Lamp on a Stand
v.19-21
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
v.22-25
Jesus Calms the Storm
v.26-39
Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man
v.40-42
Jairus asks for help
v.43-48
A sick woman is healed
v.49-56
Jesus raises Jairus's daughter
v.1-3
Jesus' travels and his women supporters
v.1,2
(Jesus continues
his itinerant ministry with his disciples and some grateful women)
After
this, Jesus travelled about from one town and village to another,
proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were
with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits
and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had
come out;
v.3
(the women helped
support Jesus) Joanna
the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna;
and many others. These women were helping to support them out
of their own means.
v.4-8
The Parable of the Sower told
v.4
(a large crowd
gathers again) While
a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from
town after town, he told this parable:
v.5
(he tells a
story about a farmer sowing seed) “A
farmer went out to sow his seed. (
seed 1- eaten by birds) As
he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled
on, and the birds ate it up.
v.6
(seed 2 – withered
on rocky ground) Some
fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered
because they had no moisture.
v.7 (seed
3 – chocked by weeds) Other
seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.
v.8
(seed
4 – on good soil, very fruitful) Still
other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a
hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called
out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
v.9-15
The Parable of the Sower explained
v.9
(the disciples
ask for an explanation) His
disciples asked him what this parable meant.
v.10
(as close disciples
they get the meaning, others won't understand parables) He
said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has
been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that,
“‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they
may not understand.'[Isa
6:9]
v.11
(the farmer's
seed is God's word) “This
is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.
v.12
(the first seed
is taken by the devil) Those
along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes
and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not
believe and be saved.
v.13
(the seed on
rock has no root and withers – short-term believers) Those
on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy
when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while,
but in the time of testing they fall away.
v.14
(the seed among
thorns are chocked – those whose believes are overcome by worldly
worries) The
seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as
they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches
and pleasures, and they do not mature.
v.15
(the good ground
represents good hearts and hold the word and produce fruit)
But
the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart,
who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
[Notes
for meditation on v.15: what is a 'noble and good heart'? how
do we 'retain' what we hear or read? Why do we need to 'persevere'
and how do we achieve that?]
v.16-18
A Lamp on a Stand
v.16
(another illustration:
light is to be put where it can be seen) “No
one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under
a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come
in can see the light.
v.17
(everything
will eventually be revealed) For
there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing
concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.
v.18
(be careful:
if you have an open heart, you'll receive more, but if not, even
the understanding you have will be lost in confusion) Therefore
consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more;
whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be
taken from them.”
v.19-21
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
v.19
(Jesus' family
turn up) Now
Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not
able to get near him because of the crowd.
v.20
(Jesus is told
about this) Someone
told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting
to see you.”
v.21
(he takes the
opportunity to say all who obey God's word are his family)
He
replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word
and put it into practice.”
v.22-25
Jesus Calms the Storm
v.22
(Jesus leads
the disciples to cross the lake) One
day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other
side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out.
v.23
(he sleeps in
the boat while a storm comes up) As
they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so
that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
v.24
(the disciples
are afraid so he calms the storm) The
disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we're going
to drown!”
He
got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided,
and all was calm.
v.25
(he challenges
their faith) “Where
is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement
they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds
and the water, and they obey him.”
v.26-39
Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man
v.26
(they land on
the other side) They
sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake
from Galilee.
v.27
(they are ‘greeted'
by a demoniac) When
Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from
the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived
in a house, but had lived in the tombs.
v.28
(he pleads with
Jesus) When
he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the
top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the
Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!”
v.29
(Jesus commands
his release) For
Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man.
Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and
foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been
driven by the demon into solitary places.
v.30
(yet there is
resistance (implied) and Jesus enquires of the demons) Jesus
asked him, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, because
many demons had gone into him.
v.31
(the demons
beg not to be sent to hell) And
they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the
Abyss.
v.32
(they ask to
be allowed to go into some nearby pigs) A
large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons
begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission.
v.33
(Jesus permits
this) When
the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the
herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
v.34-36
(the keepers
of the pigs were upset) When
those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and
reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went
out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found
the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet,
dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who
had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been
cured.
v.37
(the
people of that locality ask Jesus to leave [he is upsetting their
possibly illicit trade in pigs – forbidden food for Jews])
Then
all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave
them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the
boat and left.
v.38
(the delivered
man want to go with them) The
man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but
Jesus sent him away, saying,
v.39
(but Jesus tells
him to go home and be a testimony to him) “Return
home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went
away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.
v.40-42
Jairus asks for help
v.40
(on their return,
crowds are waiting) Now
when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting
him.
v.41,42
(synagogue leader,
Jairus, pleased for his dying daughter) Then
a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus'
feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only
daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.
As
Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.
v.43-48
A sick woman is healed
v.43
(in the crowd
is a long-term ill woman) And
a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve
years, but no one could heal her.
v.44
(she touches
Jesus and is healed) She
came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately
her bleeding stopped.
v.45
(Jesus questioned
who touched him, and Peter questions him) “Who
touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said,
“Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”
v.46
(Jesus knew
power had left him) But
Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out
from me.”
v.47
(the woman confesses)
Then
the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling
and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told
why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed.
v.48
(Jesus blesses
her) Then
he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
v.49-56
Jesus raises Jairus's daughter
v.49
(meanwhile news
comes that Jairus's daughter is now dead) While
Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus,
the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don't
bother the teacher anymore.”
v.50
(Jesus challenges
the news) Hearing
this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don't be afraid; just believe, and
she will be healed.”
v.51
(when he gets
to their house he sends the crowd out) When
he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in
with him except Peter, John and James, and the child's father
and mother.
v.52
(Jesus tells
the mourners to stop wailing) Meanwhile,
all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,”
Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”
v.53
(they laugh
– she IS dead) They
laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.
v.54
(he raises her
up) But
he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!”
v.55
(she is restored)
Her
spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them
to give her something to eat.
v.56
(her parents
are amazed) Her
parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone
what had happened.