Those who hear the word of God and do it

Luke Chapter 8

LUKE 08:1-56

[1] Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, [2] and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, [3] and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means.

4 When a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable: 5 “The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the birds of the air ate it up. 6 Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. 8 Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great.” As He said these things, He would call out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

9 His disciples began questioning Him as to what this parable meant. 10 And He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.

11 “Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. 12 Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. 14 The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. 15 But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.

16 “Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light. 17 For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light. 18 So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.”

19 And His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd. 20 And it was reported to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You.” 21 But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

22 Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out. 23 But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. 24 They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. 25 And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”

26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. 28 Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.” 29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert. 30 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. 31 They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss.

32 Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and the demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission. 33 And the demons came out of the man and entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

34 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and out in the country. 35 The people went out to see what had happened; and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. 36 Those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. 37 And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to leave them, for they were gripped with great fear; and He got into a boat and returned. 38 But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might accompany Him; but He sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

40 And as Jesus returned, the people welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him. 41 And there came a man named Jairus, and he was an official of the synagogue; and he fell at Jesus’ feet, and began to implore Him to come to his house; 42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. But as He went, the crowds were pressing against Him.

43 And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, 44 came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. 45 And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched Me?” And while they were all denying it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on You.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.” 47 When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

49 While He was still speaking, someone *came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore.” 50 But when Jesus heard this, He answered him, “Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well.” 51 When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him, except Peter and John and James, and the girl’s father and mother. 52 Now they were all weeping and lamenting for her; but He said, “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.” 53 And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died. 54 He, however, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Child, arise!” 55 And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat. 56 Her parents were amazed; but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened.

LUKE 8:1-3

Also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses

Luke’s Gospel differs from the rest of the Gospels because of all the writers he is neither Jewish nor Middle-Eastern. He is Greek, a culture where many women were quite often placed in important roles of leadership. It is only through Luke’s pen that we learn of the critical roles that woman played in Jesus’ ministry. This story (from Luke 7:36 - 8:3) is one of the many stories about women into which only Luke gives us an insight. Luke alone tells us about:

· 1:5-25 Zechariah’s vision and Elizabeth’s conception

· 1:26-38 Gabriel’s greeting of Mary

· 1:39-56 Mary’s visit to Elizabeth

· 3:23-38 The human genealogy of Christ from Mary’s side

· 7:11-17 The raising of the widow’s son at Nain

· 7:36-50 The women who anointed Jesus in Simon’s house

· 8:1-3 The women who ministered to Christ

· 10:38-42 Christ at Mary and Martha’s house

· 13:10-17 The miracle of the woman afflicted 18 years

· 18:1-8 The parable of the persistent widow

· 23:27-31 Christ’s message to the women of Jerusalem

All of these rich events tell us of Jesus’ extraordinary inclusion of woman (especially given his cultural and religious biases). We would miss all of this were it not for Luke.

As the church left the strict confines of Jerusalem, the role of women in the church increased. Corroborating reports tell us that women were even serving as deacons in the early church. In his letter to Emperor Trajan, the Roman Governor of Bithynia, Pliny the Younger, elaborates on his growing concern over Christians. He writes about executing them for their “unshakable obstinacy,” saying; “It was all the more necessary to extract the truth by torture from two slave-women whom they called deaconesses. I found nothing but a degenerate sort of cult carried to extravagant lengths.”1

Women not only followed Jesus but many of them used their private resources to support our Lord. Some of these women supported Jesus despite their own precarious situations (such as Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward).

Luke shows us that these women were every bit as close to Jesus as the men, however, due to the cultural bias of that time we are not as aware of their contributions. They walked with him, they ministered to and served him and they helped pay his bills (and every ministry has them).

In fact, their faith is often more stellar than their male counterparts. While we see the men frequently jockeying for position and power around Jesus, these women come simply to serve him. When the apostles flee Jesus on his last day; these women follow him to Golgotha and stayed with him through his death. These women are there to take down the body of Christ and then return to bury him properly while the men are still scattered or in hiding. Finally, these women are the first who are privileged to see the resurrected Jesus while the men mock them for their enthusiasm.

When I look at how these women loved Jesus I see more of Christ in their love than in the actions of the pre-resurrection apostles. I look at how courageously and unconditionally they loved our Lord, I find myself thinking; “Jesus loved us like that...”

We need to pay more attention to these women whose love is undying, even when their faith is shattered (as when they go to minister to Christ after his death). Time after time in juvenile detention facilities when I ask kids who they respect the most I hear them say; “Mom.”

When I ask, “why?” they say, “because she believed in me even when I didn’t deserve it.”

Jesus loves us like that…

The rights of women are still a critical issue in this world and sadly, many churches still treat women as though they are second-class citizens. These churches treat women like Simon the Pharisee treated the woman who bathed Jesus’ feet with her perfume. They cling to the letters of Paul, which reference specific church-by-church issues and attempt to generalize them to all churches while simultaneously ignoring the way that Jesus treated women.

Words, even good words, can be warped by the elucidation of biased interpreters. However, it is much harder to misinterpret the way that Jesus loved. One can certainly see in this story and in the story of when Mary similarly washed Jesus’ feet [John 12:1-12], how Jesus pointed to the love of these women as a stellar example of discipleship and reprimanded the men who denounced them.

We must always weigh our interpretations against the standard of Christ’s modeled love. We must always ask; “Did Jesus love like that?” And, we must always respond with; “How can I love like that today?”

Of all the women mentioned here, we know the most about Mary Magdalene. There is no biblical basis to believe she was a prostitute. We know from 8:2, Jesus healed her of seven demons. To the Hebrew mind that could mean she was completely possessed but it more likely refers to how Jesus completely healed her. The number 7 is rich in meaning to the Hebrew — it means whole or fullness.

Joanna, wife of Chuza, is mentioned both here and in Luke 24:10, accompanying Mary to the tomb of Jesus. Joanna is one of the women who returns from the tomb to the upper room to tell the news of the “resurrected Jesus” only to be scoffed at by the male apostles.

Simon the Pharisee, with all his prestige, power, and influence, is certainly not the model of how we are to love. His interpretation of scripture led him to detest this woman and even to snub Jesus. However, the “woman who was a sinner” taught us how to put aside pride, to love Jesus with unabashed humility, to give everything we have in service.

Jesus loves us like that…

Footnote

1 Pliny the Younger, Letters, 10.96

LUKE 8:4-15

Parable of the Sower

He spoke by way of a parable

Jesus sizes up his audience and delivers a story they would understand. The Pharisees and even his disciples wouldn’t get this story, but Christ’s flock of simple farm workers would understand every word.

The Religious Scholars would return to their contemporaries saying, “All he did was talk about farming.”

What they would miss is Christ’s point that only one-in-three seeds actually bear fruit and it 100-fold. That would be wasted on the farmers in the crowd who knew every year how hard it was to scratch out a living from the soil only to give a hefty tithe to Rome, to Jerusalem and even what meager amounts they were allowed to keep to themselves would scarcely be enough to feed their families. Of the grain that came in a sizeable amount would have to be put aside for planting the next year. These people would understand the harsh realities that Jesus alluded to in his parable.

The seed would be

· Trampled [G2662 Katapateō] trampled under foot, tread upon.

· Withered [G3583 Xērainō] dried up and wasted.

· Choked [G638 Apopnigō] choked or drowned.

I think not only farmers would understand this, but anyone who has worked with young people on a long-term basis could understand this as well. Working with children in the alternative school system and the foster care system, I often see young people who are trampled, withered and choked; some literally, some figuratively. Some come back 100-fold bringing family or friends with them.

What causes the downfall of the seeds?

1. The devil

2. Temptation

3. Choked by worries, riches and pleasures in this life

The term Luke uses here for “The Devil [G1228 Diabolos]” also means “malicious gossip.” Do I realize the gravity of my words? Sarcasm, cynicism and the “snarking” may bring a chortle to this generation. But it can be devastating to young seeds. I believe it is the New Violence against young people (since we no longer have corporal punishment).

Temptation [G3986 Peirasmos] was also a type of stone on which precious metals were tested for their value. An acid was dropped on the precious metal to see if it dissolved, but it wouldn’t affect the “Tempting Stone.” The more valuable the metal the less it corroded. Jesus tells us to pray to be led from temptation [Luke 11:3-4].

Christ finds us each precious. How will I measure on the Tempting Stone?

Worries [G3308 Merimna] means anxiety or concerned. Christ suggests we turn our worries into prayer and action. How many of our worries are humble when we pray and then just act? When I was a child, I used to worry about monsters under the bed. Then — when my little brother began sleeping with me — I began looking under the bed and would say, “Let’s go scare us some monsters!” It was all bravado on my part — but it must have worked because I never saw any monsters under there.

The best medicine against worry is to pray and then to act decisively.

Jesus was very direct about worrying Luke 12:11-12, 22-25

Next time you feel stuck in procrastination, say to yourself, “Don’t worry and fret — pray and do [Luke 21:14-18]!”

LUKE 8:16-19

Parable of the Lamp

For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him

When you cover a lamp — the light is snuffed out. There may be fuel but no oxygen. Our lives are similar. When we hide our gifts — they slowly fade. Dreams need action to flourish. People say, “You need money to make money,” Jesus is saying, “You need action to grow faith.”

Our actions are an investment in our faith. Jesus said to so many, “You’re faith healed you.” Each of those persons took action to get to Jesus so they could be healed. Let’s act on our prayers or we shouldn’t expect them to reach fruition.

God can’t grow unplanted seeds.

LUKE 8:22-25

Jesus Stills the Sea

He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves

Rebuke [G2008 Epitimaō] means to censure or to mete out due measure. Jesus puts the storm in its place by responding in measure to the storm’s ferocity. That is truly something we never want to see. If you can imagine a hurricane gale, winds gusting in the hundreds of miles per hour and Jesus meets that storm with comparable force — shutting it down without hesitation.

Jesus’ response is not harsh. But it is more akin to, “Nowhere is your faith!” than, “Where is your faith?” More of a statement than a query.

What storm in our life can Jesus not quell, let’s hope that he never has to tell us, “Nowhere is your faith.”

In Matthew’s version of the story [Matthew 14:24], we learn the wind was contrary [G1727 Enantios] — against the boat. This means that it would not matter where the disciples set the sail the wind would change to blow against it.

We’ve all known contrarian blowhards. People whose only opinion seems to be one that is against whatever is being expressed. Like verbal bullies, they just want to cause dissent and get attention. Jesus would stop them cold by rebuking them with equal force. “Meting out due measure.”

LUKE 8:26-39

The Demoniac Cured

Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee

The Geresenes were opposite Galilee in many ways. They raised pigs for the Romans who would never do that in Jewish lands. The Jewish people of the time called the people of the area, “Sons of dogs…” I’m sure we can identify the vernacular and even imagine those whom others might call a similar name from an attitude of racism or prejudice. Essentially, no Rabbi would wander over to this land and the disciples must have been wondering, “Why is he taking us there?”

Essentially, Jesus intentionally takes his disciples to the worst city and then finds the worst area and speaks to the worst person. Even the Geresene people had rejected this young man, tying him in chains and confining him to the graveyard.

To follow Jesus IS to go to the worst city and to the worst neighborhood to find the worst outcast and bring healing there! Where is that place and who is that young man in my State, Country or Province?

Then Jesus exchanges this young man’s life for a herd of pigs. Mark tells us the herd was over two thousand [Mark 5:13]. That’s not a herd so much as a regional economy. Would we be willing to trade a regional economy for the worst kid from the worst neighborhood in the worst city? That is exactly what Jesus models to his disciples!

LUKE 8:40-56

Miracles of Healing

Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace

Poor Jairus, first he waits until the very last moment to find Jesus and then, Jesus stops for an interruption on the way to his dying daughter. Would Jairus be thinking, “I’m far more important than this woman, can’t we just keep moving?”

It is interesting to note that while Jairus is worried about his daughter, the first words out of Jesus' mouth for the outcast woman were also, " My Daughter." It would have been 12 years since someone last referred to her as family or even a member of the community. The reason — she trembled with fear — after being found out, was that it was illegal for her to be in the crowd, let alone touch a visiting rabbi. Jesus could have had her stoned instead of healed.

This is part of the whole healing process of Jesus though, healing had three aspects.

1. Restoration to Family and Community

2. Cessation of the disease

3. Gratitude of the healed one

We are incompletely healed when any of these aspects is missing.

Why did Jairus wait until the last minute? Probably because he was the town rabbi and going to Jesus would show he was incapable of dealing with the issue himself. "What would other people think if a visiting rabbi could heal his daughter while he could not?"

How often does, "What would people think?" Keep us from the right action?

This represents the second time Jesus raised someone from the dead. In Luke 7, Jesus raises the son of a widow in the town of Nain. In both cases, Jesus is moved to immediate action by compassion. Compassion in our lives should result in immediate action. At the same time, immediate action would undermine his miracles too. The Hebrews believed that the Spirit left the body upon death but hovered nearby for at least three days. Frequently in that area at the time, people would have sleeping disorder resembling death but were only in a deep coma. In both cases, people would probably say the person wasn't really raised from the dead, just reawakened from near-death. For this reason Jesus waits four days before raising Lazarus [John 11:17].

What can we learn from Jairus?

1. Don’t wait until the last minute to call Jesus

2. But also, it’s never too late to call upon Jesus

3. Even the loneliest outcast is Jesus' daughter and worth of healing