Luke8

Jesus preaches the kingdom of God, teaches the parable of the sower, and defines his spiritual family. He demonstrates divine power by calming a storm and casting out a legion of devils from a man into swine. The chapter concludes with two significant healings: a woman with a twelve-year issue of blood and the raising of Jairus's daughter from the dead.

Jesus’ Itinerant Ministry and Supporters

1
After this, Yeshua traveled about from town to town and village to village, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God. With him were the Twelve, ​
2
and a number of women who had been healed from evil spirits and illnesses -- Miryam (called Magdalit), from whom seven demons had gone out; ​
3
Yochanah the wife of Herod's finance minister Kuza; Shoshanah; and many other women who drew on their own wealth to help him. ​

The Parable of the Sower

4
After a large crowd had gathered from the people who kept coming to him from town after town, Yeshua told this parable:
5
"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the path and was stepped on, and the birds flying around ate it up.
6
Some fell on rock; and after it sprouted, it dried up from lack of moisture.
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Some fell in the midst of thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.
8
But some fell into rich soil, and grew, and produced a hundred times as much as had been sown." After saying this, he called out, "Whoever has ears to hear with, let him hear!"
9
His talmidim asked him what this parable might mean,
10
and he said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the Kingdom of God; but the rest are taught in parables, so that they may look but not see, and listen but not understand. ​
11
"The parable is this: the seed is God's message.
12
The ones along the path are those who hear, but then the Adversary comes and takes the message out of their hearts, in order to keep them from being saved by trusting it.
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The ones on rock are those who, when they hear the word, accept it with joy; but these have no root -- they go on trusting for awhile; but when a time of testing comes, they apostatize.
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As for what fell in the midst of thorns these are the ones who hear; but as they go along, worries and wealth and life's gratifications crowd in and choke them, so that their fruit never matures.
15
But what fell in rich soil -- these are the ones who, when they hear the message, hold onto it with a good, receptive heart; and by persevering, they bring forth a harvest. ​

The Purpose of Light and Hearing

16
"No one who has lit a lamp covers it with a bowl or puts it under a bed; no, he puts it on a stand; so that those coming in may see the light. ​
17
For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, nothing is covered up that will not be known and come out into the open. ​
18
Pay attention, then, to how you hear! For anyone who has something will be given more; but from anyone who has nothing, even what he seems to have will be taken away." ​

Jesus Defines His True Family

19
Then Yeshua's mother and brothers came to see him, but they couldn't get near him because of the crowd.
20
It was reported to him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and want to see you."
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But he gave them this answer: "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's message and act on it!" ​

Jesus Calms a Storm

22
One day Yeshua got into a boat with his talmidim and said to them, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake."
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So they set out; and as they were sailing, he fell asleep. A windstorm came down on the lake, so that the boat began to fill up with water, putting them in great danger. ​
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They went and woke him, saying, "Rabbi! Rabbi! We're about to die!" He woke up, rebuked the wind and the rough water; and they calmed down, so that it was still.
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Then he said to the talmidim, "Where is your trust?" Awestruck, they marveled, asking one another, "Who can this be, that he commands even the wind and the water, and they obey him?" ​

Healing the Gerasene Demoniac

26
They sailed on and landed in the region of the Gerasenes, which is opposite the Galil. ​
27
As Yeshua stepped ashore, a man from the town who had demons came to meet him. For a long time he had not worn clothes; and he lived, not in a house, but in the burial caves.
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Catching sight of Yeshua, he screamed, fell down in front of him and yelled, "Yeshua! Son of God Ha`Elyon! What do you want with me? I beg you, don't torture me!"
29
For Yeshua had ordered the unclean spirit to come out of the man. It had often taken hold of him -- he had been kept under guard, chained hand and foot, but had broken the bonds and been driven by the demon into the desert.
30
Yeshua asked him, "What is your name?" "Legion," he said, because many demons had entered him. ​
31
They begged Yeshua not to order them to go off into the Bottomless Pit. ​
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Now there was a herd of many pigs, feeding on the hill; and the demons begged him to let them go into these. So he gave them permission.
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The demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, whereupon the herd rushed down the hillside into the lake and were drowned.
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When the swineherds saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the town and in the country;
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and the people came out to see for themselves. They came to Yeshua and found the man out of whom the demons had gone, sitting -- dressed and in his right mind -- at the feet of Yeshua; and they were frightened.
36
Those who had seen it told how the formerly demonized man had been delivered.
37
Then all the people of the Gerasene district asked him to leave them, for they had been seized with great fear. So he boarded the boat and returned. ​
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The man from whom the demons had gone out begged that he might go with him; but Yeshua sent him away, saying,
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"Go back to your home and tell how much God has done for you." He went away proclaiming throughout the whole town how much Yeshua had done for him. ​

Jairus’s Daughter and the Woman Healed

40
When Yeshua got back, the crowd welcomed him; for they were all expecting him. ​
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Then there came a man named Ya'ir who was president of the synagogue. Falling at Yeshua's feet, he pleaded with him to come to his house; ​
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for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old; and she was dying. As he went, with the crowds on every side virtually choking him,
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a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, ​
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came up behind him and touched the tzitzit on his robe; instantly her hemorrhaging stopped. ​
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Yeshua asked, "Who touched me?" When they all denied doing it, Kefa said, "Rabbi! The crowds are hemming you in and jostling you!"
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But Yeshua said, "Someone did touch me, because I felt power go out of me." ​
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Seeing she could not escape notice, the woman, quaking with fear, threw herself down before him and confessed in front of everyone why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed.
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He said to her, "My daughter, your trust has saved you; go in peace." ​
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While Yeshua was still speaking, a man came from the synagogue president's house. "Your daughter has died," he said. "Don't bother the rabbi any more."
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But on hearing this, Yeshua answered him, "Don't be afraid! Just go on trusting, and she will be made well." ​
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When he arrived at the house, he didn't allow anyone to go in with him except Kefa, Yochanan, Ya`akov and the child's father and mother
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All the people were wailing and mourning for her; but he said, "Don't weep; she hasn't died, she's sleeping." ​
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They jeered at him, since they knew she had died.
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But he took her by the hand, called out, "Little girl, get up!"
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and her spirit returned. She stood up at once, and he directed that something be given her to eat.
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Her parents were astounded, but he instructed them to tell no one what had happened. ​

Study Notes for Luke 8

Verse 1

Luke emphasizes the comprehensive nature of Jesus’ traveling ministry, extending to every city and village, focusing on preaching the good news of the Kingdom.

Verse 2

Luke consistently highlights the role of women in the ministry. Mary Magdalene is prominent, listed first among those who had received healing and now supported Jesus.

Verse 3

This verse provides crucial socio-economic detail. These women, including Joanna, whose husband was a manager in Herod’s court, used their personal resources to financially support Jesus and the Twelve.

Verse 10

Jesus explains that parables serve a dual purpose: they reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom to disciples while simultaneously obscuring the truth from those outside who are unwilling to receive it.

Verse 15

Luke defines successful discipleship by three qualities: an 'honest and good heart,' diligent retention of the word, and bringing forth fruit through patient endurance.

Verse 16

This transitional saying means that the revelation of the Kingdom, currently taught in parables, is not meant to be hidden but will eventually be clearly displayed through the disciples.

Verse 17

The secrets (mysteries) of the Kingdom, which are currently veiled by parables, will inevitably be made known, reinforcing the necessity of discipleship.

Verse 18

This verse warns about spiritual receptivity. Those who listen attentively and respond positively will gain deeper understanding, while those who are careless will lose even the knowledge they seemed to have.

Verse 21

Jesus shifts the definition of family from biological kinship to spiritual obedience, establishing that true relationship with him is based on hearing the word of God and acting upon it.

Verse 23

Jesus’ sleeping highlights his genuine humanity, while the sudden, violent storm (a common danger on the Sea of Galilee) sets the stage for a demonstration of his divine power.

Verse 25

Jesus challenges the disciples’ lack of faith in the face of danger. Their subsequent fear and questioning of his identity reveal the impact of this miracle on their understanding of who he is.

Verse 26

The country of the Gadarenes (or Gerasenes) was in the Decapolis, a predominantly Gentile region, signaling that Jesus’ ministry extended beyond Jewish territory.

Verse 30

The name 'Legion' refers to a Roman military unit (which could number up to 6,000 men), signifying the massive number and powerful, organized nature of the demonic force possessing the man.

Verse 31

The 'deep' (Greek: *abyssos*) is the underworld or the prison for evil spirits and fallen angels (cf. Revelation 9:1), a place the demons recognized as their destined punishment.

Verse 37

The local people, terrified by the destruction of the swine and the display of overwhelming divine power, asked Jesus to leave, preferring stability over radical intervention.

Verse 39

Unlike other miracles where Jesus commanded silence, here he explicitly instructs the healed Gentile man to evangelize his community, making him a witness to God’s power.

Verse 40

Jesus returned to Galilee, where he was welcomed by a waiting crowd, illustrating his popularity among the Jewish population despite his recent rejection by the Gentiles across the lake.

Verse 41

Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, held a position of high status and leadership within the local Jewish community, underscoring the significance of his public plea to Jesus.

Verse 43

The woman’s condition, an issue of blood, rendered her perpetually ritually unclean according to Mosaic Law (Leviticus 15:25), causing severe social and religious isolation for 12 years.

Verse 44

Touching the fringe or 'border' of Jesus’ garment (the *tzitzit* or tassel) was an act of faith, suggesting she believed his holiness could be transferred to her, leading to immediate healing.

Verse 46

Jesus perceives that 'virtue' (Greek: *dynamis*, meaning power or strength) has flowed out of him. The healing was not accidental but a conscious transfer of divine energy activated by faith.

Verse 48

Jesus affirms that it was her faith, not the physical touch alone, that made her whole. By calling her 'Daughter,' he restores her social and spiritual status within the community.

Verse 50

Jesus immediately counters the message of death with a command to trust, demonstrating that his power extends beyond healing sickness to conquering death itself.

Verse 52

Using 'sleep' as a metaphor for death was common in the early church, emphasizing that for those under God’s power, death is a temporary state preceding resurrection.

Verse 56

Jesus often imposed silence (the 'messianic secret') after miracles, possibly to control the pace of revelation concerning his messianic identity and to avoid provoking political unrest.

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