Luke Chapter 8

From The Open Bible Project

8:1 It happened soon afterwards, that he went about through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the Kingdom of God. With him were the twelve,

8:2 and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out;

8:3 and Joanna, the wife of Chuzas, Herod's steward; Susanna; and many others; who served [18] them [See Luke Footnotes 18] from their possessions.

8:4 When a great multitude came together, and people from every city were coming to him, he spoke by a parable.

• (1) The same gospel is sown everywhere, but does not everywhere yield the same fruit, and this is only due to the fault of men themselves.

8:5 "The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the road, and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it.

8:6 Other seed fell on the rock, and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture.

8:7 Other fell amid the thorns, and the thorns grew with it, and choked it.

8:8 Other fell into the good ground, and grew, and brought forth fruit one hundred times." As he said these things, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

8:9 Then his disciples asked him, "What does this parable mean?"

8:10 He said, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables; that 'seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'[19]

• (a) Those things are called secret which may not be uttered: for the word used here is equivalent to our saying, "to hold a man’s peace".

8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

8:12 Those along the road are those who hear, then the devil comes, and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.

8:13 Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root, who believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation.

8:14 That which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

• (b) That is, as soon as they have heard the word, they go about their business.
• (c) They do not bring forth perfect and full fruit to the ripening: or, they begin, but they do not bring to an end.

8:15 That in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and bring forth fruit with patience.

• (d) Who seek not only to seem to be such, but are indeed so: so that this word "honest" refers to the outward life, and the word "good" refers to the good gifts of the mind.
• (e) With much difficulty, for the devil and the flesh fight against the Spirit of God, who is a new guest.

8:16 "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a container, or puts it under a bed; but puts it on a stand, that those who enter in may see the light.

• (2) That which every man has received in private he ought to bestow to the use and profit of all men.

8:17 For nothing is hidden, that will not be revealed; nor anything secret, that will not be known and come to light.

8:18 Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given; and whoever doesn't have, from him will be taken away even that which he thinks he has."

• (3) Heavenly gifts are lost when one is sparing with them, and increase when one is liberal with them.
• (f) That is, with what minds you come to hear the word, and how you behave yourselves when you have heard it.
• (g) Either to himself, or to others, or to both: for there are none so proud as these fellows, if it were possible to see those things which they disguise: neither are there those that deceive the simple more than they do.

8:19 His mother and brothers came to him, and they could not come near him for the crowd.

• (4) There is no relationship of flesh and blood among men so intimate and upright as the band which is between Christ and those who embrace him with a true faith.

8:20 It was told him by some saying, "Your mother and your brothers stand outside, desiring to see you."

8:21 But he answered them, "My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God, and do it."

8:22 Now it happened on one of those days, that he entered into a boat, himself and his disciples, and he said to them, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they launched out.

• (5) It is expedient for us sometimes to come into extreme danger, as though Christ was not with us, that we may have a better test, both of his power, and also of our weakness.

8:23 But as they sailed, he fell asleep. A wind storm came down on the lake, and they were taking on dangerous amounts of water.

• (h) Jesus fell asleep, and it appears that he was very fast asleep, because they called him twice before he awoke.
• (i) Not the disciples, but the ship.

8:24 They came to him, and awoke him, saying, "Master, master, we are dying!" He awoke, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, and they ceased, and it was calm.[20]

8:25 He said to them, "Where is your faith?" Being afraid they marveled, saying one to another, "Who is this, then, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?"

8:26 They arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.

8:27 When Jesus stepped ashore, a certain man out of the city who had demons for a long time met him. He wore no clothes, and didn't live in a house, but in the tombs.

• (6) Christ shows by casting out a legion of demons by his word alone that his heavenly power was appointed to deliver men from the slavery of the devil: but foolish men for the most part will not redeem this so excellent grace freely offered unto them if it means the loss of even the least of their wealth.

8:28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, "What do I have to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torment me!"

8:29 For Jesus was commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For the unclean spirit had often seized the man. He was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters. Breaking the bands apart, he was driven by the demon into the desert.

• (k) By force and violence, as a horse when he is spurred.

8:30 Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion," for many demons had entered into him.

8:31 They begged him that he would not command them to go into the abyss.

8:32 Now there was there a herd of many pigs feeding on the mountain, and they begged him that he would allow them to enter into those. He allowed them.

8:33 The demons came out from the man, and entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned.

8:34 When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country.

8:35 People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

8:36 Those who saw it told them how he who had been possessed by demons was healed.

8:37 All the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them, for they were very much afraid. He entered into the boat, and returned.

8:38 But the man from whom the demons had gone out begged him that he might go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,

8:39 "Return to your house, and declare what great things God has done for you." He went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

• (l) That is, the city of the Gadarenes: and though Mark says that he preached it in Decapolis, these accounts do not differ, for Pliny records in lib. 5, chap. 18, that Gadara is a town of Decapolis: so that Decapolis was partly on this side of Jordan, and partly on the other side.

8:40 It happened, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.

• (m) The multitude was glad he had come again, and greatly rejoiced.

8:41 Behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus' feet, and begged him to come into his house,

• (m) The multitude was glad he had come again, and greatly rejoiced.

8:42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as he went, the multitudes pressed against him.

8:43 A woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her living on physicians, and could not be healed by any,

• (n) All that she had to live upon.

8:44 came behind him, and touched the [21] fringe [See Luke Footnotes 21] of his cloak, and immediately the flow of her blood stopped.

8:45 Jesus said, "Who touched me?" When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes press and jostle you, and you say, 'Who touched me?'"

8:46 But Jesus said, "Someone did touch me, for I perceived that power has gone out of me."

8:47 When the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared to him in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.

8:48 He said to her, "Daughter, cheer up. Your faith has made you well. Go in peace."

8:49 While he still spoke, one from the ruler of the synagogue's house came, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead. Don't trouble the Teacher."

8:50 But Jesus hearing it, answered him, "Don't be afraid. Only believe, and she will be healed."

8:51 When he came to the house, he didn't allow anyone to enter in, except Peter, John, James, the father of the child, and her mother.

8:52 All were weeping and mourning her, but he said, "Don't weep. She isn't dead, but sleeping."

• (o) The word signifies to beat and strike, and is used in the mournings and lamentations that are at burials, at which times men used this type of behaviour.

8:53 They were ridiculing him, knowing that she was dead.

8:54 But he put them all outside, and taking her by the hand, he called, saying, "Child, arise!"

8:55 Her spirit returned, and she rose up immediately. He commanded that something be given to her to eat.

• (p) The corpse was lying there, and then the young girl received life, and rose out of the bed, that all the world might see that she was not only restored to life, but also void of all sickness.

8:56 Her parents were amazed, but he commanded them to tell no one what had been done.