The Good News by Luke 8

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Women Supporting the Ministry

1 After this, Jesus continued going around to every town and village, proclaiming the good news about the founding of the Kingdom of God. The Twelve [apostles] were with him, 2 along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. They were Mary, known as Magdalene,* from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's business manager; Susanna; and many others. All of these gave from their own funds to support them.

The Parable of Kinds of Soil

4 People came to Jesus from every town, and a huge crowd gathered. He spoke to them with a parable, saying: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his seeds. As he was sowing, some of the seed fell alongside the path, where feet stepped on it, and birds from the sky* ate it. 6 Some other [seed] fell on rocks, so when it came up, it wilted, because it had no water. 7 Then some fell among thorns, and the thorns came up with them and choked the young plants. 8 But some other [seed] fell on good soil, and it came up and produced a hundred times [as much]!” When he had said this, he called out, “Listen to me, you who have ears that can hear.”

Why He Spoke in Parables

9 His disciples asked him about the meaning of this parable. 10 He said, “God has granted you to know the mysteries of his Kingdom; but as for the others, I speak to them in parables, so that they look but do not see, and they hear but do not understand.*

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seeds are the word of God. 12 [Where the seed was] sown alongside the path, this [represents] those who hear; but then the devil comes and snatches the word away from their hearts so that they don't believe and get saved*. 13 [Where it was] sown on rock, this [represents] those who hear the word of God and receive it with joy. However, they have no roots, so they believe for a while, but then at the time of testing they back off. 14 [Where it] fell among the thorns, this [represents] those who hear [the word], but as they go on their way, the cares and riches and pleasures of worldly life choke them, so their fruit does not mature. 15 And [where it was] in the good soil, this [represents] those whose heart is good and righteous, who hear the word, hold on to it, and persevere until they bear fruit.

The Lamp

16 “No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a pot or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those entering will see the light. 17 And so, every secret will be disclosed, and everything hidden will be made known and come to light. 18 So then, pay attention to how you listen. Whoever has [some] will be given more. But whoever does not have [much], even the little that he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”*

The Mother and Brothers of Jesus

19 Then the mother and brothers of [Jesus] came to him, but they were unable to reach him because of the dense crowd. 20 So the people told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside the house, and they want to see you.” 21 But he replied to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who listen to God's word and comply with it.”*

Jesus Calms a Storm

22 One day, Jesus said to his disciples, “Come, let's cross the lake to the other shore.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23 While they were crossing, [Jesus] fell asleep. But a windstorm blew across the lake. The boat began filling up with water, and they were in danger. 24 So they went and woke him up, saying, “Master, Master, we're on the verge of drowning!” So he got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. They quieted down, and calm prevailed! 25 Then he said to [the disciples], “Where is your faith?” They asked one another, in awe and astonishment, “Who is this who even commands the winds and waves, and they obey him?”

He Expels Demons from a Man

26 They sailed to the district of the Gerasenes,* which lies opposite Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped out onto the shore, he was confronted by a man of that town in whom [there were] demons. He had worn no clothes for a long time and did not live in a house, but in the tombs.* 28 When he saw Jesus, he shouted and bowed down to him, yelling at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of God Most High? Please, I beg you, don't torment me!” 29 For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man, because it had often taken control of him. [People] would bind him with chains and restraints to detain him, but he would break the bonds, and the demon would drive him into uninhabited places.

30 Jesus asked him, “What's your name?” He said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him.* 31 The demons begged Jesus not to order them to go into the abyss.* 32 Now there was a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside, so [the demons] begged him to let them enter the pigs, and he gave them permission. 33 So the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs. At this, the herd rushed off and fell from the hill into the lake and drowned.

34 When the herdsmen saw what happened, they ran away and spread the news in the town and the villages. 35 So the people came out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus, and they found the man from whom the demons had come out, sitting at the feet of Jesus, dressed and sound of mind. And they were afraid. 36 Then the eyewitnesses informed them how the man who had been demon-possessed was healed.

37 But the people from the region of the Gerasenes all requested of Jesus that he go away from them, because they were filled with fear. So he boarded the boat to go back [across the lake]. 38 The man from whom the demons had come out begged to go with him, but [Jesus] sent him away and said, 39 “Go back home, and tell [people] everything that God has done for you.” So he went through the whole town and told the people what Jesus had done for him.

He Heals a Sick Woman and Raises a Dead Girl

40 When Jesus returned,* the crowd welcomed him because they had been waiting for him. 41 Then a man came named Jairus, one of those responsible for the house of worship. He threw himself [down] at the feet of Jesus and pleaded with him to come to his home, 42 because he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, who was on the verge of death. As Jesus was going, the crowds were jostling him a lot.

43 Now there was a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years. Although she had spent all she had on doctors, no one had been able to heal her. 44 So she came up from behind him and touched the edge of his clothing, and at once her bleeding stopped.* 45 Jesus said, “Who touched me?” But everyone denied it. Peter said, “Master, the crowds are pressing against you and jostling you!” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I felt power go out from me.”

47 When the woman saw that he knew about her, she came trembling and threw herself down at his feet. She told [him] in front of all the people why she had touched him and how she had been healed at once. 48 He said to her, “My dear,* your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

49 While he was speaking, someone came from the home of the man in charge of the house of worship and told [the man], “Your daughter has died; don't trouble the Teacher.” 50 But Jesus heard it, and he said to him, “Don't be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be healed.”

51 When he arrived at the house, he did not let anyone [else] go in with him except Peter, James, John, and the girl's father and mother. 52 Everyone [else] was weeping and mourning for her, so he said to them, “Stop weeping! She hasn't died; she's sleeping.” 53 They scoffed at him, because they knew she had died. 54 But he took her by the hand and called out, saying, “Girl, get up!”* 55 Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

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 *8:2 Magdalene: from the town of Magdala, on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.

 *8:5 birds from the sky: wild birds, as opposed to domestic birds such as chickens.

 *8:10 These words of Jesus echo a statement in the book of Isaiah 6:9.

 *8:12 get saved: gain salvation.

 *8:18 In other words, those who listen to the words of Jesus with an open mind will gain more faith and understanding, while those whose minds are closed will lose what faith and understanding they thought they had.

 *8:21 Our Lord Jesus speaks of his disciples as his brothers in recognition that they are now members of the family of God and part of his household.

 *8:26 district of the Gerasenes: The boat landed on the southeast shore of the Sea of Galilee, near the town of Gadara, near modern-day Um Qais in Jordan. See the Galilee map. Gadara was in the district of Gerasa, which was also the name of its capital city, modern-day Jerash. Most of the people were not Jews.

 *8:27 tombs: At that time, people buried the dead by laying them in caves dug into the sides of rocky hills. In English these are called tombs. Each tomb had an entrance that could be covered with a large rolling stone, shaped like a wheel. After a year or two, relatives would remove the bones. This Gerasene man lived in empty tombs. See the photo.

 *8:30 legion: a unit in the Roman army with a few thousand soldiers.

 *8:31 abyss: a very deep place, such as the depths of the sea or deep underground or a deep chasm.

 *8:40 He returned to the town of Capernaum, where Peter lived.

 *8:44 According to the Torah at Leviticus 15:25-27, a woman with a discharge of blood was unclean, and if she touched anyone, that person became unclean. That is probably why she touched Jesus secretly and then was trembling when it was discovered. But when she touched Jesus in faith, she did not make him unclean; instead, she was healed.

 *8:48 My dear: Most translation say My daughter, which is a more literal translation of the Greek. At that time, a king would sometimes address his loyal citizens as his children, and they would speak of him as their father, the father of their nation.

 *8:54 According to the Torah at Numbers 19:11-13, a person became ritually unclean if he touched a dead person, but Jesus did not become unclean; instead the dead girl became alive.