We see in Luke 8 a quick list of some of the women who supported Jesus ministry. They backed him financially and spiritually. They testify to his divinity first and follow him to the cross and are first to the empty tomb. The women in Jesus life were awesome faith warriors and we hear so little about them because of the culture they lived in - it is a bit of a testimony to the progressiveness of the early church that we hear about them at all!
The parable of the seeds is told next. This is a very important parable to me. It's impact on me is one of the reasons I am still a United Methodist!
When Jesus' mother and brothers come to see him and can't reach him because of the crowds, Jesus says that we are all his mother and his brothers and sisters if we hear the word of God and do it.
On the way across the Sea of Galilee to the area of the Gerasenes Jesus is asleep in the boat. While he is sleeping a storm harsh enough to terrify seasoned fisherman blows up and threatens to sink their boat. The disciples wake Jesus in their terror and Jesus simply rebukes the storm! Almost immediately they are on land and are confronted by another storm raging in the soul of a man! The demon possessed man likely made the disciples wish they were back on the lake fighting the sea! Jesus again shows his absolute mastery over this and casts the demons out of the man and into a herd of pigs. So Jesus shows in these few verses his mastery over nature and the supernatural.
Again, almost immediately, we find Jesus on the other side of the sea and the crowds are pushing in on him. A leader of the synagogue, Jarius, comes and begs Jesus to come with him to heal his dying 12 year old daughter. As they make their way through the crowd, a woman who has been hemorrhaging for 12 years (I don't know if there is a significance in the age of the dying girl and the time the woman has suffered) reaches through the crowd and touches Jesus in faith, thus gaining her healing. Jesus stops the procession and looks around and says, "Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me." Luke 8:46 NRSV. The woman comes forward and admits what she has done, and Jesus commends her faith and sends her on her way. Just at that moment someone arrives from Jarius house to tell him that his daughter has died. WOW - from the sea to the demoniac to the woman with great faith to a dead 12 year old. I am spinning just reading it - can you imagine living it? Jesus encourages Jarius with the words, "Do not fear. Only believe, and she will be saved." Luke 8:50 NRSV. When Jesus arrives at Jairus home the mourners have already begun their vigil. Jesus tells them not to weep, because she is not dead but asleep and they laugh at him! Then Jesus takes her by the hand and calls her back to life and restores her to her parents.
What a whirlwind tour of the power and sovereignty of Jesus! Parables, teaching, a demonstration of Jesus dominion over nature, a demonstration of his dominion over the spiritual realm, a miraculous healing and a resurrection of a synagogue leaders dead daughter! Luke packs all of this into 56 verses of chapter 8. It leaves me wondering where in my life I have limited or refused the sovereign reign of Christ my King. If he is not Lord of all, will he be Lord at all?
About Me
- Pastor Bill
- I am a committed follower of Jesus Christ, a happy husband, father and grandfather!
4 comments:
Verse 18: "Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him." (NIV) USE IT OR LOSE IT! I wonder if this was the differance between the Church of Ephesus, who forsake their first love and that of the Church of Philadelphia who will be kept from the hour of trial that soon will come upon the whole world. (Revelation, chapters 2&3)
Bill, I hope you and the family are enjoying vacation and thanks for keeping up with the daily posts while on vacation. But knowing you, I would expect nothing less. Thanks again, brother and friend.
Yeah - this was a long chapter - but WOW, what is in it! I read this in two sittings, so it wasn't quite as intense as when I read your synopsis of it - it is incredible how much can happen in 56 chapters. I wish my life was this exciting :-P. I've probably heard talks and sermons out of this chapter hundreds of times (since there's so much to talk about) - but still reading these stories I see more and think more.
Sara and I talked about the women thing also - I wonder if it was a big enough deal to put the little amount about women into the bible...or maybe there was more and someone edited it? Anything is possible, right? It'd be fascinating to know about the other women involved in these stories.
The parable of the seeds also means a lot to me - I just gotta watch out for those darn thorns...
I want to be Jesus' brother, so I'd better keep "doing the word and hearing it."
Calming a storm. How about that. I bet he'd be able to calm a storm as massive as Katrina. That's one powerful God.
The demon thing - it's interesting because the people got mad at him because they only saw pigs killing themselves. Sara tried to help me understand this scenario because I'm from the "city," so she told me to think of someone putting demons in the cows in Holland Patent...People would be pretty angry! Makes much more sense now.
It's always such a great testament of Jesus' faith and power and love that he heals the woman in the crowd, and makes a point of her faith. He was on his way somewhere to help someone pretty important, but he still found time for this (used to be) sick lady. This is a true testament to us: that he'll never be too busy when we also need healing. If only that were the case for us also, that we would never be too busy to heal....
The men that laughed - someone must have forgotten to tell them that Jesus brought a boy back to life a little while ago by touching the coffin. I'm pretty sure Jesus got a lot of invitations to funerals after these resurrections!
We could read this again tomorrow and I'd still have more to say.
Until next year maybe?
Time for more homework. :-P
God bless,
Marshall N. Bailey
What a beautiful, well-written chapter.
I can picture the embarrassment of the disciples when Jesus rebuked the wind and the water, then turned and scolded them by asking "Where is your faith?"
Far too many times I have asked myself that same quesion after allowing myself to become anxious over worldly circumstances.
I know better, and I am getting so much better at looking to the heavens as things come up...but I hate it when my faith doesn't come immediately.
I can also relate to the man cleansed of demons, then sitting at the feet of Jesus "in his right mind."
I chuckle at this, because I remember the day I came to the feet of Jesus and finally felt I was in my right mind. November 5, 2006.
The parables on faith are my favorite. Our family has seen and received so many blessings because we have learned to stretch our faith. It is a daily exercise, staying in the Word, and with each new level I hit I can feel the strength of the Lord building within me.
How did I ever survive or even enjoy life in my heathen days?
I pray I can bring thousands and thousands of people to the altar and experience this unbelievable joy of the Lord.
So much in these chapters.
I'd love to hear about why the parable of the sower is important to you! I always think of Godspell when I read it, and the vivid staging of this parable.
Bishop Carcano preached on the men with demons and the herd of pigs at GC. I've never really understood the whole pigs thing, until she said: the pigs represented the financial livelihood of the town. And the people cared more for their livelihood than for the human being in need among them. That made more sense to me.
The Jairus' daughter story - I preached on this once and forgot my bible - had to use the KJV there at Trenton Assembly Park Chapel. In it, Jesus says something like "young damsel" instead of "young girl." I just couldn't see it. I had to update it as I was reading ;)
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