Luke 8:22-4022Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. 23But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. 24And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him. 26And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. 27And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. 28When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. 29(For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.) 30And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. 31And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. 32And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them. 33Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked. 34When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country. 35Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. 36They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed. 37Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again. 38Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him. 40And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him. (Luke 8:22‑40)
How it came to pass on a certain day, that He (Jesus) went into a ship with His disciples; and He said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.
“But as they sailed, He fell asleep; and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy (danger).
“And they came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we perish.’ Then He arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water; and they ceased, and there was a great calm.”
The men had seen the power of Jesus to cure the sick and raise the dead, yet they greatly wondered that He could quiet a storm. They said to one another,
“What manner of man is this! for He commandeth even the wind and water and they obey Him.” See also Mark 4:35-4135And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. 36And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. 37And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. 38And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 39And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? 41And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? (Mark 4:35‑41).
The disciples. did not then realize that Jesus was the Son of God, the One with God the Father when the seas and land were made,
He taught them by their danger, more of Who He was, and showed them they had little trust, When He had said, “Let us go to the other side,” would they not surely reach there? Was He not with them?
His word was sure, they would not sink under the stormy waves.
But Jesus’ words, “Let Us go-to the other side” are for us too. He said,
We cannot see Him as the disciples did, yet He is still with His own in spirit, and is teaching them by the troubles to trust Him more.
No storm of trouble, but He can give peace. We shall surely reach “the other side,” which for us is Heaven, for He also said, “They shall never perish.” John 10:2828And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:28).
That day when Jesus and the disciples landed on the shore, they saw a man living among the tombs, and very fierce, because of wicked spirits living within him. He had been bound with chains, but broke them.
In spite of his dreadful condition, thc Lord Jesus had power to free him, and commanded the evil spirits to leave him. They did so, but went into a herd of swine feeding near, and the whole herd ran “violently” down steep hill into the lake and drowned.
What of the man who had been so tormented? He sat down quietly at Jesus’ feet, thankful for what Jesus had done for him, and wanting to be with Him. But the saddest part of this story is that, when the men who kept the swine, ran to tell the owners what had happened, they, with many other people of the town, came to Jesus and begged Him to leave their lands. They were afraid more. of their animals would be lost, and that meant more to them than that Jesus should save persons fruit, such awful misery as that man. So Jesus went away.
ML 04/08/1945