Luke 8
Jesus traveled everywhere with His disciples, preaching the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. There were women, such as Mary Magdalene who had been delivered from seven demons, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, Joanna, Susanna and others, who ministered to Him of their substance.
These women are seen later at the tomb with their spices to embalm Jesus, after His death. How timely was this quiet service, done voluntarily from the heart by the leading of the Holy Spirit. One of these women, Mary Magdalene, received and carried to the disciples the Lord's first message after His resurrection (John 20:17,1817Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. 18Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her. (John 20:17‑18)).
Parable of the Sower
To the many people who were gathered together, Jesus presented a parable of a sower sowing seed. The seed was the Word of God, which reached hearts in different ways.
The seed sown by the wayside, which was being trodden down and devoured by the birds, is like those who hear, but the devil takes the Word away out of their hearts where it is sown, lest the Word should penetrate their consciences and they be saved.
It would be best if all who attended a gospel meeting would quietly go to their own houses and pray, rather than visit with one another after the meeting. It is often in this way that the enemy succeeds in plucking away the seed, lest it reach the conscience. Excitement that follows a gospel meeting often takes away the solemnity of the message.
Some seeds were scattered on a rock, but after springing up they withered away when the sun shone on them. Such are they who, when they hear, receive the Word with joy, but having no root (no work in the conscience) they fall away at the time of temptation.
The seeds that fell among the thorns were choked with the cares, riches and pleasures of this life, leaving no fruit.
The seed sown in good ground bore fruit. It is those who, out of an honest and good heart, keep the Word that they have heard and bring forth fruit, a hundredfold with patience. To go on with the riches and pleasures of this life does not show forth an honest and good heart in view of what Christ has done for us.
For believers, the path of rejection and fasting is in order. By fasting we may be denying ourselves things that are good in themselves but that do not fit the pattern of the kingdom of God. We are to deny self. Advanced civilization has undermined Christian living. If we follow a rejected Christ, we follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:22As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: (1 Peter 2:2)1 JnD).
The Lord Jesus was not taken up with the pleasures of this life: its adornments of art, science, honor, position, money or popularity. His was a path of sorrow, because He was not of this world. His origin was from heaven, and He has gone back to His home from whence He came. There He enters into the eternal joys with His Father. He was a man of sorrows because He was not of this present world, which later crucified Him. He was the happiest man on earth, because He
was in constant communion with His Father, the source of all joy.
A Candle
A lighted candle (testimony) should not be covered with a vessel (business, worldly activities) or under a bed (spiritual laziness), but it should be set on a candlestick so that those who would enter might see the light. "For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be known and come abroad."
We are to be careful as to how we hear. Our heart at all times should be open so that the Word sown can reach our conscience. If it does not reach the conscience, there will be no progress, nor fruit, in the things of God. If we, through hearing, receive truth, more will be given to us. If not, what we have will be taken away.
To consider the things of Christ as something that we can add at will to our lives is Satan's deceit. Christ is our life. The necessities of this life must be taken care of, but we must not be overcharged with them. That which is permanent, eternal things, must be our life and object; all the rest may have their place, but will soon pass away.
"When I was a child [immature], I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man [mature], I put away childish things [that which is immature]." 1 Cor. 13:1111When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (1 Corinthians 13:11).
Jesus' mother and brethren came in the crowd, wanting to see Him. Hearing of it, Jesus said, "My mother and My brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it."
The Storm
As Jesus and His disciples crossed the sea of Galilee to go to Gadara, Jesus fell asleep in the ship. When a storm descended on them and filled the ship with water, the disciples awoke Jesus, saying, "Master, Master, we perish."
Think it over! If Jesus is with us in the ship in a storm, will we perish? Are not our souls bound up in the same bundle of life with the Lord our God (1 Sam. 25:2929Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling. (1 Samuel 25:29))? If nothing can harm us when with Him, is it faith to say, "Master, Master, we perish"? Then Jesus rebuked the wind and the turbulent water, they ceased, and there was a calm. Where there is perfect trust, He can still the storms in our lives and make them into a calm. Perhaps our difficulty in trusting Him is that we have not as yet gotten to know Him. To know Him is to love Him; this will cast out fear. If we know Jesus as our Bridegroom, we surely will trust Him for the storms that arise in this life.
The Gadarenes
In Gadara a demon-possessed man, who had for a long time lived without clothes in the tombs, seeing Jesus and falling down before Him, cried with a loud voice, "What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God most high? I beseech Thee, torment me not."
The man had often been bound with chains and fetters, but when the demon had caught him, he had broken all restraints and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. Jesus rebuked the demon and commanded him to come out of the man. When Jesus asked him his name, he answered, "Legion," having many demons in him.
The demons asked Jesus that they not be sent out into the deep, but rather be allowed to go into the herd of swine feeding nearby. This they did, and the swine choked in the water. Those who witnessed what happened fled, telling it in the city and country.
Going out to see for themselves what was done by Jesus, they found the man clothed "and in his right mind." This made the people afraid. When they learned how the man was healed, they asked Jesus to depart from their coasts, being overcome with fear. Are men so used to evil and Satan's presence and power that they prefer it to the healing power of Jesus and would rather He would depart from them?
The man who had been healed asked Jesus if he might be with Him, but Jesus said that he should rather return to his own house and tell what great things God had done to him. This he did and the tremendous results of his testimony are recorded elsewhere. May this be a salutary lesson to those who preach the gospel.
Jairus and the Woman
Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue of the Jews, fell down at Jesus' feet and asked Jesus to come to his home, because of his daughter who lay dying. In appealing to Jesus for help, Jairus depicts the Jews (represented by Jairus, a leader in Israel) seeking help for the nation.
Meanwhile, a woman with an affliction for twelve years had spent all of her living on doctors without being healed, and her condition was getting worse. She thought that if she could only press through the crowd and touch the garment of Jesus she would be healed. She did so and immediately she was made well. Jesus asked, "Who touched Me?" When the woman saw that the matter was known, she confessed all to Jesus. He said, "Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole."
The woman, coming into the story while Jesus and Jairus are on their way to his house, shows the two thousand years of Christianity on the earth, with Israel as a nation being set aside and the Church brought in. It does not necessarily follow that this woman was a Gentile. The Church was first formed of Jews. The Gentiles came in later.
Following this, Jesus continues to the home of Jairus and heals his daughter, saying, "Maid, arise." Her spirit came again, and she arose immediately. Jesus commanded to give her food. In a coming day such will be the rising from the dead for the virgin daughter of Israel.
The astonished parents were told to tell no one. Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue. He was among the leaders of the nation. His action, of going to Jesus for help, shows what will be seen among the elders of Israel when Judah will be restored. In Joel 2:12-17,12Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God? 15Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. 17Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? (Joel 2:12‑17) the elders cry to God, "Spare Thy people, O Lord, and give not Thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?"
In Matt. 12:14,14Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. (Matthew 12:14) the rulers took counsel to kill Jesus. This was the official rejection of Jesus by the elders of Israel. When Israel returns to the Lord, it will be the elders who lead in it (Joel 2:16,1716Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. 17Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? (Joel 2:16‑17)). Jairus is a picture of this.