Day 52 – Thursday, March 13, 2025

One Year Journey Through the New Testament

Luke 8

Welcome to our journey through the New Testament!

Certain Women Minister to Christ

1 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, ² and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, ³ and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance. 

(Luke 8:1–3, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• In this passage, Luke names three women, representative of the women who followed Jesus as part of his ministry, who were integral to His operation.
• He had done miracle sin their lives, casting out demons and healing their bodies.
• They followed Him, worked, and even supported Him financially.

The Parable of the Soils

Matt. 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20

⁴ And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: ⁵ “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. ⁶ Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. ⁷ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. ⁸ But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

⁹ Then His disciples asked Him, saying, “What does this parable mean?”

¹⁰ And He said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that

‘Seeing they may not see,

And hearing they may not understand.’

¹¹ “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. ¹² Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. ¹³ But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. ¹⁴ Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. ¹⁵ But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.  

(Luke 8:4–15, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• This passage has parallels in Matthew and Mark.
• This recounting of the story by Luke is nearly identical to that in the other two gospels. It does not include the explanation of why He spoke in parables that Matthew and Mark includes.
• The soils are described, and the resulting acceptance or rejection of the seed is explained.
• Jesus then explains how this compares to the acceptance or rejection of the gospel by a soul.
• The promise of a huge harvest is connected with a soul gladly receiving the gospel and being saved to produce fruit.

Parable of the Lamp

Mark 4:21-25

¹⁶ “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. ¹⁷ For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. ¹⁸ Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.” 

(Luke 8:16–18, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• The parable of the lamp, only found elsewhere in Mark, speaks of the display of a light in a house. No one hides the lamp, but places it in a prominent place so that the whole room is lit.
• Jesus points out that nothing hidden will stay hidden, but will be revealed by the light.
• He is describing the power of the light of God, and encourages believers to produce while there is light, so that more may be given to you. This account by Luke does not include a few phrases and is a little shorter.

Christ’s True Brethren

Matt. 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35

¹⁹ Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. ²⁰ And it was told Him by some, who said, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.”

²¹ But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.” 

(Luke 8:19–21, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• This passage includes almost all the same material as the parallel passages in Matthew and Mark. It does not include Jesus‘ question, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”
• Jesus explains that His true family (not to exclude His flesh and blood, of course) are those that hear the word of God and do it.

The Storm is Stilled

Matt. 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41

²² Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. ²³ But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. ²⁴ And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”

Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. ²⁵ But He said to them, “Where is your faith?”

And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!” 

(Luke 8:22–25, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• This passage is slightly different from the accounts shared by Matthew and Mark.
• The order of the short piece where Jesus rebukes the storm is slightly different. Jesus question to the disciples as well.
• However, the story is the same story no matter.
• Jesus calms a storm that the disciples felt threatened their existence, and then asked why they lacked faith.
• The disciples were even more awed by Him after this.

Demons are Cast into Swine

Matt. 8:28-34

²⁶ Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” ²⁹ For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.

³⁰ Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?”

And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. ³¹ And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.

³² Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. ³³ Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.

³⁴ When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. ³⁵ Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. ³⁶ They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. ³⁷ Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.

³⁸ Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

⁴⁰ So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him. 

(Luke 8:26–40, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• This passage is almost identical to the passage in Mark. The passage is Matthew is either a different story or one that includes a second demoniac that Mark nor Luke chose to include.
• They land in the Gadarenes in Mark and Luke, but in the Gergasenes in Matthew. While these places are supposedly synonymous according to scholars, there is a distinction in Matthew.
• A demoniac approaches Jesus at the shore. The demons identify themselves as “Legion.” Jesus casts them into the herd of swine nearby, and the pigs run into the sea, killing themselves.
• The demoniac is seen sitting calmly, delivered from the demons.
• The people of the area ask Jesus to leave.

A Woman is Healed

Matt. 9:18-22; Mark 5:21-34

⁴¹ And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house, ⁴² for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. ⁴³ Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, ⁴⁴ came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.

⁴⁵ And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”

When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”

⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” ⁴⁷ Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.

⁴⁸ And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” 

(Luke 8:41–48, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• This passage is also found in both Matthew and Mark.
• Jairus approaches Jesus as He gets off the boat in Capernaum, begging Jesus to come heal his sick daughter. She was twelve years old and near death.
• Jesus went with him. While en route, a multitude crowded around Jesus. One woman, with a flow of blood for twelve years, came from behind and touched Jesus’ garment.
• He stopped, and asked who touched Him. No one would confess.
• The women came forward and told Him that it was her, and that she was healed by that touch.
• Jesus congratulated her, and told her to go in peace.

Jairus’s Daughter is Raised

Matt. 9:23-26; Mark 5:35-43

⁴⁹ While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.”

⁵⁰ But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.” ⁵¹ When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. ⁵² Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.” ⁵³ And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.

⁵⁴ But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, arise.” ⁵⁵ Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. ⁵⁶ And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened. (Luke 8:49–56, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• While He was speaking to the woman, someone came from the house of Jairus announcing that his daughter was dead.
• Jesus heard the message and told Jairus to not be afraid, but to only believe.
• They went on to the house, and did not allow anyone into the room except Peter, James, and John, and the girl’s parents.
• Jesus announces that the girl was not dead, only sleeping, which brought the ridicule of the crowds.
• He put them outside and then called for the girl to arise, which she did. They gave her something to eat, and Jesus told them to tell no one what had happened.
• Jesus, in this chapter, does great miracles, establishing His authority fully.
• Jesus changes the lives of so many that were in His path.
• Jesus shows that He has power over demons, over death, and over destruction. He is the Deliverer, the Healer, the Savior.

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All Scriptures from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Join us this afternoon at 5:00 pm for a discussion of this chapter live online. Live@5 with Dr. Greg Sloop can be found on Facebook on the Dr. Greg Sloop page or on the Kannapolis Church of God Facebook page or Youtube page. Another blog will be posted each weekday at 6:00 a.m.