What I Noticed Today (Luke 8-9)
Luke 8
In verses 1-3, Jesus and the disciples were traveling from town to town, preaching the Good News. Several women followed them, ministering to them and providing for them out of their own possessions: Mary Magdalene (who had seven demons cast out), Joanna (the wife of Herods’ steward), Suzanna, and many others.
Note: In Jewish culture, it would have been very unseemly for a woman to be following a man around from town to town.
In verses 4-8, (See also Matthew 13:1-23 and Mark 4:11-20), the parable of the Sower. A large crowd came to Jesus from many nearby towns, and He taught the parable of the sower. A man went out to sow seed. Some of the seeds fell on the path, and birds ate them. Some of the seed fell on the rock, and when it grew, it withered. Some seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns choked it out. Finally, some seeds fell on good ground. This seed grew and produced a crop 100 times what was sown.
Note: Jesus ended the parable saying, “He who has ears to hear should listen.” He used this phrase several times when teaching parables. The point being the spiritually sensitive people would understand the spiritual meaning of the parable.
In verses 9-10, Jesus’ disciples asked Jesus what the parable meant. He told them those who were spiritually mature would understand and would know the secrets to the kingdom of Heaven.
In verses 11-15, Jesus explained the meaning of the parable of the Sower. There are four kinds of people who all receive the same message but respond differently.
- The seed is the Word of God.
- The first group rejects the Word of God.
- The second group listens and believes for a while, but they have no root, and they fall away.
- The third group listens and is interested, but the cares of this world prevent them from accepting the Word of God.
- The fourth group is those who listen, believe, and produce a good crop of spiritual fruit.
Note: 1) The Pharisees, scribes, and elders rejected the Word of God, 2) some people were drawn to Jesus’ miracles but did not really accept His message, 3) some were interested in Jesus’ message but were consumed with worldly matters, and 4) some listen and follow Him despite the cost.
In verses 16-18, (See also Mark 4:21-25) the parable of the Lamp. Jesus said no one who lights a lamp puts it under a bed but puts it on a lampstand so that all may see it. Nothing is concealed that won’t be revealed. The point being the disciples were being given the keys to the kingdom of heaven and needed not to hide it like a lamp under a table!
In verses 19-21, (See also Matthew 12:46-50, and Mark 3:31-35), Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see Him but could not because of the crowd. Finally, someone told Him His family was waiting outside, and Jesus said, my brothers are those who hear and do the Word of God.
Note: Jesus is not making light of the family relationship. Rather, He is broadening the idea of family to those who are believers.
In verses 22-25, (See also Matthew 8:23-27, and Mark 4:35-41), one day, Jesus and the disciples got into a boat to sail across the lake (Sea of Galilee). Along the way, Jesus fell asleep, and a large windstorm came up, threatening to swamp the boat. The disciples woke Jesus afraid for their lives. Jesus rebuked the wind, and it became calm. The disciples were afraid and amazed that even the wind obeyed Jesus.
Note: Jesus chided the disciples for their lack of faith. If they had fully trusted in Him, they would not have been afraid because He said, we are going to cross the lake.
In verses 26-39, (See also Matthew 8:28-34 and Mark 5:1-20), Jesus demonstrates His power over demons. Jesus and the disciples had sailed to Gerasenes, where a demon-possessed man met Him. The demon cried out, recognizing Jesus calling Him Jesus, You Son of the Most High God. Jesus asked the demon’s name, and it answered, Legion, for we are many. The demons asked to be banished to the abyss, but Jesus allowed them to enter a herd of pigs. The pigs then rushed over a cliff into the lake and drowned. The people asked Jesus to leave the region, but the man who Jesus had cleansed of the demon begged to be allowed to stay with Him. But Jesus ordered the man to go home and tell others what had happened to him.
Note: The area of Gerasenes was largely Gentile. Pigs were unclean to Jews.
In verses 40-56, (See also Matthew 9:18-26, and Mark 5:21-43), Jesus returned to Galilee and healed Jairus’ daughter and a woman with an issue of blood.
Jairus, a leader in the synagogue (perhaps an elder), came to Jesus, begging Him to heal his daughter, who was near death.
While Jesus was on his way to Jairus’ house, a woman with a persistent issue of blood came up behind Jesus, thinking if she could just touch His robe, she would be healed. Jesus felt power go out of Him and asked who had touched Him. The woman admitted to touching Him because she wanted to be healed. Jesus said your faith had made you well.
Continuing to Jairus’ house, someone from the synagogue came and said Jairus’ daughter had died. Jesus comforted Jairus and took Peter, James, and John with Him to the house. Jesus took the girl by the hand and commanded her to get up, and her spirit returned to her, and she got up. Her parents were amazed, but Jesus told them not to tell what had happened.
Note: Interesting. The crowd outside Jairus’ house and all the mourners knew the girl had died, yet Jesus instructed the parents not to say anything about her healing.
Luke 9
In verses 1-6, (See also Matthew 10:5-15, and Mark 6:7-13), Jesus summoned the disciples and gave them power and authority over demons and heal diseases. He then told them to go out and proclaim the Good News. They were to take nothing with them; no walking stick, no travel bag, no extra food, no money, not even an extra shirt. Wherever you go, if they do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet to testify against them.
Note: When Jews returned home from visiting Gentile territory, they would shake the dust off of their feet. Thus, Jews who rejected the disciples were like unbelieving Gentiles.
In verses 7-9, (See also Matthew 4:1-2, and Mark 6:14-20), Herod, the tetrarch, heard about Jesus and was confused because he thought John had risen from the dead after he had beheaded John. Others thought it was Elijah, and others thought it was one of the other prophets.
In verses 10-17, (See also Matthew 14:13-21, and Mark 6:30-44), when the disciples returned to Jesus, He took them to Bethsaida, but the crowds of people found out and followed them. Jesus welcomed them, healed them, and spoke about the kingdom of heaven. Late in the day, the disciples told Jesus He should send the people away to find food and lodging, but Jesus said, you feed them. The disciples found only five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus directed the people to sit in groups of 50. He took the fish and the bread, blessed it, and began handing it to the disciples to give to the people. Five thousand men (probably about 20,000 people total) were fed, and they had 12 baskets of leftovers.
In verses 18-27, (See also Matthew 16:13-28, and Mark 8:27-9:1), while Jesus was praying and the disciples were with Him, He asked them who do the people say that I am. They answered some people say John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the ancient prophets. Jesus then asked, who do you say I am. Peter answered God’s Messiah.
Jesus warned them not to say anything because the Son of Man must suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, chief priests, scribes, and killed and raised on the third day.
Jesus then told the disciples that anyone who wishes to follow Him must deny himself and take up his cross daily.
Note: “Deny” and “Take up” or “Lift up” are both imperatives, meaning a command that requires continuous action.
Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes into His glory.
Note: Whoever rejects Jesus’ message now will be rejected by Him on judgment day.
In verses 28-36, (See also Matthew 17:1-8, and Mark 9:28-36), about eight days later, Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on the mountain (Mount Tabor) to pray. As Jesus was praying, His appearance changed, and His clothes turned dazzling white, and two men, Moses and Elijah, were talking to Him. They were speaking about His death that was to come in Jerusalem. Peter, John, and James woke up from sleeping just as Moses and Elijah were leaving, and Peter suggested they built a tabernacle for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Just as Peter was saying this, a cloud above them appeared, and speaking from the cloud, a voice said, “This is MY Son, the Chosen One, listen to Him.”
After the voice, only Jesus was there. Peter, John, and James kept silent about what they had seen.
Note: Peter’s suggestion to build three tabernacles may be an indication that he thought the kingdom of God was at hand (Zechariah 14:16-21, Luke 9:27).
In verses 37-43, (See also Matthew 17:14-18 and Mark 9:14-27), the next day, when Jesus, Peter, John, and James came down from the mountain, a large crowd met them. A man broke through the crowd begging Jesus to heal his demon-possessed son. The man said he had brought the boy to the disciples, but they had been unable to cast out the demon. Jesus rebuked the demon and healed the boy, and everyone was amazed at the greatness of God.
Note: It is unclear who Jesus was referring to when he said, “You unbelieving and rebellious generation” (v. 41). It may have been the crowd, the man’s father, the disciples, or all of them. Regardless, we know from the Mark passage that what was lacking was faith, prayer, and fasting.
In verses 44-45, Jesus tells the disciples a second time that the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, but they didn’t understand what He meant and were afraid to ask Him about it.
In verses 46-50, (See also Matthew 18:1-5 and Mark 9:33-40), then an argument broke out among the disciples regarding who would be the greatest of them. Jesus said the one who is the greatest is the one who is least among you; whoever is least is the greatest.
John responded they had seen someone casting out demons in Jesus’ name, but they stopped him because he was not one of them. Jesus responded, they should not stop him; whoever is not against you is for you.
Note: It seems in these two examples, the disciples thought of themselves as an exclusive club who should be the only ones demonstrating God’s power.
In verses 51-56, when it was time for Jesus to journey to Jerusalem, he sent messengers into a Samaritan village to make preparations for Him. But they did not welcome Him, so Jesus decided to journey on to Jerusalem.
Note: The Samaritan’s preferred center of worship was Mount Gerizim, not Jerusalem. James and John wanted to call down the fire of judgment on the Samaritans, remind us of Elijah (2 Kings 1:9-12), who called down fire on those who rejected God.
In verses 57-62 (See also Matthew 8:19-22), someone told Jesus he would follow him anywhere as they were traveling. Jesus responded, saying He (the Son of Man) did not even have a place to lay His head.
Jesus speaking to another man, said, follow me (the same words He used to call the disciples). But the man said first, let me bury my father. So Jesus said, Let the dead bury the dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom.
Another person said he would follow Jesus, but only after he said goodbye to his family. Jesus said no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.
Note: The point of Jesus’ discussion with these three men is that one cannot follow Jesus with divided interests. There can be no excuses that interfere with following Jesus. It is worth noting that Luke ends the conversation without telling us what any of the three men did. Did they follow Jesus, or did they return to their prior lives?
Some points for further thought:
- In Luke 8, multitudes of people heard Jesus’ message, but their four types of response varied from welcoming to rejection. Just like today!
- In Luke 9, we see Jesus calling the disciples. Whom He calls, he also equips (vv. 1-6), enables (vv. 7-17), and encourages (vv. 18-36). Through all this, He will give us the strength to endure (vv. 37-62).
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.
