<<< Go back to Luke chapter seven <<<
(47) Have you got ears? (Luke 8:1-10, 5th July 2009)
(48) Message & response (Luke 8:10-21, 12th July 2009)
(49) Out of the safety zone (Luke 8:22-39, 19th July 2009)
(50) The greatest family (Luke 8:40-56, 30th August 2009)
>>> Go on to chapter nine >>>
Some preachers, through inability, leave their hearers confused about what they mean. But on occasion Jesus, with brilliant skill, would do this on purpose, as Luke 8 shows. Jesus is taking a tour through villages and towns, preaching the good news of new life. With him Jesus takes various people who display this new life and hence are the proof of the truth of his message – they are “wisdom's children” (7:35) on display to Israel. In particular he has the 12 apostles because they are his key witnesses in Israel. Once Jesus has left, the Israelites will have one generation to respond to his message through the 12, before God's fiery judgement descends upon them. But Jesus has more than just the 12 since some women are with him who also display healed lives (8:2-3), most notably Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Susanna. These women, like the woman at the end of chapter 7, provide practical service to Jesus, presumably meeting the needs of the group on tour for food, accommodation and so forth. Their role on Jesus' tour is less prominent than that of the apostles, but this does not make them lesser followers. In chapter 7 Jesus spoke of how the least in the kingdom of heaven – like a foot-washing woman – was greater than John the Baptist, for all his public preaching role. God does not look at job titles when assessing those who are great; rather he looks for those who have responded to his son with a trusting, loving heart that humbly serves others (Mk 9:35). Well Jesus tours many places and preaches the good news, and a crowd gathers to hear him (8:4). However, he can see that his earlier warnings are coming true: some may be “hearing” him, but they're not truly responding. He therefore decides to explain people's reactions more fully to the disciples because as his representatives they need to have right expectations and understanding about their mission. But rather than take them away somewhere quiet, Jesus decides to give them private instruction in a public place. He does this by telling a story about a farmer who sows seed (see next sermon), which he then follows up with an odd statement about people having ears to hear him (8:8). What's he doing? Jesus is teaching his disciples about God's kingdom (8:9) but is doing so in a way which challenges the crowds: forcing them into making a choice. When his words are unclear, do they care enough to stay around and keep listening to learn his meaning? Or actually are they such casual listeners that his unusual story will just put them off? To use Jesus' phrase: do they have “ears to hear”? When somebody comes seeking the Lord then they may find testing barriers initially in the way. But those who truly seek him will find him.
(1) Read through Luke and note the women who are mentioned and what they are doing. See how varied and positive their contribution is to God's kingdom. (2) What things about Jesus confuse you? Are they, in some way, a test of your willingness to keep listening to him? Turn these things into prayer.
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In our verses Jesus teaches that God has a message which demands a response. Long before Jesus, Isaiah was called to preach unclearly to Israel (Is 6) prior to God's judgement falling; Jesus now uses the same technique (8:10). This type of preaching is used to provoke those with an unresponsive heart towards God (8:8). Jesus explains this to his disciples and then opens up the teaching contained in his story. And they can see that the story was actually about the same problem: people who don't listen properly! Like the farmer sowing seed, Jesus has been scattering God's message; but as with the seed, the results depend upon the ground/people who receive it (8:11). Some are quickly distracted (a standard technique of the devil): their minds flit easily onto other things in life and God's message seems irrelevant (8:12). Others are intimidated when trouble arrives (see 6:20-31) and this kills off their initial desire to follow Jesus (8:13). A third group have other issues in life – eg relationships, money, job – draining their time and energy so that their Christian life is ruined (8:14). Of course we don't know who is in which category until the end of their life, so Jesus' negative assessments can help us to pray and fight against these dangers, in others and ourselves. And Jesus' fourth category encourages us to do that, for some people really take to heart Jesus' teaching and their lives are revolutionised (8:15). They bear the good fruit which Jesus preached about back in his sermon on the kingdom of love (ch 6): they do good to others, forgive one another and lose bad attitudes. Jesus' words are thrilling: his message changes lives completely and Christians should take heart and be encouraged in their obedience to him. Indeed this is how we see if somebody is a true Christian: over time is their life changing? So Jesus reassures his apostles that his unclear preaching isn't going on forever – he's just giving the crowds something to think about. Jesus' teaching of God's message will go public – after all it would be daft to hide a light away when you've just lit it (8:16-17)! But the 12 must remember the key lesson: hear AND obey. Even they must remember that or otherwise they'll lose even those things which Jesus has already let them learn (8:18). Christians must live out the truth they already know: don't worry about what you don't know, until you've been faithful with what you do! Only those who live obediently to what they've already heard, gain more from Jesus. Jesus' message is very serious; something which Luke emphasises, in closing, by recounting Jesus' shocking and radical statement that those who are “family” to him, are those who hear and obey God's word (8:19-21).
(1) Test your own heart. What do you intuitively do with Bible teaching that you listen to? What type of ground are you? How should you, therefore, be praying? (2) Pray for those who regularly do the work of public evangelism – open air preaching, door-to-door, tract distribution etc. - in the light of Jesus' words here.
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The Lord Jesus sometimes takes his followers away from where they feel safe and into difficulties which they would never choose. He does this, as we see in our passage, in order to build up their faith by teaching them more about himself and his mission. This happens to the disciples when Jesus decides upon a boat trip across Lake Galilee. En route a terrifying storm threatens to drown them all and the disciples are reduced to panic. But Jesus, woken from sleep, rebukes the storm just as he has rebuked illness (4:39) and demons (4:35) previously – the forces which cause trouble in the world are all subject to Jesus' authority. His action amazes the disciples (in the Old Testament only God had power like this!); Jesus is more than just a man. But they have also shown a lack of faith (8:25). Jesus previously promised to bless them (Lk 6) so did they think his promise would fail out on the lake? Their faith has drooped in the face of difficulties as Jesus warned (8:13). However, Jesus doesn't reject them – they can learn from this test and their faith can grow, as well as their understanding of Jesus. But there is more to learn on this journey, as they discover when they arrive on the shore. Jesus has brought them into Gentile territory, where “unclean” animals are kept and a huge army of demons have destroyed a man's life, causing him to live amongst the dead. Now Jesus' mission has not yet been extended to the Gentiles – which will happen after the Cross – and so his actions are limited, and the demons will not be sent to the Abyss (8:31). But he will not allow them to torture this man any longer and therefore they transfer to a large herd of pigs, who rush into the lake and die. This leaves the man calm and soon he is dressed, and learning from Jesus. His life has been transformed, just as Jesus said lives would be (8:15), and the disciples have been given a foretaste of Jesus' future mission – his people will sail the world and break Satan's hold on lives. But world mission is the long-term plan and for now Jesus accepts the Gentiles' request for him to leave (8:37). He also tells the saved man to remain in his own country (8:39) – it's not yet time for Jesus to have Gentiles following him around, although he can certainly tell of what God has done for him. Jesus assured his disciples that the ways of God's kingdom would be widely heard (8:16-17) and this saved man fulfils that, although back home Jesus will still be using a different technique to challenge non-listening Israelites (8:56). This passage, then, teaches us about Christ, not about Christian techniques for dealing with demons using pigs! Rather this supernatural incident encourages us go anywhere with the good news of Christ knowing that he change any life, no matter how damaged.
(1) Find out about Christians who have taken the gospel into very dangerous places. Read about the reality of Christ's power in the dark places of the world. (2) Pray for the dark places that you personally know about – for those taking the gospel into them already; or for Christians to start doing so.
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The one God is three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Eternally they have loved one another, enjoying perfect unity. But now this “divine family” has been graciously thrown open to us so that we, who have been God's enemies, can be adopted into his family and have God as “Our father in heaven.” Jesus spoke a little of this in 8:21 and now displays its reality in these intertwined incidents where he heals two hurting families. After his temporary trip into Gentile territory, Jesus returns to find people waiting for him (v40). One man in particular pleads for help since his only daughter, just on the verge of adult life, is dying (v41-42). Such a problem points to the state of fallen Israel, far from the promised blessings of God as found in Deuteronomy 28:2. But as Jesus sets out, a similar situation (linked by the timespan of 12 years – v42,43) touches him. A woman with haemorrhaging in her womb seeks help (v43-44). Her condition will have had both medical and social implications (Leviticus 15) leaving the woman feeling ashamed and unwanted, hence her attempt to remain anonymous (v47). However, her trust in Jesus leads to complete recovery, as he tenderly speaks to her as family and sends her away with God's great blessing of peace (v48). She feared her problem would contaminate him but actually he cleanses her (v46)! Here is Jesus' power to remake the lives of those who trust him and become his family. However, whilst one rejoices, mourning breaks out for another as Jairus hears his daughter is dead. The messenger, and the people at the house, assume Jesus can now do nothing (v49,53). But Jesus speaks those words which God says so often to his people in the Bible: “Don't be afraid” (v50) When they reach the house, mourning has already broken out but Jesus tells them to be silent for the girl is only sleeping (v52). The people respond to Jesus' words with laughter, showing the level of unbelief in Israel (v53). Therefore Jesus does not allow them to share in the astonishing miracle he performs (v51,56) – a further working out of his earlier teaching concerning those who will not listen and believe (8:4-18). Only a small group enter the house and see Jesus behave like a father calling a child to breakfast: Jesus wakes her up and arranges for her to eat (v54,55). In these two incidents Jesus displays the joy of belonging to God's family. To be the Lord's “daughter” is to have a father who wakens you from the sleep of death, provides for you, heals your deepest wounds and removes all your fears; one who gives to you a life of wholeness and peace. Family life in this world is tainted by weakness, sin, sadness and death but Christ offers a new family life of eternal safety and joy.
Read through the gospels and listen to how Jesus prays because there you will hear the peace, trust, love and joy that the Father and the Son enjoy. Then see how Jesus speaks to those with faith and notice how the blessings of God's eternal life, are being shared with his people. Turn this into thankful prayer.
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