Chapter Eight

1–3. Women who served Christ. – 4–8. The Parable of the Sower. – 9–18. Interpretation of the Parable. – 19–21. The True Relatives of Christ. – 22–39. Christ’s Departure with the Disciples to the Eastern Shore of the Sea of Gennesaret. – 40–56. The Healing of the Woman with a Hemorrhage and the Raising of Jairus’ Daughter.

Luke 8:1. Now it came to pass, as He was going through the cities and villages, preaching and bringing good news of the kingdom of God, and the twelve were with Him, Luke 8:2. and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, out of whom seven demons had gone forth, Luke 8:3. and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, the steward of Herod, and Susanna, and many others, who ministered to Him from their substance. Only the evangelist Luke remarks on the women who, during Christ’s preaching journeys with the twelve apostles, ministered to Him from their substance. “Mary Magdalene” (see Matt 27:56). “Out of whom seven demons had gone forth.” This expression denotes the extraordinary power of demonic possession: “seven” in the language of Sacred Scripture is a symbol of fullness (cf. Matt 12:45). According to I. Weiss, this indicates that Mary experienced demonic possession seven times during her life. As for the fairly widespread rationalistic view that Mary was simply an extremely immoral woman in conduct, and that the evangelist indicated this with his remark, against such an understanding stands the use of the term “healed” (τεθεραπευμέναι) applied to Mary, which denotes miraculous healing from a real, not imaginary illness of demon possession. “The steward of Herod,” that is, in our terms, the master of ceremonies at the court of Herod (probably Antipas). This office was prominent (cf. Matt 20:8). These women served Christ until His very death on the cross (see Luke 24:10). “Susanna” – a person unknown.

Luke 8:4. And when a great multitude had gathered, and from every city they came to Him, He spoke by a parable: Luke 8:5. A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside and was trampled on, and the birds of the air devoured it; Luke 8:6. and other fell on the rock; and when it had sprung up, it withered, because it had no moisture; Luke 8:7. and other fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it; Luke 8:8. and other fell on good ground and, springing up, bore fruit a hundredfold. When He had said this, He cried out: He who has ears to hear, let him hear! The evangelist Luke sets forth the Parable of the Sower similarly to Matthew (Matt 13:3-9) and Mark (Mark 4:1-9), but with some abridgements.

Luke 8:9. And His disciples asked Him, saying: What might this parable mean? Luke 8:10. And He said: To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables; so that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. Luke 8:11. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God; Luke 8:12. and those by the wayside are they that hear; then comes the devil and takes away the word from their heart, lest they should believe and be saved; Luke 8:13. and those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root, who believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away; Luke 8:14. and that which fell among the thorns, these are they who hear, but as they go on, are choked by cares and riches and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity; Luke 8:15. but that on the good ground, these are they who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with perseverance. When He had said this, He cried out: He who has ears to hear, let him hear! Luke 8:16. 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, so that those entering might see the light. Luke 8:17. For nothing is hidden that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light. Luke 8:18. Take heed therefore how you hear: for whoever has, to him shall be given; and whoever has not, from him shall be taken even that which he thinks he has. See the explanation of the parable in the comments to Matt 13:10-17; Mark 4:10-25. The evangelist Luke here follows Mark most of all. “Disciples” – the twelve apostles (cf. verse 1). “So that” (verse 10) – more correctly: “in order that” (ἵνα), see Mark 4:12. “But as they go on” (verse 14). It would be more correct to translate: “going on” or “living” (in the Greek text here stands the verb πορεύειν). The words “choked by cares, riches, and pleasures of life” represent a definition of the word “going” or an indication of the motives of “going.” People, consequently, hear the word, but in their activity are guided by other factors – cares, and the like – and through this are choked, like seeds growing among thorns, and do not reach maturity. “In an honest and good heart” (verse 15), that is, in a morally fair and good (καλῇ καὶ ἀγαθῇ) heart; and the heart becomes such through the purifying action of the word heard (John 15:3). “With perseverance” (verse 15), that is, constantly holding to the word. This is the opposite of “falling away” mentioned in verse 13. “From him shall be taken even that which he thinks he has” (verse 18). The evangelist Luke is here more precise than Matthew and Mark: he says that some people only imagine that they have achieved certain progress in moral improvement, but in fact they have acquired nothing. And so, soon from such people shall be taken even this comfort – before them shall be revealed all their moral nullity...

Luke 8:19. And His mother and His brothers came to Him, and could not come near Him for the crowd. Luke 8:20. And it was told Him: Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You. Luke 8:21. But He answered and said to them: My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it. Concerning the coming to Christ of the Holy Mother and His brothers, the evangelist Luke reports in agreement with Mark (Mark 3:31-35; cf. Matt 12:46-50).

Luke 8:22. Now it came to pass on a certain day that He entered into a boat with His disciples, and He said to them: Let us go over to the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. Luke 8:23. But as they sailed, He fell asleep. And there came down a windstorm on the lake; and they were being filled with water and were in jeopardy. Luke 8:24. And they came and awoke Him, saying: Master! Master! we are perishing. But He awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water; and they ceased, and there was a calm. Luke 8:25. And He said to them: Where is your faith? And they were afraid and marveled, saying to one another: Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him? Luke 8:26. And they sailed down into the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite to Galilee. Luke 8:27. And when He had come out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time, and wore no clothes, and lived not in a house but in the tombs. Luke 8:28. And when he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, and said with a loud voice: What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of God Most High? I beseech You, do not torment me. Luke 8:29. For Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For a long time it had seized him; and he was kept bound with chains and fetters, yet he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. Luke 8:30. And Jesus asked him: What is your name? And he said: Legion; because many demons had entered into him. Luke 8:31. And they besought Jesus that He would not command them to go into the abyss. Luke 8:32. Now there was a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain; and they besought Him that He would permit them to enter into them. And He permitted them. Luke 8:33. Then the demons came out from the man and entered into the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. Luke 8:34. And when the swineherds saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Luke 8:35. And they went out to see what had happened; and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone forth, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Luke 8:36. And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Luke 8:37. And all the people of the country of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them; for they were seized with great fear. And He entered into the boat and returned. Luke 8:38. Now the man out of whom the demons had gone was begging Him to be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying: Luke 8:39. Return to your home and tell what God has done for you. And he went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what Jesus had done for him. Concerning Christ’s crossing to the eastern shore of the Sea of Gennesaret and the healing of the demon-possessed man, the evangelist Luke reports in agreement with Mark (Mark 4:35-5:20; cf. Matt 8:23-34). At the same time, he makes certain changes in details – he softens, for example, in verse 25 the Lord’s address to the apostles: “Where is your faith?” (According to Mark – “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” Mark 4:40), and in verse 28 he replaces the expression: “I adjure you by God” (Mark 5:7), with the expression: “I beseech You.” Further, he adds that the demon-possessed man was possessed by demons from of old and did not dress in clothes (verse 27), that the demons asked the Lord not to cast them “into the abyss,” that is, into the underworld (verse 31; cf. Rom 10:7; Rev 9:1 et seq.). The demon-possessed man, after his healing, preached about what had happened to him only in his own city (verse 39; according to Mark – “in the Decapolis”; Mark 5:20).

Luke 8:40. Now when Jesus returned, the people received Him, for all were expecting Him. Luke 8:41. 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; Luke 8:42. for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. But as He went, the people thronged Him. Luke 8:43. And a woman having an issue of blood for twelve years, who, though she had spent all her living upon physicians, could not be healed by anyone, Luke 8:44. came behind Him and touched the border of His garment; and immediately the issue of blood ceased. Luke 8:45. And Jesus said: Who touched Me? When all denied it, Peter and those with Him said: Master! the multitude throng and press You, and You say: Who touched Me? Luke 8:46. But Jesus said: Someone touched Me; for I perceive that power has gone out from Me. Luke 8:47. Now when the woman saw that she could not be hidden, she came trembling and, falling down before Him, declared in the presence of all the people for what reason she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. Luke 8:48. And He said to her: Be of good cheer, daughter! Your faith has saved you; go in peace. Luke 8:49. While He yet spoke, there came one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying: Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher. Luke 8:50. But when Jesus heard it, He answered him: Fear not; only believe, and she shall be made well. Luke 8:51. And when He came to the house, He suffered no one to go in, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the girl. Luke 8:52. And all wept and bewailed her. But He said: Weep not; she is not dead, but sleeps. Luke 8:53. And they laughed Him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. Luke 8:54. But He put them all out, and taking her by the hand, cried, saying: Little girl, get up! Luke 8:55. And her spirit returned; and she rose up immediately. And He commanded that something be given her to eat. Luke 8:56. And her parents were astonished. But He charged them to tell no one what had happened. Concerning the raising of Jairus’ daughter and the healing of the woman with a hemorrhage, the evangelist Luke speaks in full agreement with Mark (Mark 5:21-43; cf. Matt 9:18-26). The evangelist Luke, however, adds that the daughter of Jairus was “only” one (verse 42), that to Christ’s question answered – of course on behalf of the disciples – Peter, and that this answer was not somewhat disrespectful, as the answer of the disciples appears to be in Mark (Mark 5:31), since “all denied it” (verse 45). According to the evangelist Mark, the woman trembled because she felt the change that had occurred in her (Mark 5:33), but according to Luke – because she understood that her deed had become known to the Wonderworker. “Peter, John and James” (verse 51). The evangelist Luke, of the two sons of Zebedee, puts John first, as the more well-known person, while Mark – James (Mark 5:37). “And bewailed her” (verse 52) – more precisely: “beat themselves on the breast as a sign of grief for her” (ἐκόπτοντο αὐτήν). “And her spirit returned” (verse 55) – this is an addition of the evangelist Luke, from which one can see that Christ raised to life one who had truly died, from whom the soul had already departed.