← All Chapters The Book of Luke · Chapter 8

Luke 8: The Word and the Power of God

Jesus teaches the parable of the sower, calms a storm, frees a demon-possessed man, heals a suffering woman, and raises a little girl.

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Luke 8 (WEB)

1 Soon afterwards, he went about through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of God’s Kingdom. With him were the twelve,

2 and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out;

3 and Joanna, the wife of Chuzas, Herod’s steward; Susanna; and many others; who served them from their possessions.

4 When a great multitude came together, and people from every city were coming to him, he spoke by a parable.

5 “The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the road, and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it.

6 Other seed fell on the rock, and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture.

7 Other fell amid the thorns, and the thorns grew with it, and choked it.

8 Other fell into the good ground, and grew, and produced one hundred times as much fruit.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

9 Then his disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?”

10 He said, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of God’s Kingdom, but to the rest 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 along the road are those who hear, then the devil comes, and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.

13 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, then fall away in time of temptation.

14 That which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

15 Those in the good ground, these are those who with an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and produce fruit with perseverance.

16 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a container, or puts it under a bed; but puts it on a stand, that those who enter in may see the light.

17 For nothing is hidden, that will not be revealed; nor anything secret, that will not be known and come to light.

18 Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given; and whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he thinks he has.”

19 His mother and brothers came to him, and they could not come near him for the crowd.

20 Some people told him, “Your mother and your brothers stand outside, desiring to see you.”

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

22 Now on one of those days, he entered into a boat, himself and his disciples, and he said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out.

23 But as they sailed, he fell asleep. A wind storm came down on the lake, and they were taking on dangerous amounts of water.

24 They came to him, and awoke him, saying, “Master, master, we are dying!” He awoke, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, and they ceased, and it was calm.

25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” Being afraid they marveled, saying to one another, “Who is this then, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?”

26 They arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.

27 When Jesus stepped ashore, a certain man out of the city who had demons for a long time met him. He wore no clothes, and didn’t live in a house, but in the tombs.

28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, “What do I have to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torment me!”

29 For Jesus was commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For the unclean spirit had often seized the man. He was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters. Breaking the bonds apart, he was driven by the demon into the desert.

30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered into him.

31 They begged him that he would not command them to go into the abyss.

32 Now there was there a herd of many pigs feeding on the mountain, and they begged him that he would allow them to enter into those. He allowed them.

33 The demons came out of the man, and entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned.

34 When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country.

35 People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

36 Those who saw it told them how he who had been possessed by demons was healed.

37 All the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them, for they were very much afraid. He entered into the boat, and returned.

38 But the man from whom the demons had gone out begged him that he might go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,

39 “Return to your house, and declare what great things God has done for you.” He went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

40 When Jesus returned, the multitude welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.

41 Behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus’ feet, and begged him to come into his house,

42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as he went, the multitudes pressed against him.

43 A woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her living on physicians, and could not be healed by any,

44 came behind him, and touched the fringe of his cloak, and immediately the flow of her blood stopped.

45 Jesus said, “Who touched me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes press and jostle you, and you say, ‘Who touched me?’”

46 But Jesus said, “Someone did touch me, for I perceived that power has gone out of me.”

47 When the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared to him in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.

48 He said to her, “Daughter, cheer up. Your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

49 While he still spoke, one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house came, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t trouble the Teacher.”

50 But Jesus hearing it, answered him, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe, and she will be healed.”

51 When he came to the house, he didn’t allow anyone to enter in, except Peter, John, James, the father of the child, and her mother.

52 All were weeping and mourning her, but he said, “Don’t weep. She isn’t dead, but sleeping.”

53 They were ridiculing him, knowing that she was dead.

54 But he put them all outside, and taking her by the hand, he called, saying, “Child, arise!”

55 Her spirit returned, and she rose up immediately. He commanded that something be given to her to eat.

56 Her parents were amazed, but he commanded them to tell no one what had been done.

Summary

Traveling and preaching the kingdom with the twelve and several women who support them, Jesus tells the parable of the sower: seed falls on the path, on rock, among thorns, and on good soil, picturing how people receive the word. He explains that the good soil hears the word, holds it fast, and bears fruit with patience, and he urges careful listening, for what is hidden will be revealed. His true family are those who hear and do God's word. Crossing the lake, Jesus rebukes a fierce storm into calm, and the disciples wonder who he is. In the country of the Gerasenes he frees a man tormented by many demons, sending them into pigs. As he returns, a woman with a long hemorrhage touches his garment and is healed by faith, and he raises Jairus's dead daughter, telling her to arise. Through it all Jesus shows mastery over nature, demons, sickness, and death.

Main Characters

  • Jesus — The Lord whose word saves and who rules nature, demons, disease, and death.
  • The disciples — The twelve who hear the parables explained and witness the calming of the storm.
  • Jairus — A synagogue ruler who begs Jesus to heal his dying daughter and sees her raised.
  • The woman with the hemorrhage — A long-suffering woman healed when she touches Jesus' garment in faith.

Key Verse

Luke 8:15 (WEB)

Those in the good ground, these are those who with an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and produce fruit with perseverance.

Lessons Learned

  • How we receive God's word determines whether it bears lasting fruit.
  • Jesus' true family are those who hear and obey God's word.
  • Jesus has authority over the storm, over demons, and over death.
  • Faith reaches out to Jesus and finds healing and peace.
  • Fruitfulness depends on how we receive the word. The good soil are those who 'having heard the word, hold it tightly, and produce fruit with patience' (Luke 8:15, WEB).
  • Jesus' family is defined by obedience. Jesus says, 'My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God, and do it' (Luke 8:21, WEB).
  • Christ commands even the wind and waves. He rebukes the storm, and the disciples marvel, 'Who then is this, that he commands even the wind and the water, and they obey him?' (Luke 8:25, WEB).
  • Faith reaches out and is healed. Jesus tells the woman, 'Daughter, cheer up. Your faith has made you well. Go in peace' (Luke 8:48, WEB).
  • Jesus calls us to trust him in the face of death. He tells Jairus, 'Don't be afraid. Only believe, and she will be healed' (Luke 8:50, WEB), then raises the girl.
  1. What do the four soils in the parable of the sower represent, and what marks the good soil?
  2. How does Jesus redefine his true family, and what does that teach us?
  3. What do the calming of the storm and the deliverance of the demon-possessed man reveal about Jesus?
  4. How do the woman with the hemorrhage and Jairus each show faith, and how does Jesus respond?
  5. Where in your own life do you need to hear God's word and let it take deeper root?
  1. The seed is the word of God; the path, rock, and thorns picture hearts hardened, shallow, or choked by cares and riches, while the good soil hears, holds fast, and bears fruit with patience (Luke 8:11-15). Reception, not just hearing, matters.
  2. When told his mother and brothers wait outside, Jesus says his family are those who hear and do God's word (Luke 8:21). True kinship with Christ is not by blood but by faithful obedience to the Father's word.
  3. Jesus rebukes the storm into calm, prompting the disciples to ask who he is (Luke 8:24-25), and frees a man of a legion of demons who then sits clothed and in his right mind (Luke 8:35). He reigns over nature and the powers of darkness.
  4. The woman touches his garment, is healed, and is commended for her faith (Luke 8:44-48), while Jairus is told only to believe, and Jesus takes the dead girl by the hand and raises her (Luke 8:50-55). Jesus honors faith and conquers death.
  5. This is a personal application question. Invite members to consider what cares or distractions crowd out the word in their hearts. As leader, encourage honest reflection and patient cultivation of good soil, but do not press anyone to share more than they wish.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), the King James Version (KJV), and the American Standard Version (ASV), all of which are in the public domain.