8:1 We get an idea here of just how busy Jesus and the disciples were. They traveled a lot in order to bring this message to as many people as they could. They were spreading "glad tidings." Sometimes I think people forget or either do not realize that the message contained in the Bible is not one to impose rules and fears but is instead a message to bring happiness, understanding and courage to our lives. Jesus worked extremely hard to free people from the chains of oppression not to bind them.
For people who haven't tried to read it (with understanding), the Bible might seem like a task or a judgmental collection of stories but it's really quite the opposite. Jesus brought a new way of life to people and it saved them from their fears and their adversaries, just as it can do today for us. But like Jesus, the Bible brings relief and forgiveness and teaches us to love and value ourselves as well as other people. That's certainly a message worth devoted your life toward! And that's exactly what Jesus and His disciples did.
8:2-3 Without discriminated, Jesus healed, communicated and worked with many people. During this time, women were not widely respected or appreciated, their voices were not heard or acknowledged, but Jesus interacted with them with the same compassion as He did everybody else. God does not make distinctions based on age, gender, race, social class and neither should we. Moreover, it was a nonissue to Jesus that these women had transgressions in their lives. To Jesus, we are worthy of His love and guidance and He knows that time spent with Him can put us right back on a better path. He's understanding; He knows why we sometimes make mistakes (life is hard and confusing sometimes!) and He works with us to learn from and work through our issues so that they can no longer ensnare us.
8:4 While Jesus traveled multitudes of people also traveled to be with Him which was a very effective circumstance for reaching many, many people. Jesus began to speak through parable: using parables, similes and metaphors are a fantastic way of taking a subject of deep meaning and translating it into something quite easily understood and familiar. We benefit from His delicate manner of teaching just as much as the people of His time did.
8:5 Jesus Himself will explain these verses (8:6-8) in verses (8:11-15). Essentially this parable is about types of people. God established the Earth and humanity, sprinkled the word (seed in this parable) throughout the world -- and from humanity came a few different types of people:
Type 1: Some seed fell to the side, were trampled down and they eaten up.
8:6 Type 2: Some seed fell on rock and failed to grow healthily because their foundation lacked nutrient.
8:7 Type 3: Some seed fell in thorns and because of this were held back and choked by the thorns.
8:8: Type 4: Some seeds fell on good, fertile soul, grew in strength and were able to spread more seed (grown from their own produce).
Remember, Jesus will explain the previous verses in just a moment!
8:9 The disciples are flummoxed! This is somewhere that God's sense of humor and also His intelligence is especially apparent. Jesus chose 12 disciples, we know that -- but what we may not have realized is that the disciples were...ordinary folk. If anything, the disciples had a more difficult time understanding concepts than did the average person. This was strategic: God chose Jesus' disciples for their kind, productive and faithful hearts but also for the absolute ignorance in the beginning of their journey. Because the disciples had such a difficult time learning (they started from complete scratch!) it gives us the courage to learn these concepts as well. The disciples were not the most intelligent scholars Jesus could find... in fact, they're always confused and completely off-base until He breaks things down into detailed explanation for them (over and over again). They were average citizens... and I think God's purpose in that is so we all feel worthy and capable of working with God. We're all so special to God... we're all capable with God. With determination and faith, God clears everything up for us (just as Jesus will do for His disciples as we continue through Luke).
Going deeper still in the next verse...
8:10 There's another, deeper, reason why Jesus spoke in parables. In inspiring the writing of the Bible, God wanted it written in a very specific and instructive way. The Bible is written so that only those who truly, passionately want to understand may understand. The Bible is written in such a way that our effort to understand it becomes the journey through which we gain wisdom and cultivate perseverance in our souls.
Someone who would not find the Bible to be precious or instructive would not necessarily be able to "unlock" the deeper meanings in the verses. Their understanding of the Bible would be superficial at best and the most important concepts would not appear to them.
And still there's another reason! When someone devote's their time, love and effort to the Bible that person also accepts all of the responsibility that comes with its wisdom. God teaches us and expects us to implement His teachings into our lives. When we know better we also have to be better. God wants for us to be fully informed about the responsibility we are accepting. We will explore this more in Luke 12:48.
In the next verse, Jesus explains this Parable of the Sower.
8:11 The seed is the word of God. God makes His word available to all people, but as we read above, the Word of God is received in at least 4 different types of ways.
8:12 Type 1: This is a person who hears the word of God and doesn't really commit to it, because of their apathy, their faith is underdeveloped and therefore weak -- they make themselves vulnerable to the ways of the world (acquirement of wealth or power or fame) and because of this, they are not happy or content in their lives.
8:13 Type 2: This is a person who hears the word of God and believes in it only on the surface. This person does not put effort or passion behind their hearing it and because of that they quickly abandon it when faced with a situation where they can selfishly benefit from an action contrary to God's word (i.e exacting vengeance, deception, or meanness for self gain). This person never developed their faith and therefore were without the wise-tools given by God to deal with difficult situations productively and peacefully.
8:14: Type 3: This is a person who is largely unfazed by the message God gives. This person's priorities are not at all aligned with justice or kindness and consequently quickly become slaves to "riches and the pleasures of life."
8:15: Type 4: This is a person who hears the word of God, understands the message and loves it. This person is passionate about committing to the mission of bringing, spreading and inspiring compassion throughout humanity. This person is selfless in nature and is therefore patient, strong, wise and has the endurance to continually work with God.
8:16 God is light, His wisdom is light and His purpose for that light is to gift it to places of darkness. He wants to give His wisdom and support to the places and people without it. God selflessly gives abundantly, what He has is available and given to all who want it. There's no exclusive club!
8:17 Jesus informs us that all wisdom, all understanding is transparent. God keeps no secrets; He is open and giving to His entire family.
8:18 Jesus is saying, now that you know the different types of ways people hear the word... choose the right one! God blesses you with opportunity and success when you pray for that opportunity to be successful in loving and supporting others.
Those who choose the "riches and pleasures of life" will realize that riches and pleasures of life do not give back, they constantly deplete and never bring contentment or happiness. The world (the corrupted, greedy people in it) take and take and take, they never give.
8:19 Jesus makes it very clear to us in this and the next two verses that we are His family. His adoptive mother Mary and her other sons (by Joseph) gather near Jesus but cannot reach Him.
8:20 Some people noticed that Mary and sons could not reach Jesus and assuming they were special in a way that everyone else was not, worried and told Jesus of their presence.
8:21 Jesus explains that we are ALL special, ALL equally a part of God's family when we hear and accept (with passion and love) the word of God.
8:22 Another lesson for the disciples (and us!) is brewing in Jesus' mind. They begin to launch their boat.
8:23 As they sailed through the water, Jesus took a nap. This is symbolic of Jesus' time away from the Earth, after His crucifixion when He will reside with God again (and will APPEAR to be sleeping to the uninformed).
A windstorm came and it turned into a scary situation for the disciples. This is symbolic of people immediately losing faith in bumpy times -- forgetting that Jesus IS right here with us, just as He is with them on the boat.
8:24 The disciples frantically woke Jesus who was calm and easily quelled the storm. The disciples panicked! They worried they were about to die... they lost their patience, their understanding, their wisdom to work through the situation... they lost their faith that their entire lives were planned and protected by God.
8:25 Jesus asks them: Where is your faith? Where, indeed. Sometimes we have to ask ourselves this very question. We need to make sure that our attention is always on God and with God because our faith is our wings to fly through all difficult situations.
Someone with developed faith, strong, wise spirituality always remembers and feels God's presence in their lives.
The disciples are still completely in awe -- they don't yet quite understand the magnitude and the scope of Jesus -- and that's okay! As we spoke about, the disciples go through this detailed journey of learning in order to strengthen their faith and spiritual-work ethic. God is a patient, effective teacher and the disciples were studious students (they just needed extra time and example to grasp the concepts). Many, if not all, of us do.
8:26 And on they went... traveling throughout city after city.
8:27 Jesus encounters a man who is being tormented likely by his own mind (suffering a mental illness). The man had no home, no clothing even... ostracized by his community and also unable to survive in it because of his ailments.
We can also consider the possibility that this man's "demons" were his sinful actions against people.
8:28 When the man meets Jesus, he's ashamed of himself and this is probably because society at the time (not understanding mental illness) made him believe that he was bad.
Maybe this man really wasn't a nice person but either way all people amazed by Jesus' overwhelmingly compassionate presence.
8:29 This is no problem for Jesus, seizures, mental illness,... whatever trouble we are facing our faith and love with God can get us through it.
8:30 The man identifies himself.
8:31 This is a metaphor: this "evilness" sought to save itself. Jesus wants us to know that evil people will be desperate to stay alive and part of the world (so that they can continue to try to own and control it).
8:32 To prove a point, Jesus does as the request... He sends the "evilness" into the pigs.
8:33 The pigs would not accept such a life or evilness. The message here is this: even the animals which humans believe are stupid or useless, yes even they, reject the corrupted ways of the world. Jesus wants us to know just how vile it is to be deceptive and evil. Humans, with so much more brain capacity, should be just as wise... but some just are not.
8:34 The message spread.
8:35-36 The man was healed and bowed before Jesus -- he showed his gratitude toward Jesus and God for restoring his him to his right mind. It's a precious gift offered to all of us... do not take it for granted. People were amazed.
8:37 Some of the people around were not in agreement with the message Jesus taught and wanted to be left alone... Jesus never forces any message on anybody. Keep that in mind!
8:38-39 When God heals us or gives us a gift, His plan is for that gift to continue to spread. The man loved Jesus, he loved the message and wanted to show his gratitude forever... but Jesus taught the man how to best show gratitude... spread the message!
The man lived his life bringing more and more people to God's house and that's such a blessed thing -- to continue to create opportunities for people to realize how inclusive and healing God is for us. Let the way you live your life be a testimony for others to be inspired by. Be useful, be productive with God! It's an honor to get to work with Him... it's an honor to be given something so big there's enough to spread it to others.
8:27 Jesus encounters a man who is being tormented likely by his own mind (suffering a mental illness). The man had no home, no clothing even... ostracized by his community and also unable to survive in it because of his ailments.
We can also consider the possibility that this man's "demons" were his sinful actions against people.
8:28 When the man meets Jesus, he's ashamed of himself and this is probably because society at the time (not understanding mental illness) made him believe that he was bad.
Maybe this man really wasn't a nice person but either way all people amazed by Jesus' overwhelmingly compassionate presence.
8:29 This is no problem for Jesus, seizures, mental illness,... whatever trouble we are facing our faith and love with God can get us through it.
8:30 The man identifies himself.
8:31 This is a metaphor: this "evilness" sought to save itself. Jesus wants us to know that evil people will be desperate to stay alive and part of the world (so that they can continue to try to own and control it).
8:32 To prove a point, Jesus does as the request... He sends the "evilness" into the pigs.
8:33 The pigs would not accept such a life or evilness. The message here is this: even the animals which humans believe are stupid or useless, yes even they, reject the corrupted ways of the world. Jesus wants us to know just how vile it is to be deceptive and evil. Humans, with so much more brain capacity, should be just as wise... but some just are not.
8:34 The message spread.
8:35-36 The man was healed and bowed before Jesus -- he showed his gratitude toward Jesus and God for restoring his him to his right mind. It's a precious gift offered to all of us... do not take it for granted. People were amazed.
8:37 Some of the people around were not in agreement with the message Jesus taught and wanted to be left alone... Jesus never forces any message on anybody. Keep that in mind!
8:38-39 When God heals us or gives us a gift, His plan is for that gift to continue to spread. The man loved Jesus, he loved the message and wanted to show his gratitude forever... but Jesus taught the man how to best show gratitude... spread the message!
The man lived his life bringing more and more people to God's house and that's such a blessed thing -- to continue to create opportunities for people to realize how inclusive and healing God is for us. Let the way you live your life be a testimony for others to be inspired by. Be useful, be productive with God! It's an honor to get to work with Him... it's an honor to be given something so big there's enough to spread it to others.
8:40-42 Jesus continues to move throughout the city and He continues to meet people and families who need His help. Jesus devoted Himself to God's mission, He helped whoever He could. Jairus' daughter was dying and his faith in God told him that Jesus could help. He had faith!
8:43 Another woman who had a lifelong illness encountered Jesus. She spent her entire life unable to be healed by any doctor.
8:44 Her faith was so strong she knew that if she even touched the clothes of Jesus, she would be healed. This can be understood through metaphor: our faith, if it is strong, can heal and save us even from afar. Develop your relationship with God... He can reach you.
8:45 Jesus gives the woman an opportunity to identify herself... He can feel each of us, uniquely. Of course Jesus knew who it was but He wanted to publicly declare His love for her... Jesus always uses a teaching moment.
The disciples have no idea... they are amazed that Jesus could even distinguish one touch out of the many, many hands which were reaching out to Him. Here is what we need to know: no matter how many people there are, Jesus (and God) always feel us -- they know us, individually and love us so strongly. They do not want us to feel lost in a crowd... they know us through our faith.
8:46 Jesus explained that He can feel the power of compassion taken from Himself and given to another. He gives His whole self to us.
8:47 The woman, awed by Jesus, identified herself timidly. She loved Him so much that being with Him shocked her.
8:48 Jesus wanted her to get this message, personally and directly from Him: your faith has made you well. Jesus is always happy to share and heal and give His compassion to you.
8:49 We return to Jairus -- who is told by another man that his daughter is not able to be saved. The person who told Jairus this had no faith (or at least very weak faith) because with God there is no death for the good and therefore all life is saved. This man says... don't bother Jesus,... as if Jesus could not help! This is certainly a teaching opportunity for Jesus who can ALWAYS help.
8:50 Jesus calms Jairus, tells him not to be afraid... to just believe in the love and power of our life-giving God.
8:43 Another woman who had a lifelong illness encountered Jesus. She spent her entire life unable to be healed by any doctor.
8:44 Her faith was so strong she knew that if she even touched the clothes of Jesus, she would be healed. This can be understood through metaphor: our faith, if it is strong, can heal and save us even from afar. Develop your relationship with God... He can reach you.
8:45 Jesus gives the woman an opportunity to identify herself... He can feel each of us, uniquely. Of course Jesus knew who it was but He wanted to publicly declare His love for her... Jesus always uses a teaching moment.
The disciples have no idea... they are amazed that Jesus could even distinguish one touch out of the many, many hands which were reaching out to Him. Here is what we need to know: no matter how many people there are, Jesus (and God) always feel us -- they know us, individually and love us so strongly. They do not want us to feel lost in a crowd... they know us through our faith.
8:46 Jesus explained that He can feel the power of compassion taken from Himself and given to another. He gives His whole self to us.
8:47 The woman, awed by Jesus, identified herself timidly. She loved Him so much that being with Him shocked her.
8:48 Jesus wanted her to get this message, personally and directly from Him: your faith has made you well. Jesus is always happy to share and heal and give His compassion to you.
8:49 We return to Jairus -- who is told by another man that his daughter is not able to be saved. The person who told Jairus this had no faith (or at least very weak faith) because with God there is no death for the good and therefore all life is saved. This man says... don't bother Jesus,... as if Jesus could not help! This is certainly a teaching opportunity for Jesus who can ALWAYS help.
8:50 Jesus calms Jairus, tells him not to be afraid... to just believe in the love and power of our life-giving God.
8:51 The family, Jesus and a few of the disciples go into the house. Jesus does not request or require a crowd to see Him work... He's so humble and He wants us to believe and have faith by seeing what God does in our lives // rather than just believe because we've SEEN a tangible thing before our eyes.
8:52 Everyone cried... they did not yet understand God's spiritual dimension in which we all return to... alive and unharmed.
8:53 People were in complete disbelief... they truly did not understand beyond the Earth they were born on. God wants us to understand that our life on Earth is just a fraction of our life... we have eternal life with Him. When we leave the learn, we join Him. 2 Corinthians 5:8.
8:54 Jesus brings the girl from her spiritual life with God back into the Earth and to her body (our soul is separate from our body).
8:55 Her spirit returned. Our spirit, the core of what and who we are exists within our body during Earth but releases to God when we leave Earth. To sustain her body, newly awakened, Jesus requests some food for her.
8:56 Her parents were astonished. What Jesus did for them was something amazing... something that would not yet be understood by other people. Jesus did not want notoriety for Himself, He just wanted this family to live happily in peace and to love God.
