👨🏽 Luke – Chapters 7 and 8

🙏 Father God, it is through Your wisdom that we learn to discern how to apply these teachings of our Lord Jesus.  Let Your Spirit guide us through our studies.  Let our wills be shaped to conform to Your will as we learn from Jesus.  Amen.

The Faith of the Centurion

7 When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. ² There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. ³ The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. ⁴ When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, ⁵ because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” ⁶ So Jesus went with them.

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. ⁷ That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁸ For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

⁹ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” ¹⁰ Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Points to Ponder: A Roman centurion is a man of authority – not all men of authority take advantage of their position.  This man has heard of Jesus and sends others to Him for help.  It is interesting that the men who were sent tell Jesus that the centurion deserves Jesus’ help, but the centurion himself says he is undeserving of Jesus’ presence but recognizes Jesus’ authority. Here is a man with worldly authority humbly submitting to Jesus. This is faith in action and Jesus responds.

Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son

¹¹ Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. ¹² As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. ¹³ When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

¹⁴ Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” ¹⁵ The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

¹⁶ They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” ¹⁷ This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.

Points to Ponder: By law, Jesus makes Himself unclean by touching the bier.  Or does He?  For the dead man sat up!  He does this at a town gate… there, a crowd of people following Jesus would intersect with a crowd of mourners.  People praise God and declare Jesus a great prophet.  They are so close! God has come to help His people!!!  Yes, yes, He did. And He invites us to be counted as one of His.

Jesus and John the Baptist

¹⁸ John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, ¹⁹ he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

²⁰ When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

²¹ At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. ²² So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. ²³ Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

²⁴ After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? ²⁵ If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. ²⁶ But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ²⁷ This is the one about whom it is written:

“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way before you.’

²⁸ I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

²⁹ (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

³¹ Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:

“‘We played the pipe for you,
    and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
    and you did not cry.’

³³ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ ³⁴ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ ³⁵ But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”

Points to Ponder: Luke returns to his Gospel objective of demonstrating the fulfillment of the Old Testament.  This narrative shows that people, even John the Baptist, had difficulty with understanding who Jesus is.  Not much has changed. He is more than a teacher – healing the blind, the lame, the lepers, the deaf and raising the dead???  Jesus is clearly more than a teacher… more than a prophet.  Jesus confirms the identity of John the Baptist as having fulfilled the purpose of announcing the arrival of Jesus the messiah.  Jesus then calls out the people around Him – just because Jesus may not fit your idea of a messiah, quit waiting for someone else! Jesus is the fulfillment of all that the Old Testament was pointing to. 

Many people today would like to explain their idea of God, beginning with a statement like, ‘I like to think of God as…’ This is dangerous.  Scripture tells us Who God is.  Just because the revelation of God doesn’t sing your song or dance your dance, doesn’t make Scripture wrong.  It is instead, the uncomfortable realization that maybe you are wrong.  This section ends with a reminder that (1) you can’t please everyone and (2) the wisdom of this world is fickle, God’s wisdom is supreme and unchanging. Spending time in Proverbs is prudent – especially the first nine chapters highlighting God’s Wisdom.  Pay attention to what is said about the humble and wise vs. the fools and mockers.  God’s wisdom is an integral part of His creation, see Proverbs 8:22-31.  Wisdom’s children are God’s children.  We cannot be one without the other and humility positions us to be both.  We love to quote Proverbs 3:5-6 but without expanding the context of Trusting the Lord with all our hearts we miss the benefits of wisdom.

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman

³⁶ When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸ As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

⁴⁰ Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

⁴¹ “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

⁴³ Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

⁴⁴ Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷ Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

⁴⁹ The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

⁵⁰ Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Points to Ponder: A great story of wisdom application here.  The players include a Pharisee who should know God better and a sinful woman who does know God better!!! 🤣 (You can tell by the fruit!) The Pharisee makes a judgment that Jesus doesn’t even qualify as a prophet!  Jesus knocks that opinion down by speaking about love and forgiveness… and then adds the slam, that in the interpretation of the parable, the Pharisee judges correctly.  The Pharisee may have knowledge about Scripture, but he lacks the wisdom to apply it for saving faith and new life. This is another example of Jesus getting in everyone’s face by showing them that He is not who they assume Him to be and again, declaring that He forgives sin, when they all know that only God can forgive sins.   

---

The Parable of the Sower

8 After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, ² and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; ³ Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

⁴ While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: ⁵ “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. ⁶ Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

⁹ His disciples asked him what this parable meant. ¹⁰ He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that,

“‘though seeing, they may not see;
    though hearing, they may not understand.’

¹¹ “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. ¹² Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. ¹³ Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. ¹⁴ The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. ¹⁵ But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Points to Ponder: The seed on the path parable – a classic favorite, especially since Luke admits that the disciples asked what it meant and Jesus told them.  In my experience, these four instances can be traced to specific points in my own life. (1) I know I heard, but it was quickly removed. I didn’t care and didn’t know what I was missing. (2) I remember that wonder when I heard again, but it didn’t last. Worldly testing revealed I had no roots. I sort of missed what others had, but I had plenty and was confident in myself. (3)Decades later, I heard again and really desired to grow closer to God, but life was too complicated balancing the roles of employee, wife, mother… who has the time? Maybe that half-hearted confession of faith and switching exclusively to Christian radio would be good enough.  (4) It wasn’t. The Good Shepherd left the ninety-nine, rescued me and replanted me.  It was time to work on the soil and strengthen the roots.  Thank You, God!  (Let me always remember to trust You and treat others with the mercy and grace that You’ve shown me.)

A Lamp on a Stand

¹⁶ “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. ¹⁷ For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. ¹⁸ Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”

Points to Ponder: So short a section, yet so full. V16 reminds us that there are no closet-Christians.  The response of being saved, of being in-Christ, is this crazy desire to share this community of love and grace and forgiveness.  So do it!  And thank God for those that reach out to include you! (Remember also, there are those still on the path where the seed is being snatched away – help a brother out, love him, and leave your light on!) V17 reminds us that there are no pretend-Christians.  They may think they are being clever, hiding their secrets, but in ‘the light’, all is seen… a bad tree produces bad fruit.  V18 draws a command to consider carefully HOW we listen.  If you have the light, show it and you will be given more.  If you don’t, quit pretending you do, for what you have will be taken from you. (You do not carry His name in vain.)  Christianity is never about your performance; Pharisees do that. Christianity is rebirth – regenerating into new life, as God intended from the beginning. When we study Scripture, we go humbly and prayerfully. We ask God to search us and reveal what’s hidden in our hearts. When around other people, we are careful. There are times in our person-to-person contacts when we should be speaking love and truth… and there are times when we should be listening to others do the same. We should recognize where they are at in spiritual maturity. And, we should know when to keep them at a distance and in prayer.

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

¹⁹ Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. ²⁰ Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”

²¹ He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

Points to Ponder: God’s Word and His wisdom tells us that it was ‘not good’ for man to be alone. (Genesis 2:18) Left alone, we can easily be pretenders.  God gave us parents and families first.  Then many will get married and the spouses begin life again as ‘one’… to produce their own families… and so on. (Thus the genealogies!)  Our lives evolve over time, with the wisdom learned and put into practice.  Here Jesus is telling us to question our assumptions about loyalties in a broken world.  As Christians, we have new life and are invited into a new family.  This transcends our worldly traditions.  (Get used to different! ) Our new life includes a new Father and a new bridegroom – one with authority.  This is what we long for when we hear any Cinderella/Hero story!

Jesus Calms the Storm

²² One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. ²³ As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

²⁴ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. ²⁵ “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

Points to Ponder: All authority has been given to Him.  Luke doesn’t understate the danger the disciples were in.  This is the ‘testing’ of faith that is so often seen in Scripture.  Learning to trust God will involve testing and is meant to draw us closer to God.  PQ remarked in the ‘Wild Thoughts Week 2’ message, that testing will always be a time where either our fear or our faith will grow. It is always good to read and reread the Gospels just to refresh ourselves and our thoughts. What did Jesus really tell us?  He never promises that life will be easy or comfortable while we are in this broken world. He does promise us that we can trust Him and He will return for us.

Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man

²⁶ They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. ²⁷ When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” ²⁹ For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

³⁰ Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. ³¹ And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.

³² A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. ³³ When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

³⁴ When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, ³⁵ and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ³⁶ Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. ³⁷ Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.

³⁸ The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

Points to Ponder: Here we see quite a cast of characters: the demon-possessed man, living like he is already dead… no clothes, no house, abiding in a tomb.  People had tried to control him with chains and guards, but he had broken his chains and had been driven back into solitude. We also see this is as a case of a legion of demons possessing a man!  This legion of demons recognize Jesus’ authority and they appear to understand their ultimate destiny – the Abyss.  They beg Jesus and He permits them to enter the pigs.  These ‘unclean’ animals, possessed by demons, destroy themselves. 

The witnesses to this event and the townspeople they called, (🐇 possibly descendants from the tribe of Gad,) respond in fear.  Why?  Is this just a generation of people that have evolved over time to a life that is complacent with their economic means of pig raising? (If you think you’re good, you don’t need a savior… especially one that threatens your material wealth.) Are they afraid of the changes that this event seems to point to?  Like the demons, they too, can associate the power and authority of Jesus with the event that just occurred… and it scares them. Remember that they tried to control the man before, many times, so here they are face-to-face with the One who succeeded where they couldn’t.  Being asked to trust someone other than yourself can be scary.

The man that is now restored to new life begs to go with Jesus, but the answer is ‘No’ or maybe, ‘Not Yet.’  This restored man, doesn’t need a longer time in ‘discipleship’… Jesus knows that he is ready to be ‘sent’ to others with the kingdom message.  Thank You Father God, for Your patience and faithfulness. Thank You that it did not take the possession of a legion of demons to restore me to Your loving embrace.

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman

⁴⁰ Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. ⁴¹ Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house ⁴² because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. ⁴³ And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. ⁴⁴ She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

⁴⁵ “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

⁴⁷ Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. ⁴⁸ Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

⁴⁹ While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”

⁵⁰ Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

⁵¹ When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. ⁵² Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”

⁵³ They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. ⁵⁴ But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” ⁵⁵ Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. ⁵⁶ Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

Points to Ponder: Fantastic, brilliant storytelling. The interweaving of Jairus’ daughter and the bleeding woman only adds to the wonder of Jesus’ ministry. Jairus’ only daughter is twelve… the woman has been suffering her affliction for the same twelve years. 

Just as in Genesis, when God asks Adam, ‘Where are you?’ Jesus’ question, ‘Who touched me?’ is not because He doesn’t know. Even if the disciples don’t get it, Jesus’ knows.  So what’s the point of the question?  We remember that there are no secret Christians and no pretend Christians… Jesus is drawing the afflicted woman out into the open to confess her faith.  Her identity is changed by that confession. Not only is she healed, she gets more. Her identity changes from the bleeding woman to a daughter. 🥰  But during this same time, Jairus’ daughter has died. 

(BEST PLOT CONFLICT EVER!)

There is no record of Jairus responding to the news of his daughter’s death, but our imaginations will fill in the blanks.  After all, Jesus was on the way to Jairus’ house to heal his daughter when that bleeding woman interrupted Him. We can learn to control our imaginations, our wild thoughts, when we read this story.  Just because we live in a dimension of time, Jesus does not. He does not play favoritism nor is He in a hurry… ever.  We learn to trust God when we remember that He is eternal; His powers are infinite.  And of course, Jairus’ daughter is restored to life like it was no big deal… just an ordinary, everyday thing for Jesus… ‘Give her something to eat!’ is Jesus’ ordinary response to their astonishment. 

---

Summary:  These chapters are a great combination of Jesus’ teachings along with the signs and wonders that accompanied them. With each narrative we see how people respond to Jesus.  We see the testing moments in life that will either produce fear or reveal faith. We see the faith of a Roman centurion and the lack of faith in a Jewish Pharisee. We see how the crowds respond when Jesus reveals who He is… raising the dead, healing the sick. We see how His inner circle responds with… John the Baptist, John’s disciples, Jesus’ disciples, and Jesus’ own family. And we see that Jesus is shaking us up to see how we will respond. If we read these sections and feel uncomfortable, we can revisit the Parable of the Sower and examine our hearts. Are we allowing the seed to grow and produce good fruit? Children of God, Jesus’ Kingdom family, will hear God’s word and put it into practice. This section clearly calls us to do one thing – trust Him and leave our light on for others to see.

---

🙏 Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Word that brings us new life.  Help us to live this life in a way that is pleasing to You. Give us Your wisdom to walk each day with our lights on so as to light up The Way for others.  Let us hold loosely to the pig-things of this world as we remember that this is not our home.   Let Your testing be seen for what it is and give us the strength to draw on our faith to face each test with the courage we gain when we remember… we are never alone and He’s got this! It is in His name, the mighty name of Jesus, that we pray this. Amen.