Luke 8 People are Desperate for the Power of Jesus.

In Luke 8, we see Jesus setting foundational principles for Christianity The chapter contains the parable of the sower and the Kingdom of Heaven (or God depending on the translation) is heavy in the text.

The Kingdom of Heaven isn’t something Churches discuss today, but it’s something that Jesus speaks about often. I’d even go so far as to say the Kingdom of Heaven is one of the most important aspects of Christian life from the New Testament.

What is the Kingdom of Heaven?

The Kingdom of Heaven is God’s Spiritual Realm coming to earth and transforming Human Lives.

For example, the act of Salvation is the Kingdom of Heaven expanding. It means one of God’s people shared their faith, and that person was touched by God and drawn into the Kingdom of God.

There is a partnership between God and his followers for this to happen, but the unbeliever has a part to play. This is one example of many, but I believe it’s the most important one because souls matter the most out of everything.

Luke 8 The Women Who Followed Jesus

8 Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, ² along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; ³ Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples.

Luke 8:1-3

One of the things I love about this chapter is that it describes Jesus going out, and meeting with people where they’re at. One of my issues with Christianity today is that many Churches want people to change, and then come to us.

This is not how Jesus does things because that way of thinking is completely against the Gospel of Jesus. He went to the people wherever they were. These people were dirty, poor, and hungry. They didn’t know him, but they felt his love and he blessed them.

We should be reacting to the poor and the needy every day of our lives. Christians should be on the front lines when caring for others.

Jesus met people in their time of need he helped them find the right path, and he showed them that he was/is the way too.

Luke 8: Parable of the Sower

⁴ One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: ⁵ “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. ⁶ Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. 

⁷ Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

⁹ His disciples asked him what this parable meant. ¹⁰ He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:

‘When they look, they won’t really see.
    When they hear, they won’t understand.

¹¹ “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. ¹² The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. ¹³ The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. 

¹⁴ The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. ¹⁵ And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

Luke 8:4-15

This story is important because it’s an allegory to Christians today. Many people believe, but not many people bear fruit. We need to be growing our roots in Christ. We do this by staying focused on Jesus, and helping others whenever the opportunity arises.

Going to church and reading your Bible daily will give a huge boost to your spiritual growth as well.

If we aren’t focused on God, we could disqualify ourselves from the final prize, and I don’t like the idea of living without Christ. He’s the source of life.

We get to choose where we spend eternity, if we choose poorly, it will be detrimental to our souls. Choose Jesus today.

Luke 8 The Parable of the Lamp

¹⁶ “No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. ¹⁷ For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.

¹⁸ “So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.”

Luke 8:16-18

Jesus is making a sobering statement here in Luke 8. Verse 18 especially says to pay attention, and keep listening. If we stop listening eventually the truth will get choked out of us, and we’ll die.

If Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, we must stay connected to him. There is no chance without him, and being connected gives us life.

As I read this I tie it into the verse where it says, “They shall have a form of Godliness, but deny the power thereof.” (paraphrased)

One way this happens is because we compare ourselves to others. If you compare yourself to something imperfect and strive for it, you’ll never attain the level Jesus wants you to achieve.

Instead, you’re focused on someone who has flaws, struggles with sin, and is on a different path than God has called you.

Instead of looking toward others and comparing yourself to them. Ask yourself how do I compare to Jesus? He is the proper gauge we should strive to be. While we aren’t going to be perfect, he is the perfect example.

Luke 8 The True Family of Jesus

¹⁹ Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they couldn’t get to him because of the crowd. ²⁰ Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to see you.”

²¹ Jesus replied, “My mother and my brothers are all those who hear God’s word and obey it.”

Luke 8:19-21

Jesus isn’t bad-mouthing his family here. Instead, he’s giving us a view of how the church is supposed to be. We are supposed to be family, and we should be doing the work of God.

We all come from Adam and Eve. This means there’s only 1 race, it’s called the human race, and none of these differences matter because Jesus died for us all.

Luke 8 Jesus Calms the Storm

²² One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and started out. ²³ As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger.

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

When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. ²⁵ Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?”

The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!”

Luke 8:22-25

Here in Luke 8, we see the weather obey Jesus. The wind and the waves are crashing, and Jesus lays down for a Nap. 2 things stand out to me as I read this part of Luke 8.

1. Naps are amazing, and I need more of them.
2. The wind and the waves are obedient to Jesus. They recognize their creator.

When the storms of life arrive we are barely aware of them until they do something major. However, Luke 8 reminds us of the power we have in Jesus. If Jesus is with us, we can do greater things than him.

Luke 8 Jesus Delivers a Demon-Possessed Man

²⁶ So they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee. 27 As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet him. For a long time, he had been homeless and naked, living in the tombs outside the town.

²⁸ As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of him. Then he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Highest God? Please, I beg you, don’t torture me!” ²⁹ For Jesus had already commanded the evil spirit to come out of him. This spirit had often taken control of the man. Even when he was placed under guard and put in chains and shackles, he simply broke them and rushed out into the wilderness, completely under the demon’s power.

³⁰ Jesus demanded, “What is your name?”

“Legion,” he replied, for he was filled with many demons. ³¹ The demons kept begging Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit.

³² There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby, and the demons begged him to let them enter into the pigs.

So Jesus gave them permission. ³³ Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned.

³⁴ When the herdsmen saw it, they fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. ³⁵ People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been freed from the demons. He was sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. 

³⁶ Then those who had seen what happened told the others how the demon-possessed man had been healed. ³⁷ And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them.

So Jesus returned to the boat and left, crossing back to the other side of the lake. ³⁸ The man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him home, saying, ³⁹ “No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.

Luke 8:26-39

Jesus cast some demons out, and he allowed them to enter a herd of pigs. The demons were afraid of Jesus and were filled with terror.

He performed this miracle to show the glory of God. He wanted the people in the area to see his power, and show that he was the messiah.

It doesn’t matter what you’ve done. As long as you’re breathing, God is willing to deliver you. I wonder how many people gave up on him. Many probably tried for years and didn’t believe anything would happen.

Whatever your situation, God has better timing than us. He is on the way to save you, it might not happen how you planned, but he’s coming.

Luke 8 Jesus Heals in Response to Faith

⁴⁰ On the other side of the lake the crowds welcomed Jesus, because they had been waiting for him. ⁴¹ Then a man named Jairus, a leader of the local synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come home with him. ⁴² His only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying.

As Jesus went with him, he was surrounded by the crowds. ⁴³ A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. ⁴⁴ Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped.

⁴⁵ “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you.”

⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” ⁴⁷ When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. ⁴⁸ “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

Luke 8:40-48

Luke 8 is a long chapter, but when you’re reading this you can tell how much Jesus cares for every one of us. It also shows that we can get his attention if we pursue him with everything we’ve got.

The woman struggled for years with her health and for some reason, God didn’t heal her until that moment. He did it then so he could glorify God, grow the faith of the people, and free her from suffering.

God is Omnipotent and Omniscient. He can do anything we ask of him instantly. But what would we learn from that? It’s all about his plan and His way. Our job is to obey him.

Once again I think

⁴⁹ While he was still speaking to her, a messenger arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. He told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”

⁵⁰ But when Jesus heard what had happened, he said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be healed.”

⁵¹ When they arrived at the house, Jesus wouldn’t let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, James, and the little girl’s father and mother. ⁵² The house was filled with people weeping and wailing, but he said, “Stop the weeping! She isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.”

⁵³ But the crowd laughed at him because they all knew she had died. ⁵⁴ Then Jesus took her by the hand and said in a loud voice, “My child, get up!” ⁵⁵ And at that moment her life returned, and she immediately stood up! Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. ⁵⁶ Her parents were overwhelmed, but Jesus insisted that they not tell anyone what had happened.

Luke 8:40-56

Luke 8; Breakdown

This chapter of the Bible has always intrigued me. In Luke 8, Why did the woman receive her healing? She snuck up on Jesus like a ninja, touched his robe, and somehow the healing flowed out of him. The Bible can be vague sometimes when it speaks of faith.

Then Jesus asked, Who was it who touched me? When they all denied it, Peter said, Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing against you!

-Luke 8:45 Bible

Here we have Jesus, on the way to healing a little girl, and people are crowded all around him. All of a sudden, Jesus stops and says. “Who Touched Me?”

Does that make sense to anybody? Even the disciples say the crowds are all around you. Another translation might say, everyone is touching you, are you joking? Jesus healed her, but I want to know how and why.

Luke 8 Jesus Felt Power Leave Him

If everybody wanted something from God, they were pressing up against him. How did this woman receive while the others didn’t? That’s the million-dollar question, it can be answered by the word faith. However, there’s a lot more to it than that.

How many times in your life have you prayed, for something and it didn’t happen? So instead of praying harder, or fasting. You just became angry or depressed about everything.

In this verse and Mark 5:26 (same story different book). Jesus was traveling to a house. He was asked to heal a 12-year-old girl. Then out of the blue, this woman appeared through the crowd. She said to herself, that all she needed was to touch his robe. She knew if she reached out, she’d be healed.

Luke 8 She Was Healed Because Of Her Faith.

I’m not a scholar. I had a pastoral degree once, but that doesn’t mean anything. Furthermore, I think she found healing because of her desperation and faith. When you are desperate for God to do something. Desperation accelerates and grabs the heart of God. It’s like finally breaking through a wall.

The story of this woman is of despair. the Bible said she tried everything and nothing worked. She was using her last option, and Jesus was her only hope. On that day, he came through for her. Whatever circumstance or situation, Jesus will come through for you too.

How many times in our lives has Jesus been the last option? Have you cried out to him? Did he answer? I’ve had times that I never received an answer, I’m either still waiting on it or I didn’t see it.

Things Could Be Worse

Or even worse, you’re praying for something to happen, and you pray for years. Then another person in the church has the same issue. They pray, and all of a sudden God comes through for them. You’re left sitting there, wondering what’s wrong with you.

Let me state right now that nothing is wrong with you. God’s timing is something we can’t understand. I don’t think we could handle that knowledge, but he does love you. When something like this happens, do your best to rejoice with the other person, but still find your time with God. Your answer is always coming closer. So stay awake, it might be something you wouldn’t expect.

Most of the time we freak out because we did something stupid. Only at that point do we turn and cry out to God. We should’ve cried out to him before we made a bad decision. In the Bible the woman was sick, so she went to the source of healing.

We can learn a lot from her in this.

What About The Others? Did They Not Have Faith?

I’ve wondered about this for a while, and finally, I came to some realizations/conclusions, that sound plausible, right or wrong, I always love a good theological discussion.

The verse below is from a different story, and I’m unsure if it was before or after the story in Luke, but it has some interesting connotations.

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs.

John 6:26 The Bible

These people followed him for a while, and the day before were fed. Jesus multiplied a small amount of food and fed all of them. Sometimes we follow God for selfish reasons and don’t even realize it.

The women Jesus healed reached out to him. In her heart, she knew that If she could touch him, she’d find healing. There was desperation in her belief, and that desperation and faith brought her healing.

I think the crowd from above and the people pressing against Jesus, followed him for similar reasons. There was no desperation, and they didn’t have a lot of belief. I’m sure they had needs but they didn’t think Jesus would help them. They wanted something to eat and follow someone popular.

They wanted to be fed, she knew he could heal. It’s a different mindset.

She Found Healing, Because Of Her Faith In Jesus

Maybe the crowds didn’t think about their needs. They probably thought Jesus was too busy to answer them, or they were too small for him to deal with. To me, what’s sad, is people touching him, and not receiving him.

Many people sit in Churches with the same mindset. When a Pastor gives an altar call, instead of going up, they sit down. You have not, because you ask not. Stop worrying about what others think. They have needs too, and maybe they’ll go forward when they see you do it. I’ve been guilty of this in the past.

No need is too small for God. If Jesus cares about the lilies of the field or sparrows in the sky, how much more does he care for you?

They weren’t desperate and didn’t know what they had access to. In the Bible, it says Jesus stopped and asked who touched me. He said that he felt power go out of him.

Jesus knew who touched him because he was Jesus, however, I think it startled him. A question you should ask yourself is how can I startle God?

Luke 8; Healing Persistence

Healing comes in different forms, rarely how we think it should be. It’s cryptic, but ultimately dying is the final form. God will do an instant healing, at other times it is a progression.

I believe that wasn’t the first time the woman prayed. However, it was the first time she broke through and touched God. Her persistence in prayer and desperation finally paid off. For years she struggled with her disease, and she spent that time trying to become whole.

The Bible says she tried everything, and this was her last resort.

Healing Came From Persistence And A Strong Belief

The women’s last resort was to touch Jesus’ robe. She knew Jesus healed people and could finally be made whole. She had to get on the ground, fight the pressing crowd, and reach out.

Her faith made her whole, but she had faith for many years. She fought for her healing, agonized over it, and she didn’t lose hope. What would have happened if she hadn’t met Jesus that day?

What if she had given up, and her breakthrough was right around the corner? Have you given up when your deliverance was a day away? It’s a sobering thought because you don’t know. Hold the line, and stay focused on Jesus, because he is the way to healing.

Luke 8 Jesus Can And Will Heal Today

If you’re hurting, in pain, or sick, don’t give up, keep fighting. the Bible says to pray without ceasing. Find true friends to hold you up in prayer. Likewise when they are hurting pray for them.

In this way, you can strengthen the church, and show Jesus to the world. Focus on him, let your light shine, and let his presence transform you daily.

Your healing could be right around the corner, tear down the walls and let Jesus come in. Let him transform your heart and your life. You might be praying for physical healing, but he wants to heal so much more. Ultimately, he wants to heal your soul.

Don’t give up, keep fighting the good fight. Jesus healed in the past, and he will in the present. Everyone has their issues, and I’m constantly fighting mine. Just like you, I await my healing in Christ.

In Conclusion

Hey Everyone, thank you so much for reading my blog post about Luke 8. Feel free to comment below if you have anything to add or correct. If you need to pray feel free to message me.