LukeChapter 8

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¹Soon after this, Jesus traveled from one town and village to the next. He preached and told the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him. ²Some women were with him too. They had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses. One was Mary, called Magdalene. Seven demons had come out of her. ³Joanna was there. She was the wife of Chuza, who managed Herod's household. Susanna was there too, and many others. These women used their own money to help Jesus and his disciples. ⁴A large crowd was gathering. People were coming to Jesus from one town after another. He told them this story: ⁵"A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it, some seed fell on the path. People stepped on it, and the birds ate it up. ⁶Some seed fell on rocky ground. When it came up, the young plants dried up because they had no water. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up with it and choked the young plants. ⁸Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and made a crop, a hundred times more than was planted." When Jesus said this, he called out, "Whoever has ears to hear should listen." ⁹His disciples asked him what this story meant. ¹⁰He said, "You have been given the secrets of the kingdom of God. But to others I speak in stories, so that, 'though they look, they may not see. Though they hear, they may not understand.' ¹¹This is what the story means. The seed is the word of God. ¹²The seed on the path stands for people who hear. But then the devil comes. He takes the word away from their hearts, so that they will not believe and be saved. ¹³The seed on rocky ground stands for people who hear the word and accept it with joy. But they have no roots. They believe for a while. But when hard testing comes, they fall away. ¹⁴The seed that fell among thorns stands for people who hear. But as they go on their way, they are choked by the worries of life. They are choked by riches and pleasures too. So their fruit never ripens. ¹⁵But the seed on good soil stands for people with a good and honest heart. They hear the word and hold on to it. They keep going, and they make a crop. ¹⁶No one lights a lamp and then hides it under a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand. Then people who come in can see the light. ¹⁷Everything that is hidden will be shown. Everything that is secret will be made known and brought out into the light. ¹⁸So be careful how you listen. Whoever has something will be given more. But whoever has nothing will lose even what he thinks he has." ¹⁹Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him. But they could not get near him because of the crowd. ²⁰Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside. They want to see you." ²¹But he answered, "My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it." ²²One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go across to the other side of the lake." So he got into a boat with them, and they started out. ²³As they sailed, Jesus fell asleep. A storm with strong winds came down on the lake. Water was filling the boat, and they were in great danger. ²⁴The disciples went and woke him up. They said, "Master, Master, we're going to die!" Jesus got up. He gave an order to the wind and the wild waves. The storm died down, and everything was calm. ²⁵"Where is your faith?" he asked them. They were afraid and amazed. They asked one another, "Who is this? He gives orders even to the winds and the water, and they obey him!" ²⁶Then they sailed to the land of the Gerasenes. It is across the lake from Galilee. ²⁷When Jesus stepped onto the shore, he was met by a man from the town who had demons in him. For a long time this man had not worn clothes. He had not lived in a house. He lived among the tombs. ²⁸When the man saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down in front of him. He shouted in a loud voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!" ²⁹For Jesus had ordered the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had taken hold of him. People kept him chained hand and foot. But he would break the chains. Then the demon would drive him out into lonely places. ³⁰Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "Legion," he answered. He said this because many demons had gone into him.a ³¹The demons kept begging Jesus not to order them into the Abyss. ³²A large herd of pigs was eating there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs. And he let them. ³³So the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs. The herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned. ³⁴The men taking care of the pigs saw what had happened. They ran off and told about it in the town and in the countryside. ³⁵So the people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus. They found the man the demons had left. He was sitting at Jesus' feet. He had clothes on, and his mind was clear. And the people were afraid. ³⁶Those who had seen it told the others how the man with demons had been healed. ³⁷Then all the people of the land of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were filled with great fear. So he got into the boat and started back. ³⁸The man the demons had left begged to go with Jesus. But Jesus sent him away. He said, ³⁹"Go back home. Tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away. He told all over the town how much Jesus had done for him. ⁴⁰When Jesus came back, the crowd welcomed him. They had all been waiting for him. ⁴¹Just then a man named Jairus came. He was a leader of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus' feet. He begged Jesus to come to his house. ⁴²He begged because his only daughter was dying. She was about twelve years old. As Jesus went with him, the crowds pushed in around him. ⁴³A woman was there who had been bleeding for twelve years. She had spent all her money on doctors. But no one could heal her. ⁴⁴She came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his cloak. Right away her bleeding stopped. ⁴⁵"Who touched me?" Jesus asked. Everyone said they had not. Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pushing against you." ⁴⁶But Jesus said, "Someone touched me, for I know that power has gone out from me." ⁴⁷The woman saw that she could not stay hidden. She came shaking with fear and fell down in front of him. In front of all the people, she told why she had touched him. She told how she had been healed right away. ⁴⁸Jesus said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." ⁴⁹While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. "Your daughter is dead," he told Jairus. "Don't bother the Teacher anymore." ⁵⁰But Jesus heard this. He said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid. Just believe, and she will be healed." ⁵¹When he came to the house, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, and James, and the child's father and mother. ⁵²All the people were crying and mourning for her. But Jesus said, "Stop crying. She is not dead. She is asleep." ⁵³They laughed at him, because they knew she was dead. ⁵⁴But Jesus took her by the hand and called out, "My child, get up!" ⁵⁵Her spirit came back, and she got up right away. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. ⁵⁶Her parents were amazed. But Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.