Sunday School Lessons: Luke 8

Luke Chapter 8

8:1Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, 2and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for themout of their means.

John had preached repentance as a preparation for the kingdom; but Jesus now appears to have preached the kingdom itself, which was indeed to bring good tidings

We here get a glimpse of the tireless activities of the ministry of Christ. Journeying from place to place, he was constantly preaching the gospel publicly to the people, and as ceaselessly instructing his disciples privately. The twelve were now serving an apprenticeship in that work on which he would soon send them forth alone. From this time forth we can hardly look upon Capernaum as the home of Jesus. From now to the end of his ministry his life was a wandering journey, and he and his apostles sustained by the offerings of friends. The circuit of Galilee here mentioned is peculiar to Luke.

Mary that was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out. What a change of service, from demoniac bondage to the freedom of Christ!

Joanna is mentioned again at Luke 24:10. Of Chuzas we know nothing more than what is stated here. It was an office usually held by some trusted slave as a reward for his fidelity. Chuzas was no doubt a man of means and influence. Chuzas was very likely the nobleman of John 4:46. If so, the second miracle at Cana explains the devotion of Joanna to Jesus. Of Susanna there is no other record.

The ministration of these women shows the poverty of Christ and his apostles, and explains how they were able to give themselves so unremittingly to the work. Some of the apostles also may have had means enough to contribute somewhat to the support of the company. Note how Jesus began to remove the fetters of custom which bound women, and to bring about a condition of universal freedom, but in any event the support was meager enough, for Jesus was among the poorest of earth.

Matthew 13:3-23; Mark 4:3-25

4And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: 5“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

9And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, 10he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ 11Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. 14And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 15As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

A passage similar to this is found in Matthew 5:15

16“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 17For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. 18Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”

Light creates responsibility. We are held responsible for the degree of light we have been given. We were in darkness until the light of the Gospel came to us. Now we have changed and we must live in the light of the Gospel.

Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35;

19Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. 20And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” 21But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

He was not denying his family relationship but he was declaring a greater relationship.

Matthew 8:18-27; Mark 4:35-41

22One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, 23and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. 24And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”

Jesus went to sleep because he was weary—so tired that he was able to sleep through the storm. The disciples were afraid that they were all going to die, but Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves. Verse 24 says that the lake was calm. Even if the storm had stopped immediately, it would have take a while for the raging waves to calm. Jesus asked them “Where is your faith?” They were afraid and began to wonder who Jesus really was. They had seen many miracles by this time, but this was the first time they themselves had been saved.

Matthew 8:28-34; Matthew 9:1; Mark 5:1-21

26Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27When Jesushad stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. 28When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” 29For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) 30Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. 31And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. 32Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

Demons are also called unclean spirits. This man was not only demon possessed, he was possessed by a “legion.” A Roman legion was made up of 3000-6000 men. This mad was possessed by a mob of demons! This man had no will of his own. He was totally controlled by the demons.

The abyss or bottomless pit was the proper abode of the demons. It is mentioned nine times in Scripture: Luke 8:31; Romans 10:7 Revelation 9:1,2,11; Revelation 11:7; Revelation 17:8; Revelation 20:1,3.

The demons begged not to be sent back to the abyss; they wanted to be allowed to enter the pigs. They had to ask permission—Jesus had total control over the demons. The demons recognized this. He commanded them to come out of the man, but he did not command them to enter the pigs. They did that themselves.

34When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 36And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessedman had been healed. 37Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

This man was now free of the unclean spirits. He was clothed and in his right mind and sitting at the feet of Jesus. This made the people afraid—so afraid that they wanted Jesus to leave! And so he did. The man wanted to follow Jesus but Jesus sent him home to be a witness of what Jesus had done for him. He was an evangelist—spreading the news of Jesus into new areas on the other side of the Lake of Galilee.

Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:22-43;

40Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. 41And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus' feet, he implored him to come to his house, 42for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

The people were waiting for Jesus to return. Jarius was a ruler of the synagogue. The ruler of the synagogue’s duties were to select the readings and plan the worship. He was an important man in the Jewish community. He begged Jesus to come and heal his daughter, so Jesus went with him.

As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. 43And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians,she could not be healed by anyone. 44She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. 45And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Petersaid, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” 46But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.”

This woman had been ill for 12 years and had spent all her money but no doctor could heal her. Because this was an illness ‘of blood’ she would have been unclean all that time. No one could touch her or they would become unclean, too. She must have felt desperate and lonely. She believed that if she could only touch Jesus, she would be healed—and she was!

Jesus knew right away that she had touched him. Of course he knew who had done it—he knew what the Pharisees were thinking, he had control over the winds and the waves, illness and death. But still he asked “Who touched me?” Why? Because she was unclean, her healing needed to be known publically so that it was known that she was healed and no longer unclean. She could return to a normal life. Also that it was himself and not his garment which had blessed her.

47And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

Her faith had healed her. Jesus had been moving through a great crowd of people, but only she had faith to reach out and deliberately touch him with the faith that doing so would heal her. Jesus had great compassion on this woman; she was the only person he ever called ‘daughter.’

49While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler's house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” 50But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.”

Jarius’ daughter had died. Jarius and the crowd had just seen this woman healed and Jesus had just told her, in the hearing of all the people, that her faith had made her well. Now he is asking Jarius to not be fearful, but believe (have faith).

51And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. 52And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” 53And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” 55And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. 56And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.

Jesus only allowed Peter, James, and John to go into the house with him (along with the parents of the dead girl.) He called her and she ‘got up at once.’ Her parents were amazed. Jarius believed that Jesus could heal his daughter and save her, but apparently, he was not so sure he could or would raise her from the dead. But it was Jesus’ intention to bring her back to life, whether Jarius and his wife really expected it or not.

Why did do you think that Jesus told them not to tell what had happened? The people would surely learn that the girl was alive! That could not be hidden. Perhaps it was because the healing would speak for itself.

*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students. You can find lessons for previous chapters here . All scriptures are taken from the ESV.