Lucas 8
Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 8
Cole - This is the person who wants the best of both worlds. He professes to believe in Jesus, but his heart is divided. He is still drawn after what this world has to offer. He may be rich or he may be poor. Jesus is not talking about the amount we possess, but about our focus. This heart among the thorns is not fully committed to seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. He is trying to serve two masters, but he really is serving mammon, not God. The Bible does not condemn riches or pleasure per se, but it does condemn living for riches or pleasure (1Ti 5:6; 1Ti 6:9-10). Even those who truly know Christ must continually pull out the weeds of greed and sensuality. We must constantly deny the lure of the world that falsely tells us to live for this life only. We must continually remember the exhortation, “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1Jn 2:15). The common factor of these first three soils is that none of them bear fruit. Some look promising for a while, but there was no fruit because they were never truly saved. So we all must examine our own lives and ask, “Am I bearing fruit for God over the long haul? Is my faith superficial or genuine?” (Luke 8:4-15 Superficial and Genuine Believers) They are choked (4846)(sumpnigo from sun = with + pnigo = to choke, strangle, "seizing by the throat") means to crowd together and thus to choke or suffocate (Mt 13:22, Mk 4:7, 19, Lk 8:14). BDAG has "to check the growth or well-being of someth. by pressure." Figuratively it means to crowd around, to press upon, almost to crush ("crowds were pressing against Him" = Lk 8:42, 12:1). The present tense indicates the choking effect was continual. Friberg on sumpnigo - literally, of weeds too thickly surrounding plants choke, cause to die; metaphorically, of things causing a message to be ineffective in a life crowd out, i.e. overwhelm, take over (Mk 4.19); exaggerated for effect, of a thronging crowd suffocate, almost crush, crowd in around (Lk 8.42) (Analytical Lexicon) Sumpnigo - 5x in 5v - Mt. 13:22; Mk. 4:7; Mk. 4:19; Lk. 8:14; Lk. 8:42. Not found in the Septuagint. Bring no fruit to maturity (only use in Bible)(5052)(telesphoreo from telos = end, outcome, goal + phoreo = to bear) bring to ripeness, produce ripe fruit, used of spiritual character (becoming gall that one should be). The present tense indicates their fruit bearing was continually "no yield." This verb was used in Greek to refer to fruits, animals, pregnant women. Worries (anxieties) (3308)(merimna from merizo = to divide or draw different directions - which is exactly what anxiety does to most of us!) refers to a care (the sole way it is translated in the KJV) or concern and so to care for someone or something. It is often used in a negative sense and thus is translated as worry. From the origin, one can see that merimna describes the state of "being pulled apart.” Thus when circumstances are difficult, it is easy to let oneself be dominated by anxiety and worry. Some cross references on worries - Mt 6:25, Mt 6:31, Lk 12:29, Lk 21:34, Php 4:6, 1 Pe 5:7, Ps 39:6, Ps 127:2 The Etymology of worry is fascinating (especially the idea of "to strangle"!) and very relevant to the effect worry exerts on the Word - Middle English wirien (c. 1300), "to slay, kill or injure by biting and shaking the throat" (as a dog or wolf does), from Old English wyrgan "to strangle," from Proto-Germanic *wurgjan (source also of Middle Dutch worghen, Dutch worgen, Old High German wurgen, German würgen "to strangle," The "strangle" sense was obsolete in English after c. 1600; the figurative meaning "to annoy, bother, vex" is by c. 1400. Meaning "to cause mental distress or trouble" is attested from 1822; intransitive sense of "to feel anxiety or mental trouble" is attested by 1860. Related: Worried; worrier; worrying. Riches (wealth) (4149)(ploutos from pletho = to fill) properly denotes abundance, plentitude, and literally is used to refer to material wealth or prosperity (abundance of earthly, temporal goods) which is the meaning in the parable of the seed and the soils (Mt 13:22, Mk 4:19, Lk 8:14 = Material riches are deceitful and choke out reception of the Word of God. Be careful all you wealthy readers! Contrast spiritual riches - Ep 3:8) Indeed, think of the people who know whose whole lives glow with the glory of God for they are rich in spiritual possessions, albeit often poor in material possessions! Some cross references on riches - Mk 4:19, 1 Ti 6:9, Jas 5:2, Mt 19:23, 1 T 6:7, Dt 8:13-14, Job 20:28, Ps 49:10, Pr 23:5, Eccl 2:18, Jer 17:11 Pleasures (2237) (hedone from hedos = delight, enjoyment > hedomai = have sensual pleasure) describes the state or condition of experiencing pleasure for any reason and thus speaks of gratification and enjoyment. Hedone is the root of our English hedonism, which is the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the sole or chief good in life, and is manifest as an insatiable pursuit of self-satisfaction that so characterizes our modern society. Some cross references on pleasures - Lk 12:19, 1 Ti 5:6, 2 Ti 3:1-2,4, Titus 3:3, Jas 5:5, 2 Pe 2:13, Isa 47:8-9 Luke 8:15 "But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance. NET Luke 8:15 But as for the seed that landed on good soil, these are the ones who, after hearing the word, cling to it with an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with steadfast endurance. GNT Luke 8:15 τὸ δὲ ἐν τῇ καλῇ γῇ, οὗτοί εἰσιν οἵτινες ἐν καρδίᾳ καλῇ καὶ ἀγαθῇ ἀκούσαντες τὸν λόγον κατέχουσιν καὶ καρποφοροῦσιν ἐν ὑπομονῇ. NLT Luke 8:15 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. KJV Luke 8:15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. ESV Luke 8:15 As 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. NIV Luke 8:15 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. ASV Luke 8:15 And that in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it fast, and bring forth fruit with patience. CSB Luke 8:15 But the seed in the good ground-- these are the ones who, having heard the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it and by enduring, bear fruit. NKJ Luke 8:15 "But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. NRS Luke 8:15 But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance. YLT Luke 8:15 'And that in the good ground: These are they, who in an upright and good heart, having heard the word, do retain it, and bear fruit in continuance. NAB Luke 8:15 But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance. NJB Luke 8:15 As for the part in the rich soil, this is people with a noble and generous heart who have heard the word and take it to themselves and yield a harvest through their perseverance. GWN Luke 8:15 The seeds that were planted on good ground are people who also hear the word. But they keep it in their good and honest hearts and produce what is good despite what life may bring. BBE Luke 8:15 And those in the good earth are those who, having given ear to the word, keep it with a good and true heart, and in quiet strength give fruit. in an: Lu 6:45 De 30:6 Ps 51:10 Jer 31:33 32:29 Eze 36:26,27 Ro 7:18 Eph 2:8 Jas 1:16-19 1Pe 2:1,2 hold it fast: Lu 11:28 Job 23:11,12 Ps 1:1-3 119:11,127-129 Pr 3:1 Jer 15:16 Joh 14:15,21-24 15:10 1Co 7:19 Heb 2:1 Jas 1:22-25 1Jn 2:3 bear fruit : Mt 24:13 Ro 2:7 6:22 7:4 Ga 5:22-26 Php 1:11 3:13-15 Col 1:6,10 Heb 6:11,12 10:36 Jas 1:4 5:7,8 Luke 8:4-15 Receptivity to the Gospel, Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 8:14-15 Receptivity to the Gospel, Part 3 - John MacArthur Luke 8:4-15 - Steven Cole Luke 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Parallel Passages: Matthew 13:23+ “And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.” Mark 4:20+ “And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” PARABLE OF THE SOILS: THE GOOD SOIL It is worth noting that all four responses may be found in the life of one individual over time. I know that I was much like the first soil for some 20 years. Then one day I heard the Word of God at age 39 and received and repented and believed. I think a lesson for me is to not judge the "book by its cover", but even if the message seems to fall on rocky soil, my call is to keep showing them the love of Christ unconditionally, and the Spirit might use that to "plow" that person's heart enabling them to receive the Word implanted which is able to save their soul (James 1:21b+). What we need to remember is that all three of the "failures" may be changed over time. That's God's business. Phillips sums up the soils - The first kind of hearer is illustrated by the scribes and Pharisees, who "rejected the counsel of God against themselves" (Luke 7:30). Judas, Herod, and Pilate belong to the same terrible company. The second kind of hearer is illustrated by Demas, who abandoned Paul in his hour of need when the going got tough. The Lord had His share of those who "went back, and walked no more with him" (John 6:66). The third kind of hearer is illustrated by the rich young ruler (Matt. 19:22). The fourth kind of hearer is illustrated by the Lord's own disciples, Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, Cornelius, and the various Marys. (Exploring Luke) But (de) in this context is an important term of contrast which serves to set this soil apart from the previous three soils. The seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart - Notice that in this passage the seed is the word which has been heard. Jesus explains that the good soil is an honest and good heart. Matthew's version adds "this is the man who hears the word and understands it." (Mt 13:23+). The word understands is suniemi in the present tense (continually understands) and literally means to bring together. Jesus uses it figuratively meaning this man is able to "piece together" the "puzzle" of the Gospel (E.g., [1] you are a sinner, [2] you need a Savior, [3] you must repent and receive/believe Jesus. See the Romans Road to Salvation). Mark 4:20+ adds that "they hear the word and accept it" where accept is in the present tense indicating they continually accept the Word. The verb accept is paradechomai (para = near + dechomai = receive deliberately and readily) means to accept deliberately, willingly, favorably, readily, kindly taking to oneself which in the reflexive middle voice signifies they are personalizing the seed of the Gospel. Combining the three synoptic accounts, we learn that the good soil hears the good word of the Gospel, gladly accepts it and fully understands it. THOUGHT - Beloved, let us study the meaning of kardia, but let us be far more diligent in guarding our kardia in this short life. In Pr 4:23+ Solomon commands us "Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life." (cf 1Ti 4:7, 8+ = "discipline yourself for godliness," 2Co 5:9+ 2Co 5:10+).
Lucas 8
Cole - Picture the scene: It was either at night or very early in the morning when Jesus and the disciples arrived on the other side of the lake after the storm. As they are stepping out on the beach, they hear a terrifying shriek. They look up to see this naked wild man running toward them. (Actually, there were two men according to Matthew. Apparently, one was more notorious and the other was a silent follower, but we don’t know for sure. Mark and Luke only report one, but they do not say that there was only one.) The man’s naked body was covered with scars and caked on blood, with fresh bloody wounds in some places (Mk 5:5+). His uncut hair and untrimmed beard were matted and tangled. He had a wild, demented look in his eyes. He reeked of body odor. Luke does not record what the disciples did, but I can picture them scrambling back into the boat or looking for rocks and sticks to defend themselves. But Jesus stepped forward, spoke the word to the demons, and Legion was a different man. (Luke 8:26-39 Christ's Transforming Power) Met (5221)(hupantao from hupo = by, below + antao = to meet face to face with; antao is from anti = opposite) means to go to meet and may include an element of hostility or opposition as in Jesus' encounter with demon possession (Mt 8:28+; Mk 5:2+; Lk. 8:27+) and also in Lk 14:31+ meaning to meet to oppose in battle which is a good picture of what we see here - the Kingdom of darkness "meets" the Kingdom of light (the King of that kingdom). Compare the "hostile meeting" in Acts 16:16+. Demons (1140)(daimonion from daímon = demon) most often describes demons or evil spirits who have supernatural powers and are neither human nor divine (Mt 7:22). Acts 17:18+ refers specifically to to heathen gods. In the context of a Jewish use it more often refers to a demon, evil spirit, devil, or one who is subject to Satan. And who had not put on any clothing for a long time - This detail is not found in the version in Mark 5:2-5+. What a scene and a scandal this naked demon possessed man must have created in the community! Kent
Lucas 8
Cole - Jesus’ words and the quote from Isaiah plunge us into one of the deep mysteries that we cannot fully grasp, the fact that God sovereignly grants salvation to His elect, but that sinners are fully responsible for their persistence in sin and their ultimate condemnation. For the disciples, God sovereignly granted that they know the mysteries of the kingdom of God (Lu 8:10). No one can boast that he discovered these mysteries by his own reasoning or investigation. Only God can reveal them and He does not reveal them to everyone. Is God then unfair? Not at all, because men are responsible for their selfishness, stubbornness, and sin. They have no one but themselves to blame for their own hardness of heart. John Calvin (Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists [Baker], 2:108) uses the illustration of the effects of the sun on a person with weak eyes. When such a person steps out into bright sunlight, his eyes become dimmer than before, but the fault lies not with the sun but with the person’s weak eyes. Even so, when the Word of God blinds the reprobate, it is not the fault of the Word, but of the person’s own depravity. Thus by speaking in parables, Jesus was seeking to foster a genuine response from His elect who would apply the truth to their hearts. But He was also concealing the gospel from those who were merely curious but who were not willing to apply it to their hearts. They would continue in their spiritual blindness. But they would not thwart the sovereign purpose of God’s kingdom. (Luke 8:4-15 Superficial and Genuine Believers) Cole adds on the seed is the word of God - Of His own ministry, Jesus said, “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me commandment, what to say and what to speak. And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me” (Jn 12:49-50). Also, as Paul stated, “All Scripture is God-breathed” (2Ti 3:16, literal translation). In other words, Jesus, the prophets, and the apostles were not religious geniuses who gave us their best ideas about God and man. Rather, they were inspired and moved by the Holy Spirit to record what God chose to reveal to us in His written Word (2Pe 1:21). God uses that word implanted to save our souls (Jas 1:18, Jas 1:21). Just as a seed has life in it, so the Word of God is alive and can impart life to those who are spiritually dead. Just as a seed has great power in it, so that it can sprout and grow to the point that eventually it cracks the foundation of a house, so the Word of God can germinate in the human heart and do a mighty work of transformation. Just as a seed can produce a tree that bears much fruit which gives nourishment, sustains life, and in turn produces more seeds to produce more trees and fruit, so the Word of God can bear fruit in human lives. This means that when we talk to people about Jesus Christ, we must share the content of the gospel from God’s Word. So often in our day Jesus is presented as an emotional experience: “Believe in Jesus and you’ll feel better and your problems will be solved.” But many people know nothing of the Jesus in whom they are being encouraged to believe. To encourage a person who does not know what the Bible says about Christ to believe in Him is to encourage him to believe in a figment of his own imagination. Before you encourage such a person to make a decision for Christ, encourage him to read the Bible, especially the Gospels. He needs to know something about who God is, who man is, and who Jesus is as revealed in the Word before he can intelligently repent of his sin and believe in Jesus Christ.....One reason that I have devoted hours every week for almost 22 years now to preparing biblical sermons is that I believe that God’s Word will not return to Him empty without accomplishing the purpose for which He sent it forth (Is 55:10-11). So whether you give people tapes or printed copies of biblical sermons or tracts or Gospels of John or New Testaments, scatter the seed of God’s Word. In due time you will reap fruit for eternity. By the way, are you sowing, watering, and nourishing the seed of God’s Word in your own life? I sometimes wonder what would happen if Christians would spend as much time each week reading the Bible as they spend reading the newspaper and watching TV. If you feed your mind on the world, you won’t grow in the things of God. If you sow God’s Word in your heart repeatedly, some of it will sprout and bear fruit if you’ve got good soil.(Luke 8:4-15 Superficial and Genuine Believers) Jon Courson - We are born again not of corruptible seed, Peter declared, but of incorruptible—the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23). Do you want to be more like the Lord, to experience blessing and joy, to radiate love and peace? The way to do so is not by mustering your efforts to be more Christlike. The seed is the Word. You will be more Christlike if you allow the Word of God to continually and consistently penetrate your inner person (Ed: cf Jesus' prayer for sanctification - John 17:17). That is how you were born again initially. And that is how more of Jesus will be birthed through you continually. There's just no other way. The seed is the Word of God. (Jon Courson's Application Commentary New Testament) Beautiful Fruit The seed is the word of God. Luke 8:11 Today's Scripture & Insight: Luke 8:4–8, 11–15 “Kids should be able to throw a seed anywhere they want [in the garden] and see what pops up,” suggests Rebecca Lemos-Otero, founder of City Blossoms. While this is not a model for careful gardening, it reflects the reality that each seed has the potential to burst forth with life. Since 2004, City Blossoms has created gardens for schools and neighborhoods in low-income areas. The kids are learning about nutrition and gaining job skills through gardening. Rebecca says, “Having a lively green space in an urban area . . . creates a way for kids to be outside doing something productive and beautiful.” Jesus told a story about the scattering of seed that had the potential of producing “a hundred times more than was sown” (Luke 8:8). That seed was God’s good news planted on “good soil,” which He explained is “honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest” (v. 15 nlt). How are you staying connected to Jesus? What fruit do you want Him to produce in you? I want a beautiful life, Father. Please produce Your fruit in me that I might live a life that points others to You. Luke 8:12 "Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. KJV Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. beside Lk 8:5; Proverbs 1:24-26,29; Matthew 13:19; Mark 4:15; James 1:23,24 then Proverbs 4:5; Isaiah 65:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-14; Revelation 12:9 Luke 8:4-15 Receptivity to the Gospel, Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 8:4-15 - Steven Cole Luke 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Parallel Passages: Matthew 13:19+ “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. Mark 4:15+ “These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. PARABLE OF THE SOILS: THE CALLOUS SOIL Callous means made insensitive, having feelings or morals deadened, describing one who is emotionally hardened, insensitive; indifferent; unsympathetic. One might be discouraged by this soil, but remember this is a parable and it does not state that the soil cannot be altered by plowing, etc. THOUGHT - Many (most?) of us were "hard soil" until God got our attention and plowed our heart with adversity or affliction (as was the case in my late conversion at age 39). God is the ultimate Husbandman and He knows how to cultivate the conditions of the soil of His elect in order that they receive the Word implanted which is able to save their soul! And not only that but in Jeremiah, God reminds us about the power of His Word asking "Is not My Word like fire? And like a hammer which breaks the rock?" (Jer 23:29). So dear sower who has been frustrated by failure of results in a dear friend or loved one whose "soil" seems so hard for so long, for God is able to break the soil of their heart and penetrate it with His Gospel which has His inherent power (dunamis) (Ro 1:16+). So keep praying for the soil of their soul and keep sowing the Gospel seed as God's Spirit gives you opportunity to do so. My father prayed for me literally for 20 years before God's adversity plowed deep furrows in my heart for His Gospel seed (My Testimony to God's Grace). And then I prayed 20 years for my youngest son who was ensnared in opioid addiction almost to the point of death and God's Gospel penetrated his hard heart and saved him from addiction and gave him a new life in Christ. As Paul writes in Galatians "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith." (Gal 6:9-10+) So pray and sow, pray and sow, pray and sow! Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD Until He comes to rain righteousness on you. Jesus is not saying 1/4 of the people who receive the Gospel seed will respond this way. He is giving 4 general reactions people will manifest when we speak the Gospel to them. And just as it takes time for seed to germinate, it may take a considerable time for the response to be seen to the seed of the Word. In this person's heart (soil) there is utterly no response to this presentation of the Gospel. Those beside the road are those who have heard - The Old Testament would call them the hard-hearted and the stiff-necked (cf Acts 7:51). They are resolute and rigid in their indifference, disinterest and love of sin. This is the condition of the heart which corresponds to the hardness of that footpath around the field. The heart of this kind of person is a thoroughfare, crossed by the mixed multitude of iniquities that traverse it day after day after day after day. And it's not fenced so it lies exposed to all the evil stompings of everything that comes along. It's never broken up. It's never plowed by conviction. It's never plowed by self-searching, self-examination, contrition, honest assessment of guilt, repentance. The heart is callous. It's callous to the sweet reasonings of grace and it's callous to the fearful terrors of judgment. Nothing wrong with the seed. Nothing wrong with the sower. Something terribly wrong with his hard, impenitent heart. (MacArthur) This soil reminds me of several men in the NT - King Herod - Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy listening to him. (ED: AND WE KNOW HE PREACHED THE WORD OF THE KINGDOM!) (Mark 6:20+) Felix - And as he (PAUL) was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, "Go away for the present, and when I find time, I will summon you." (Acts 24:25+) King Agrippa - And Agrippa replied to Paul, "In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian." And Paul said, "I would to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains." (Acts 26:28-29+) We see this same principle in the last days when Antichrist is given power to rule during the tribulation Then that lawless one (ANTICHRIST) will be revealed (IN THE LAST 3.5 YEARS OF THE TRIBULATION) whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming (Rev 19:20+); 9 that is, the one (ANTICHRIST) whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan (Rev 13:2-6+), with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because (EXPLAINS WHY THEY PERISH) they did not receive (THEY MADE A PERSONAL CHOICE TO REJECT) the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason (AGAIN SEE THE PRINCIPLE OF Mt 13:12b) God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false (THEY BELIEVE THE LIES OF THE ANTICHRIST - THESE ARE THE EARTH DWELLERS IN REVELATION THOSE WHO ABSOLUTELY CANNOT BE SAVED BECAUSE OF THEIR PERSONAL CHOICE TO REJECT TRUTH), 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth (THEIR INABILITY TO EVEN NOW BELIEVE TRUTH IS JUDICIAL HARDENING OF THEIR HEARTS!), but took pleasure in wickedness. (2 Th 2:8-12) Then - This expression of time describes succession. Seed is sown. The Devil sweeps in to remove it. Takes away the word from their heart - The heart of this parable is the heart. The heart is the key, for it is the soil. There are four types of hearts according to this parable. Mt 13:19+ has "snatches away (harpazo = same word used to rapture saints!) what has been sown in his heart." In context clearly their heart is the soil in which the seed was sown. And so the problem is not the power of the word or the performance of the preacher, but the problem of the heart of the hearer! -- C H Spurgeon
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Cole writes that "Satan hardens people’s hearts by the traffic of worldly philosophies. People engage in worldly, man-centered thinking so often that their hearts grow callused to the truth of God. For example, many in our culture are so steeped in the postmodern ideas that spiritual truth is relative and that it doesn’t matter what you believe that they automatically reject the exclusive claims of the Gospel because it runs counter to the ideas they have trafficked in for all their lives. It is ironic that these are people who would scoff at the idea of a personal devil, and yet that very devil is the one who snatches away the seed of the Gospel from them! (ED: WAS THIS NOT THE STRATEGY PAR EXCELLENCE IN "SCREWTAPE LETTERS" = THERE IS NO DEVIL!) In their hardness of heart, they feel no need for God. We need to pray that God will break up the hard ground of their hearts with the plow of trials so that they will be open to receive the truth of the Gospel." (Luke 8:4-15) Darrell Bock gives all of us a good word to remember whenever we speak forth the Word of God, the Gospel - When God seeks to speak to humanity (Ed: Through His ambassadors = US!), a cosmic battle breaks out. (The Parable of the Seed and the Importance of the Word Lk 8:4-21) We should not fear the inevitable spiritual war, but we must not be ignorant of it either lest we be caught unaware with our guard down and become as it were a "wounded soldier." Many saints simply do not grasp the gravity and certainty of this titanic invisible war for human souls! To be forewarned is to be forearmed! (The Parable of the Seed and the Importance of the Word Lk 8:4-21))
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Cole adds that "If you have been a Christian for a while, you have ridden the roller coaster of great joy in seeing someone make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, followed by awful disappointment as the same person later fell away from the faith. For a while he seemed to be dramatically changed. He got involved in the church. He was zealous for the things of God. But then a difficult trial hit. Perhaps he had a conflict with someone in the church. Or he had a personal health problem or he lost a loved one. His zeal cooled off and gradually he stopped coming to church. Every effort to restore him failed. Today he is back in the world. Others don’t fall away altogether, but their early enthusiasm wanes. They settle into a routine that includes going to church as long as there isn’t something “better” to do for the weekend. But God is not central in their lives. They are more focused on their things and on having a good time in life. They profess to be Christians, but they have no burden for the lost and no desire to serve God. They are living basically for self and for pleasure. But they are not living in light of eternity. How do you explain such people? Some would say that they have lost their salvation, but that clearly contradicts the many clear passages that teach that those whom God saves, He keeps for eternity. Others say that these folks are saved, but they are “carnal.” They can go through life living in this carnal or worldly state and they will still go to heaven, but they won’t have many rewards waiting for them. But this popular but false teaching contradicts Heb 12, which says that if a person is truly God’s child, then God will discipline him. If a person lacks such discipline, he is not a true child of God at all....The parable serves both as an encouragement to His followers and a warning to His hearers. The encouragement to His followers is that when we see people respond superficially to the gospel and later fall away, we should not be discouraged in that even Jesus had the same response. The problem was certainly not in His preaching, but in the audience’s hearing. The warning to those who hear the parable, of course, is to take it to heart so that we avoid a superficial faith. (Luke 8:4-15 Superficial and Genuine Believers) John
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Cole - The fact that Jesus calls this heart “honest and good” does not mean that He believed in the inherent goodness of some people. Jesus certainly agreed with the Hebrew Scriptures which repeatedly affirm the sinfulness of every human heart (Ge 6:5; Ge 8:21; Ps 14:3; Je 17:9). Jesus Himself taught that the human heart is the source of all sorts of wickedness (Mk 7:21-23). He told even His disciples that they were evil (Lu 11:13) and He told the rich young ruler that none is good except God alone (Lu 18:19).Any good heart is good because God graciously has wrought the miracle of regeneration in that heart. In response to God’s grace, this person hears the Word, holds it fast, and bears fruit over the long haul with perseverance. Fruit is that which the life of God produces in and through a believer. It includes Christlike character, conduct, and converts. The fruitful Christian is not only a hearer of the Word, but also a doer of it. He feeds on it continually so that it confronts his sin, it challenges his wrong attitudes, and it shows him how to live in a manner pleasing to God. He is not being conformed to this world, but is being transformed by the renewing of his mind (Ro 12:2). ILLUSTRATION OF DIFFERENT SOILS - The popular preacher, Chuck Swindoll, tells of ministering at a family conference. There was a young couple there with several small children, and it was obvious that they had some serious problems in their marriage. But as the week progressed, Chuck watched this couple change as they sat under the teaching of God’s Word. The husband seemed to hang on every word. The wife had her Bible open and followed carefully from passage to passage. On the last day, they both came up to Chuck and said, “We want you to know that this week has been a 180 degree turn around experience for us. When we came, we were ready to separate. We’re going back now stronger than we have ever been in our marriage.”That’s tremendous! But the sad thing, Chuck said, is that at the same conference with the same speakers, the same truths, and the same surroundings, another man was turned off. He wasn’t open to God’s Word. He attended the first few sessions, but his guilt became so great and his conviction so deep that he went home. His family left hurting, perhaps even more so than when they came. What was the difference between those two men at the same conference? The difference was the condition of the soil of their hearts. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS - In light of this parable, should we give assurance of salvation to new believers? Why/why not? Do you agree that only one soil is truly saved? Could types two and three be “carnal” Christians? What difference does this make? When we sow the seed of the gospel, to what extent should be try to be persuasive and to what extent should we fall back on the sovereignty of God (see 1Co 9:19-23; 2Co 5:11)? How can we guard against worries, riches, and pleasures choking out the Word in our lives? (Luke 8:4-15 Superficial and Genuine Believers) MacArthur discusses the nature of the fruit - There's two kinds of fruit: attitude fruit and action fruit; attitude fruit and action fruit. The fruit that's demonstrated in your inner man and the fruit that's demonstrated in your outer man. You can see the fruit of conversion in the attitudes such as, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, faith, meekness, gentleness, goodness." (Gal 5:22-23) You see it in their love for God, love for Christ, love for others. You see it in the joy and trials, peace in tribulation. The fruit of attitude is manifest. You get to know a person and you know whether you're seeing evidence of transformed life in how they deal with all the stuff that comes in life.... you can do a little spiritual EKG on yourself by just taking inventory of your attitude. Are you compelled by the love that you have for Christ? Are you compelled by the love for God? Is it the heart cry to worship God, to honor God, to serve God, to love others? Do you find your heart is filled with hope? Do you find yourself at peace in the midst of disappointment? Is there a constant undergirding of incessant joy because everything in the end is controlled by the sovereign purpose of God for your well-being and His glory? That's evidence of transformation. Action fruit is what you say, what you do. John says, 1 John 3:9, 10 "If you're born of God you don't continue in sin." Oh there will be sin there but it won't be that unbroken pattern of sin that's characterized in an unregenerate life. You look at your life and you see righteous deeds. Philippians 1:11, "Their life will be filled with all the fruits of righteousness." They will be, as Hebrews says, the fruit of lips praise to God (Heb 13:15). As Paul said when he was going to the Romans, I want to come and have some fruit among you. You'll be leading people to Christ, spreading the Gospel. You can put on the "action fruit," without the attitude fruit but that's legalism. The Pharisees were good at that. They could do the action. They were painted white on the outside but inside they were full of dead men's bones. So action fruit without attitude fruit is damning legalism. Action fruit as a result of attitude fruit is true spirituality. This is not a new concept. The way you know that somebody is a believer is not by what they said somewhere or sometime, what they prayed somewhere sometime. And parents: Don't hold on to that. You know when your child is in the teen-aged years, or their twenties or older, or whatever, and they're out living a life that disregards God all together and pays no attention to Jesus Christ and demonstrates no love of righteousness, no consuming desire to worship and honor God, don't think they're Christians because sometime in the past they prayed a prayer. That doesn't mean anything. This is not new, as I said. Psalm 1:1, you can go all the way back to the beginning of the Psalms. "How blessed is the man who doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers. His delight is in the law of the Lord." You find somebody who is regenerated and he will love the law of the Lord. “In His law he meditates day and night. He's like a tree firmly planted by the streams of water which yields its fruit in his season.” (Ps 1:2) He's going to have a love for God. He's going to have a love for the truth of God, the Word of God. It's going to show up in the fruit of his life." (Luke 8:14-15 Receptivity to the Gospel, Part 3) J C Ryle on Luke 8:4-15 - THE parable of the sower, contained in these verses, is reported more frequently than any parable in the Bible. It is a parable of universal application. The things it relates are continually going on in every congregation to which the Gospel is preached. The four kinds of hearts it describes are to be found in every assembly which hears the word. These circumstances should make us always read the parable with a deep sense of its importance. We should say to ourselves, as we read it: “This concerns me. My heart is to be seen in this parable. I, too, am here.” The passage itself requires little explanation. In fact, the meaning of the whole picture is so fully explained by our Lord Jesus Christ, that no exposition of man can throw much additional light on it. The parable is preeminently a parable of caution, and caution about a most important subject,—the way of hearing the word of God. It was meant to be a warning to the apostles, not to expect too much from hearers. It was meant to be a warning to all ministers of the Gospel, not to look for too great results from sermons. It was meant, not least, to be a warning to hearers, to take heed how they hear. Preaching is an ordinance of which the value can never be overrated in the Church of Christ. But it should never be forgotten, that there must not only be good preaching, but good hearing. The first caution that we learn from the parable of the sower, is to beware of the devil when we hear the word. Our Lord tells us that the hearts of some hearers are like “the wayside.” The seed of the Gospel is plucked away from them by the devil almost as soon as it is sown. It does not sink down into their consciences. It does not make the least impression on their minds. The devil, no doubt, is everywhere (Ed: This is not accurate theology! His demonic underlings undoubtedly are everywhere, but he is finite and fixed at any moment in time!). That malicious spirit is unwearied in his efforts to do us harm. He (HIS DEMONS) is ever watching for our halting, and seeking occasion to destroy our souls. But nowhere perhaps is the devil so active as in a congregation of Gospel-hearers. Nowhere does he labor so hard to stop the progress of that which is good, and to prevent men and women being saved. From him come wandering thoughts and roving imaginations,—listless minds and dull memories,—sleepy eyes and fidgetty nerves, weary ears and distracted attention. In all these things Satan has a great hand. People wonder where they come from, and marvel how it is that they find sermons so dull, and remember them so badly! They forget the parable of the sower. They forget the devil. Let us take heed that we are not way-side hearers. Let us beware of the devil. We shall always find him at Church. He never stays away from public ordinances. Let us remember this, and be upon our guard. Heat, and cold, and draughts, and damp, and wet, and rain, and snow, are often dreaded by Church goers, and alleged as reasons for not going to Church. But there is one enemy whom they ought to fear more than all these things together. That enemy is Satan. The second caution that we learn from the parable of the sower, is to beware of resting on mere temporary impressions when we have heard the word. Our Lord tells us that the hearts of some hearers are like rocky ground. The seed of the word springs up immediately, as soon as they hear it, and bears a crop of joyful impressions, and pleasurable emotions. But these impressions, unhappily, are only on the surface. There is no deep and abiding work done in their souls. And hence, so soon as the scorching heat of temptation or persecution begins to be felt, the little bit of religion which they seemed to have attained, withers and vanishes away. Feelings, no doubt, fill a most important office in our personal Christianity. Without them there can be no saving religion. Hope, and joy, and peace, and confidence, and resignation, and love, and fear, are things which must be felt, if they really exist. But it must never be forgotten that there are religious affections, which are spurious and false, and spring from nothing better than animal excitement. It is quite possible to feel great pleasure, or deep alarm, under the preaching of the Gospel, and yet to be utterly destitute of the grace of God. The tears of some hearers of sermons, and the extravagant delight of others, are no certain marks of conversion. We may be warm admirers of favorite preachers, and yet remain nothing better than stony-ground hearers. Nothing should content us but a deep, humbling, self-mortifying work of the Holy Ghost, and a heart-union with Christ. The third caution contained in the parable of the sower is to beware of the cares of this world. Our Lord tells us that the hearts of many hearers of the word are like thorny ground. The seed of the word, when sown upon them, is choked by the multitude of other things, by which their affections are occupied. They have no objection to the doctrines and requirements of the Gospel. They even wish to believe and obey them. But they allow the things of earth to get such hold upon their minds, that they leave no room for the word of God to do its work. And hence it follows that however many sermons they hear, they seem nothing bettered by them. A weekly process of truth-stifling goes on within. They bring no fruit to perfection. The things of this life form one of the greatest dangers which beset a Christian’s path. The money, the pleasures, the daily business of the world, are so many traps to catch souls. Thousands of things, which in themselves are innocent, become, when followed to excess, little better than soul-poisons, and helps to hell. Open sin is not the only thing that ruins souls. In the midst of our families, and in the pursuit of our lawful callings, we have need to be on our guard. Except we watch and pray, these temporal things may rob us of heaven, and smother every sermon we hear. We may live and die thorny-ground hearers. The last caution contained in the parable of the sower, is to beware of being content with any religion which does not bear fruit in our lives. Our Lord tells us that the hearts of those who hear the word aright, are like good ground. The seed of the Gospel sinks down deeply into their wills, and produces practical results in their faith and practice. They not only hear with pleasure, but act with decision. They repent. They believe. They obey. Forever let us bear in mind that this is the only religion that saves souls. Outward profession of Christianity, and the formal use of Church ordinances and sacraments, never yet gave man a good hope in life, or peace in death, or rest in the world beyond the grave. There must be fruits of the Spirit in our hearts and lives, or else the Gospel is preached to us in vain. Those only who bear such fruits, shall be found at Christ’s right hand in the day of His appearing. Let us leave the parable with a deep sense of the danger and responsibility of all hearers of the Gospel. There are four ways in which we may hear, and of these four only one is right.—There are three kinds of hearers whose souls are in imminent peril. How many of these three kinds are to be found in every congregation!—There is only one class of hearers which is right in the sight of God. And what are we? Do we belong to that one? Finally, let us leave the parable with a solemn recollection of the duty of every faithful preacher to divide his congregation, and give to each class his portion. The clergyman who ascends his pulpit every Sunday, and addresses his congregation as if he thought every one was going to heaven, is surely not doing his duty to God or man. His preaching is flatly contradictory to the parable of the sower. Prepared Soil Read: Luke 8:4-15 The ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit. —Luke 8:15 The farmer may be shoveling snow or enjoying the warmth of a winter fire right now, but he’s thinking ahead to spring planting. Already he’s anticipating those days when he turns over the soil. He’ll pull out rocks that have risen with the frost, spread the right fertilizers, and get the earth ready for the seed. He knows that the harder he prepares in the spring, the better his harvest will be. Jesus used that kind of word picture in the parable of the sower. The seed is the Word of God, and the soil is our hearts. The “noble and good heart” (Lk. 8:15) receives the Word, retains it, and produces fruit. How about our hearts? Are they prepared to receive the seed of God’s Word? Or are there hindrances that keep it from growing and bearing fruit? Jesus identified three kinds of thorns that spring up and choke out the seed—”the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things” (Mk. 4:19). It may not be some heinous deed That chills our heart and chokes the seed; It's often just a trifling toy That grabs our eye and steals our joy. —Gustafson To bear good fruit, clear out the weeds of sin. Gardening Tips These are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the Word, accept it, and bear fruit. —Mark 4:20 Today's Scripture: Mark 4:1-9 I picked up a gardening book the other day and got some good advice: Take care of the soil, and don’t worry about the plants. If the soil is good, the seed will take root and grow.” In the parable of the sower in Mark 4, Jesus spoke of the importance of “good ground” (or good soil). He defined good soil as referring to those who “hear” God’s Word, “accept it,” and “bear fruit” (v.20). If we keep our heart soft and receptive, God’s Word will take root, grow, and produce fruit. In gardening, life is in the seed. Under the right conditions, it will grow until it reaches maturity and produces fruit. Similarly, if the seed of the Word is planted in the good soil of a receptive heart, it will grow until the character of Jesus is seen. For the Christian, the power of the spiritual life comes from the indwelling Holy Spirit. As we open our heart to the Word with an eagerness to obey it, the Spirit causes us to grow and bear fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). We can’t make ourselves grow, any more than we can force growth from the seeds in our gardens. But we can tend the soil, keeping our hearts soft, receptive, and obedient to God’s Word. Then we will yield the fruit of righteousness. Lord, I would be soil in which You can plant Your Word with its promise of fruit; I want to be open to You every day, So what You have planted takes root. —Hess A heart open to God is soil in which the seed of His Word can flourish. Son Followers 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.Luke 8:15 Today's Scripture & Insight:Luke 8:11–15 Sunflowers sprout in a carefree manner all over the world. Pollinated by bees, the plants spring up on the sides of highways, under bird feeders, and across fields, meadows, and prairies. To produce a harvest, however, sunflowers need good soil. Well-drained, slightly acidic, nutrient-rich soil “with organic matter or composted,” says the Farmer’s Almanac, finally produces tasty sunflower seeds, pure oil, and also a livelihood for hard-working sunflower growers. We also need “good soil” for spiritual growth (Luke 8:15). As Jesus taught in His parable of the farmer scattering seed, God’s Word can sprout even in rocky or thorny soil (see vv. 6–7). It only thrives, however, in the soil of “honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest” (v. 15 nlt). Young sunflowers are just as patient in their growth. Following the sun’s movement throughout the day, they turn sunward daily in a process called heliotropism. Mature sunflowers are just as deliberate. They turn eastward permanently, warming the face of the flower and increasing visits from pollinator bees. This in turn produces a greater harvest. What’s the condition of your spiritual soil? Rocky, thorny, or rich in spiritual “nutrients”? Why? When you follow the Son daily, how does this practice impact your honesty and heart? What Kind Of Soil Are You? Those who [hear] the Word with a noble and good heart keep it and bear fruit. — Luke 8:15 Today's Scripture: Luke 8:4-15 A new resident at the drug rehabilitation center where I worked was given the task of planting runner-bean seeds. With no experience growing vegetables, Jim quickly became bored waiting for the seeds to sprout. After weeks of seeing nothing happen, Jim finally noticed signs of life coming up. Before long, he had to put poles in the ground for the beans to climb. One day Jim ran excitedly into the kitchen with some freshly picked beans for dinner. “Wow! All this from tiny seeds!” he exclaimed. “I’ve sure learned a lot!” As I talked with Jim, it became clear that he learned more than how plants grow. He gained a new insight: If we willingly listen to God in His Word and do what’s right for the right reasons and for the right length of time, our lives will be fruitful. In Luke 8, Jesus used a parable to teach that the seed of the Word of God will produce a harvest in good soil. But the seed is productive only if the soil is receptive. People with receptive hearts hear God’s Word, obey it, and bear fruit. Others, however, have resistant hearts that fall prey to the devil, do not allow the seed to take root, or are overgrown with the cares and temptations of life. Lord, I would be soil in which You can plant Your Word with its promise of fruit; I want to be open to You every day, So what You have planted takes root. —Hess To be spiritually fruitful, plant God's Word in your heart. Luke 8:16 "Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light. KJV No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. when Lk 11:33; Matthew 5:15,16; Mark 4:21,22; Acts 26:18; Philippians 2:15,16; Revelation 1:20; 2:1; Revelation 11:4 Luke 8:16-21 Be Careful How You Listen - John MacArthur Luke 8:16-21 Take Care How You Listen! - Steven Cole The Parable of the Seed and the Importance of the Word Luke 8:4-21 - Darrell Bock Luke 8:18 Heedful Hearing - C H Spurgeon Luke 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related passages: Luke 11:33+ “No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. Mt 5:15+ nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Context - Mt 5:14-16+ - “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Mark 4:21-25+ And He was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? “For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24 And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. 25 “For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.” Ancient Oil Lamp DON'T COVER YOUR LAMP Keep in mind that since Jesus used this saying about a lamp several times, that does not mean it is interpreted exactly the same in all the uses. In fact, as is always the case in good Bible study, the most accurate interpretation depends on the context, the content of the surrounding passages. The question in this section is to whom is Jesus speaking? Some commentators think it is the multitude, but the fact that He has just been speaking privately to His disciples (see Lk 8:9+) would support the premise that He is still addressing the disciples. And remember that at this time, the disciples is not referring to just the 12 who were also apostles, but also to others who were following Jesus as "learners." The disciples in this latter group does not signify they were believers in Jesus for they likely spanned the spectrum from some who were becoming believers to others who were not but who were interested. Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container or puts it under a bed - This is a self-evident. No one would do this with a lamp that was lit. Now think about what Jesus is saying. It is straightforward. You have a candle which is lit. What do you normally do with it? Hide it? Cover it? Of course not (in fact doing so might even extinguish the candle for lack of oxygen!) You place the candle where the light can be useful, where it is seen. Jesus clearly liked this simple picture for it is recorded several times in the Gospels - Luke 11:33, Mt 5:15 and Mk 4:21. The question is what does the light (lamp that is lit) represent? Light reveals what we cannot otherwise see. The Word of God reveals truth about God we could otherwise not see. The Gospel reveals the way into the Kingdom of God which we could otherwise not see (Jn 3:3). The word also brings to light the secret things in people’s hearts (cf "reproof" in 2Ti 3:16+). When a disciple hears the truth of the Word of God, the Gospel, he should not hide it from others, nor hide from it himself! Instead he should seek opportunities to proclaim it to those in darkness. He should also respond to any area of evil in his heart that has been exposed by the light! Why would Jesus tell this story at this time? I think John MacArthur is correct when he says "The fact that Christ taught mysteries in parables was not to suggest that His message was meant for elite disciples or that it should be kept secret." The point is that Jesus' teaching (whether in parables or not) should not be hidden, but should be displayed so that it can benefit others. Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. Steven Cole explains that "The flow of thought seems to go back to verse Lu 8:10+, where Jesus explained that the purpose of His parables was both to reveal truth to the spiritually responsive and to conceal truth from the spiritually superficial. Jesus does not want His disciples to think that His main purpose is to conceal truth. Thus He gives the illustration of the lamp being set on the lampstand, not hidden under a container or bed, to show them that the main purpose of His teaching is to illumine the truth, not to hide it. But, at the same time, light serves two functions: it illumines, but it also exposes. Jesus’ teaching not only illumines the truth, it also exposes the evil that lurks in the dark corners of the human heart (Lu 8:17). Therefore, we must take care how we listen, so that we respond obediently to Jesus’ teaching, rather than shrink from it because it convicts us of sin. If we respond obediently, we will receive more light. If we shrink back, what light we think we have will be taken from us. Luke then inserts the story about Jesus’ mother and brothers (Lu 8:19-21) to underscore the importance of obeying Jesus’ teaching. (cf 1 Sa 15:22-23) The key to being close to Jesus is not blood relationship or any other natural privilege, but obedience to God’s Word. This means that any person, Jew or Gentile, male or female, can be closer to Jesus than His natural mother and brothers were. The way to be close to Jesus is to listen carefully to His Word with a view to obedience. As in the parable of the sower, there is both an encouragement and a warning in these verses: Since God’s truth is revealed in Jesus, we must listen carefully and obediently or His teaching ultimately will judge us. Thus verses Lu 8:16 and Lu 8:17 make the point that God’s truth is revealed in Jesus. Verse Lu 8:18 applies it by stating that we must listen carefully or that very truth will some day judge us. Verses Lu 8:19-21 illustrate the point, that obedience to God’s Word is primary. (Luke 8:16-21 Take Care How You Listen!) Warren
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Cole - You may wonder, why wouldn’t everyone want God’s light to illumine their lives so that they can see how to avoid the holes and dangers of the dark? Jesus explained, “Men loved the darkness rather than the light for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light lest his deeds should be exposed” (Jn 3:19-20). This shows us a secondary purpose of Jesus’ teaching is to expose all that is hidden in the human heart (Lk 8:17). There also is debate about the meaning of this verse. Some think it refers to God’s truth that will be made obvious through the apostles’ teaching. But the warning in the next verse to hear carefully fits better with the view that God’s light exposes the sinfulness of human hearts. But therein lies the danger: we all are inclined to hide from the light rather than to allow it to expose the foulness of our hearts. (ILLUSTRATION) Years ago, a wealthy Chinese businessman visited England and was fascinated by a powerful microscope and the wonders it uncovered. So he bought one and took it back to China. He thoroughly enjoyed using it until one day when he looked at some rice that he was planning to eat for dinner. To his shock, he saw tiny living creatures crawling in it. He didn’t know what to do, since rice was a staple of his diet. Finally, in frustration, he smashed his microscope to bits. It had revealed something distasteful to him, so he destroyed the source of the discovery! That was rather foolish, but how many people do the same thing with the Bible or with sermons from the Bible that expose their sin. They don’t feel comfortable with what they see, so they get rid of the source rather than deal with the sin! The Puritan pastor, Thomas Watson, said concerning the Scriptures, “Take every word as spoken to yourselves. When the word thunders against sin, think thus: ‘God means my sins;’ when it presses any duty, ‘God intends me in this.’ Many put off Scripture from themselves, as if it only concerned those who lived in the time when it was written; but if you intend to profit by the word, bring it home to yourselves: a medicine will do no good, unless it be applied” (cited by Donald Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life [Navpress], p. 53). That is what Jesus exhorts us to do in verse Lu 8:18. (Luke 8:16-21 Take Care How You Listen!) John MacArthur interprets Lk 8:17 in a slightly different sense - Although commentators offer various interpretations of this statement, it seems reasonable to understand it as talking about authenticity; what a person is on the inside. Because nothing is hidden that will not become evident, or to put it another way there is nothing secret that will not be known and come to light, the true condition of the heart will eventually be revealed. Generally speaking, time and truth go hand in hand. Given enough time the truth comes out for men to see. It is, of course, never hidden from God....Jesus’ words evidently are a warning against hypocrisy, as an examination of the parallel statement in Luke 12:1-2 suggests. In verse 1 the Lord “began saying to His disciples first of all, ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.’” He cautioned His hearers to avoid imitating the Pharisees, who “say things and do not do them” (Matt. 23:3); who “outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly… are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (v. 28). He exhorted them not to be like the false disciples who call Him “Lord, Lord,” but do not obey Him (Matt. 7:21-22; Luke 6:46); who build their spiritual houses on the sand (Matt. 7:26-27).All such hypocrisy will eventually be unmasked, because “there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known” (Lk 12:2). Since that phrase in the context of chapter 12 clearly refers to exposing hypocrisy, it likely has that same meaning in the present passage. In light of the coming judgment, Jesus called for self-examination on the part of those who claim to be His disciples. (See The MacArthurCommentary) William
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Cole applies this passage to all of us - Because there is this element of self-deception, we must be very careful here. It’s easy for spiritual pride to slip in, where our knowledge of the Bible fools us into thinking that we are spiritually mature because we know so much (cf 1 Cor 10:12). We must constantly confront ourselves with the standards of Scripture applied to our thoughts, attitudes, and behavior, especially as seen in our relationships at home. Is my thought life pure? Do I deal with my grumbling, unbelieving, ungrateful spirit? Does my family see the fruit of the Spirit in my dealings with them? If I put on a good front at church, saying, “Lord, Lord,” but I don’t practice His Word in private and at home, I will be shocked some day to hear Him say, “Depart from Me, I never knew you, who practice lawlessness.” (Mt 7:23+) (Take Care How You Listen! Luke 8:16-21) Darrell Bock - those who think they have something but do not have anything (because they do not receive the word), even what they thought they had will be taken away. To refuse to hear God’s word is to be left desolate and naked before God. (The Parable of the Seed and the Importance of the Word Luke 8:4-21) NET Note on what he thinks he has - The phrase what he thinks he has is important, because it is not what a person thinks he has that is important but whether he actually has something or not. Jesus describes the person who does not heed His word as having nothing. The person who has nothing loses even that which he thought was something but was not. In other words, he has absolutely nothing at all. Jesus’ teaching must be taken seriously.
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Cole - Listening carefully to God’s Word involves several elements: First, listening carefully means taking the time to read the Word and meditate on its meaning. Even among those who attend church regularly, so many are simply ignorant of what the Bible says because they do not take the time consistently to read it and think about what it means. In our busy schedules, we often rush through devotions (if we have them at all) without taking the time to chew on what the text means and how it applies to our lives. A few years ago there was a man in his eighties named Carl Sharsmith who had spent over 50 summers as a guide in Yosemite National Park. This man delighted in the spectacular beauty of that place, and he was always discovering some new facet of it to revel in. But often he got hit with a question that a lady asked him one afternoon: “I’ve only got an hour to spend at Yosemite,” she declared. “What should I do? Where should I go?” The old naturalist ranger finally found a voice to reply. “Ah, lady, only an hour.” He repeated it slowly. “I suppose that if I had only an hour to spend at Yosemite, I’d just walk over there by the river and sit down and cry.” Just as there is enough in Yosemite to spend a lifetime of summers exploring, so there is enough in the Bible to spend your lifetime digging out and meditating on. If we do not understand it, we must ask God to open our minds to its meaning. We must go back and spend more time observing what it says and does not say. We must read the context over and over to get the flow of thought. Take the time often to spend with the Lord in His Word. Second, listening carefully means always looking for Christ in the Word. Jesus chastised the Jews by saying, “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me” (Jn 6:39). With the two men on the Emmaus Road, “beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, [Jesus] explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (Lu 24:27+). Whether we’re in the Old Testament or in the New, we ought to draw closer to the Lord Jesus if we are listening carefully to what God has revealed. Spurgeon tells the story of a young preacher who preached a very fine sermon—what Spurgeon calls “a highfaluting, spread-eagle sermon.” When he was done, the young man asked an old Welsh preacher who had heard him what he thought of it. The old man replied that he did not think much of it. “Why not?” asked the young man. “Because there was no Jesus Christ in it.” “Well,” said the young preacher, “my text did not seem to run that way.” The old preacher said, “Never mind, but your sermon should have run that way.” He went on, “This is the way to preach. From every little village in England—it does not matter where it is—there is sure to be a road to London. Now, from every text in the Bible there is a road to Jesus Christ, and the way to preach is just to say, ‘How can I get from this text to Jesus Christ?’ and then go preaching all the way along it.” The young preacher said, “Well, but suppose I find a text that has not got a road to Jesus Christ.” “I have preached for 40 years,” said the old man, “and I have never found such a Scripture, but if I ever do find one, I will go over hedge and ditch but what I will get to him, for I will never finish without bringing in my Master.” (Sermon, “How to Read the Bible.”) The third way to listen to God’s Word carefully: Listening carefully means always seeking to apply the Word to my own heart and life. The two questions that Paul asked the Lord on the Damascus Road are good ones to ask when you read the Word or listen to it being preached: “Who are You, Lord?” and, “What shall I do, Lord?” (Acts 22:8+, Acts 22:10+). Those two questions are linked: If He is the risen Lord and Savior, who gave Himself for my sins, then it has a great deal of bearing on how I must live. To read the Word without applying it doesn’t do us any good. The Word was not given to fill our heads with interesting facts, but to change our hearts into conformity to Jesus Christ. I have met Christians who can tell you the tense of Greek verbs in the New Testament and who will argue the subtle nuance of some theological point, but they are angry and insensitive toward their families. The whole point of Scripture is summed up in the two great commandments, to teach us how to love God and to love one another. If we aren’t learning to do that, we’re missing the point. If we listen carefully to God’s Word, He will give us more light so that we can grow more. Luke 8:16-21 Take Care How You Listen! Listening is a major theme throughout the Bible: Hear the Word of the LORD - 29x in NAS (34x in ESV) - 1 Ki. 22:19; 2 Ki. 20:16; 2 Chr. 18:18; Isa. 1:10; Isa. 28:14; Isa. 39:5; Isa. 66:5; Jer. 2:4; Jer. 7:2; Jer. 9:20; Jer. 19:3; Jer. 21:11; Jer. 22:2; Jer. 22:29; Jer. 29:20; Jer. 31:10; Jer. 34:4; Jer. 44:24; Jer. 44:26; Ezek. 16:35; Ezek. 20:47; Ezek. 25:3; Ezek. 34:7; Ezek. 34:9; Ezek. 36:1; Ezek. 36:4; Ezek. 37:4; Amos 7:16; Acts 13:44 Listen to Me - Ps 34:11, 81:8, Ps 81:13, Pr 5:7, Pr 7:24, Pr 8:32, Isa 41:1, 46:3, 46:12, 48:12, 49:1, 51:1, 7, Jer 7:26, Jer 17:27, Jer 26:4, Ezek 3:7, Ezek 20:8, 20:39, Mk 7:14, 1 Cor 14:21 (Isaiah 55:2-3) Listen to My Voice - Ps 81:11, Jer 11:4, 7 Hear, O Israel - Dt. 5:1; Dt. 6:4; Dt. 9:1; Dt. 20:3; Mk. 12:29 Hear, O My people - Ps 50:7, 81:8 Hear this - Ps. 49:1; Isa. 47:8; Isa. 48:1; Isa. 51:21; Jer. 5:21; Hos. 5:1; Joel 1:2; Amos 3:1; Amos 4:1; Amos 5:1; Amos 8:4; Mic. 3:9 Today if you hear His voice - Ps. 95:7; Heb. 3:7, 15; 4:7 At the transfiguration in all three synoptic Gospels God the Father commanded the disciples to listen to His Son... While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen (present imperative) to Him!" (Mt 17:5, see also this command repeated in Mk 9:7, Lk 9:35) In Luke 8:8 Jesus has already emphasized the importance of listening As He said these things, He would call out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” In Luke 8:10 Jesus describes the judicial effects of rejecting the Word of God - they will not be able to see or hear with understanding! And He said, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND. The way one hears the Word (the Gospel) is mentioned in all four soils, with only one soil hearing with faith and obeying what is heard - (1) Luke 8:12 (Rocky Soil) refers to "those who have heard" but the Word but it did not penetrate their heart). (2) Luke 8:13 (Shallow Soil) says "when they hear, receive the word with joy" (but again it did not penetrate their heart). (3) Luke 8:14 (Thorny Soil) "The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard" (but again it did not penetrate their heart). (4) Luke 8:15 (Good Soil) "But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart." But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."
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Cole - If you want Jesus to disclose Himself to you, you must hear His word with a view to obedience. He calls such ones His mother and His brothers! The wonderful privilege of being close to Jesus is open to anyone who walks in obedience to Him!
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Cole concludes this section - Sometimes people complain that reading God’s Word or listening to it being preached is boring. I admit that some portions of the Word are difficult and that some preachers are not very exciting. But often our problem is with our own attitude, not with the Word or with the preacher. Shortly before he died, Rowland Hill, an 18th century British preacher who was used greatly by God, was visiting on old friend who said, “Mr. Hill, it is now 65 years since I first heard you preach; but I remember your text, and a part of your sermon.” “Well,” asked the preacher, “what part of the sermon do you recollect?” His friend answered, “You said that some people, when they went to hear a sermon, were very squeamish about the delivery of the preacher. Then you said, ‘Supposing you went to hear the will of one of your relatives read, and you were expecting a legacy from him; you would hardly think of criticizing the manner in which the lawyer read the will; but you would be all attention to hear whether anything was left to you, and if so, how much; and that is the way to hear the Gospel’” (Told by C. H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students [Zondervan], condensed and edited by David Fuller, pp. 374-375). Whether you’re listening to a sermon or reading God’s Word, take care how you listen! The Bible is God’s revealed truth. If you listen with a view to obedience, you will be blessed. There are riches there for you—if you will listen carefully as God speaks. Discussion Questions How can we keep Bible reading from becoming dull and routine? How can we stay fresh in the Word each day? How can we avoid the self-deception of the one who thinks he has spiritual knowledge but really has none at all (Lu 8:18)? The sermon mentioned several elements of careful listening. List other elements you can think of. Why is it important to take obedience to the thought level? Luke 8:22 Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, "Let us go over to the other side of the lake." So they launched out. KJV Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. that Matthew 8:18,23-27; Mark 4:35-41; John 6:1 Let Matthew 14:22; Mark 5:21; 6:45; 8:13 Miracle 1: Jesus' Authority over Nature and Care for Us Lk 8:22-25 - Darrell Bock Luke 8:22-25 The Story of the Calm, Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 8:22-25 The Story of the Calm, Part 2 - John MacArthur Luke 8:22-25 What to do When Life Gets Stormy - Steven Cole The Winds and Waves Still Know Luke 8:22-25 - J Ligon Duncan Deep Water Blessings Luke 8:22-25 William F. Harrell Luke 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Click to enlarge - from the Holman Bible Atlas (digital book; Hardcover) copyright © 1998 B&H Publishing Group, Used by permission, all rights reserved. This is one of the best resources for Bible maps. Please do not reproduce this map on any other webpage. "The Jesus Boat" MASTER OF THE WINDS AND THE SEAS Parallel Passages Matthew 8:23-27+ When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. 25 And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26 He *said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. 27 The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” Mark 4:35-41+ On that day, when evening came, He *said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37 And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” Note that in Mt 8:18+ there is a detail not found here in Luke "Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea." As they were preparing to cross the Sea of Galilee, Matthew also records a conversation on the "Cost of Discipleship" in Mt 8:18-22+. ESV Study Bible comments on Lk 8:22-56 "The sequence of this section shows the extent of Jesus’ authority—over nature, demons, disease, and even death." (Borrow ESV Study Bible) Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples (mathetes) got into a boat, and He said to them - Luke is less exact writing "on one of those days." Mark 4:35 tells us this event occurred, "On that day when evening came" when He had given them teaching in parables. We cannot discern for certain whether this is only the 12 disciples (more likely) or whether it also includes the women in Lk 8:1-3. Mk 4:36 says "other boats were with Him" and presumably this includes other disciples of Jesus, remembering that not all disciples were believers (cf Jn 6:66). In any event 12 disciples of Jesus plus Jesus means this was a big boat! In 1986, a boat dating from Jesus' time was discovered in the mud near the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. It is 26.5 feet long, 7.5 feet wide, and 4.5 feet deep, with an elevated stern. It could hold up to fifteen people. (See picture of Jesus Boat above). Robert Stein notes that "Whereas the preceding section (Lk 8:1–21) focused upon Jesus’ teaching and preaching, this new section will focus on his power. The four miracle stories that follow in Lk 8:22–25, 26–39, 40–48, 49–56 demonstrate Jesus’ power and might over nature, demons, physical disease, and death respectively. They answer the Christological question, “Who is this?” (Lk 8:25). This question, although not repeated in the last three accounts, is to be asked with regard to all four miracle stories. It appears again in Lk 9:9, where Herod asks, “Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” (Cf. also Lk 9:18–19.) It will be answered in part by the confessions we find in Lk 8:28; 9:20, 35. This account is a typical miracle story and contains (1) a description of the need (Lk 8:23), (2) the miracle itself (Lk 8:24), and (3) the reaction to the miracle (Lk 8:25). (See Luke: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition) Ralph Earle - As followers of Jesus we are to be, first of all, learners. We are to learn from Him by listening to Him, learn the truth that will set us free (John 8:32) and keep us from error. But we are also to learn from Him by looking at Him‑ learn how to live a life of beauty and blessing. (Borrow Word meanings in the New Testament) "Let us go over to the other side of the lake." So they launched out (anago) - Note that the disciples obey without hesitation. Obedience does not mean we will not experience trials. Many think that storms only come when they’ve disobeyed God. Jonah ended up in a storm because of his disobedience; The disciples got into a storm because of their obedience. "When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him." (Mt 8:23+) Mark 4:36+ adds "Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him." Don't miss the fact that it Jesus Himself that led them into this storm. Did He know a storm was coming? Without a doubt He knew. "The storms of life prove the strength of our anchor." -- Unknown THOUGHT - The storm would provide a "pop test" for the disciples, a test of their faith. They had been taught deep truths, mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven and now it was time for an examination. Untested faith is weak faith. As someone has said "The storms of life prove the strength of our anchor."
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Cole - When serious trials hit, I often hear people say, “The Lord didn’t cause this trial; He only allowed it.” Somehow they think that they are getting God off the hook. Sometimes they will even say, “Satan, not God, caused this tragedy.” They think that by blaming Satan or by saying that God only allowed it, they preserve His love. But they do so at the expense of His sovereignty. But the Bible clearly affirms that God is both loving and sovereign. You will not derive any comfort in trials by denying God’s sovereignty. True, God may use Satan to bring trials, as He did in the case of Job. But God clearly states, “I am the Lord, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these” (Is 45:6-7). You will find comfort in trials only if you affirm both God’s absolute sovereignty and His unfailing love. Note several features of life’s storms as seen in this storm: Storms hit suddenly and without warning. When we lived in California, we woke up to a news station. Sometimes their morning traffic report would mention a fatal accident and I would think, “That guy left home this morning to go to work, never thinking that he had just minutes to live. His family perhaps said a perfunctory good-bye, never imagining that they would never talk to him again.” Life’s storms are like that: Right now everything is smooth sailing. In a matter of hours, without warning, you’re in the middle of a crisis. Such a storm not only tests and develops your character; it reveals it. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, was talking to a young missionary who was about to start work in China. “Look at this,” he said. He pounded his fist on the table. The tea cups jumped, and the tea spilled. While the startled young man was wondering what was going on, Taylor said, “When you begin your work, you will be buffeted in numerous ways. The trials will be like blows. Remember, these blows will bring out only what is in you.” So the time to develop resources to face the sudden storms that inevitably will strike is before they hit. If you don’t spend time with the Lord in the calm of life, you won’t know how to trust Him in the storms. Storms hit believers. This storm hit those with Christ in their boat as well as those without Christ in their boat. Mk 4:36 records that other boats were with them. If this were a fairy tale, we might read that when the storm arose, the other boats were swamped, but the boat with Christ in it sailed as smooth as glass. The fact is, Christians are not magically exempted from the storms of life. Just because you’re in Jesus’ boat doesn’t mean that it’s going to be smooth sailing. Christians are not exempt from trials. Some think, “Yes, that’s true. But I’m serving Christ.” They think that being committed earns them special protection from storms. But observe: Storms hit obedient believers who are serving Christ. In fact, this storm did not hit the disciples because they had been disobedient but, rather, because they had been obedient! Jesus said, “Let’s go over to the other side” (Lu 8:22). These men, who had committed their lives to serve Christ, obeyed. And He led them straight into a storm! And in the same way, obediently serving Christ may place you smack-dab in the middle of storms you would have avoided if you had stayed on the shore. I have often found that the most severe times of testing have come right after I have taken a new step of obedience. Just after Marla and I returned to Dallas so that I could complete my seminary training, we were mugged at gunpoint and I had to get four stitches in my hand. While my hand was still bandaged, I slipped in the mud and cut my other hand on a thermos I was carrying. We also encountered several other trials around the same time. Shortly after we moved to California to begin in the pastorate, our six-month-old daughter, Christa, had to be hospitalized with a congenital hip problem that meant being in a body cast for two months and wearing a leg brace for several years. The very day we decided to move to Flagstaff, we learned about a major problem with our house that entailed months of difficulties. Shortly after I began here I had to deal with some major problems in the church that resulted in a lot of turmoil. The point is, being obedient to the Lord does not exempt you from storms; it often leads you right into storms! Not only did the Lord lead the disciples into this storm. (Luke 8:22-25 What to do When Life Gets Stormy) In The Same Boat When He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. —Matthew 8:23 Today's Scripture & Insight:Matthew 8:23-27 When the cruise ship pulled into port, the passengers got off as quickly as possible. They had spent the last few days enduring an outbreak of a virus, and hundreds of people had been sickened. One passenger, interviewed as he disembarked, said: “Well, I don’t mean to complain so much. I mean I know everybody was in the same boat.” His seemingly unintentional pun made the reporter smile. In Matthew 8, we read about another trip on the water (vv.23-27). Jesus got into the boat and the disciples followed Him (v.23). Then a terrible storm arose, and Jesus’ disciples feared for their lives. They awakened a sleeping Jesus, who they assumed was unaware of the crisis. While Jesus was literally in the same boat as His followers, He was unconcerned about the weather. As the all-powerful Creator, He had no fear of a storm. “He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm” (v.26). Heavenly Father, this life is full of uncertainty. But You have promised us Your unfailing presence. May we see You today—especially when we are tempted to panic or to do things in our own strength. No danger can come so near the Christian that God is not nearer. Luke 8:23 But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. KJV But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. he fell Ps 44:23; Isaiah 51:9,10; Hebrews 4:15 descended Ps 93:3,4; 107:23-30; 124:2-4; 148:8; Isaiah 54:11; Acts 27:14-20 See Map of Jesus' ministry related to the Sea of Galilee Miracle 1: Jesus' Authority over Nature and Care for Us Lk 8:22-25 - Darrell Bock Luke 8:22-25 The Story of the Calm, Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 8:22-25 The Story of the Calm, Part 2 - John MacArthur Luke 8:22-25 What to do When Life Gets Stormy - Steven Cole The Winds and Waves Still Know Luke 8:22-25 - J Ligon Duncan Deep Water Blessings Luke 8:22-25 William F. Harrell Luke 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Parallel Passages: Matthew 8:24+ (BOLD NOT IN LUKE) And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. Mark 4:37+ (BOLD NOT IN LUKE) And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion;
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Cole - The Lord checked out and seemed to leave them alone in the storm. This is the only incident in the Bible that mentions Jesus sleeping, and what a time to fall asleep! It would be one thing if Jesus had said, “Men, a storm is coming. Peter, you stay on the helm! John, make sure that sail is secure! James, get that gear tied down!” If Jesus had been actively involved, giving orders, telling them, “Hang in there, guys, we’re going to make it,” the storm would have been difficult, but bearable. But just when they needed Jesus’ calm leadership and assurance, where was He? Sacked out in the back of the boat, oblivious to their dire need! Have you ever felt like that in the midst of a trial? You get into it and it seems as if the Lord checked out and left you all alone! You’re bailing like crazy, but the waves are winning. You’re about to go under, and you wonder, where is the Lord? In reality, the Lord was with them in the storm. He’s always there, even though sometimes it seems as if He’s not. But often He waits until we are at our wit’s end so that we sense how great our need really is. But even before the disciples called on Him, Jesus was there with them in the boat, going through the storm with them. He has promised, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Heb 13:5+). As Paul triumphantly affirms, no trial can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Ro 8:38-39+). I love the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who obeyed the Lord and found themselves in a storm of a different sort, thrown into Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace. As he peered into the flames, Nebuchadnezzar was astounded and said to his officials, “Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered, “Certainly, O king.” He replied, “Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!” (Da 3:24-25+). I believe the fourth man was the Lord Jesus. He didn’t leave those faithful men alone in their trial, but went and stood with them in the flames. Whenever you’re in a storm, even though you may think at first that the Lord is not there, He is there! The first thing we must do in the storms of life is to affirm that Jesus is Lord, even over the storms. (Luke 8:22-25 What to do When Life Gets Stormy) He's the Master of the Sea By Sammy Burgess - This story helps us to understand that - WE SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED WHEN WE GO THROUGH A STORM! You may be surprised (when) it comes; you may be surprised (how) it comes; you may even be surprised (where) it comes - but ladies and gentlemen, storms are a part of life and there is nothing we can do to prevent them. I need to fill you in on something that learned as I was studying this particular story. I believe that our Lord does things in proper order; and He does what He does for particular reasons. 1) The Teaching That Is Excellent - If you study this same story in {Mark 4} you will find a particular order that Jesus uses. (1)- There Is The Teaching That Is Excellent. Jesus was the Master teacher of His day. In {Mark 4} you will find that He is teaching “Parables”. A “parable” is an earthly story with a Heavenly meaning. Jesus used the boat as His pulpit and taught the people some great lessons that day. He had taught all day long, this is the reason why the disciples found Him in the “hinder” part of the boat. He was tired because He was man. But thank God we are going to discover that He was also God, because He was able to calm a raging storm. 2) The Test That Is Experienced - There are going to be times after Jesus teaches us His Word that He will then put His children through a test and see if they have learned anything that He has taught them. Jesus wants us not only to be “hearers” of His Word, He wants us to be “doers” of His Word. 3) The Trust That Is Expected - The Lord will put His children in a situation to where they have to trust Him. Jesus expects us to trust Him, even when we don’t understand why we are in the circumstance we are in. If I may for just a moment help you to understand that this is the order the Lord often uses in our lives. First there is the teaching (there are some truths that we must know); then there is the testing (this is when the Lord puts us in a trial, a test to put to practice what we have learned); then there is the trusting. {Proverbs 3:5,6}- “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart…” This is what I want us to learn from this passage of Scripture. There are going to be times when the Lord allows us to go through a storm. Now, since we know that we will have to go through storms, we should remember what we have been taught from God’s Word. Then, we should remember to put to practice those things that we have learned. But the most important lesson we should learn is - we must put our trust in the Lord, no matter what comes our way. As Warren Wiersbe would say, “When we can’t trace God’s Hand, we can always trust God’s heart.” Let me tell you up front one of the lessons that we are going to learn from our study. We are going to see that Jesus will test our faith in order that it may grow. We are doing to discover that even if our faith is weak, Jesus will not allow us to collapse. Jesus will hold us up and He will see us through. There are 3 simple things that are seen in the passage of Scripture. I. THERE IS THE MOMENT OF THE STORM Look at {Mk 4:37}- “And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.” Keep in mind as you read the account in {Mark 4} that Jesus had been teaching by the Seaside. The crowd was so large that Jesus got into a boat that was docked and from the boat He spent the day teaching the multitude many things by Parables. During the evening, Jesus told His disciples; {Mk 4:35}- “And the same day, when the even was come, He saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.” The Disciples lifted up the anchor and began a normal sailing trip across the Sea of Galilee that usually took about an hour and a half at the most. At some point during their trip, they found themselves in a storm. The Moment of the Storm reminds us of the storms that we face in our lives. Think with me about 2 things as we look at this storm that arose. A. The Storm Could Not Be Predicted By the Disciples - In our day and time, the weather can be predicted with fair accuracy. Science Meteorology with the use of satellites and other means, enable weather forecasters to be generally accurate in predicting the weather. In the case of the disciples, being on the Sea of Galilee, storms were unpredictable. Storms would come suddenly and without warning. Many times a storm would come with vengeance. The Sailors could look at the sky and then look at a calm sea and think that it would be perfectly safe to sail. Yet, in a matter of minutes they could be fighting for their lives. The Sea of Galilee was located down between two hills, in a basin surrounded by hills. Through those hills were ravines, which made it possible for the wind to sweep down into the sea. From time to time cold air would use those ravines like a funnel. Cold air sweeping down onto the Sea of Galilee and hot air rising from the Sea would collide and cause a violent storm. The storm would just fall out of the thunder clouds. It could be perfectly calm one moment and the next moment people would find themselves in a furious fight with waves threatening the stability of the boat. It appears as if the disciples found themselves in one of those unpredictable and unsuspected storms. This story describes our lives. Things can be as calm as calm can be, then all of a sudden, we are engulfed with a severe storm. One moment we see the blue skies, sparkling with a new beginning. The next moment, without warning, sudden winds whip the calm waters into a terrible and violent storm. Have you thought about the fact that storms intrude into our schedules whether we like it or not. Storms are great interrupters. Troubles and trials do not knock at our doors and ask if it would be all right if they have some of our time. Storms come no matter how important the person; no matter what the event may be - storms are unpredictable. B. The Storm Would Not Be Partial To The Disciples - There is something in this story that I don’t want you to overlook or take for grant it. You will notice that it was the Disciples who found themselves in this storm. You will also notice that Jesus was on this boat. This means that when the storm came, these disciples were in the Presence of Jesus. They were close to Jesus. Listen carefully. THIS STORM SHOWED NO FAVORITISM OR PARTIALITY TOWARD THESE DISCIPLES! These disciples were in the path of duty. They were obediently following the Lord wherever He went. They were daily attending to the Lord’s ministry; listening to His Word being taught. This reminds me of the fact that God’s people ARE NOT exempt from storms. So many times we get the idea that if we are following the Lord; if we are close to the Lord, then we will be protected and sheltered from storms. Listen carefully. If we are true Christians, we must not expect everything to be smooth in our journey to Heaven. We must not count it a strange thing if we have to endure sickness, losses, bereavements and disappointments. I thought about something the other day. Since Jesus was on board, it seems to reason that He could have prevented this storm from taking place. As far as I can tell in this story, there was really no “real” reason for this storm; except for the fact that the Lord allowed it. That is all that can be explained about this storm. This leads me to say this: God’s infinite Wisdom schedules our storms. This thought should be a great comfort to us because not only does (the Lord schedule the beginning of the storms) - He schedules the ending of the storms. We must respect the fact THAT GOD KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING IN OUR LIVES! Ps 107:25, “For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, Which lifted up the waves of the sea.” Think about something. Jesus never promised that we (as Christians) would be free from afflictions. I believe that He loves us too much to promise us this. Let me take a moment and teach you some things that we may learn from “afflictions” that come into our lives. (1) By Afflictions - Jesus teaches us many precious lessons that without them we would never learn. (2) By Afflictions - Jesus exposes to us our emptiness and our weakness. (3) By Afflictions - Jesus draws our attention from our self-sufficiency to the fact that God’s Grace is sufficient and will always be sufficient. (4) By Afflictions - Jesus weans us from the world and makes us long for Heaven. You will discover that storms cannot be predicted and storms will not be partial. Storms are going to take place in your life. Someone has said, “You are either in a storm right now; or you are getting out of a storm, or you are about to head into a storm. Either way, you will have storms in your life.” John Butler said, “A life without trials is not good for our character, and God does not want His people to have poor character. Hence, we will experience plenty of trials in this life.” We may not like storms, but don’t be surprised at the moment they come. II. THERE IS THE MISERY OF THE STORM - Now this was not just any kind of storm the disciples found them selves in. Matthew 8:24 describes it as a “great storm.” Mark 4:37 calls it “a fierce gale of wind.” Luke 8:23 we are told that “a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake:” This storm challenged the talents and trust of the disciples. I want us to notice the misery that was found in this storm. A. The Severity Of The Storm They Faced - These descriptions of the storm that was given in the Gospels give us an insight of how severe it really was. This storm was not a single gust of wind; it was not a steadily blowing wind. Matthew 8:24 “great tempest” means “mega” - “great”. It means a shaking such as in an earth-quake. This storm shook things up on the Sea of Galilee. Mark 4:37 & Luke 8:23 tell us about this storm being a “great storm; wind” … “storm of wind.” This word “wind” describes “a whirlwind” … “tornado” … “hurricane”. These words are used to describe a furious storm or hurricane. This was a ferocious and violent storm. This boat was tossed about by the violent wind; the waves were reaching such heights that it was filling the boat with water. These disciples were in danger of being over-turned at any moment. This storm exceeded all their past experiences. They had not experienced such a storm before. The other storms were mild compared to this particular one. I have heard people talking about some of the things that they are going through now or things they have been through in the past. “It hasn’t been this bad before. This is the most difficult situation I have been through in my life. I didn’t know that it could be this bad.” B. The Struggle In The Storm They Felt - When you think of these disciples, you think of men that were trained and skilled sailors. Why should they have to struggle? Storms shouldn’t make skilled men such as these men struggle as much as they did. They should have known what to do. They should have known how to act. We find in Luke’s account - {Luke 8:23}- “nd a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger.” My question is this; If they are use to storms, then why not just use their skills and get through the storm? Richard C. Trench, “These men, exercised to the sea from their youth, familiar with all the changes of that lake, would have not been scared by the mere shadow and ghost of a danger.” Let me tell you why they struggled in this particular storm. This was not just ‘another thunder-storm’ they were going through. The fact that they panicked and struggled teaches us that this storm was too great for them to handle on their own. These men were no sissy’s. They were acquainted with sailing through storms. They had gotten use to the waters on the Sea of Galilee. This was a storm designed by God for them to teach them a lesson. The Lord was going to teach them that there would be times when they wouldn’t know which way to turn. The Lord was going to teach them that they would get into situations where their resources would be insufficient. I can imagine the panic that is on their faces. I can see each one of them looking at one another trying to figure out just how they are going to get out of this mess. They are in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. The winds are out of control. The water is filling the boat. The weight of the water is now on their clothes. They couldn’t work like they ought to work because they were wet. They don’t know what to do. So they begin to be afraid. Their hope of survival is now quickly slipping away. The storm was now so severe that they are out of control. The Condition Of The Storm: The waves were so high that they were going over the boat. The water was crashing up against the boat and flooding the boat. The wind was about to make the boat turn over. Their resources were little compared to their storm. If something or some one doesn’t come up with a good idea, the boat is going to sink; and if the boat sank, they would not be able to survive such a storm if they had to try to swim to shore. FEAR SETS IN! FRUSTRATION SETS IN! FAILURE SETS IN! This was the greatest storm that they had ever faced. [Their anchor would not be able to hold their boat.] - [Their sailing skills are now useless.] - [Their “lessons on surviving the storm” they learned are all used up.] And the way things are going, this might be the last storm they may ever face. Listen carefully. The storms we face many times fill our hearts with “fear”. Then a feeling of “frustration” and “failure” set in. The angry winds and dashing waves can cause us to fear - thinking that we may be going under. The magnitude of the storm is far beyond our resources to fight or face. We find ourselves trying to cope with it, but just a matter of moments fear sets in and we feel like that we are not going to make it. What do you do when you are faced with a fierce situation? What do you do when it seems like all your hope is taken from you? What do you do when you have used all your known resources, and you don’t know which way to turn next? (The Severity Of The Storm They Faced) - (The Struggle In The Storm They Felt) C. The Supplication For The Storm They Formed - When the storm threatened the lives of the disciples, they did what you and I would do, THEY WENT TO THE LORD FOR HELP! Look at Luke 8:24, “And THEY CAME TO HIM.” The disciples stopped turning to one another and turned to the Only One that could help them. They had reached the place to where they realized that there was no other person who could save them from this severe storm - EXCEPT JESUS! If you haven’t heard anything I have said up to this point of our study, I want you to pay close attention to this next statement. THERE WILL COME A DAY WHEN GOD WILL PUT YOU IN A POSITION (in a storm) WHERE YOU DON’T HAVE ANY OTHER CHOICE BUT TO TURN TO HIM! There are some of you that have been slack concerning your Church attendance; just let a severe storm come your way and you will get back to where you need to be. There are some of you that have been letting up in your personal time with God; just let a severe storm come your way and you will find the time to spend with God. There are some of you that have just about quit on God all together; just let a severe storm come into your life and you will then realize that you can’t live or breathe without Him! (4)- There are some of you that have put the Lord in second place in your life; just let a storm come your way, and the things you put before Him won’t be near as important then as they are now. I have learned a valuable lesson in my life - STORMS HAVE A WAY OF DRIVING US BACK TO GOD! These disciples should have turned to Jesus first. They had seen Him perform many Miracles in the past. They had seen Him do Supernatural Works in the past. At this point of the story the disciples were facing one of the greatest enemies any Christian will ever face - the enemy of “fear”. The disciples had “fear” because they had lost faith. When the storm arose, they shouldn’t have feared or fretted. They should have went straight to Him and let Him handle the situation. But they became afraid because they got to the place to where they couldn’t handle the storm by their selves any more, so they ran and got Jesus to help them. We should never get to the point to where Jesus is the last resort in our lives. Jesus should be the first resource of your lives. Let me say this for your benefit and I hope for your encouragement. You may be here and you know that you haven’t been the Christian that God wants you to be - if you are in a storm; or you are heading into a storm, I am going to make you a Promise. If you will turn to the Lord, He will be there to see you through. III. THERE IS THE MASTER OF THE STORM - There is a song that goes something like this: “He’s been there all the time…Waiting patiently in line; He was there all the time.” There are some of you that are facing the (storms of suffering) - the (hurricane of heartache) - the (tempest of turmoil). You may be wondering what the disciples were thinking… Look at Mark 4:38, “And He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake Him, and say unto Him, MASTER, CAREST THOU NOT THAT WE PERISH?” I can hear the disciples telling the Lord; “Lord, don’t just lie there; do something. We are about to go under. If You don’t come through for us, then we’re through. Help us; please!” There is something interesting here in this story. We are told that Jesus was sound to sleep while this storm was going on. Mark 4:38, “And He was asleep IN THE HINDER PART of the ship.” The “hinder part of the ship” where Jesus was riding was where the pilot of the ship stayed. This reminds us that Jesus was not only in control of the storm - JESUS WAS CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP! Often times we find ourselves in a storm and we begin to question if God really cares. I want you to know that JESUS CARES ABOUT YOU! He cares about you and the situation you are facing. Now let me explain to you why I know Jesus Cares. If you have been paying careful attention to the story, you have learned that by now that this boat is filled with water. It has been tossed all in the water. It is about to go under. But Jesus is still asleep. He was exhausted from teaching the great multitude that day. He means that He was fully man. But it wasn’t the storm that woke Him up. The condition of the storm didn’t wake Jesus up; IT WAS THE CRY OF THE SAINTS THAT WOKE JESUS UP! Yes Jesus cares! Look at Him. HE IS NOT SLEEPING - HE IS NOW STANDING! I can see Jesus now. His robe was wet with water; the foam of the wind blown water was in His beard. He stands to His feet - in the captains quarters and He takes control of the situation. There was no need for the disciples to be afraid. The storm had risen to its peak - but now King Jesus rises to His Position. The Storm Arose Suddenly but THE SAVIOR AROSE SUPREMELY. Look at {4:37}- “Then there arose a great storm of wind” Now look at {4:39}- “AND HE AROSE” This Great Storm Was About To Meet It’s Match! THE DISCIPLES WERE NOT GOING DOWN - THEY WERE GOING OVER! They were not defeated - they were about to be delivered. Ps 44:26, “Rise up, be our help, And redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness.” As we close, I want us to 3 things we see as the Lord arose in this storm. A. There Is The Power Of The Lord Over The Storm We are told that when He arose {Mk 4:39}- “And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a GREAT CALM.” Mark 4:39 gives us the words that Jesus spoke; "peace be still", which literally means, "be muzzled." Jesus told the winds and waves; “Sit down and shut up!” The winds and waves lay down at His command like whimpering puppies at His feet and there was a great calm. Dr. Jerry Vines said, “Do you think for one moment that a puddle of water can stymie Omnipotence.” You think about something. Any delay in stopping the storm would have resulted in the boat sinking and the passengers on board drowning. So there was an instant calming of the storm. The instant calming that came to the Sea of Galilee is supernatural. Normally, even after the wind has died down, it takes a long time for a sea to calm down. A sudden stoppage of the wind will not result in a sudden stoppage of the waves. Once a sea or lake is churned up, it can take hours to calm down. {continue}…But here the sea became calm instantly. {Mark 4:39}- “And the wind ceased, and THERE WAS A GREAT CALM.” This fact substantiates that the stopping of the storm here by Christ was indeed a Divine Miracle. There was an eerie silence - as if Jesus took His great Hand and brushed away the wind and pressed down the Sea. Dr. Jerry Vines, “The winds fell as if they were shot with a tranquilizing dart. The sea turned into a mirror of glass.” The Lord has power over the storms that we face in our life. He can calm our troubled seas. The winds in your life may be reaching record proportions and the waves may be rising to unprecedented heights, but the Lord can speak the words, "Peace be still" and calm the storm instantly. I think of a story that Robert Louis Stevenson told. A ship was caught in a storm off a rocky coast. The winds and waves threatened to drive the ship to its destruction. In the midst of the terror, one passenger groped along a passageway, making his way across the ship to the pilothouse. There he beheld an intriguing sight. The ship's pilot was fastened to his post. Secure against the raging elements, he held the wheel fast, turning the ship, inch by inch, out to sea. The pilot saw the watcher and smiled. The passenger made his way back below deck where the other passengers huddled. He said to them, "I have seen the face of the pilot, and he smiled. All is well." Are you in a storm? Then look to the Lord! Look into His Face. He is at the wheel; He is the Master of the sea and His Face says “All is well”. He can calm our stormy seas. B. There Is The Presence Of The Lord In The Storm Notice Mk 4:36, "Leaving the crowd, they *took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him." As the boat that carried the Lord set sail, there was “other boats” that followed. This seems to suggest to me that these ships were also caught in the storm. But there is one difference between the other little ships and the ship the disciples were on. Jesus was on board the ship with the disciples. He may have been sleeping, but none-the-less He was on board. The Lord was present! Thank God He is with us when we go through the storm. Whether He is sleeping or standing, we are safe in the storm when He is with us. ILLUSTRATION I read a story about a little boy that was to have heart surgery. The surgeon sat beside the boy's bed and his parents sat across from him. The surgeon said to the little boy, "Tomorrow morning, I'll open up your heart." The little boy interrupted the surgeon and said; "You'll find Jesus there." The surgeon looked annoyed and continued, "I'll cut your heart open to see how much damage has been done." The little boy quickly said, "But when you open up my heart, you'll find Jesus there." The surgeon looked at the parents, ignoring the little boy, "When I see how much damage has been done, I will know what to do next." Again the little boy said, "But you'll find Jesus in my heart. The Bible says He lives there. You'll find Him in my heart." The surgeon had had enough and he said to the little boy, "I'll tell you what I'll find there. I'll find damaged muscle, low blood supply, and weakened vessels. I'll find out if I can make you well." Once again the little boy said, "You'll find Jesus there. He lives there." After surgery, the surgeon sat in his office recording his notes from the surgery: "damaged aorta, damaged pulmonary vein, widespread muscle degeneration. No hope for transplant, no hope for cure. Therapy: painkillers and bed rest. Prognosis:," he paused before recording his next words, "death within one year." He stopped his recorder and sat there. Then he asked aloud, "Why? Why did You do this? You put him here. You put him in this pain. You cursed him to an early death. Why?" Then the Lord began to speak to the heart of the surgeon: "The boy was not meant to live long on this earth. He belongs to Me and soon he will be with Me forever." Hot tears started running down the surgeon's face and in anger he said aloud, "You created that boy, and You created that heart. He'll be dead in months. Why?" Then the Lord spoke to the heart of the surgeon, "I sent the boy to reach you and make you one of My children." Later the surgeon sat down beside the little boy's bed; the parents sat across from him. The little boy awoke and whispered, "Did you cut open my heart?" "Yes," said the surgeon. "What did you find?" asked the little boy. "I found Jesus there," said the surgeon. I want you to know that when you go through the storm you will find Jesus there. He is on board. He is with us. C. There Is The Promise Of The Lord For The Storm - Once again notice {Mk 4:35} and pay close attention to what Jesus said: "And the same day, when the even was come, He saith unto them, 'Let us pass over unto the other side." Notice Mark 5:1, "And they came over unto the other side of the sea." I like what {Luke 8:26} said: “AND THEY ARRIVED.” He told them that they were going to the other side and they got to the other side. He did not promise them smooth sailing but He was promising them a safe landing. He told them they were going to the other side. The Lord has promised us that we are going to the other side. It matters not how dark the skies may get, it matters not how strong the winds may blow, or how high the waves may get. We are going to the other side. That is the Lord's promise. When you go through the storm don't ever forget His promise. We are going to make it! I want you to learn 2 valuable lessons from this story. (1) The Boat Could Not Sink Because Jesus Was On Board. (2) The Storm Wasn’t Going To Last Forever. You are not going under you are going over. I would rather be in a storm with Jesus than in a calm anywhere else. Safety is not the absence of the storm - it is the Presence of the Savior. We need “REAL FAITH” in the Lord Jesus to make it through the storms of life. Faith does not necessarily mean that every time a storm comes - we can call upon the Lord and He will immediately calm the storm down. Some times Jesus will say to the [wind] and the [waves] “PEACE BE STILL” and there will be a great calm to the storm. *Other times Jesus will say to the saint “PEACE BE STILL” and there will be a great calm in the saint. Some times Jesus will change the situation for the saint. Other times Jesus will change the saint in the situation. There will be times that Jesus will remove the ‘mountains’ from our lives. Then there will be times that that Jesus will enable us to walk over the ‘mountain’ in our lives. See Ps 29:10, 11, Ps 107:27-31, Ps 34:4. He’s the One Who sails with Me - HE’S THE MASTER OF THE SEA! Luke 8:24 They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. KJV And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. Master Ps 69:1,2; 116:3,4; 142:4,5; Lamentations 3:54-56; John 2:2-6; Matthew 14:30; 2 Corinthians 1:9,10 He got up Ps 65:7; 104:6-9; 107:25-29; Isaiah 50:2; Jeremiah 5:22; Nahum 1:4 Miracle 1: Jesus' Authority over Nature and Care for Us Lk 8:22-25 - Darrell Bock Luke 8:22-25 The Story of the Calm, Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 8:22-25 The Story of the Calm, Part 2 - John MacArthur Luke 8:22-25 - Steven Cole Luke 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Matthew 8:25+ And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26 He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. Mark 4:38+ Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 And He got up and rebuked (epitimao) the wind and said to the sea, “Hush (siopao = command to keep silent), be still (phimoo = command to be "muzzled", become calm).” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm (Literally = a great calm occurred). Storm Tossed Ship S.O.S. SAVE US SAVIOR They came to (proserchomai) Jesus and woke Him up (diegeiro), saying, "Master, Master (epistates), we are perishing! (apollumi)" - Mt 8:24+ tells us Jesus Himself was asleep, and Mk 4:38+ adds He was in the stern...on a cushion. Repetition of Master, Master describes their emotion, their fear and their sense of urgency. One can fault their faith, but to Whom did they come when the storm came? Matthew, Mark and Luke have "Lord (kurios - Mt 8:25+)," "Teacher" (didaskalos - Mk 4:38+) and "Master," (epistates - Lk 8:24a+) respectively. Jesus was fully Human and that surely must have stung a bit. Notice the "we" in we are perishing implying that Jesus too will perish! Perishing is in the present tense so that they are saying we are in the process of perishing. In other words the disciples described themselves are already "going under!" Only Matthew 8:25+ records their specific request “Save (sozo) us, Lord; we are perishing!” where Save is an aorist imperative, their plaintive plea to Jesus to do this quickly because the boat was being swamped with water! Make the Savior your first option when the storms of life threaten to swamp you! Mk 4:38+ adds that the disciples' cried out “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Of course Jesus cares! They simply did not have enough faith to believe He really cared. And perhaps since He was still sound asleep they saw that as lack of concern. In either event it was clearly a reproach of Jesus, by His closest human associates. Hendriksen paraphrases Mk 4:38 - "Do we mean so little to you? With death staring us in the face, how can you sleep? Don't you care whether we're all swallowed up by the angry deep?" Nevertheless, before we judge these men too harshly, the following facts must be borne in mind: a. They were thoroughly frightened: in such a situation even normally loyal and courageous people will at times say things which they later regret; and b. their bitterness is not unmixed with a measure of trust. If that were not true, they—some of them being experienced sailors—would not now have turned to a "carpenter" for help. To be sure, their faith was far from perfect, but even "little faith" is faith, and holds out hope for purification and enlargement. (Ibid) JESUS CHRIST LORD OF CREATION And He got up and rebuked (epitimao) the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped (pauo), and it became calm (galene) - Mark's version is dramatic "Hush, be still!" where "be still" is literally "be muzzled!" (Mk 4:39+) It is remarkable that our Lord did not rebuke the disciples for their rebuke! The incident reveals the humanity and the deity of the Lord Jesus. He slept in the stern of the boat; that's His humanity. He spoke and the sea was calm; that's His deity. THOUGHT - One word of our Lord can change the face of nature, and calm the troubled ocean, as well as restore peace to the disconsolate soul. Thou art the Lord who slept upon the pillow, Thou art the Lord who soothed the furious sea, What matter beating wind and tossing billow, If only we are in the boat with Thee? —Amy Carmichael
Lucas 8
Cole - We must trust Jesus the Lord in the storms of life. This lesson comes through with Jesus’ question, “Where is your faith?” (Lu 8:25). If there is ever a time when it seems as if panic would be legitimate, it’s when you’re in a major storm and your boat is being swamped. And yet Jesus rebuked not only the storm, but also the disciples’ lack of faith! The fact is, A. Storms often expose how we are not trusting in the Lord. We all can fake it in calm waters. We can impress others with how together we seem to be. And, the disciples could cope with normal storms quite well. They had been in storms on this lake many other times. They were experts at handling their boat in rough waters. At first they probably thought, “No problem, we can handle it.” But this storm brought them to the end of themselves and showed them how they were trusting in themselves. Often, a crisis shows us a side of ourselves we were blind to. The Lord uses it to reveal new areas where we need to learn to trust Him. We all must come to know our weakness so that we will rely on the Lord’s strength. Storms often show us things that we don’t see in calmer times: Storms reveal our distorted view of the problem. The disciples excitedly cried, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” They thought they all were going to drown. But wait a minute! Who was on board with them? God’s promised Messiah! To think that God’s long-awaited Messianic kingdom could sink to the bottom of the Sea of Galilee was absurd! But in their panic, the disciples had a distorted view of the problem. Not all fear is wrong, but Jesus rebuked the disciples because their fear was excessive. Some fear is useful because it leads us to take prudent caution for our safety. Sometimes fear makes us spring into immediate action to save our own lives or the life of a loved one who is in danger. But fear is excessive and wrong when it causes us to panic so that we are not thinking carefully in light of God’s promises. If we’re so focused on the problem that we cannot see God’s control over it, then we’re not trusting Him. Storms reveal our distorted view of ourselves. - “Master, Master, we are perishing!” That “we” probably included Jesus, but I’m not sure that He was their uppermost concern. They weren’t saying, “Hey, guys, if we don’t get out of this storm, the Messiah will die!” First and foremost they were fearing for their own lives. Storms have a way of exposing our self-focus. We can put on a front of caring about others until we realize that it’s going to cost us. Suddenly, it’s every man for himself! Self-pity is another sure sign that we have a distorted view of ourselves. Any time we’re feeling sorry for ourselves, we’re too focused on ourselves. We need to stop and get the big picture of what God is doing. Storms reveal our distorted view of the Lord Jesus. The disciples ask in awe, “Who then is this?” (Lu 8:25). That was their problem—they really didn’t realize who Jesus is. If they had known, they would not have been so amazed at what happened. They underestimated His power. We do the same thing when we panic in a crisis. We try to solve our problem by figuring everything into the equation—except the supernatural power of Christ. Our distorted view of the problem and of ourselves clouds our vision so that we fail to see the marvelous person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Although Luke does not mention it, Mark’s account tells us that the disciples (I would guess, Peter) also said, “Lord, don’t You care that we’re perishing?” In a time of severe trial, it’s easy to doubt the Lord’s loving care for us. That’s why, by faith, we must always affirm two things in our trials: God’s sovereignty and His love (1Pe 5:6-7). Thus we often think that we’re trusting in the Lord until a storm hits. It reveals to us how we’re not really trusting Him. B. Storms should drive us to trust in the Lord of the storm. The disciples may have protested, “We were trusting in the Lord! We called to Him for help!” But they were not really calling to Jesus in faith or He wouldn’t have rebuked them by asking, “Where is your faith?” What they needed most in this dire situation was to trust in the living God. That’s also what we need most in our trials. Sad to say, trusting God has fallen on hard times. Many “Christian” psychologists scoff at pastors who tell people that they need to trust God, as if that is worthless advice. But trusting God in a crisis is not useless advice! It is what has sustained the saints in many horrible trials down through the centuries. If you don’t know how to trust God in the storms of life, you need to learn because we are commanded to walk by faith and to be built up in faith (Col 2:6-7). The better we know the Lord, the better we can trust Him. “Who then is this?” is the crucial question. Clearly, this Jesus is fully human. He had a body that got so exhausted that He could sleep in the midst of this storm. The full humanity of Jesus Christ should be of tremendous comfort to us when we are suffering from the limitations of our bodies. “We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15). But not only is our Lord fully human, He is also fully divine. He merely had to speak the word and the howling winds ceased and the surging waves were instantly as smooth as glass. Just as Jesus’ full humanity encourages us because He understands, so His full deity should encourage us because He is powerful to act on our behalf. Nothing is too difficult for the living God. Not a breath of wind or a drop of water can defy His sovereign will. The better we know Him, the better we can trust Him in our trials. The bigger the storm, the more the Lord will be glorified when we trust Him. We need always to keep in mind that the chief end of man is not to use God for our own happiness, but to glorify God no matter what happens to us. This storm revealed the glory of Christ in a way that would have been hidden had it not happened. The disciples got a glimpse of His majestic power, that “He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him.” The bigger the problem, the more our almighty Lord will be glorified when we trust Him. Corrie Ten Boom, author of The Hiding Place and survivor of the German concentration camps, said that people often came up to her and said, “Corrie, my, what a great faith you have.” She would smile and respond, “No, it’s what a great God I have.” Our faith in trials should point people toward our great God. The more we trust Him in this storm, the more we will know Him and be able to trust Him in the next storm. The winds and the water obey Jesus without question, but we always have a choice. Sadly, we often fail to obey and trust Him. But notice that first the disciples feared the storm; then, they feared the Lord. Their fear of the storm was due to their lack of faith. Their fear of the Lord stemmed from their new awareness of His awesome power. Faith in the Lord is not an automatic thing. It is something that we must choose to exercise, often in the face of overwhelming circumstances that seem to scream at us, “God doesn’t care about you. He doesn’t even exist or you wouldn’t be in this trial.” Faith sometimes must go back to previous situations where God has shown Himself faithful and say, “I rest there.” Often we have to go back to the history recorded in Scripture, where we read of God’s faithfulness to His people in horribly difficult situations. If you actively trust the Lord Jesus in your current trial, your faith will be strengthened to trust Him in the next storm. Conclusion I’ve heard Bible teachers say, “With Christ in the boat, you can smile at the storm.” Certainly there is a sense in which that’s true. But I don’t want to give you an overly rosy picture. We need to face squarely the fact that sometimes Jesus doesn’t calm the storm. Sometimes the boat does sink, even if we’re trusting in Jesus. John the Baptist wasn’t delivered from prison; he lost his head. Peter was miraculously delivered from prison, but James was put to death (Ac 12:1-17). So what should we do if we trust in the Lord, but the boat sinks? The miracle doesn’t come. The answer is, “We trust in the Lord Jesus as we go under. We go down singing the doxology.” John Hus was burned at the stake for his faith, but he went out singing. Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer were burned at the stake together. As the fires were lit, Latimer cried out, “Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle by God’s grace in England as I trust shall never be put out!” Hudson Taylor lost his beloved wife Maria as they both sought to take the gospel to inland China. But he stood at her grave and sang, “Jesus, I am resting, resting, in the joy of what Thou art; I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart.” Do you know Jesus in that way? If not, don’t wait until the storm hits. Seek Him now! Trust Him as your Savior, your only hope for heaven. Trust Him daily in the small problems you face. Then, whether He instantly calms the storm or whether your boat sinks, you will know peace that the world can’t know, the peace that comes from trusting in Jesus, the Lord over all of life’s storms. Discussion Questions Since the world is watching when storms hit us, to what extent can we show our grief? Should we fake that we are calm? A child is molested and murdered; a critic asks, “How can God be both sovereign and loving?” Your answer? What has helped you fight feelings of self-pity in a time of trial? Why is “Trust in the Lord” not worthless advice? (Luke 8:22-25 What to do When Life Gets Stormy) Thunderstorm Thoughts The God of peace will be with you. — Philippians 4:9 Today's Scripture: Matthew 8:23-27 I laugh every time I hear the radio commercial that has a woman shouting to her friend in conversation. She’s trying to talk above the sounds of the thunderstorm in her own head. Ever since a storm damaged part of her home, that’s all she hears because her insurance company isn’t taking care of her claims. I’ve heard thunderstorms in my head, and maybe you have too. It happens when a tragedy occurs—to us, to someone close to us, or to someone we hear about in the news. Our minds become a tempest of “what if” questions. We focus on all the possible bad outcomes. Our fear, worry, and trust in God fluctuate as we wait, we pray, we grieve, and we wonder what the Lord will do. It’s natural for us to be fearful in a storm (literal or figurative). The disciples had Jesus right there in the boat with them, yet they were afraid (Matt. 8:23-27). He used the calming of the storm as a lesson to show them who He was—a powerful God who also cares for them. Fierce drives the storm, but wind and waves Within His hand are held, And trusting His omnipotence My fears are sweetly quelled. —Brown To realize the worth of the anchor, we need to feel the stress of the storm. Risky Business He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. —Matthew 8:26 Today's Scripture: Matthew 8:23-27 Denis Boyles knew it would be challenging to interview a man on a roller coaster—especially when the interview took place during an attempt to set a world’s record for continuous riding. After several times around the track, Denis was so overcome with fear he could hardly talk. Then the man showed him how to use his body and feet to lean into the loops, twists, and turns. Writing in AARP Magazine, Boyles explained how that took away the terror. It also taught him a lesson about risk and fear. The roller coaster felt risky though it was quite safe. But driving his car to the amusement park posed a far greater risk of injury. Risk and fear are easily confused. As Jesus and His disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee, a storm came up and waves swept over their boat. Incredibly, Jesus was asleep. The disciples woke Him and said, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” (Matt. 8:25). In a gentle rebuke, Jesus asked, “‘Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?’ Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm” (v.26). But we see Jesus! Oh, what peace! What balm for troubled heart! His very name brings rest and calm And bids the fears depart! —Adams Keep your eyes on Jesus and you’ll soon lose sight of your fears. Life’s Storm-Tossed Sea Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. —1 Peter 5:7 Today's Scripture: Mark 4:35-41 Emilie, wife of 19th-century Ger man pastor Christoph Blumhardt, envied his ability to pray for his parishioners and then effortlessly fall asleep. So one night she pleaded, “Tell me your secret!” He answered, “Is God so powerless that my worrying would help the well-being of our parish?” Then he added, “There comes a moment each day when we must simply drop what weighs on us and hand it over to God.” One evening Jesus and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee. Weary after a long day of ministry, He fell asleep in the stern of the boat. A fierce squall suddenly arose—so fierce that even the Lord’s fishermen-turned-disciples were terrified. But Jesus continued to sleep serenely until His frightened followers woke Him, crying out, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38). You see, Jesus was in the habit of entrusting Himself to His heavenly Father. Having made that commitment, He could sleep through the turbulent squall. Jesus knows the pain you feel, He can save and He can heal— Take your burden to the Lord And leave it there. —Tindley Drop what weighs you down by giving it to God. Terror Or Trust? Read: Mark 4:35-41 In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me. —Psalm 56:4 A sudden squall swept down with almost hurricane force through the funnel-like ravines above the lake of Tiberias, 682 feet below sea level. Huge waves washed into the little boat, threatening to sink it. Terrified, the disciples of Jesus wakened Him. How could He sleep through the shrieking winds and ship-tossing tempest? (Jesus was sleeping because He was exhausted after a day of strenuous ministry.) “Do You not care that we are perishing?” they shouted (Mk. 4:38). Calmly Jesus arose and commanded the raging storm to cease. Then, amid the calm and the darkness, He asked two questions of His awe-stricken disciples: “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” (v.40). Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea, Or demons, or men, or whatever it be, No water can swallow the ship where lies The Master of ocean and earth and skies. —Baker Better to go through the storm with Christ than to have smooth sailing without Him. OUR FEARLESS CHAMPION Why are you fearful? —Matthew 8:26+ Falling asleep was a challenging event during my childhood. No sooner had my parents turned the lights out than the crumpled clothes I had thrown on the chair would take on the form of a fiery dragon; and the thought of something living under my bed put me into a panic that made sleep impossible. I’ve come to realise that the immobilising power of fear is not just a childhood experience. Fear keeps us from forgiving, making a stand for what’s right, giving our resources to God’s kingdom or saying no when all our friends are saying yes. Left to ourselves, we are up against a lot of fiery dragons in our lives. In the story of the disciples in the storm-tossed boat, I’m struck by the fact that the only one who was not afraid was Jesus. He was not afraid of the storm, nor was He afraid of a crazy man in a graveyard or of the legion of demons that possessed him (Matt. 8:23-34). IN TIMES OF FEAR, CALL OUT TO JESUS, OUR FEARLESS CHAMPION. The Perfect Storm Read: Mark 4:35-41+ They feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” —Mark 4:41 In his book The Perfect Storm, author Sebastian Junger reports astonishing facts about the power of a hurricane: “A mature hurricane is by far the most powerful event on earth; the combined nuclear arsenals of the United States and the former Soviet Union don’t contain enough energy to keep a hurricane going for one day. A typical hurricane . . . could provide all the electric power needed by the United States for three or four years.” Seafarers encounter diverse weather conditions. But those who experience a severe storm have one emotion in common—fear. Mark 4:35-41 records a gale that threatened the boat carrying Jesus and His disciples on the Sea of Galilee. In a panic, the disciples awakened Jesus. He calmly rebuked the wind and sea by saying, “Peace, be still!” (literally “hush”) as if He were quieting an agitated child (v.39). Immediately, the gale stopped and the water became inexplicably placid. The disciples asked, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” (v.41). Our loving God is always near, Forever by our side; He’ll bring us comfort in our fear And peace that will abide. —Sper When we trust the power of God, His peace keeps us from panic. Peace, Be Still Read: Mark 4:35-41+ He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” —Mark 4:39+ My friend Elouise has a wonderful way of putting life into clever perspectives. Once when I asked her, “How are you today?” I expected the usual “fine” response. Instead, she said, “I’ve got to wake Him up!” When I asked what she meant, she kiddingly exclaimed, “Don’t you know your Bible?!” Then she explained: “When the disciples faced trouble, they ran to wake up Jesus. I’m going to run to Him too!” What do we do when we are stuck in a troubling situation with nowhere to run? Maybe, like the disciples who were stuck in a life-threatening storm, we run to Jesus (Mark 4:35-41). Sometimes, however, we may try to bail ourselves out of trouble by seeking revenge, slandering the one who has caused our problem, or just cowering fearfully in the corner as we sink into despair. Lord, teach us to run to You in the midst of trouble. Forgive us for trying to bail ourselves out, and lead us to the peace of trusting Your wisdom and ultimate deliverance. Thank You that You will help us! Make Jesus your first option when the storms of life threaten you. No Worries Mark 4:35–5:1+ Let us go over to the other side. Mark 4:35+ A comfortable plane ride was about to get bumpy. The voice of the captain interrupted in-flight beverage service and asked passengers to make sure their seatbelts were fastened. Soon the plane began to roll and pitch like a ship on a wind-whipped ocean. While the rest of the passengers were doing their best to deal with the turbulence, a little girl sat through it all reading her book. After the plane landed, she was asked why she had been able to be so calm. She responded, “My daddy is the pilot and he’s taking me home.” Though Jesus’ disciples were seasoned fishermen, they were terrified the day a storm threatened to swamp their boat. They were following Jesus’ instructions. Why was this happening? (Mark 4:35-38). He was with them but He was asleep at the stern of the craft. They learned that day that it is not true that when we do as our Lord says there will be no storms in our lives. Yet because He was with them, they also learned that storms don’t stop us from getting to where our Lord wants us to go (Mk 5:1). Storms don’t stop us from getting to where our Lord wants us to go. Whether the storm we encounter today is the result of a tragic accident, a loss of employment, or some other trial, we can be confident that all is not lost. Our Pilot can handle the storm. He will get us home. We don't need to fear the storm with Jesus as our anchor. INSIGHT: Jesus’ calming of the storm is a remarkable witness to the power of our Creator over nature, for He spoke directly to the storm threatening the ship He and His disciples were in. He rebuked the wind and waves and said, “Quiet! Be still!” (4:39). The Greek word used here for "still" denotes the muzzling of a hostile animal. When we are overcome with worries and concerns, we can trust that our powerful Creator will still our fears. In The Storm Read: Mark 4:35-41+ [Jesus] said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” —Mark 4:39 A storm was brewing—not just on the horizon but also in a friend’s home. “When I was in Hong Kong,” she shared, “the local meteorological service announced that there was a superstorm approaching. But more than the storm that was looming outside my window, there was a storm brewing at home. While my dad was in the hospital, family members were trying to balance their home and work responsibilities while also traveling to and from the hospital. They were so tired that patience was wearing thin, and the situation at home was tense.” Life can feel like a storm—tossing us around with winds of misfortune, grief, or stress. Where can we turn? When Jesus’ disciples were caught in a great windstorm and wondered if He cared, they still knew where to turn. He demonstrated His power by calming the howling storm (Mark 4:38-39). Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea, Or demons or men, or whatever it be No waters can swallow the ship where lies The Master of the ocean, and earth, and skies. —Baker One need not cry out very loudly; He is nearer to us than we think. —Brother Lawrence Growing in the Wind Read: Mark 4:36–41+ Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him! Mark 4:41+ Imagine a world without wind. Lakes would be calm. Falling leaves wouldn’t blow in the streets. But in still air, who would expect trees to suddenly fall over? That’s what happened in a three-acre glass dome built in the Arizona desert. Trees growing inside a huge windless bubble called Biosphere 2 grew faster than normal until suddenly collapsing under their own weight. Project researchers eventually came up with an explanation. These trees needed wind stress to grow strong. Jesus let His disciples experience gale-force winds to strengthen their faith (Mark 4:36–41). During a night crossing of familiar waters, a sudden storm proved too much even for these seasoned fishermen. Wind and waves were swamping their boat while an exhausted Jesus slept in the stern. In a panic they woke Him. Didn’t it bother their Teacher that they were about to die? What was He thinking? Then they began to find out. Jesus told the wind and waves to be quiet—and asked His friends why they still had no faith in Him. Help us remember anything that frightens us comes with an invitation to find the strength of knowing You. If the wind had not blown, these disciples would never have asked, “Who is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (Mark 4:41). Father in heaven, please help us to remember that anything that frightens us comes with an invitation to find the strength of knowing and trusting You. God never sleeps. Christ In The Storm Read: Mark 4:33-41 Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? —Mark 4:40 At the age of 27, Rembrandt painted the seascape Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee based on the story in Mark 4. With its distinctive contrast of light and shadow, Rembrandt’s painting shows a small boat threatened with destruction in a furious storm. As the disciples struggle against the wind and waves, Jesus is undisturbed. The most unusual aspect, however, is the presence in the boat of a 13th disciple whom art experts say resembles Rembrandt himself. Mark’s gospel describes the disciples’ vivid lesson about who Jesus is and what He can do. While they were frantically trying to save a sinking boat, Jesus was asleep. Didn’t He care that they were all about to die? (v.38). After Jesus calmed the storm (v.39), He asked the penetrating question, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” (v.40). Then they were even more afraid, exclaiming to each other, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” (v.41). Be still, my heart; for faithful is thy Lord, And pure and true and tried His holy Word; Though stormy flood which rageth as the sea, His promises thy stepping-stones shall be. —Anon. God is a safe dwelling place in life’s storms. INSIGHT: Mark 4:35–5:43+ records four miracles that answer the question, “Who can this be?” (Mark 4:41). These miracles demonstrated Jesus’ absolute power over nature (Mark 4:35-41+), the spiritual world (Mark 5:1-20), physical illnesses (Mark 5:21-34), and death (Mark 5:35-43). Each miracle shows Jesus as the omnipotent sovereign God. Yet in this passage, Mark provides one of the most amazing contrasts. Just before Jesus displayed the awesome powers of His deity, we are given a touching picture of His humanity: Jesus was so tired that even the violent tossing of the waves did not wake Him (Mark 4:38). The Storms of Life Mark 4:35–5:1+ You may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith . . . may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7 In the book of Mark we read about a terrible storm. The disciples were with Jesus on a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee. When a “furious squall came up,” the disciples—among them some seasoned fishermen—were afraid for their lives (4:37-38). Did God not care? Weren’t they handpicked by Jesus and closest to Him? Weren’t they obeying Jesus who told them to “go over to the other side”? (v. 35). Why, then, were they going through such a turbulent time? No one is exempt from the storms of life. But just as the disciples who initially feared the storm later came to revere Christ more, so the storms we face can bring us to a deeper knowledge of God. “Who is this,” the disciples pondered, “even the wind and the waves obey him!” (v. 41). Through our trials we can learn that no storm is big enough to prevent God from accomplishing His will (5:1). While we may not understand why God allows trials to enter our lives, we thank Him that through them we can come to know who He is. We live to serve Him because He has preserved our lives. By Albert Lee Lord, I know I don’t need to fear the storms of life around me. Help me to be calm because I stand secure in You. The storms of life prove the strength of our anchor. Calming The Storm Read: Mark 4:35-41+ - He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. —Mark 4:39 While Hurricane Katrina headed toward the coast of Mississippi, a retired pastor and his wife left their home and went to a shelter. Their daughter pleaded with them to go to Atlanta where she could take care of them, but the couple couldn’t get any money to make the trip because the banks were closed. After the storm had passed, they returned to their home to get a few belongings, and were able to salvage only a few family photos floating in the water. Then, when the man was taking his father’s photo out of its frame so it could dry, $366 fell out—precisely the amount needed for two plane tickets to Atlanta. They learned they could trust Jesus for what they needed. For the disciples, trusting Jesus in a storm was the curriculum for the day in the dramatic narrative of Mark 4:35-41. Jesus had instructed His disciples to cross to the other side of the Sea of Galilee and then He went to sleep in the boat. When a quick and violent storm blew in, the disciples dripped as much with fear and anxiety as water from the waves. They woke Jesus, saying, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (v.38 niv). Jesus stood up and with three words, “Peace, be still!” He muzzled the storm. We all experience storms—persecutions, financial troubles, illnesses, disappointments, loneliness—and Jesus does not always prevent them. But He has promised never to leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). He will keep us calm in the storm. By Marvin Williams In the storms of life, we can see the character of our God. INSIGHT: Mark 4:35–5:43 records four miracles that answer the question asked in 4:41: “Who can this be . . . ?” They demonstrate Jesus’ absolute power over nature (4:35-41), the spiritual world (5:1-20), physical illnesses (5:21-34), and death (5:35-43). Each miracle shows Jesus as the Omnipotent Sovereign God. In Jewish minds the power to control the sea and the waves was exclusive to God (Job 38:8-11; Ps. 65:5-7; Isa. 51:10; Nah. 1:3-5). It’s interesting, however, that in today’s passage Mark provides an amazing contrast. Just before Jesus displayed the awesome powers of His deity by calming the sea, we are given a touching picture of His frail humanity: Jesus was so tired that even the violent tossing of the waves did not wake Him (4:38). We learn the lesson of trust in the school of trial. The Unseen Keel - Luke 8:22-25 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast. —Hebrews 6:19 The president of Gordon College, R. Judson Carlberg, was driving along the ocean near his home in Massachusetts when he saw two stately 17th-century sailing ships. They were replicas that were built for a movie being filmed nearby. “The breeze was stiff,” Carlberg reported, “straining the rigging and the crews. Yet each ship stayed the course and didn’t capsize.” He explained the secret of their stability. “Beneath the waterline each had a deep, heavy keel—a part you don’t see.” The keel was essential for keeping the vessel steady in rough weather. What is it that holds us steady when fierce winds are blowing across life’s sea? What keeps us from capsizing when we are under stress and tension? What enables us to sail on, despite the strain? It’s the stabilizing keel of faith in our sovereign God. It’s our unseen relationship with Christ. As He commanded the wind and the waves on the Sea of Galilee, He also controls the storms and squalls of life that threaten to sink us or drive us off course. Our faith in Christ is an “anchor of the soul” (Heb. 6:19) that can keep us from ultimate shipwreck. We have an anchor that keeps the soul Steadfast and sure while the billows roll, Fastened to the Rock which cannot move, Grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love. —Owens Faith in Christ will keep us steady in the stormy sea of change. Luke 8:26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. KJV And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. Luke 8:26-39 Christ's Transforming Power - Steven Cole Luke 8:26-29 The Maniac Who Became a Missionary, Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 8:30-39 The Maniac Who Became a Missionary, Part 2 - John MacArthur Luke 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Parallel Passages: Matt. 8:28+; When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. Mark 5:1+ They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. JESUS' POWER OVER THE DEMONS I like John MacArthur's title of Lk 8:26-39 - The Maniac Who Became a Missionary Jesus showed Himself lord over the Natural realm, and now He will over the Supernatural realm! Jesus had calmed a tempestuous sea and would now calm a tormented soul! Steven Cole - It is interesting to compare this miracle with the one that immediately precedes it, the stilling of the storm. In that miracle, we see Christ’s power over nature; here, we see His power over the supernatural. In that one, we see Christ’s ability to tame the wild sea; here, we see His ability to tame a wild man. In that one, we see Christ giving peace in a storm; here, He gives peace in a soul. (Luke 8:26-39 Christ's Transforming Power) Brian Bell has an alliterative title and outline of Lk 8:26-39 - Cleansed, Clothed and Commissioned Cleansed - Lk 8:26-34 Clothed - Lk 8:35-37 Commissioned - Lk 8:38-39
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Cole - A. Christ’s power is necessary for transformation. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Jesus didn’t use some clever method to convince Legion to make a decision to accept Him. Legion didn’t decide to turn over a new leaf and try harder this time. He didn’t sign up for a 12 Step group to overcome his addiction to demons. The gospel is nothing less than the mighty power of God imparting new life to a previously dead sinner. If God does not change the heart, there is no lasting change. Man’s efforts at transformation fall short. The human attempt to deal with this man had been to bind him with chains (Lu 8:29). But it didn’t work. Human solutions to problems that are spiritual in nature ultimately will fail. Margaret Sangster, the social worker, told about seeing a small boy in an urban ghetto sitting on the stairs of a tenement. The youngster had been hit by a car several months before, but his parents, fresh from Appalachia, neglected to get him proper medical attention. Although not part of her case load, she took the boy to an orthopedist and learned that through an involved series of operations the child’s body could be made normal again. She cut through the bureaucratic red tape, raised the funds, and set the process of cure in motion. Two years later the boy came to her office. To her astonishment, he walked in without crutches, and to show the completeness of his recovery, he turned a cartwheel for her. The two embraced and when the boy left, Margaret Sangster reported that a warm glow mantled the entire office. She said to herself, “If I never accomplish anything else in my life, at least here is one young man to whom I can point where I have made a real difference!” At that point she paused in her presentation and asked, “This was all several years ago now. Where do you think that boy is today?” Caught in the emotion of that moment, several made suggestions—a school teacher, a physician, perhaps a social worker? There was a longer pause, and with even deeper emotion Sangster said, “No, he is in the penitentiary for one of the foulest crimes a human being can commit.” Then she said, “I was instrumental in teaching him how to walk again, but there was no one to teach him where to walk.” Man’s efforts fall short because... All who need transformation are in Satan’s domain. This narrative reveals that there are two types of people in Satan’s domain, who need the transforming power of Christ. There are those who are conspicuously in Satan’s domain, such as Legion. These people make you shudder and draw back from them by their very appearance. They look evil. But there is a second type of people in this story who are just as much in Satan’s domain and who need the same transforming power of Christ. But we might be inclined to overlook them. These are not conspicuous, but camouflaged. I am referring to the people of that area who flocked out to see what had happened to Legion. Outwardly, they were decent, respectable citizens. There are three clues that these people were in Satan’s domain just as much as Legion was. First, the demons were at home in their region. They didn’t want to be sent out of the country (Mk 5:10). Second, these people were more concerned about the loss of their swine than they were about the healing of this man (or these two men). Sure, Legion had been a nuisance to them. He was so violent that no one could go near where he was (Mt 8:28). But if his healing meant the loss of their swine, forget it. Third, they begged Jesus to leave (Lu 8:37). What a horrible request! They had feared Legion. But they were more frightened about Jesus (Lu 8:37). He threatened them and they didn’t want Him to get too close. These people are like the man Harry Ironside talked to one night after he had preached. He asked the man if he was saved and the man said no, but he would like to be.
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Cole - It’s a story with some strange twists in it. You would think that Jesus would deny the requests of demons and unbelievers, and grant the request of an eager follower, but He didn’t. Jesus granted the request of the demons, He agreed to the appeals of a group of unbelievers, and then He denied the entreaties of a man whose life He had transformed who wanted to follow Him! That seems backwards, doesn’t it? Why did Jesus act this way? I believe that Jesus granted the request of the demons that He not send them out of the region and into the abyss because the final judgment of Satan and his forces is yet future. The time is coming when they will be cast into the Lake of Fire, but for now we are engaged in spiritual conflict against these forces of evil (Eph 6:12). We don’t know for certain what happened to the demons after the pigs drowned, but I think they were free then to go trouble someone else. The water did not harm the demons. I believe that Jesus granted the request of the local people to leave their region because His main mission at that time was to the Jews (these people were mostly Gentile) and because He will not force Himself upon those who harden their hearts against Him, especially after they have seen evidence of His mighty power. And I believe that Jesus denied the request of the former demoniac to accompany Him because even though His primary mission at that time was to the Jews and even though these Gentiles’ hearts were opposed to Him, He knew that some of His elect among them would hear and respond. And so He told the man, “Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you” (Lu 8:39). Thus the maniac became the missionary! Thus the lesson for us from this miracle is that all of us who have experienced Christ’s transforming power should proclaim it. But that raises two difficult questions that we must ask ourselves: To what extent am I experiencing the transforming power of Christ? What is there in my life that is explainable only by the spiritual power of Jesus Christ? It may not be as instantaneous and dramatic as the changes in Legion. But even so, there ought to be some obvious changes due to my experience with Jesus Christ. To what extent am I proclaiming the transforming power of Christ? Do I have “holy huddle disease”? That’s a disease that especially affects us pastors, where you surround yourself with the saints, holding hands and sharing precious verses, but you never venture out among the pagans. I believe that Jesus went out of His way to cross the Sea of Galilee in the storm for the purpose of saving Legion and of teaching the disciples about His transforming power. No sinner is beyond the saving grace of God in Christ! (Luke 8:26-39 Christ's Transforming Power) Vance Havner - The Gadarene Matthew 8:28-34 AFTER mastering a wild sea the Lord Jesus masters a wild man. Three Gospels give us the story of the Gadarene demoniac (Matt. 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39), and it is unusual that Mark's account, usually the briefest, is here the longest. There are those who would make this man to be only an insane case, but our Lord clearly recognized demon-possession by His saying, "Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit." That He was merely accepting the common view of His time is an argument too foolish to reserve room for refutation. Much has been said about the destruction of the swine who refused to endure what men put up with. Huxley made much of this "destruction of property" as an argument against the Lord. Our Lord never went at anything tamely. He made bold strokes and brushed everything else aside to get at a needy life. What are a few hogs compared to a human soul? The destruction of the swine was a bold evidence of the miracle and a daring declaration that lives are ever more important than property. If the owner of the hogs had accepted the Lord Jesus he would have had a treasure inestimable. Instead, he saw only temporal loss and gain, and because Jesus was hurting his business, he besought Him to leave. Men have followed that procedure through the ages. When Christ interferes with our personal gain we usually beseech Him to leave. There is a beautiful truth in the healed man's desire to go with the Lord and His disciples in the ship to other parts. Doubtless he wanted to get away from the scenes of his past, and it looked very inviting—this prospect of sojourning with the Lord in new fields, ever hearing His words and witnessing His miracles. But it was not so to be; he must stay in the old, unromantic spot and tell what the Lord had done for his soul (and what a witness he must have been!). Many of us have known this experience. We have longed to follow the Lord across the sea or into some more interesting field, but He has commissioned us to stay at home—live down an evil past, perhaps—and be an obscure and unknown witness. It is not given to everyone to go far afield; there must be the disciple who stays at home. Time and time again we meet with those who went to foreign fields or undertook vast enterprises under mistaken leadings. It is so easy to confuse our wants with God's leadings. The work of the gospel is too often made the springboard from which to dive off into water too deep for us. This man obeyed the Lord's command, and as he proclaimed his story men marveled, according to Mark's account. Together with a marvelous experience of deliverance he had an obedient spirit, and that makes a great combination. Are you willing that Christ should do His wonders in your life at any cost to property and circumstances? Then you need to be willing to let Him station you where He will, to be His witness Luke 8:39 "Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. KJV Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him. Return 1 Timothy 5:8 and published Lk 17:15-18; Deuteronomy 10:21; Ps 66:16; 126:2,3; Daniel 4:1-3,34-37; Mark 1:45; John 4:29 Luke 8:30-39 The Maniac Who Became a Missionary, Part 2 - John MacArthur Luke 8:26-39 - Steven Cole Luke 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Parallel Passage: Mark 5:19+ And He did not let him, but He said to him, “Go (present imperative) home to your people and report (aorist imperative) to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed. HERALDING THE GREAT THINGS JESUS HAS DONE Return (hupostrepho) to your house and describe (diegeomai) what great things God has done for you - Jesus' reply of "No you cannot follow Me," was filled with purpose for this man. He could go to the very people that had rejected Jesus and asked Him to leave! Mk 5:19+ “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” THOUGHT- Do we not see the mercy and grace of Christ in His leaving them man to give testimony of His power to safe? Even in face of them asking Jesus to leave, He nevertheless left a credible witness of His great power over the supernatural world.
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Cole - Christ commands those whose lives He has transformed to proclaim it. If you’ve experienced His transforming power, then you’ve got to express it. It’s at this point that many of us fail. How do we communicate the changes Christ has made (and is making) in our lives? Most of us lack the personality or gift to go out knocking on the doors of strangers to tell them about Christ. I would never take a job selling stuff door-to-door. And, apart from the erroneous theology, I would never want to be a Jehovah’s Witness! Yet, clearly, the Lord has called us all to be His witnesses. So how can we do it? There are two very normal parts to proclaiming the message that every one of us can do: A. Exhibit a transformed life. People knew this guy as a naked, wild, violent maniac. But when they went out to see him, he was sitting down, clothed, and in his right mind (Lu 8:35). There was obvious change. Maybe you’re thinking, “But I wasn’t a naked, wild, violent maniac before I came to Christ. I was raised in the church. I trusted Him as a child. How can I show people that Christ has made a difference in my life?” There are many ways. Our attitudes should show people that we are Christians. Do you have a cheerful, thankful heart, even in difficult times? Or, do you grumble and complain? Paul says that if we do all things without grumbling or disputing we show ourselves as lights in this crooked and perverse world (Php 2:15). What about your words? Do you encourage and build others up, or do you tear them down? Do you use foul language or is your speech pure? And, what about your behavior? Are you self-centered or are you always thinking about others and how you can serve them? Do you live for the same values and goals the world lives for? Do you blend in with the world or do you stand out as distinct? If you walk in reality with Jesus as your Lord every day, your life will be a witness. B. Return home and describe what great things God has done for you. There are three things to note here: (1) How do you go? You go with obedience and zeal. It takes obedience. This man didn’t want to go home. He wanted to go with Jesus. Maybe he was a bit disappointed at first. But he obeyed. He had exchanged masters. Before, he served a destructive tyrant. Now he served a loving Lord. But sometimes our new Master asks us to do things we may not feel like doing. We must obey, if we want to be His disciple. It takes zeal. Jesus said return to your house, and Legion went throughout the whole city! Mark says that he went to Decapolis, which was a region consisting of 10 towns! He was zealous to tell others about what Jesus had done for him! Sometimes those of us who have been Christians for a long while need to stop and think about how much the Lord did in saving us and to remember how desperately those who are without Christ need Him. Legion was going to witness to normal people. They had never lived naked among the tombs. But they were just as alienated from God as he had been. So he eagerly told them of their need for the Savior. We need the same obedient zeal that Legion had. (2) To whom do you go? Go to your house. In other words, go back to the people who knew you before, to your family and friends, to the relationships that you already have. The New Testament pattern for evangelism is that you go back into your own circle of influence—family, friends, neighbors, job, school, common interest groups, and community contacts, and tell them what great things God has done for you. “Yeah, but they all know me!” That’s the point! That’s why they have to see your transformed life. You go back “clothed and in your right mind”! Live Christ before them and when they ask why you’re so different, tell them! (3) What do you say? Tell them your story and the gospel of God’s grace. Tell your personal testimony: “What great things God has done for you” (Lu 8:39). Tell how you met Christ, and what He has done in your life. All witnessing should have this personal element. Explain the gospel: Who God is, who Jesus is, how we have sinned against God, what Jesus came to do as the sin-bearer. A person needs to know the basic facts of the gospel before he can intelligently respond. Part of the gospel involves telling them who Jesus is. I don’t know whether Legion fully understood the deity of Jesus yet, but Luke wants his readers to make the connection. In verse Lu 8:39, Luke places the words God and Jesus emphatically at the end of the sentence to link them. The great things God had done were one and the same with the great things Jesus had done! Emphasize grace: Every false religion in the world and every fallen sinner by instinct tries to approach God through good works. If you try hard enough and do enough, maybe God will accept you. But Christianity is not a religion of works, it is a relationship of grace. Grace means that God freely gives His salvation to those who deserve His judgment, apart from any human merit. “But, Legion, didn’t you put on some clothes before you went to Jesus?” “No! I ran to Him just as I was, stark naked.” “But Legion, didn’t you clean up and hide your bloody wounds before you went to Jesus?” “No! I looked hideous.” “But Legion, didn’t you try to get rid of your demons before you went to Jesus?” “No! The demons were shrieking through my voice when I ran up to Him. He saved me just as I was, totally by His grace, not at all through anything I did.” That’s grace! Conclusion - John Wesley was once riding his horse, singing a favorite hymn, when a robber accosted him with the words, “Your money or your life.” Wesley obediently emptied his pockets of the few coins he had and then invited the robber to go through his saddlebags, which were filled with books. The disappointed robber was turning away when Wesley (who had much more presence of mind than I had when I was mugged!) called out, “Stop! I have something more to give you.” The robber turned back and Wesley said, “My friend, you may live to regret this sort of life you’re living. If you ever do, remember this, ‘The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses from all sin.’” The robber hurried silently away and the man of God rode along, praying that the word spoken might be fixed in the robber’s conscience. Years later, at the close of a Sunday evening service, a man stepped forward and asked to speak with Mr. Wesley. Wesley was surprised to learn that this was the man who had robbed him years before. He was now a well-to-do businessman, but, better still, he was now a child of God. God had used the words spoken that night in his conversion. Taking Wesley’s hand, he affectionately kissed it and said with deep emotion, “To you, dear sir, I owe it all.” “Nay, nay, my friend,” Wesley replied softly, “not to me, but to the precious blood of Christ which cleanses us from all sin.” Let me close by asking you the two questions again: To what extent are you experiencing the transforming power of Christ? Has He changed your life through His gracious gift of salvation? Is He continuing to change it as you walk with Him? To what extent are you proclaiming the transforming power of Christ? Are you looking for opportunities with those you know to tell them of the great things God has done for you and of the great things He will do for them if they will come to Jesus just as they are? Discussion Questions To whom is it easier to witness: a total stranger or a family member? Why? How can a person from a Christian home prepare a testimony when the changes since salvation haven’t been very dramatic? How can we help a “good” sinner to see his need for Christ? Is there a difference between making a decision to trust Christ and truly getting saved? If so, what’s the difference and how does this affect our witnessing? (Luke 8:26-39 Christ's Transforming Power) Tell Your Story Read: Mark 5:1-20 Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you. —Mark 5:19 An organizational consultant in New York says that his graduate students typically recall only 5 percent of the main ideas in a presentation of graphs and charts, while they generally remember half of the stories told in the same presentation. There is a growing consensus among communication experts about the power of the personal touch in relating an experience. While facts and figures often put listeners to sleep, an illustration from real life can motivate them to action. Author Annette Simmons says, “The missing ingredient in most failed communication is humanity.” Mark 5:1-20 gives the dramatic account of Jesus setting a violent, self-destructive man free from the powerful demons that possessed him. When the restored man begged to stay with Jesus as He traveled, the Lord told him, “?‘Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.’ And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled” (Mk 5:19-20). Knowledge and eloquence are often overrated in the process of communicating the good news of Jesus Christ. Never underestimate the power of what God has done for you, and don’t be afraid to tell your story to others. Take control of my words today, May they tell of Your great love; And may the story of Your grace Turn some heart to You above. —Sees Sharing the gospel is one person telling another good news. By David C. McCasland Tell It! Read: Mark 5:1–20 The man went away and began to tell . . . how much Jesus had done for him. Mark 5:20 The year was 1975 and something significant had just happened to me. I needed to find my friend Francis, with whom I shared a lot of personal matters, and tell him about it. I found him in his apartment hurriedly preparing to go out, but I slowed him down. The way he stared at me, he must have sensed that I had something important to tell him. “What is it?” he asked. So I told him simply, “Yesterday I surrendered my life to Jesus!” Francis looked at me, sighed heavily, and said, “I’ve felt like doing the same for a long time now.” He asked me to share what happened, and I told him how the previous day someone had explained the gospel to me and how I asked Jesus to come into my life. I still remember the tears in his eyes as he too prayed to receive Jesus’s forgiveness. No longer in a hurry, he and I talked and talked about our new relationship with Christ. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story. Psalm 107:2 After Jesus healed the man with an evil spirit, He told him, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19). The man didn’t need to preach a powerful sermon; he simply needed to share his story. No matter what our conversion experience is, we can do what that man did: “[He] went away and began to tell . . . how much Jesus had done for him.” What has Jesus done for you? Tell it! Share your story on Facebook.com/ourdailybread. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story. Psalm 107:2 By Lawrence Darmani The Best Argument Read: Mark 5:1-20 Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you. —Mark 5:19 As I talked with a skeptic about the moral standards of the Bible, I could tell that he remained unconvinced. Then I asked him if he knew any cruel, greedy people who had become kind and unselfish when they became believers in Christ. His demeanor changed abruptly when he admitted that he did know such people. I could tell that they were having a greater impact on him than he wanted to acknowledge. Many years ago the head of a rescue mission in London accepted the challenge to debate a well-known skeptic, but with this condition: He would bring with him 100 people who would tell how believing in Jesus had changed their lives. He invited his opponent to counter with witnesses to the benefits of unbelief. On the appointed day the believer came with his 100, but the skeptic never showed up. Even though we should be prepared to give a reasonable answer to a person who asks about the hope we have in Christ (1 Pet. 3:15), our Christlike character and conduct remain the strongest argument for our faith. In Mark 5, Jesus told the formerly demon-possessed man to go home to his friends so they could see what He had done for him (v.19). You may be tempted to debate To change another's view, But nothing speaks more powerfully Than what Christ did in you. —Sper When you know Christ, you'll want others to know Him too. When Jesus Comes In Read: Mark 5:1-20 Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction. —Mark 5:34 In 1932, as the US was undergoing a financial breakdown, missionary Robert Cummings was suffering an emotional breakdown. As he carried on his evangelistic ministry with his wife in India, he became obsessed by blasphemous and sinful thoughts so overwhelming that he felt cast aside by God and eternally lost. Hospital care and therapy were of no help. His wife brought him back to the US where he was placed in a private mental facility. For 2 more years Robert underwent indescribable emotional agony. Then one morning he knelt beside his bed begging for relief. God answered dramatically with the words of a poem by James Procter: My soul is night, my heart is steel—I cannot see, I cannot feel; for light, for life I must appeal in simple faith to Jesus. ((c) Renewal 1937 Hope Publishing Company). Play Jesus I Come Into my bondage, sorrow, and night, Jesus has come, Jesus has come; Bringing His freedom, gladness, and light— Jesus has come to me. By God’s grace we may have been spared from extreme emotional distress. But all of us can join in singing praise to the One who has come to bring peace to our souls. God's dawn of deliverance often comes when the hour of trial is darkest. Warren
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Cole explains "He didn’t ask the question to gain information, since He knew who had touched Him. He asked it to elicit her confession and to clarify for her what had taken place. It was not her touch that had cured her, but her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It was not magic, but God’s power in Christ which had accomplished the cure. Just as Jesus Christ was this woman’s only hope, because only He could cure her defiling illness, so only Jesus Christ can cleanse us of the defilement of our sin. He alone is the bridge between the holy God and our sin. When He died on the cross, God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Co 5:21). Just as this woman was instantly cured, so all who come to Christ in faith are instantly cleansed of their sin." (Luke 8:40-48) Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding (sunecho/synecho) and pressing (apothlibo) in on You." - Luke is the only synoptic Gospel that brings Peter into this story. It shows once again the lack of insight of the disciples. They thought in terms of a literal touch, not a touch of faith. (cf Acts 19:11,12). NET Note - Pressing is a graphic term used in everyday Greek of pressing grapes. Peter says in effect, “How could you ask this? Everyone is touching you
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Cole - Jesus was in a hurry to get to Jairus’ dying daughter, yet He had time to stop and deal with this one needy woman. He did not scold her for the interruption. He didn’t upbraid her for her years of seeking human solutions to her problem. Nor was His purpose in calling attention to her to embarrass her publicly, although no doubt she was at first a bit uncomfortable. He spoke to her with tenderness, addressing her as “Daughter.” He spoke words of assurance and comfort, to confirm her faith and her healing, lest she go away unclear about what had happened. Archbishop Trench explains, “This woman would have borne away a maimed blessing, hardly a blessing at all, had she been suffered to bear it away in secret and unacknowledged, and without being brought into any personal communion with her Healer” (Notes on the Miracles of Our Lord [Baker], p. 118). Whatever your problem, however great your sin, you can come to Jesus and know that He will treat you with compassion and kindness. As Is 42:3 prophesied of Jesus, “A bruised reed He will not break, and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish” (see Mt 12:20). Like a skillful doctor, He may have to wound in order to heal. But He always does it tenderly. He welcomes every sinner who comes to Him to cleanse his dirty wounds. Because Jesus is the sufficient Savior, you can know that He has adequate power to cleanse your sin. Because He is the sympathetic Savior, He will treat you with gentleness and understanding. You can know for sure that if you come to Him in faith, He will instantly forgive all of your sins, because He has promised it. You will be cleansed of all defilement if you lay hold of Jesus by faith. (Luke 8:40-48 Jesus’ Cleansing Power)
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Cole has an excursus on faith based on the faith of this woman (Luke 8:40-48 Jesus’ Cleansing Power) - We must lay hold of Jesus by faith. By looking at this woman’s experience we learn five things about what it means to lay hold of Jesus by faith: A. Faith is active, not passive. - For 12 years, this woman had aggressively sought a cure for her illness. She had been to every quack she had heard about. She had tried every cure her friends suggested, no matter how troublesome or distasteful. She had spent every dime. She was actively doing all she could to find a remedy and she would not quit until she obtained the cure she was after. She was not put off by the large crowd that kept her from getting near to Jesus. She was not bothered by the fact that she would make everyone she touched unclean. She elbowed her way through. She didn’t worry about the fact that Jairus’ daughter was dying and that Jesus was hurrying to a life or death mission. She persisted with her goal. A few years ago a pastor friend of mine wasn’t feeling well. He thought it was just the flu, so he didn’t do anything about it. But when he started feeling much worse, he went to the doctor and found out he had cancer. Once he knew how serious his condition was, he started fighting it with everything available. Like my friend, many are oblivious to the cancer of sin and death spreading through their bodies. In some cases, they are unaware of the enormity of their guilt before God. Others ignore it and hope for the best. But you won’t be cleansed of your sin if you do not actively seek the cure. The faith that saves actively seeks the Lord: “Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the Lord and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Is 55:6-7). B. Faith works best when human solutions fail. - The best thing that happened to this woman was when she ran out of money without being cured. Then her only hope was to come to the One who heals without money or cost. As long as there are human remedies, we will try them. If we think that our good works can cleanse us, we’ll keep on working. But when we realize that Jesus is the only way we can be cleansed, we will be driven to rely on Him alone. Like Peter when he began to sink beneath the waves, we will cry, “Save me, Lord, or I perish!” The Lord delights to respond to such a cry of faith. C. Faith accepts the simplicity of the gospel. - This woman had tried some difficult, bitter and expensive remedies. But this was easy and free! There were no bitter potions to drink. She didn’t have to apply the medicine three times a day for the next month. The disciples weren’t there collecting the fee. She touched Jesus by faith and she was instantly healed. Many think that the more bitter the pill, the better the remedy. They stumble over the gospel because it is too simple, too free. Tell people that to be right with God they must crawl on their knees over broken glass, or repeat prayers every day until they die, or add their merits and good deeds to what Christ has done, and they will do it. But tell them, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved,” and they say, “No, that’s too simple.” The problem is, faith in Jesus Christ is an affront to their pride. There’s no human glory in such a simple remedy. We want to do something difficult to earn salvation. But God’s way is simple and free: Put your faith in the Lord Jesus. Perhaps you’re thinking, “I know that I am a sinner and I would like to know that all my sins were forgiven. You’re saying that all I have to do is trust Jesus. But I don’t have enough faith.” There’s good news even for you: D. Faith need not be perfect to be effective. - This woman’s faith was probably tinged with a bit of superstition. She thought that there was some magic power conveyed by touching Jesus’ garments. Her faith was self-centered. She came to Him only for the cure she wanted, and she would have been content to go away with nothing more. Her faith was quite ignorant. She didn’t know much theology. But the Lord took her weak, misguided faith, healed her on that basis, and sought to develop and strengthen it from there. How much faith does it take to be cleansed from your sins? Thankfully, not much! Salvation depends on the strength of the Savior more than on the strength of our faith. When Jesus told her that her faith had saved her, He meant to clarify that it was not magic or superstition, but rather faith that was the means of God’s blessings coming to her through Christ. Faith is merely the channel, weak though it is, through which God works. But it is Christ, the object of our faith, not our faith itself, which cleanses us. Say we were hiking in the woods when a forest fire began behind us. Strong winds were blowing it toward us faster than we could run. In a matter of minutes we would perish unless we could somehow get to a place of safety. Suddenly we come to a wide, deep gorge, spanned by a footbridge. If we cross the bridge, we will be safe. If we stay where we are, we will die in the flames. How much faith does it take to get you to go across that bridge? You probably wouldn’t do engineering studies to make sure that the bridge was sound. You might hesitate if the bridge was rickety. But what if the bridge looked like the Golden Gate? Trucks and cars were rumbling over it. What kind of faith do you need to walk across a structure that is so obviously solid, especially when you are fleeing the rapidly approaching flames behind you? Did your great faith save you? Not at all! It only took enough faith for you to go across the bridge, knowing that you would perish if you didn’t. If that bridge had been faulty, you would have plunged to your death no matter how great your faith. But if the bridge is solid, then weak faith is all it takes to get you across. The strength of your faith is not the real issue, but rather the strength of the bridge. Jesus Christ is mighty to save all who flee to Him. E. Faith must be confessed. - It’s interesting that with Jairus and his wife, Jesus told them not to tell anyone about His raising their daughter from the dead, although it could scarcely be concealed. But with this woman who would rather hide her embarrassing condition, Jesus singles her out in front of the crowd and makes her confess what had happened. I believe Jesus asked Jairus and his wife to conceal what had happened because He didn’t want to pander to the shallow miracle-seekers. But He made this woman confess her faith and healing for several reasons. As I mentioned, He did it for her sake. He wanted her to realize that it was faith in Him, not magic, that had cured her. He wanted her to be brought into personal communion with Him. He wanted her friends to know that she had been healed, so that she would be accepted back into the social and religious circles. And, He wanted her confession to bolster the sagging faith of Jairus, whose 12-year-old daughter was near death. If Jesus had the power to cure this woman’s 12-year-old disease, He could raise Jairus’ 12-year-old daughter. If you have experienced Jesus’ cleansing of your sins, He wants you to confess it in public baptism. The waters of baptism symbolize the complete cleansing that Jesus works in your soul. For His name’s sake, for your sake, and for the sake of others who need their faith strengthened, every believer should be baptized to confess that you have been cleansed through faith in Christ. Conclusion - Like this woman with the hemorrhage, we all have been defiled by sin. We must be cleansed or we can never spend eternity in the presence of a holy God. Only Jesus can cleanse us through His death on the cross. We must lay hold of Him by faith as she did that day. Don’t be put off by those around you. Many in the crowd touched Jesus that day and weren’t healed, but this woman didn’t let that stop her. Don’t fear that your weak faith is not enough. Jesus will accept it and work to strengthen it. Don’t think about anything except that your sin has defiled you and that you desperately need what only Jesus offers, complete cleansing from your sin. Fear only that He will pass by this morning on His way to healing others and you will not touch Him and be saved. Weak faith is enough to lay hold of His mercy, but indifference or hesitation can result in the ruin of your soul. If you lay hold of Jesus by faith, you will hear His assuring words, “Your faith has made you well; go in peace.” Discussion Questions Do Christians need ongoing cleansing or is the cleansing at salvation sufficient? Why is it essential to affirm that salvation is by faith alone apart from any human works? Is salvation always instantaneous or is it sometimes gradual? Is it wrong to encourage a person to come to Jesus for the benefits he/she will receive? Brian Bell HER DELIVERANCE WHEN JESUS DOESN’T MAKE SENSE? (45) All this time Jairus was waiting! He had to be experiencing impatience! But Jesus was delaying, while the child was dying. Who touched me? – “who cares”, “my daughter is dying, remember?” Is this a multi-tasking issue? – A priority issue? – I was here 1st! Illus: Some years back I was sitting w/Mical in emergency room at Rancho Springs. We had already waited a few hours, when they brought a drunk in who didn’t want care, was cussing, screaming; & we were told his injuries were serious & they’d have to attend to him 1st. To say this most mildly, “I was bitter at this man.” (I was here 1st!) But the Lord has such a wonderful way of running the whole world at one time. Jesus is like the sun shining as it rolls onward in its orbit. (Rose illus.) You can never exhaust the fragrance of His love & healing, as you could never smell the fragrance completely off a flower! Jesus wasn’t a cool cup of water that once drunk it is finished; but an endless fresh stream, that will never run dry! Rev.22:17 “Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” HER DECLARATION! (Lk 8:47,48) Jesus would not permit her to steal away & remain anonymous. Jesus doesn’t like undercover Believers. He likes blowing their cover. J She would never had the opportunity to Worship Him(fell down at His feet) Nor, glorify God by her testimony “he healed me!” And, she would never have heard His special words of blessing(48) Daughter – (a tender word) meaning she’s now in the family! Go in Shalom – Oh, blessed peace. Q: For what area of your life do you need to reach out & touch His hem for today? Do you need a physical healing? A spiritual healing (Salvation)? An emotional healing that only Jesus could ever fix? A mental healing (you feel like you’re losing it)? Q: Would your life be more like those in the crowd that might occasionally brush by Jesus in the rush hour of religious activity? (Ken Gire) Close to His presence but far from His power? Luke 8:49 While He was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, "Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore." KJV While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. he Lk 8:41-43; Matthew 9:23-26; Mark 5:35-43 trouble Lk 7:6; 11:7; Isaiah 7:12; Mark 5:35 Luke 8:49-56 Jesus' Compassionate Power, Part 2 - John MacArthur Luke 8:49-56 - Steven Cole Luke 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Parallel Passages: Matthew 9:23+ When Jesus came into the official’s house, and saw the flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder, Mk 5:35+ While He was still speaking, they came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?” HOPE TURNS TO HOPELESSNESS "YOUR DAUGHTER HAS DIED!" If you have children, put yourself in the sandals of Jairus as he heard these words! While she was still alive, he held hope Jesus could heal her. But now she was dead! Imagine the grief coursing through his entire being! Most of us as parents would rather die, then have one of our children die. Our hopes for the future are bound up with our children and their children. If they die, hope dies. The future looks bleak without them. Someone came from the house of the synagogue official (archisunagogos) - Mk 5:35+ more than one person came ("they came"). Your daughter has died do not trouble (skullo) the Teacher (didaskalos) anymore - Do not trouble is in the present imperative with a negative meaning stop troubling Him. This is tantamount to saying Jesus cannot do anything with a person who has died. Jairus' hope was demolished. But that was not the end of the story! Clearly that messenger had either not heard of the raising of the widow's son in Nain or did not believe Jesus had the power to do this. The fact that she has died takes the miracle from the category of healing to the category of resurrection, an opportunity fo God to be even more greatly glorified! THOUGHT - The principle is that Jesus specializes in hopeless cases because every one of us who is a believer today was once having no hope in the world! (Eph 2:12+) Jesus is the Perfect Personification of Hope (1Ti 1:1+ - literally "Christ Jesus our hope"). This quote sums up the lost world's thought on death - "For the living there is hope, for the dead there is none" (Theocritus—Idyl IV. 42).