LUKE - CHAPTER 8
A
Bible Study - Commentary by Jim Melough
Copyright
2001 James Melough
8:1. “And it came to
pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and
shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him.”
The gospel presented by the
Lord was not exactly the same as the gospel which we are commanded to preach.
His call was to Israel to repent so that they might first enter the millennial
kingdom, and then of course at its end, pass into the eternal kingdom. The
gospel given us to preach is a call to Jew and Gentile alike to repent so that
they might enter the eternal kingdom.
It must not be forgotten that
the Lord was making a bona fide offer of the millennial kingdom. Had Israel,
as a nation, repented and believed in Him, He would still have been crucified
by the Romans, His death being necessary to make atonement for sin. The seven
years of the Tribulation would have followed His resurrection, and would have
ended with His return in power and glory to deliver the believing remnant,
judge the nations, and inaugurate His millennial kingdom. The offer of the
millennial kingdom did not, in fact, cease officially until AD 70, the 38
years between AD 32 (the year of His crucifixion) and AD 70, corresponding to
the 38 years during which the unbelieving generation of Moses’ day were turned
back into the desert to die, while a new generation grew up to replace them,
and enter Canaan. In the 38 years which ended in AD 70 the old unbelieving
generation of Israel died out, and a new believing generation, the Church,
grew up as it were, to replace them, and enter the better blessings of the
eternal kingdom.
It should be noted, however,
that while the offer of the kingdom wasn’t officially withdrawn until AD 70,
the death of Stephen marked the beginning of the withdrawal of the offer and
the beginning of the Lord’s turning to the Gentiles, He by His foreknowledge,
knowing that Israel would not believe.
All this could have been 2,000
years ago. As the world stage was set then, so will it be again just prior to
the now imminent Tribulation.
Nor should we ignore the
comment that “the twelve were with him.” Twelve is the number particularly
associated with Israel. The nation consisted of the twelve tribes descended
from Jacob/Israel. But twelve is also the number associated with those under
God’s government, as ten is associated with God as the Governor. Twelve,
however is also associated with the Church, for it is built on the foundation
laid by the twelve apostles (Eph 2:20), i.e., their doctrine, for it is to be
noted that it was their doctrine, not the apostles themselves, which was the
foundation of the Church, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself being the only
foundation.
8:2. “And certain
women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called
Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,”
8:3. “And Joanna the
wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered
unto him of their substance.”
The Holy Spirit has been
careful to record the ministry of faithful women who provided out of their own
resources for the temporal needs of the Lord and His disciples. Some of them,
Joanna for example, were persons of means. It is the love of money, not the
possession of it, that excludes men from heaven. The Lord has room for rich
and poor alike in His Church. This record of their ministry to Him should
remind us that everything we have has been entrusted to us as stewards who
must one day render an account of our stewardship.
8:4. “And when much
people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he
spake by a parable:”
A parable was a simple a story
used to illustrate heavenly truth, and as to why the Lord should have used
parables, the answer is given in Mt 13:10-15; Mk 4:11-12; Lk 8:10. It is not
for unbelievers to understand the things which God has reserved for the eye
and ear of faith. Unbelievers must first believe their need of Christ as
Savior, and trust Him, before they can become sharers of His counsels. The
modern trend of encouraging unbelievers to attend Bible studies is without
biblical warrant. Unbelievers are to have the gospel preached to them. It is
folly to be presenting doctrine to men and women who haven’t first learned
that they are sinners who will be in eternal torment in the lake of fire if
they die without having repented and trusted in Christ as Savior. In this
connection it is significant that this first parable lays such stress on the
gospel.
8:5. “A sower went out
to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was
trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.”
Christ on another occasion
spoke of Himself as the corn of wheat that must fall into the ground and die,
but here He is the Sower, and the seed is the gospel. Sowing speaks of death
and resurrection. The Lord was indirectly pointing to His Own soon-coming
death and resurrection. Only a fourth of the seed produced fruit. The gospel
will go largely unheeded. The Sower was first Christ, and then any who go
forth as His servants preaching the gospel, and every believer is responsible
to engage in that sowing, as He Himself has commanded, “Go ye into all the
world, and preach the gospel to every creature,” Mk 16:15. Verse 11 assures
us that “The seed is the word of God,” and verse 12 tells us that the seed
fallen by the way side is that preached to those interested only in earthly
things. Satan, by countless distractions, quickly removes the memory of what
they have heard, and the result is that they continue on the journey of life
unaffected. It is doubtful if there has ever been a time when distractions
were more plentiful.
The fowls, as always in
Scripture, represent Satan’s evil spirit hordes. The fact of his being
mentioned here at the very beginning reminds us that he is always alert to
seize every opportunity to undo the work of the evangelist.
8:6. “And some fell
upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it
lacked moisture.”
This, we are told in verse 12,
portrays the Gospel heard by some who in the heat of emotional excitement,
profess to believe it; but who, because there has been no conviction of sin,
and therefore no repentance, abandon the profession at the first trial of
their supposed faith. One thing we should never forget is that God always
tries or tests faith, and in the absence of such testing, the professed
believer ought to question whether he has in fact been born again.
A practical lesson for elders
is that they shouldn’t neglect to subject to thorough scrutiny the professions
of those seeking fellowship in their local church. The profession that
doesn’t warrant the reception of the man into a local church is very unlikely
to gain him entrance to heaven. To neglect making such an examination is not
kindness, but sheer dereliction of duty, indicating as little concern for the
man’s soul as for God’s honor.
8:7. “And some fell
among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.”
This describes the hearer
whose concern is with “cares and riches and pleasures of this life” verse 14.
He is never really awakened, never made to tremble at the thought of entering
hell, never really cares about eternal realities. It is significant that
thorns are the Biblical symbol of sin, reminding us that anything which
hinders the consideration of the state of the soul is sin.
8:8. “And other fell
on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had
said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
This, we are told in verse 15,
portrays the gospel heard by the man who does have a care about his soul, who
does tremble at the thought of entering hell. It reminds us that fear is an
essential part of salvation; and a proof that much of the so-called “gospel”
preached today is spurious, is that the element of fear is completely absent.
He who has never been made afraid is unlikely to have ever been saved!
The Lord’s assurance that
there was “fruit an hundredfold” reminds us that a genuine conversion produces
spiritual fruit, as it is written, “By their fruits ye shall know them,” Mt
7:20. It is lack of spiritual fruit that calls in question the reality of
many of today’s professions.
“He that hath ears to hear,
let him hear” is the same exhortation concluding the letters to the seven
churches in Re 2 and 3. All may hear with natural hearing, but he who hears
spiritually, i.e., who understands, is warned to obey the message, for to
understand and still refuse to obey, compounds guilt.
8:9. “And his
disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?”
This indicates that at this
stage the disciples were apparently as dull of understanding as were the
crowds. The Holy Spirit hadn’t yet been given, and apart from the
enlightenment which He gives, all men are incapable of comprehending spiritual
truth.
8:10. “And he said,
Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to
others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not
understand.”
“Mysteries” refers to hidden
truths or sacred secrets which cannot be known apart from Divine revelation,
and this has to be understood against the background of God’s foreknowledge.
It isn’t teaching that some are predestinated to salvation, and others to
damnation, but that God foreknows who will, and who will not believe. Where
continued unbelief is foreknown, He in His sovereignty in some cases withholds
revelation of truth. By the exercise of that same sovereignty He sometimes
gives understanding even though He knows that it will not produce belief. Why
He makes this choice is not revealed, but it must never be mistaken for
predestination.
8:11. “Now the parable
is this: The seed is the word of God.”
This ought to teach us that
wherever there is a biblical reference to seed, we should look for spiritual
truth relative either to the written Word, or to Christ the Living Word.
8:12. “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.”
They heard only with their
ears. There was no spiritual understanding. Inasmuch as the fowls are said
to be the devil, we learn that fowls are the biblical symbol of evil spirits,
so that behind every literal mention of fowls lies a deeper spiritual truth
relative to the evil spirits of the air who do Satan’s bidding.
The word saved conveys
the warning that salvation is a matter of life and death. When men trust in
Christ they save their souls from hell and the lake of fire.
8:13. “They on the
rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy: and these
have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.”
Here also the hearing is
natural, not spiritual. The emotions were involved, but not the
intelligence. Its being said that they believed for a while, is not to be
understood as teaching that a believer can lose his salvation. He can’t!
They professed to believe, but the profession was false. They never believed
to the salvation of their souls. “Temptation” incidentally is literally
testing or trial. As noted already, God subjects faith to testing, and this
is a great mercy, for it gives the one tested an opportunity to evaluate the
reality of his profession, and where it is found false, to repent and exercise
genuine faith in Christ to the salvation of his soul.
8:14. “And that which
fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are
choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to
perfection.”
Thorns are the Biblical symbol
of sin, and as discussed above, here remind us that anything which keeps us
from trusting in Christ is sin. Some of those obstacles are the cares of this
world, the devotion of all one’s energies to the accumulation of this world’s
wealth, or the mindless pursuit of this world’s passing pleasures. Their
bringing no fruit to perfection is the warning that such people may have a
profession of faith, but the fruit that reveals the reality of one’s
profession is missing from their lives.
The reference to fruit reminds
us that where there has been a genuine conversion there will be spiritual
fruit as evidence. True Christianity consists of more than a mere lip
profession of faith.
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.”
An honest and good heart is
one which concurs in God’s indictment that there is none righteous, for all
have sinned. The possessor of such a heart admits that he has neither
righteousness nor anything else to commend him to God. He admits that if he
is to be saved it must be by God’s grace.
Such a man hears, not only
with his ears, but with his understanding also. Keeping the word,
incidentally, doesn’t make salvation contingent upon a life of sinless
perfection following conversion. It declares rather that there is an honest
attempt to obey God, not in order to be saved, but to express gratitude for
salvation already received as God’s priceless gift.
The bringing “forth fruit with
patience” ought to teach us that literal and spiritual fruit bearing are
similar: both take time. The process can’t be rushed. Nor should we ignore
the reference to patience. Spiritual growth doesn’t come overnight. The
fruitful life is that which patiently nurtures itself daily on the Word, and
waits with patience for God’s direction relative to every step taken. It is
not marked by a hasty running without God’s direction.
8:16. “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.”
The lighted candle speaks of
testimony; and in Matthew and Mark, and in Lk 11:33 the vessel is called a
bushel, a container associated with the commerce of that day, so that it
speaks of the world’s business. The lesson here relates to testimony, the
command not to cover the light with a vessel or bushel, telling us that the
ordinary affairs of life, particularly the world’s business, are not to be
permitted to hinder or mar our testimony. The command not to put it under a
bed warns that sloth and pleasure-seeking are likewise not to be allowed to
hinder or mar our testimony.
“That they which enter in may
see the light” reminds us that we are responsible to bear such a testimony as
will lead others to Christ.
A further truth being taught
here is that there must be not only belief in the heart but also verbal
confession of Christ, as it is written, “That if thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised
him from the dead, thou shalt be saved,” Ro 10:9.
8:17. “For nothing is
secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not
be known and come abroad.”
For the believer, the day of
reckoning will be at the judgment seat of Christ. Everything done out of love
for Christ will receive an eternal reward; everything else will prove to have
been worthless. It is imperative that everything be done out of a pure
motive: love for the Lord.
For the unbeliever, the
judgment of his deeds will be at the great white throne, that judgment being
to determine the degree of his punishment to be endured eternally in the lake
of fire - not as many mistakenly believe, to determine whether he may enter
heaven. Each man makes that decision here on earth by accepting or rejecting
Christ as Savior.
8:18. “Take heed
therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and
whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to
have.”
This continues to emphasize
that the hearing which results in genuine conversion produces also an obedient
life, obedience being proof of the reality of the profession, the result of
that obedience being that he who has spiritual life will have also an abundant
eternal reward. The mere professor, however, having no genuine faith, will
discover when it is eternally too late that he has lost not only his worthless
profession, but also his priceless soul. He who has not is also the
unbeliever. What he seems to have are the things that men prize, e.g., money,
fame, pleasure, etc., but death will deprive him of all these, leaving him
with nothing for eternity, except unending torment and remorse in the lake of
fire.
8:19. “Then came to
him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press.”
Since His mother clearly
represents the believing remnant; and his literal brethren, the unbelieving
mass of the nation, the failure of His mother and brethren to be able to come
near to Him here is the symbolic announcement of the truth that during the
Church age Israel as a nation will experience the blindness mentioned
by Paul in Romans 11, and will be cut off nationally, though believing
individual Jews will be saved and have membership in the Church just the same
as believing Gentiles.
As a Jewish entity, the
believing remnant of two thousand years ago, which His mother here represents,
had no national claim upon Him, and became instead the nucleus of the
Gentile Church because the mass of the nation rejected Him. In the coming
Tribulation there will again emerge a believing remnant which will
become the converted nation that will inherit millennial blessing.
8:20. “And it was told
him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring
to see thee.”
8:21. “And he answered
and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of
God, and do it.”
Beyond the literal fact that
His mother and brethren were unable to get near to Him, lies the spiritual
truth relative to Israel during this present age. His mother and brethren
represent the two parts of Israel (the believing remnant, and the unbelieving
mass of the nation), and remind us that the relationship with Him which is now
denied to Israel as a national entity during this present Church age, is still
available to believing individual Jews, as it is to believing Gentiles,
obedience being, as it always has been, the proof of genuine faith. The
profession of the lip must be confirmed by an obedient life.
8:22. “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.”
This continues to portray the
Lord’s departure from the unbelieving Jewish nation and His turning to the
Gentiles, the disciples representing the believing remnant which became the
Church, and which, as a corporate entity, is here represented by the ship.
8:23. “And 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.”
His being asleep in the ship
in the midst of the storm adds another brush stroke to the symbolic picture,
for during this Church age it does indeed seem that He “is asleep” neither
knowing nor caring what happens to the Church. The turbulent sea whipped up
by the wind, represents the sea of the nations impelled by Satan to raging
rebellion against the Church as they were also against the Lord during His
sojourn here on earth, Isa 57:20.
The water coming into the ship
may speak of the intrusion of the world into the Church, and as the water
endangered the ship so does the intrusion of the world also endanger the
Church. The ship’s being “filled with water” points to the sad truth that the
professing (not the true church) is also filled with what the water here
represents: unbelievers.
Having noted this symbolic
portrayal of the experience of the Church, it is necessary, however, to
realize that an equally valid application is to the experience of the
believing remnant of Israel in the Tribulation. In that context the ship
represents the believers of that era as a corporate body; and the storm,
Satan’s agitation of the nations against those who belong to Christ. The
Lord’s being asleep continues to portray what will be deemed by some in the
Tribulation to be His indifference to their plight. The ship’s being brought
to the point of sinking declares also the truth that just before the Lord’s
return to deliver those sorely persecuted believers, it will seem as though
they must indeed all perish.
8:24. “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.”
This reminds us that all
things are under His control even when it seems that He “is asleep.” The
faith to believe this will enable us to walk in the enjoyment of His peace
which passeth understanding, so that it will be as though there were a great
calm, the calm of course, being in our hearts, not amongst the rebellious
nations or Satan’s legions.
That moment when the disciples
awoke Him portrays both the end of the Church age, and the resumption of His
dealings with Israel after the Church has been delivered by His coming to the
air to rapture her home to heaven. The time between His waking, and His
quelling the storm, portrays the Tribulation era. It too will close with His
rising up in power and glory, returning to end those seven years of judgment,
bringing human and demonic rebellion to an abrupt end, and establishing the
“great calm” of His millennial kingdom.
8:25. “And he said
unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to
another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and
water, and they obey him.”
Our faithlessness also merits
His rebuke. Well might they ask, “What manner of man is this?” They had yet
to learn that He was none other than God the Son. We who have learned that
lesson have no excuse for not trusting Him amid every circumstance of life.
We should note also the
contrast between the Lord’s conduct in the midst of that literal storm, and
when He was in the midst of the terrible storm of God’s wrath which began in
Gethsemane and ended at Calvary. He Who with a word stilled the winds and
sea, could also with a word have banished into hell the demons and men who
raged against Him when He hung on the cross, but He refused to exercise that
power, for apart from His death there could be no salvation for men. The
exclamation of the wondering disciples was, “What manner of man is this! for
he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.” The wondering
worship of every redeemed heart must surely be, “What manner of Man is this,
that He was willing to submit to the storm of God’s wrath, even though those
for whom He was giving His life were they who mocked and taunted Him even as
He died! The love that led Him to remain on the cross in spite of their
taunts, is a cause of greater wonder than the power displayed that night when
He stilled the literal storm.
8:26. “And they
arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.”
Some manuscripts state the
place to have been Gergesa or Gesara, and many believe this to be correct
since it was located on the shore of the lake while Gadara was several miles
back from the lake shore. The exact location, however, is of little
importance since it doesn’t change the spiritual message.
The Gadarenes, meaning
reward at the end, represent the Gentiles, and remind us that there is a
reward for every man at the end of life: eternal blessing in heaven for the
believer; eternal torment in the lake of fire for the unbeliever. Its being
“over against Galilee” means “opposite Galilee,” but since Galilee is
associated with the believing remnant of Israel, Gadara then, seems to
represent the very opposite: a people, the Gentiles, marked by unbelief.
8:27. “And when he
went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had
devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the
tombs.”
Mt 8:28 mentions two
demoniacs, and the explanation for the seeming discrepancy may be that Luke,
for a reason not revealed, has focused on one, perhaps the more dominant of
the two. This demoniac is a type of all unbelievers, his actual state
portraying their spiritual condition. His being under the control of the
demons (for that is the correct word rather than devils, there being myriads
of demons, but only one devil), reminds us that every unbeliever is under the
control of Satan who controls the demons, for he who doesn’t serve God, must
serve the prince of darkness. And relative to the “long time,” man has been
in this state a long time: since the day Adam rebelled.
Clothing represents
righteousness - the filthy rags of self-righteousness which clothe the
unbeliever, or the righteousness of Christ which clothes the believer. The
man’s nakedness is the symbolic revelation of the truth that every unconverted
man is similarly destitute of righteousness. It is significant that the first
discovery made by Adam after he had sinned was that he was naked. He had lost
the righteousness of innocence which had covered him prior to the fall.
Since a house is one of the
Biblical symbols of a corporate testimony, its being said that he didn’t dwell
in any house, is the symbolic revelation of the truth that the unconverted,
whom he represents, are also outside God’s “house” - in the OT age, outside
Israel; today, outside the Church; and in the Tribulation, again outside
Israel.
His dwelling in the tombs,
i.e., amongst the dead, announces that the unconverted also dwell amongst the
dead, for until a man is born again he is spiritually dead in trespasses and
sins.
8:28. “When he saw
Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said,
What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee,
torment me not.”
8:29. “(For he had
commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had
caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the
bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)”
Since the man was under the
control of the demons, his falling down in the presence of Christ assures us
that it was the demons who bowed at the Lord’s feet, and reminds us that one
day every rebel man will also be made to bow and acknowledge, too late for
mercy, the supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ. That an eternity of torment
awaits every rebel is announced in the demon’s plea, “torment me not.”
The broken chains around his
wrists and ankles add another element to the symbolic picture, for they speak
of the rules made by man to govern society, those very rules being the mute
confession that even in his lawless rebellion against God man can’t live
without some form of restraint on the lusts of his own fallen nature. The
chains being broken, however, remind us that the evil of the old nature cannot
be restrained. Man is continually changing the laws to accommodate the
desires of his old nature, retaining only as many of those restraints as he
deems needful to prevent the dissolution of the whole social structure, but
even so it is apparent that this catering to the old nature has already so
weakened the foundations of society that the whole edifice is ready to
collapse, as in fact, it will in the impending Tribulation era.
The man’s being driven by the
devil into the wilderness (the place of death) reminds us that the ultimate
end of the unbeliever will be to be consigned to the ultimate abode of death,
the lake of fire.
8:30. “And Jesus asked
him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were
entered into him.”
A Roman legion consisted of
6,000 men, so that even if the language is figurative rather than literal, the
fact remains that the man was indwelt by a phenomenal number of demons.
It must be recognized that
when the Lord asks a question it is never to elicit information but
confession, for He is omniscient: He knows all things. It must be recognized
also that in Scripture a change of name is indicative of a change of state,
e.g., Jacob became Israel; Saul the persecutor, became Paul the Apostle. The
Lord’s asking the man to state his name therefore, is the same thing as asking
him to confess what he was, and significantly, this is always the first step
leading to conversion, for until a man is willing to confess himself a sinner
without any righteousness, he cannot be saved.
The man appears to have been
so totally controlled by the demons within him that his words were theirs,
reminding us that unconverted man, though unaware of it, is similarly under
the dominion of Satan; and the multitude of the indwelling hordes simply
declares the truth that Satan’s minions are legion.
8:31. “And they
besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.”
Their plea is the tacit
acknowledgment of the Lord’s authority over them, reminding us that Satan can
do only what God permits.
The word “deep” here is not
the sea, as is commonly believed, but rather the abyss, the bottomless pit, in
which Satan will be imprisoned during the Millennium.
8:32. “And there was
there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him
that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.”
8:33. “Then went the
devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently
down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.”
Swine are used in Scripture to
represent apostates, i.e., those who having known the truth, have abandoned it
and turned to walk again in uncleanness, see 2 Pe 2:22. The departure of the
demons therefore from the man, and their entering into the swine which were
then drowned, portrays the truth that all unbelievers will have their eternal
portion with Satan and his demons in the unending torment of the lake of fire,
their entry into that terrible place being described as “the second death” (Re
20:14).
8:34. “When they that
fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in
the country.”
The city appears to represent
the Church; and the country, the unbelieving world, so that the spiritual
truth being declared in their relating the news in both places is that saint
and sinner alike are warned of the terrible consequences of sin. It will
cause the former to lose his reward; the latter, his soul.
8:35. “Then they went
out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom
the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his
right mind: and they were afraid.”
What a transformation was
wrought in the former demoniac! His sitting is indicative of the rest into
which the sinner enters at conversion, while his being at the feet of Jesus
portrays him as a learner, and reminds us that we are commanded to “grow in
grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” 2 Pe 3:18.
His being clothed speaks of his being clothed spiritually with the
righteousness of Christ; while his being in his right mind, declares that the
believer is the only wise man on the earth, for “the fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom.” The fear displayed by the others, however, reminds us
that one may be made to tremble, as did Felix, yet stop short of being saved.
8:36. “They also which
saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was
healed.”
8:37. “Then the whole
multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart
from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship,
and returned back again.”
It is strange that they who
had been given irrefutable proof of the Lord’s restorative power should have
refused to bring other sick ones for healing, but perhaps it is just another
proof of the perversity of the natural heart. They obviously valued their
swine more than their souls. Their requesting the Lord to leave their country
portrays the attitude of those who reject the strivings of the Holy Spirit,
and remind us of the solemn warning against such folly, “My Spirit shall not
always strive with man,” Ge 6:3; “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his
neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy,” Pr 29:1.
His re-entering the ship and
returning to Galilee, may portray His turning again to Israel after the
rapture of the Church, to bring out of that nation the repentant remnant that
will be the new Israel which will enter the Millennium.
8:38. “Now the man out
of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but
Jesus sent him away, saying,”
8:39. “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.”
Every believer has the desire
to be with the Lord Jesus Christ, as Paul declared, “I am in a strait betwixt
two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better,”
Php 1:23. But as there was work for Paul to do here on earth, so is there
work for each of us. We are to go into all the world, and preach the Gospel
to every creature, Mk 16:15. And so also with the former demoniac. He too
was to be the Lord’s witness; and we do well to note the order of his
testimony. It was first to his own house, then the city, and as we learn from
Mk 5:20, then to Decapolis, i.e., the ten-city region. This is still the
pattern for our witness. Note that following the Lord’s ascension, the
witness of the disciples was first to Jerusalem, then to Samaria, and then to
the whole world. It is folly to think of witnessing in far off fields if we
haven’t first told our own families, then the neighbors, fellow workers, and
those with whom we have daily contact.
When the Lord later visited
Decapolis (Mk 7:31) the people welcomed Him, indicating that the former
demoniac’s testimony there had borne fruit.
8:40. “And it came to
pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they
were all waiting for him.”
If we have been correct in
viewing Christ’s departure from Galilee to Gadara as symbolizing His turning
to the Gentiles after being rejected by Israel, then this return to Galilee
represents His turning again to Israel after the rapture of the Church, to
bring the believing remnant out of the Tribulation into the millennial
kingdom. The warm welcome accorded Him speaks of the eagerness with which the
believing remnant will receive Him during the Tribulation.
8:41. “And, behold,
there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he
fell down at Jesus’ feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:”
Jairus is Greek for Jair,
which means he will enlighten. He may represent the 144,000 Jews who
will first believe in Christ following the rapture of the Church.
8:42. “For he had one
only daughter, about twelve years of age and she lay a dying. But as he went
the people thronged him.”
This dying daughter would then
be a fitting type of the rest of Israel, already dead spiritually, and daily
drawing nearer to physical death. Inasmuch as she was healed, however, she
represents only that part of Israel that will trust in Christ during the
Tribulation. There is a lesson also in her being twelve years of age, for
twelve is the number of those under God’s government. While all things are
under His rule, Israel is uniquely the object of His government, she being the
only one of all the nations which He choose to be His earthly people.
The thronging people may then
very well represent the Gentiles in the Tribulation, the woman with the faith
to be healed of the issue of blood, representing the believing Gentiles of
that era.
8:43. “And a woman
having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon
physicians, neither could be healed of any,”
8:44. “Came behind
him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood
stanched.”
Since “the life of the flesh
is in the blood,” this issue of blood speaks of life ebbing away, a fitting
picture of the state of every unconverted man. The reference to her having
spent all her living on physicians who had effected no cure, may have
reference to the multitudinous Gentile religions in which men have sought
unsuccessfully for salvation. The implied large amount of money uselessly
spent, reminds us that the world’s religious systems don’t offer their
services free.
Her coming behind Him portrays
the Gentile “dogs” creeping in to eat the crumbs which fall from their
masters’ table, Mt 15:27, and like the Canaanite woman referred to in Mt 15,
the Gentiles are saved on the same basis as are the Jews, that is, by faith.
It is instructive to note that
the time of her sickness is the same as the age of Jairus’ daughter: twelve
years. The Gentiles too, though they refuse to obey Him, are as much under
Divine government as are the Jews.
8:45. “And Jesus said,
Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said,
Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched
me?”
The omniscient Lord knew who
had touched him, and why, but here, as always, His question wasn’t to elicit
information, but confession, for there must be confession of sin before it can
be forgiven.
8:46. “And Jesus said,
Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.”
This may not be taken to mean
that his inherent virtue had been diminished by the woman’s touch, but rather
that He was aware that someone had touched Him believingly.
8:47. “And when the
woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before
him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had
touched him, and how she was healed immediately.”
This is the pattern of
confession accompanying every genuine conversion.
8:49. “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.”
Love for Christ should
translate into love for the unconverted, for example Moses was willing to be
stricken from God’s book if only Israel might be spared, Ex 32:32, and Paul
could have wished himself accursed if only his people might be saved, Ro 9:3.
The love of Jairus for his only daughter may represent the love of the 144,000
for their unsaved countrymen, while the messenger’s announcement of her death
may portray what will be the belief of many in the Tribulation: that Israel is
dead and without hope of recovery. But the girl wasn’t beyond hope of
recovery, however much outward signs may have indicated the contrary, and as
she was revived so will the nation which she seems to represent also be
recovered in the Tribulation.
A practical lesson we may
learn from this is that we should never conclude that anyone is beyond God’s
saving grace.
8:50. “But when Jesus
heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be
made whole.”
How even the most hopeless
situation changes when Christ is brought into the reckoning!
8:51. “And when he
came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and
John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.”
I regret being unable to read
the spiritual significance of the Lord’s allowing only those five to witness
His restoration of the girl, for I’m certain that there is instruction here
which goes beyond the announcement of the literal facts.
8:52. “And they
laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.”
Those who “laughed him to
scorn” were not the parents or the disciples, but the multitude gathered for
the loud wailings that were the normal accompaniment of the ritual connected
with death.
Expositors disagree as to
whether the girl was dead, but surely it ought to be enough for faith
to believe the Lord’s assurance, “she is not dead, but sleepeth,” for to Him
Who is the resurrection and the life, it is just as easy to raise one from
sleep as from death; and from physical death, as from spiritual. Everything
indicates that she was literally dead. To human reason Israel may seem to be
dead, but the Word of God assures us that the Lord of life will raise her up
again. In the Tribulation a believing remnant will be awakened out of a two
thousand year death-like sleep to enter the Millennium as the new Israel “born
in a day.”
8:54. “And he put them
all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.”
He Who is the Living Word
called the universe into existence by speaking a word, and by the same power
and method He caused this dead girl to rise from death. That same power,
through the Gospel, is available to impart spiritual life to sinners “dead in
trespasses and sins.”
8:55. “And her spirit
came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.”
It is easy to see in her
recovery a picture of the conversion of a sinner, and of a remnant of Israel
in the Tribulation, nor should we miss the significance of His command, “Give
her meat.” The believer’s new spiritual life must be nourished with spiritual
food, the written Word, just as his physical life needs to be sustained with
literal food.
8:56. “And her parents
were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was
done.”
I regret being unable to read
the spiritual significance of the Lord’s forbidding the parents to tell anyone
about the miracle, for there can be no question that He had some reason for
enjoining silence.
[Luke 9]