Gospel of Luke 8 Gospel of Luke

05.12.201927.05.2017

4. JESUS ON DIFFERENT ATTITUDES TO HIS TEACHINGS (8:1-21)

A. Positive response from his close followers (8:1-3)

Onion. 8:1-3. The first among those who gladly received His gospel of the kingdom of God were the twelve and some women whom He healed of evil spirits and diseases. Among the latter was Mary of Magdala, from whom Jesus cast out seven demons. The number "seven" in Scripture often serves as a symbol of fullness. So Mary Magdalene probably suffered from an extreme degree of possession. In addition to her, Luke names two more women (among many others) who supported Jesus and His apostles financially: this is Joanna, the wife of ... the steward of Herod, and a certain Susanna, about whom nothing more is known.

b. The parable of the Sower as an illustration of different perceptions of the gospel (8:4-15) (Mat. 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20)

Onion. 8:4. By telling this parable and explaining it, Jesus showed how different people's reactions to the word of God can be. Luke notes that at that time a multitude of people from all cities came together to Jesus. It is quite clear that in this crowd there were those who represented all four types of perception of Jesus' teaching, which are mentioned in the parable. It probably also contains a warning to "hearers" about the "obstacles" in learning the truth that they will encounter.

Onion. 8:5-8. An image of a farmer appears before his eyes, who manually scatters grain over a plowed field. The seed of this sower falls on four kinds of soil. Part of it hit the road running along the field, and the birds ... pecked at it. Another part fell on the rock (i.e., on a thin layer of soil covering the rock); these grains, although they sprouted, quickly dried up, because they did not have enough moisture (verse 6). There were some grains that fell among the weeds and were choked by them (verse 7). Finally, some part of the seeds fell on good ground; these brought forth a good harvest (verse 8).

Jesus ended the parable with a call to his listeners: He who has ears to hear, let him hear. With this phrase, Christ repeatedly ended His parables (Mat. 11:15; 13:9,43; Mark 4:9,23; Luke 8:8; 14:35). It means that spiritual people are able to comprehend the meaning of His parables. The non-spiritual, on the other hand, perceive in them only the "plot" side, that is, what lies on the surface.

Onion. 8:9-10. Before answering the disciples' question and explaining to them the meaning of the parable, He tells them why He teaches in parables. People who know how to discern spiritual things, that is, those who follow Him and recognize His teaching as true, are given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. And for those who do not accept the teachings of Jesus Christ, it is not given to comprehend the meaning of allegories on which parables are built. For their hearts were "hardened," their eyes were "closed," and their ears were "hard to hear" (Isaiah 6:9).

In the words of Christ, so that when they see they do not see and when they hear they do not understand, the same thought is expressed as in the above passage from the book of the prophet Isaiah. Christ's use of parables can be understood as a kind of act of Divine mercy towards those hearers who rejected Him: if they fully understood the truths He expressed (Luke 10:13-15), they would be subjected to a more severe judgment in the future.

Onion. 8:11-15. Here Christ explains to the disciples the meaning of the parable of the sower. The seed is the word of God. The words that He spoke, the Living Word that came from God, were the same that the people heard from John the Baptist. The listeners were responsible for accepting or rejecting these words.

The four kinds of soil are four "kinds" of people hearing the same good news. To the first type belong those who hear, in whose hearts the word of truth does not remain, for the devil snatches it away, so that these people would not believe and be saved (verse 12).

The second kind or group includes those who gladly agree with the truth of God, but it does not take a deep root in them (verse 13), and they cannot stand in it. The phrase that they believe for a time, but fall away in time of temptation, means that, believing more with their mind than with their heart, they, when things take a "bad turn", that is, when the time comes for their faith to be tested, renounce it.

The third group of those who hear the word are those who are not destined to reach spiritual maturity (verse 14). They seem to be interested in the highest truth, but are not able to fully accept it because of their preoccupation with material concerns, sometimes with an irresistible craving for wealth and worldly pleasures.

Finally, the fourth group is those who, having heard the word of God, keep it in a good and pure heart and bear spiritual fruit (verse 15).

In the process of Jesus' ministry, representatives of each of the four groups revealed their belonging to the corresponding group: 1) The scribes and Pharisees refused to believe in Christ. 2) Many people followed Jesus only because He miraculously healed and nourished them, but the message He brought to them "did not take root" in their hearts (compare John 6:66). 3) There were also those who, like the rich youth "of the rulers" (Luke 18:18-30), showed an interest, sometimes sincere, in the teachings of Jesus, but did not become His followers, defeated by their strong attraction to material joys. 4) Those belonging to the fourth group were filled with devotion to the Living Word; having absorbed the teachings of Christ, they remained faithful to Him at all costs (eg, 8:1-3).

V. The Need to Listen to Jesus and Accept His Teachings (8:16-18) (Matt. 4:21-25)

Onion. 8:16-18. This short parable is a logical continuation of the parable of the Sower. One of the main semantic stresses in it, Jesus again makes "hearing", or rather, "hearing" (verse 18). If someone understands the word of God, this cannot but be reflected in his life and behavior (verse 15), that is, it will become "visible" to everyone. As after lighting a candle, they do not cover it with a vessel (compare 11:33), so God does not reveal the secrets of the Kingdom of God (8:10) to people so that they keep them "secret". The task of Christ's disciples was to make them visible to the rest of the people (8:17).

Therefore, it is important for all who follow Him to observe for themselves how the word resonates with them (verse 18). If true faith is kindled in their hearts (verse 15), then the truth will be revealed to them more and more. If they do not accept what they hear with their hearts, they will lose all idea of the truth (verse 18).

d. Jesus' attitude towards His earthly relatives (8:19-21) (Matt. 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35)

Onion. 8:19-21. From the previous verses (1-18) it is clear that only those people who accept (and put into practice) His teaching are in the right attitude towards Christ. Luke further writes: And his mother and his brothers came to him ...

Jesus was told that His relatives wanted to see Him (8:20). It should not be supposed that by His answer Christ renounces his relationship with them. Rather, He makes it clear that the bonds that bind Him to those who hear and do the word of God are like family ties. From these words of His, moreover, it follows that the gospel is intended not for one Jewish people, but for all who are ready to believe in it, including the Gentiles, and be guided by it in practical life. This lesson was, in particular, deeply learned by James, one of the mentioned brothers of Jesus by mother (James 1:22-23).

5. A NEW SERIES OF MIRACLES (8:22-56)

Again (compare 4:31 - 6:16) Luke writes about a series of miracles performed by Christ - performed in confirmation of the truth of His teaching. In this section, Jesus reveals His authority over the forces of nature, over demonic forces, and over sickness and death (8:22-25; 26-29; 40-56).

A. The elements are subject to Jesus (8:22-25) (Mat. 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41)

Onion. 8:22-25. While Jesus and His disciples were crossing in a boat to the other (less populated) side of the Lake of Gennesaret, a strong storm arose; the boat began to fill with water. The Lake of Gennesaret (aka the Sea of Tiberias or the Sea of Galilee) is known for these unexpected storms that suddenly turn it into a stormy and life-threatening. Jesus, while swimming ... fell asleep. The frightened disciples woke Him up with the words: Mentor! Mentor! perish. Jesus, having risen, forbade the wind and the waves of the water, and immediately reproached the disciples for their little faith.

After all, they sailed according to His direction: and he said to them: Let us cross over to the other side of the lake (verse 22). So they had to trust His word. The lake calmed down immediately (which usually does not happen during storms) precisely by the almighty word of the Lord. At the sight of this, fear and wonder seized the disciples (compare verses 35, 37).

b. Power of Jesus over demonic powers (8:26-39) (Matt. 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20)

Onion. 8:26. Whereas Matthew, in recounting this episode, writes that Jesus met with two possessed men (Matt. 8:28-34), Luke speaks of only one. There is some confusion about the area where this miracle happened. Matthew calls it the "country of the Gergesins", apparently after the name of the small town of Gers, located on east coast Sea of Galilee and now in ruins (Matt. 8:28), and Mark and Luke write about the "country of Gadara", named, it seems, after the city of Gadara (about 10 km. Southeast of the lower extremity of the Sea of Galilee) . It is possible that the territory around the mentioned town of Gers and it itself were administratively subordinated to Gadara (compare the commentary on Mark 5:1).

Onion. 8:27-29. When He came ashore, a man possessed by demons met Him. His whole lifestyle testified to this. As is typical of most possessed people in the Gospels, this one also spoke (or shouted) in a loud voice. The demon that sat in it recognized Jesus, for the man called Him by name: What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? It was the demon, and not the person in whom he moved, who realized the power of Jesus over himself, which follows from his words do not torment me (verse 28).

Onion. 8:30-33. When asked by Jesus what his name was, the unclean spirit answered: legion (this Latin word denoted a military unit of 6,000 people). That is, the unfortunate madman was possessed by many demons. They asked Jesus "not to torment" them "before the time", as follows from the Gospel of Matthew (Matt. 8:29), not to send them to the abyss or to the underworld (the place of residence of the dead) ahead of time.

Under the "abyss" was also understood a certain bottomless abyss of water, and in the light of this, we can talk about the ironic ending of this meeting of unclean spirits with Christ. He granted their request to allow them to enter a herd of pigs that were grazing nearby, but as soon as this happened, the herd rushed down the steep into the lake and drowned. So despite Jesus' permission for them not to go into the abyss, the demons still fell into it.

Onion. 8:34-37. The reaction of the inhabitants of this area to the miracle that took place was fear (verses 35, 37 compare with 7:16; 8:25). Out of fear, they began to ask Jesus to leave them.

Onion. 8:38-39. Unlike the inhabitants of the "Gadarene neighborhood", the former possessed wanted to stay with Jesus, but He ordered him to go home and testify about what God had done for him. It was the first witness of Jesus Christ in the pagan world.

V. Jesus' authority over sickness and death (8:40-56) (Matt. 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43)

This entire section (chapters 7-8) begins and ends with a description of Jesus' ministry to people afflicted with sickness and death. However, what is said in 8:40-56 becomes the climax of the division due to its obvious symbolism: it is essentially about the ability ("power") of Christ to purify people (in the ritual sense of the word) without being "infected" with their impurity.

Onion. 8:40-42. And behold, a man came by the name of Jairus, to whom he was the head of the synagogue. He asked Jesus to save his only daughter who was dying. The fact that even the "leader of the synagogue" turned to Jesus with a request shows that people were beginning to understand. Who is he.

Jairus was responsible for conducting divine services and for the proper condition of the synagogue premises and its property. The New Testament speaks of two more "leaders of the synagogue": Crispus (Acts 18:8) and Sosthenes (Acts 18:17).

Onion. 8:43-48. Here Luke abruptly breaks off the story of Jairus to tell about an incident that happened on the way of Jesus to his house. And the woman who suffered from bleeding for twelve years ... The numbers here curiously echo: the daughter of Jairus was about twelve years old, and all the time that she lived in the world, the woman, which will be discussed below, suffered from bleeding. Sickness made her ceremonially unclean (Lev. 15:25-30), and anyone who touched her became unclean. None of the people could heal her, but behold, she touched ... the garment of Jesus, and immediately the flow of her blood stopped.

Christ question who touched me? - of course, does not mean that He did not know who touched Him. He just wanted the woman to publicly reveal her faith, which led her to touch Him. And falling down before Him, she discovered it. This woman's faith brought her healing (8:48). Go in peace, Jesus told her. Formerly, with the same words, He sent away the sinner who believed in Him (7:50). Both were cleansed and saved by Christ.

Onion. 8:49-56. The story returns to Jairus again. He accepted in his heart the words of Jesus, who, after Jairus was informed of the death of his daughter, said: do not be afraid, only believe, and she will be saved. His faith in the ability of Jesus to resurrect the dead is evidenced by the fact that He, the head of the synagogue, allowed Him to enter his house after He was touched by a ceremonially unclean woman.

After the resurrection of the girl, Jesus ordered to give her something to eat - a detail indicating that not only was her spirit returned to her (that is, the soul that left her body), but also a normal state of health. And her parents were surprised (here literally - "they were beside themselves with amazement"). Out of amazement, but not out of fear.

That Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone about what had happened was probably dictated by His unwillingness to be openly proclaimed as the Messiah until He Himself made it clear in Jerusalem.

E. Jesus instructs His disciples (9:1-50)

Luke concludes the section on Jesus' Galilean ministry with a description of several important events that provide Jesus with visual material for instructing his disciples. As regards this chapter, although Luke does not minimize the importance of the cases described in it, they are not at the center of his narrative. The "central theme" for him is the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem. So everything that is told in this chapter, as it were, ends the previous part of Christ's ministry (4:14 - 9:50) and "bridges" to the beginning of His journey to Jerusalem (9:51).

After this, He went through the cities and villages, preaching and announcing the Kingdom of God, and with Him the Twelve,and some of the women whom He healed of evil spirits and diseases: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons came out,and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, the steward of Herod, and Susanna, and many others who served him with their possessions.

When a multitude of people had gathered, and from all the cities the inhabitants gathered to Him, He began to speak in a parable:a sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside and was trampled on, and the birds of the air pecked at him;and another fell on a stone, and ascending, withered, because it had no moisture;and another fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked him;and another fell on good ground and, rising up, brought forth fruit a hundredfold. Having said this, he exclaimed: Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!

And His disciples asked Him: What would this parable mean?He said: It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables, so that seeing they do not see and hearing they do not understand.

Therefore, watch how you listen: for whoever has, to him will be given, and whoever does not have, even what he thinks to have will be taken away from him.

And his mother and his brothers came to him, and they could not come to him because of the people.And let Him know: Your Mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see You.

He said to them in reply: My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.

One day He went into a boat with His disciples and said to them: Let's cross over to the other side of the lake. And they set off.While they were sailing, He fell asleep. A stormy wind arose on the lake, and flooded them waves and they were in danger.And, having approached, they woke Him up and said: Master! Mentor! perish.

But He, having risen, rebuked the wind and the waves of the water; and they stopped, and there was silence.Then He said to them, Where is your faith?

And they, in fear and wonder, said to each other: Who is this, that he commands both the winds and the water, and obey Him?

Jesus asked him: What is your name?

He said, "legion," because many demons had entered into him.And they asked Jesus not to command them to go into the abyss.

Right there on the mountain a large herd of pigs grazed; And demons asked Him to let them enter into them. He allowed them.The demons, coming out of the man, entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake and drowned.

But Jesus let him go, saying:Return to your house and tell what God has done for you.

He went and preached throughout the city what Jesus had done for him.

When Jesus returned, the people accepted him, because everyone was waiting for him.And behold, a man came by the name of Jairus, who was the ruler of the synagogue; and falling down at the feet of Jesus, he begged him to enter his house,because he had one daughter, about twelve years old, and she was about to die.

As he walked, the people crowded him.And a woman who suffered from bleeding for twelve years, who, having spent all her property on doctors, could not be cured by any one,coming up behind, she touched the hem of his garment; and immediately the flow of her blood stopped.And Jesus said: who touched me?

When all were denied, Peter also said to those who were with him: Master! The people surround You and oppress You, and You say: “Who touched Me?”

But Jesus said: someone touched me, for I felt the power that came out of me.The woman, seeing that she had not hidden herself, approached with trembling, and, falling down before Him, declared to Him before all the people why she had touched Him, and how she was immediately healed.He told her: hold on, darling! your faith has saved you; go in peace.

While He was still speaking this, someone from the house of the ruler of the synagogue came and said to him: Your daughter is dead; don't bother the teacher.

But Jesus, hearing this, said to him: do not be afraid, only believe, and you will be saved.

And when he came into the house, he did not allow anyone to enter, except Peter, John and James, and the father of the maiden, and the mother.Everyone wept and wept for her. But He said: do not Cry; she is not dead, but asleep.

And they laughed at Him, knowing that she was dead.He sent them all out, and taking her by the hand, he exclaimed: maiden! get up.And her spirit returned; she immediately got up, and He ordered to give her something to eat.And her parents were surprised. He ordered them not to tell anyone about what had happened.

1 After this he went through the cities and villages, preaching and proclaiming the kingdom of God, and with him the twelve,

2 and some of the women whom he healed of evil spirits and diseases: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons went out,

Mary Magdalene. Painter Jan van Scorel 1530

3 And Joanna, the wife of Chuza, the steward of Herod, and Susanna, and many others who ministered to him with their possessions.

4 And when a multitude of people had gathered, and from all the cities the inhabitants came together to him, he began to speak in a parable:

5 A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate him;

6 and another fell on a stone, and ascended, and dried up, because it had no moisture;

7 and another fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked him;

8 and another fell on good ground, and, rising up, brought forth fruit a hundredfold. Having said this, he proclaimed: He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

9 And his disciples asked him, What is the meaning of this parable?

10 He said, It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables, so that seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not understand.

11 This is what this parable means: the seed is the word of God;

12 but what fell along the way, these are those who hear, to whom the devil then comes and takes the word out of their hearts, so that they do not believe and be saved;

13 but those that fell on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy, but who have no root, and believe for a time, but fall away in time of temptation;

14 but those who have fallen into thorns, they are those who hear the word, but, departing, are crushed by cares, riches and the pleasures of life and do not bear fruit;

15 but those that have fallen on good ground are those who, having heard the word, keep it in a good and pure heart, and bear fruit with patience. Having said this, He proclaimed: He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

16 No one, having lighted a candle, covers it with a vessel, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a candlestick, so that those who come in can see the light.

17 For there is nothing secret that would not be made manifest, nor hidden that would not be made known and would not be revealed.

18 So watch how you hear: for whoever has, to him it will be given, and whoever does not have, even what he thinks to have will be taken away from him.

19 And his mother and his brothers came to him, and could not come to him because of the people.

20 And they let him know: Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.

21 He answered and said to them, My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.

22 One day he got into a boat with his disciples and said to them, Let us cross over to the other side of the lake. And they set off.

23 While they were sailing, He fell asleep. A stormy wind arose on the lake, and flooded them with waves, and they were in danger.

24 And they came up and woke him up and said, Master! Mentor! perish. But He, having risen, rebuked the wind and the waves of the water; and they stopped, and there was silence.

25 Then he said to them, Where is your faith? And they, in fear and wonder, said to each other: Who is this, that he commands both the winds and the water, and obey Him?

26 And they sailed to the country of Gadara, which lay opposite Galilee.

27 And when he went ashore, a man from the city met him, possessed by demons from a long time ago, and who did not put on clothes, and lived not in a house, but in tombs.

28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torment me.

29 For Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to come out of this man, because he tormented him for a long time, so that they bound him with chains and bands, saving him; but he broke the bands and was driven by a demon into the wilderness.

30 Jesus asked him, What is your name? He said legion, because many demons had entered into him.

31 And they asked Jesus not to command them to go into the abyss.

32 There was a large herd of pigs grazing on the mountain; and the demons asked Him to let them enter into them. He allowed them.

33 The demons came out of the man and entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake and drowned.

34 When the shepherds saw what had happened, they ran and told stories in the city and in the villages.

35 And they went out to see what had happened; and when they came to Jesus, they found a man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and of sound mind; and were horrified.

36 And those who saw it told them how the demon-possessed one was healed.

37 And all the people of the region around Gadara asked Him to depart from them, because they were seized with great fear. He entered the boat and returned.

38 But the man from whom the demons had come out asked Him to be with Him. But Jesus let him go, saying:

39 Return to your house and tell what God has done for you. He went and preached throughout the city what Jesus had done for him.

40 And when Jesus returned, the people received him, because they were all waiting for him.

41 And behold, a man came by the name of Jairus, who was the ruler of the synagogue; and falling down at the feet of Jesus, he begged him to enter his house,

42 because he had one daughter, about twelve years old, and she was about to die. As he walked, the people crowded him.

43 And the woman who suffered from bleeding for twelve years, who, having spent all her possessions on doctors, could not be cured by one,

44 coming up behind, she touched the hem of his garment; and immediately the flow of her blood stopped.

45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all were denied, Peter also said to those who were with him: Master! the people surround you and oppress you, and you say: who touched me?

46 But Jesus said, "Someone touched me, for I felt the power that went out of me."

47 The woman, seeing that she was not hidden, trembled, and, falling down before Him, declared to Him before all the people why she had touched Him, and how she was immediately healed.

48 He said to her: Be of good cheer, daughter! your faith has saved you; go in peace.

49 While He was still speaking this, a man from the house of the ruler of the synagogue came and said to him, Your daughter is dead; don't bother the teacher.

50 But Jesus, hearing this, said to him, Do not be afraid, only believe, and she will be saved.

51 And when he came into the house, he did not allow anyone to enter except Peter, John, and James, and the father of the maiden, and the mother.

52 Everyone wept and wept for her. But He said, do not weep; she is not dead, but asleep.

53 And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.

54 And he sent them all out, and taking her by the hand, he exclaimed: Maiden! get up.

Resurrection of the daughter of Jairus. Artist Ilya Efimovich Repin 1871

55 And her spirit returned; she immediately got up, and He ordered to give her something to eat.

56 And her parents wondered. He ordered them not to tell anyone about what had happened.

Resurrection of the daughter of Jairus. Artist G. Dore

After this, He passed through the cities and villages, preaching and announcing the Kingdom of God, and with Him were twelve, and some women whom He healed from evil spirits and diseases: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons came out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, the steward of Herod, and Susanna, and many others who served Him with their possessions. Having descended from heaven in order to present us with His own pattern and destiny in everything, the Lord teaches us not to be lazy in learning, but to go around in all places and preach; for whatever He did, He did for our instruction. He went through all the cities and villages and led twelve disciples with Him, who did not teach, did not preach, but themselves learned from Him and were edified by His deeds and His words. - The Lord preached not about earthly blessings, but about the Kingdom of Heaven. For who else was more fit to preach about heavenly things than the one who comes from heaven? That is why none of the prophets preached about the Kingdom of Heaven. For how could they preach about what they had not seen? That is why the Forerunner said: He who is from the earth speaks as he who is from the earth, but He who comes from heaven, that he saw, testifies to this (John 3, 31.32). - Wives also followed the Lord, so that we know that weakness does not prevent the female sex from following Christ. See also how they, being rich, despised, yet they all chose poverty for the sake of Christ and with Christ. And that they were rich, learn from the fact that they served the Lord with their own property and not with someone else's or unjustly acquired property, as many do. - In the words: "from which seven demons came out," a certain number "seven" is taken indefinitely, instead of: "many", because in Scripture the number seven is often taken instead of: "many." Another, perhaps, will say: as there are seven spirits of virtue, so, on the contrary, there are seven spirits of malice, for example: there is the spirit of the fear of God, there is, on the other hand, the spirit of God's fearlessness; there is a spirit of understanding, there is, on the other hand, a spirit of unreason, and so on. Unless these seven spirits of wickedness are cast out from the heart, no one can follow Christ. For Satan must first be cast out, and then Christ instilled.

When a multitude of people had gathered, and from all the cities the inhabitants converged to Him, He began to speak in a parable: A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, something fell by the road and was trampled down, and the birds of the air pecked him; and another fell on a stone, and ascending, withered, because it had no moisture; and another fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked him; and another fell on good ground and, rising up, brought forth fruit a hundredfold. Having said this, he proclaimed: He who has ears to hear, let him hear! And His disciples asked Him: What would this parable mean? He said: It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables, so that seeing they do not see and hearing they do not understand. Now what David said long ago on behalf of Christ has come true. “I will open,” he said, “my mouth in a parable” (Ps. 77:2). The Lord spoke in parables for many purposes, namely: to make the listeners more attentive and excite their minds to investigate what is being said (for we people are usually more engaged in hidden speeches, and pay little attention to clear ones), and so that the unworthy would not understand what is said mysteriously; and for many other reasons He speaks in parables. A "sower" came out, that is, the Son of God. He “came out” from the bosom of the Father and from His hiddenness and became visible. Who came out? The one who always sows. For the Son of God never ceases to sow in our souls: He sows good seeds in our souls not only when He teaches, but also through this world, and through those manifestations that take place with us and around us. He went out not to destroy the farmers or burn the country, but only to sow. For the farmer often goes out, not only to sow, but also for others. He went out to sow his own seed. For the word of his teaching was his own, and not someone else's. The prophets, for example, whatever they said, did not speak of themselves, but of the Spirit; which is why they said, "This is what the Lord says." And Christ had His seed; wherefore, when He taught, He did not say, "This is the Lord speaking," but, "I say to you." - When He sowed, that is, taught, another seed fell along the way. He did not say: the sower threw, but: it fell; for the sower sows and teaches, and the word falls into the hearts of the hearers. They turn out to be either a road, or a stone, or a thorn, or a good earth. - When the disciples asked about the parable, the Lord said to them: it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, that is, to you who wish to learn; for everyone who asks receives. And to the rest, unworthy of the sacraments, they communicate in secret, and such seem to see, but do not see, and hear, but do not understand, and this is for their own good. For Christ hid this from them for this purpose, so that, having known the mysteries and despised them, they would not fall under greater condemnation, since he who knows and neglects is worthy of the gravest punishment.

This is what this parable means: the seed is the word of God; but what fell along the way is the hearers, to whom the devil then comes and takes the word out of their hearts, so that they would not believe and be saved; and those who fell on the stone are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy, but who have no root, and believe for a time, but fall away in the time of temptation; and those who have fallen into thorns are those who hear the word, but, departing, are crushed by worries, wealth and worldly pleasures and do not bear fruit; and those who have fallen on good ground are those who, having heard the word, keep it in a good and pure heart and bear fruit in patience. Having said this, He proclaimed: He who has ears to hear, let him hear! Three categories of people who are not saved according to this parable. The first group includes those who are like a seed that fell along the path, that is, they did not receive the teaching at all, for just as the trodden and beaten road does not accept the seed, because it is hard, so the hard-hearted do not accept the teaching at all, because although they listen but without attention. The other includes those who are like a seed that fell on a stone, that is, those who, although they accepted the teaching, but then, due to human weakness, turned out to be powerless before temptations. The third category, however, are those who know the doctrine and yet are overwhelmed by the cares of life. So there are three parts of those who perish, and one part of those who are saved. Thus, those who are saved are few, but those who perish are very many. See how He speaks of those who are overwhelmed by the cares of life: He did not say that they are overwhelmed by wealth, but by the cares of wealth. For it is not wealth that harms, but care about it. Because many have benefited from wealth by distributing it to satisfy the hunger of the poor. Accept, perhaps, the accuracy of the evangelist, as he said about those who are being saved: "having heard the word, they keep it." This he said for the sake of those who are on the way; for these do not contain the doctrine, but the devil takes it away from them. "And they bear fruit" - this He said for the sake of those who are oppressed by the cares of life and do not endure to the end, for such, that is, those who do not bear fruit to the end, do not bear fruit. "In patience - he said for the sake of those who are on the rock; they accept the teaching, but, not resisting the one who finds temptation, they turn out to be worthless. You see, how He said about those who are being saved: "they keep and bear fruit in patience" and through these three properties He distinguished them from those who do not contain, like those who are on the way, from those who do not bear fruit, like those that are in thorns, and from those who cannot bear the temptation that attacked them, like those that are on the rock.

No one, having lit a candle, covers it with a vessel, or puts it under the bed, but puts it on a candlestick so that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing secret that would not be made manifest, nor hidden that would not be made known and would not be revealed. So, watch how you listen: for whoever has, to him will be given, and whoever does not have, even what he thinks to have will be taken away from him. Here is the beginning of another teaching. For He turns to the disciples and says this with the aim of instructing them to be diligent in life and unceasing ascetics, since everyone will turn their eyes to them. For everyone is looking at the teacher and the preacher, everyone is watching him, whether he is good or vice versa, and he will not hide anything of his own. So, if you disciples will be careful and diligent, then God will give you great grace; and whoever does not have thoroughness and attentiveness, by his negligence will quench and destroy that gift from God, which, apparently, he has.

And his mother and his brothers came to him, and they could not come to him because of the people. And let Him know: Your Mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see You. He answered and said to them: My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it. Hence it turns out that Christ was not together with His relatives according to the flesh, but they came to Him, for He, having left them, is engaged in spiritual teaching. So everyone who is entrusted with the service of God should not prefer anything to him; but we must also leave our parents, if they uselessly and in vain hinder us in the work of God, just as the Lord is now doing. When some told Him about His relatives, He does not enter into brotherhood among the few, and He does not attach the honor to the sons of Joseph, as if they were only His brothers. But since He came to save the whole world and make everyone brothers, He says: My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God; then, since hearing alone does not save anyone, but only condemns, He says: and they fulfill. For we must listen and act together. He calls His teaching the Word of God, for whatever He said, everything belonged to His Father, since He was not an adversary to God, so that His words would not be God's. - Some people understand this as follows: since Christ taught and was in glory for His teaching, some, excited by envy, as if in mockery of Him, said: Behold, Your Mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see You. Since His Mother was poor and His brothers were not glorious, like the children of a carpenter, they, in order to disgrace Him as an ignoble one, pointed Him to His Mother and brothers. But He, knowing their thought, said: The poverty of relatives does not harm Me in the least; on the contrary, if anyone, even if he is poor, listens to the Word of God, I make him my kinsman.

One day He got into a boat with His disciples and said to them: let's cross over to the other side of the lake. And they set off. While they were sailing, He fell asleep. A stormy wind arose on the lake, and flooded them waves, and they were in danger. And, having approached, they woke Him up and said: Master! Mentor! perish. But He, having risen, rebuked the wind and the waves of the water; and they stopped, and there was silence. Then He said to them, Where is your faith? And they, in fear and wonder, said to each other: Who is this, that he commands both the winds and the water, and obey Him? The Lord falls asleep with a special intention, namely: to deliver the exercise to the disciples and to test what their faith is, whether they will remain without embarrassment from temptations. It turns out that they are weak. They reveal faith not perfect, but mixed with unbelief. For they believe that He is able to save, but how those of little faith say: save! perish. And if they had perfect faith, they would be fully convinced that it is even impossible for them to perish when the Almighty is with them. "He got up and rebuked the wind." To make His power more evident, He allowed them to be confused. For we people tend to remember more that deliverer who saved us from great danger. So He arose and saved them, not at the beginning, but when they were on the brink of danger. - you can see and figurative sense. The present event is an image of what happened to the disciples afterwards. The lake is Judea, upon which a strong storm of rage against Christ came, as the Jews raged at the crucifixion of the Lord. The disciples were also confused, for they all left Him and fled. But the Lord arose from sleep, that is, resurrected, and the disciples calmed down again. For, appearing before them, He said: "Peace be unto you" (John 20:19). This is the figurative meaning of this place. - "Who is it?" They say this not in a sense of doubt, but in a sense of wonder. They said, as it were, “Who is this?” that is, how great and marvelous He is, and with what power and strength does He do this?!

And they sailed to the country of Gadara, lying opposite Galilee. When He came ashore, a man from the city met Him, possessed by demons for a long time, and who did not wear clothes, and lived not in a house, but in tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and said with a loud voice: What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torment me. For Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to come out of this man, because he tormented him for a long time, so that he was bound with chains and bonds, saving him; but he broke the bands and was driven by a demon into the wilderness. Jesus asked him: What is your name? He said legion, because many demons had entered into him. And they asked Jesus not to command them to go into the abyss. Right there on the mountain a large herd of pigs grazed; And demons asked Him to let them enter into them. He allowed them. The demons, coming out of the man, entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake and drowned. Look: the demon is possessed by two passions of malice: insolence and fear. For the words: "What have you to do with me" are characteristic of a daring and shameless slave, but "I implore you" - a timid one. He lives in coffins, with the intention of giving people the sly idea that the souls of the dead become demons. - Demons ask that they not be led to go into the abyss, but they are still allowed to live on earth. The Lord allows them to be on earth so that by attacking people, they will make them more glorious. For if there were no opposing ones, there would be no feats, and if there were no feats, there would be no crowns. - Know more figurative meaning. Whoever has demons in himself, that is, demonic deeds, does not put on clothes, that is, does not have baptismal clothes and does not live in a house, that is, in a church, for he is not worthy to enter the church, but lives in tombs, that is, in places dead deeds, for example, in obscene houses, in house-keepers (customs). For such houses are the receptacles of wickedness,

The shepherds, seeing what had happened, ran and told the story in the city and in the villages. And they went out to see what had happened; and when they came to Jesus, they found a man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and of sound mind; and were horrified. And those who saw it told them how the demon-possessed one was healed. And all the people of the Gadara neighborhood asked Him to depart from them, because they were seized with great fear. He entered the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons came out asked Him to be with Him. But Jesus let him go, saying: Return to your house and tell what God has done for you. He went and preached throughout the city what Jesus had done for him. The flight of the shepherds was an excuse for the Gadarenes to save themselves; but they did not understand. They should have marveled at the power of the Savior and believed in Him, but they, it is said, asked, that is, begged Jesus to depart from them. For they were afraid lest they should yet suffer some other loss, just as they had lost their pigs. But the one who has received healing presents an indisputable proof of healing. He became so healthy in mind that he knew Jesus and asked Him to be with Him. He was probably afraid that, after moving away from Jesus, he would again not fall into the power of demons. But the Lord, showing him that he, not being with Jesus, but covered by His grace, can be above demonic nets, tells him: "Return to your house and tell what God has created for you." He did not say, “What have I done for you,” in order to give us an example of humility of wisdom and that we would attribute every happily accomplished deed to God. But the healed man was so sensible that he talked about what "Jesus" had done to him. Although the Lord commanded him to tell about what "God" did to him, and he tells what "Jesus" did to him. So, when we do good to someone, we should not want to preach about him; but he to whom a good thing has been done must proclaim it, even if we do not wish it.

When Jesus returned, the people accepted him, because everyone was waiting for him. And behold, a man came by the name of Jairus, who was the ruler of the synagogue; and, falling down at the feet of Jesus, he asked Him to enter into his house, because he had one daughter, about twelve years old, and she was about to die. As he walked, the people crowded him. And the woman who suffered from bleeding for twelve years, who, having spent all her possessions on doctors, could not be cured by any, came up behind and touched the hem of His garment; and immediately the flow of her blood stopped. Jesus had just returned from the country of Gadara, and the people were already waiting for Him, partly for the sake of teaching, and partly for the sake of miracles. One leader of the synagogue also came, neither poor nor outcast, but one of the first. The Evangelist also adds his name, so that it becomes all the more obvious that the miracle is true. At the insistence of need, he falls at the feet of Jesus. Even if he had to fall before Jesus without urgent need and confess Him as the Existing God, it happens, however, that even sorrow induces people to choose a better one. Why did David say: "Do not be like a horse, like a foolish hinny, whose jaws need to be curbed with a bridle and a bit, so that they obey you" (Ps. 31, 9). In the course of the Lord's journey, a woman approaches, guided by a very strong faith. Approaching, she touched the edge of the Lord's garment in the certainty that as soon as she touched it, she would immediately be healed. "And immediately the flow of her blood stopped." As if someone turns his eye to a shining light or brings brushwood to a fire, they (light and fire) immediately have their effect, so the woman who brought faith to the One who could heal was immediately healed. For she did not think about anything, neither about the long-term illness, nor about the despair of doctors, nor about anything else, but she only believed, and she was saved. And it seems that she touched Jesus first with her mind and then with her body.

And Jesus said, Who touched Me? When all were denied, Peter also said to those who were with him: Master! the people surround you and oppress you, and you say: who touched me? But Jesus said, "Someone touched Me, for I felt the power that went out of Me." The woman, seeing that she had not hidden herself, approached with trembling, and, falling down before Him, declared to Him before all the people why she had touched Him, and how she was immediately healed. He said to her: dare, daughter! your faith has saved you; go in peace.

The Lord, wishing to show everyone the faith of his wife, to imitate her, and to give Jairus a good hope for his daughter, reveals what was done secretly. Namely: He asks about who touched Him, but Peter, as a bold one, reproaching Him for such a question, says: so many people hamper You, and You say: who touched Me? But he did not understand what the Lord was asking. For Jesus asked: who touched Me in faith, and not just like that. For just as everyone has ears to hear, and yet another, having ears, does not hear, so also in this case one touches with faith, and another, although he draws near, his heart is far away. So the Lord, although he knew the wife, asks, however, in order, as I said, to glorify her faith and to give more hope to the head of the synagogue, he asks and thus leads the wife to the middle. "I felt power coming out of Me." He speaks rightly. For the prophets did not have the power that comes from them: they performed miracles by the grace of God. And Jesus, being the Source of all goodness and all strength, also has strength that comes from Him. Christ doubly heals his wife: firstly, he healed her illness, and then he pacified the fear of the soul, saying: "Be brave, daughter!"

While He was still speaking this, someone from the house of the ruler of the synagogue came and said to him: Your daughter is dead; don't bother the teacher. But Jesus, hearing this, said to him: do not be afraid, only believe, and she will be saved. And when he came into the house, he did not allow anyone to enter, except Peter, John and James, and the father of the maiden, and the mother. Everyone wept and wept for her. But He said, do not weep; she is not dead, but asleep. And they laughed at Him, knowing that she was dead. He sent them all out, and taking her by the hand, he exclaimed: maiden! get up. And her spirit returned; she immediately got up, and He ordered to give her something to eat. And her parents were surprised. He ordered them not to tell anyone about what had happened. Jesus, hearing that someone said to the ruler of the synagogue: do not disturb the Teacher, that is, do not trouble, do not ask to go, did not allow the ruler of the synagogue to say anything to Himself, but warned him that the ruler of the synagogue would not say: I do not need you; the misfortune has already happened; the one we hoped you would heal is dead. So, so that he would not say anything like that (for he was an unbelieving Jew), Christ warned him and said: do not be afraid, only believe; look, - he says, - at the bleeding one; imitate her and you will not be deceived. - The Lord allows only Peter, John and James to enter with Him, as the most chosen of the disciples and as able to keep silent about the miracle, for He did not want it to be revealed to many ahead of time. He hid most of His works, perhaps because of the envy of the Jews, so that, inflamed with envy, they would not be guilty of condemnation. We should act in the same way: if someone envies us, we should not reveal our perfections before him, so that, striking him with them, we would not arouse more envy in him and not lead him into sin, but should, as far as possible, try to hide them from him. . - When the Lord said that the maiden did not die, but was sleeping, and called death a dream (because he had to resurrect the dead, as if to awaken from sleep), those who heard this laughed at Him, which He allowed then, so that the miracle would be more a miracle, - so that afterwards they could not say that the girl did not die, but slept, for this He arranged it so that they first ridiculed Him for the words: “she did not die, but sleeps,” in order to block the lips of those who want to slander. For the death of the maiden was so obvious that they laughed at him when he said that she was not dead. The Lord sent everyone out, perhaps in order to teach us not to love glory and not to do anything for show, or perhaps in order to instill that he who performs a miracle should not be among many, but should be in solitude. and be free from all disturbance from others. "And the spirit returned" of the maiden. For the Lord did not bring in a new soul, but commanded that the same one that had flown away from the body return. He ordered her to eat - for greater assurance and proof that she really had risen. - You can understand it that way. Bleeding is every soul in which bloody and murderous sin seethes and bubbles up, as it were. For every sin is a killer and slaughterer of the soul. If the soul touches the clothes of Jesus, that is, His incarnation, and believes that the Son of God has become incarnate, then it will receive health. If someone is also the head of the synagogue, that is, the mind, which rises above the wealth accumulated from covetousness, but his daughter, that is, the thought, falls ill, then let him only call on Jesus and believe in Him, and be saved.

1 Jesus preaches the gospel in the cities. 4 The parable of the sower and the seed. 16 "Watch how you listen." 22 Taming the storm at sea. 26 The expulsion of a legion of demons from a demoniac; pig herd. 40 The resurrection of the daughter of Jairus and the healing of the woman by touch.

1 After this he went through the cities and villages, preaching and proclaiming the kingdom of God, and with him the twelve,

2 and some of the women whom he healed of evil spirits and diseases: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons went out,

3 And Joanna, the wife of Chuza, the steward of Herod, and Susanna, and many others who ministered to him with their possessions.

4 And when a multitude of people had gathered, and from all the cities the inhabitants came together to him, he began to speak in a parable:

5 A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside and was trampled on, and the birds of the air pecked at him.;

6 and another fell on a stone, and ascending, withered, because it had no moisture;

7 and another fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked him;

8 and another fell on good ground and, rising up, brought forth fruit a hundredfold. Having said this, he proclaimed: He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

9 And his disciples asked him, What is the meaning of this parable?

10 He said: It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables, so that seeing they do not see and hearing they do not understand.

11 This is what this parable means: the seed is the word of God;

12 but that which fell along the way, these are the hearers, to whom the devil then comes and takes the word out of their hearts, so that they would not believe and be saved.;

13 but those that fell on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy, but who have no root, and believe for a time, but fall away in time of temptation.;

14 and those who have fallen into thorns are those who hear the word, but, departing, are crushed by worries, wealth and pleasures of life and do not bear fruit.;

15 and those who have fallen on good ground are those who, having heard the word, keep it in a good and pure heart and bear fruit in patience. Having said this, He proclaimed: He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

16 No one, having lit a candle, covers it with a vessel, or puts it under the bed, but puts it on a candlestick so that those who come in can see the light..

17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be made manifest, nor hidden that will not be made known and revealed..

18 Therefore, watch how you listen: for whoever has, to him it will be given, and whoever does not have, even what he thinks to have will be taken away from him..

19 And his mother and his brothers came to him, and could not come to him because of the people.

20 And they let him know: Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.

21 He answered them and said: my mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.

22 One day he went into the boat with his disciples and said to them: let's go to the other side of the lake. And they set off.

23 While they were sailing, He fell asleep. A stormy wind arose on the lake, and flooded them waves, and they were in danger.

24 And they came up and woke him up and said, Master! Mentor! perish. But He, having risen, rebuked the wind and the waves of the water; and they stopped, and there was silence.

25 Then he said to them, Where is your faith? And they, in fear and wonder, said to each other: Who is this, that he commands both the winds and the water, and obey Him?

26 And they sailed to the country of Gadara, which lay opposite Galilee.

27 And when he went ashore, a man from the city met him, possessed by demons from a long time ago, and who did not put on clothes, and lived not in a house, but in tombs.

28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torment me.

29 For Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to come out of this man, because he tormented him for a long time, so that he was bound with chains and bonds, saving him; but he broke the bands and was driven by a demon into the wilderness.

30 Jesus asked him, What is your name? He said, "legion," because many demons had entered into him.

31 And they asked Jesus not to command them to go into the abyss.

32 There was a large herd of pigs grazing on the mountain; And demons asked Him to let them enter into them. He allowed them.