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Women Who Followed Jesus

Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples.

Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed

One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets[a] of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:

‘When they look, they won’t really see.
    When they hear, they won’t understand.’[b]

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. 12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. 13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. 14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. 15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

Parable of the Lamp

16 “No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. 17 For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.

18 “So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.”

The True Family of Jesus

19 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they couldn’t get to him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to see you.”

21 Jesus replied, “My mother and my brothers are all those who hear God’s word and obey it.”

Jesus Calms the Storm

22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and started out. 23 As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger.

24 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. 25 Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?”

The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!”

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man

26 So they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes,[c] across the lake from Galilee. 27 As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet him. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in the tombs outside the town.

28 As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of him. Then he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg you, don’t torture me!” 29 For Jesus had already commanded the evil[d] spirit to come out of him. This spirit had often taken control of the man. Even when he was placed under guard and put in chains and shackles, he simply broke them and rushed out into the wilderness, completely under the demon’s power.

30 Jesus demanded, “What is your name?”

“Legion,” he replied, for he was filled with many demons. 31 The demons kept begging Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit.[e]

32 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby, and the demons begged him to let them enter into the pigs.

So Jesus gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned.

34 When the herdsmen saw it, they fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. 35 People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been freed from the demons. He was sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. 36 Then those who had seen what happened told the others how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 37 And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them.

So Jesus returned to the boat and left, crossing back to the other side of the lake. 38 The man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him home, saying, 39 “No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.

Jesus Heals in Response to Faith

40 On the other side of the lake the crowds welcomed Jesus, because they had been waiting for him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a leader of the local synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come home with him. 42 His only daughter,[f] who was about twelve years old, was dying.

As Jesus went with him, he was surrounded by the crowds. 43 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding,[g] and she could find no cure. 44 Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped.

45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you.”

46 But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” 47 When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. 48 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

49 While he was still speaking to her, a messenger arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. He told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”

50 But when Jesus heard what had happened, he said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be healed.”

51 When they arrived at the house, Jesus wouldn’t let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, James, and the little girl’s father and mother. 52 The house was filled with people weeping and wailing, but he said, “Stop the weeping! She isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.”

53 But the crowd laughed at him because they all knew she had died. 54 Then Jesus took her by the hand and said in a loud voice, “My child, get up!” 55 And at that moment her life[h] returned, and she immediately stood up! Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were overwhelmed, but Jesus insisted that they not tell anyone what had happened.

Footnotes

  1. 8:10a Greek mysteries.
  2. 8:10b Isa 6:9 (Greek version).
  3. 8:26 Other manuscripts read Gadarenes; still others read Gergesenes; also in 8:37. See Matt 8:28; Mark 5:1.
  4. 8:29 Greek unclean.
  5. 8:31 Or the abyss, or the underworld.
  6. 8:42 Or His only child, a daughter.
  7. 8:43 Some manuscripts add having spent everything she had on doctors.
  8. 8:55 Or her spirit.

Soon after this incident, Jesus preached from city to city, village to village, carrying the good news of the kingdom of God. He was accompanied by a group called “the twelve,” and also by a larger group including some women who had been rescued from evil spirits and healed of diseases. There was Mary, called Magdalene, who had been released from seven demons. There were others like Susanna and Joanna, who was married to Chuza, a steward of King Herod. And there were many others too. These women played an important role in Jesus’ ministry, using their wealth to provide for Him and His other companions.

While a huge crowd gathered with people from many surrounding towns streaming to hear Jesus, He told them a parable.

Parables are works of art, specifically, works of short fiction. They are intricately constructed and complex in their intent. In some ways, they are intended to hide the truth; they don’t reduce truth to simple statements or formulae. Instead, they force the reader to take things to a deeper level, to engage the imagination, to think and think again. In this way, they invite people to ask questions; they stir curiosity; they create intrigue.

Jesus: Once a farmer went out to scatter seed in his fields. Some seeds fell along a trail where they were crushed underfoot by people walking by. Birds flew in and ate those seeds. Other seeds fell on gravel. Those seeds sprouted but soon withered, depleted of moisture under the scorching sun. Still other seeds landed among thorns where they grew for a while, but eventually the thorns stunted them so they couldn’t thrive or bear fruit. But some seeds fell into good soil—soft, moist, free from thorns. These seeds not only grew, but they also produced more seeds, a hundred times what the farmer originally planted. If you have ears, hear My meaning!

His disciples heard the words, but the deeper meaning eluded them.

Disciples: What were You trying to say?

10 Jesus: The kingdom of God contains many secrets.
    They keep listening, but do not comprehend;
        keep observing, but do not understand.[a]

I want you to understand, so 11 here’s the interpretation: The voice of God falls on human hearts like seeds scattered across a field. 12 Some people hear that message, but the devil opposes the liberation that would come to them by believing. So he swoops in and steals the message from their hard hearts like birds stealing the seeds from the footpath. 13 Others receive the message enthusiastically, but their vitality is short-lived because the message cannot be deeply rooted in their shallow hearts. In the heat of temptation, their faith withers, like the seeds that sprouted in gravelly soil. 14 A third group hears the message, but as time passes, the daily anxieties, the pursuit of wealth, and life’s addicting delights outpace the growth of the message in their hearts. Even if the message blossoms and fruit begins to form, the fruit never fully matures because the thorns choke out the plants’ vitality.

15 But some people hear the message and let it take root deeply in receptive hearts made fertile by honesty and goodness. With patient dependability, they bear good fruit.

16 You wouldn’t light a lamp and cover it with a clay pot. You’re not going to hide it under your bed. No, when you light it, you’re going to put it out in the open so your guests can feel welcome and see where they’re going.

17 Hidden things will always come out into the open. Secret things will come to light and be exposed. 18 I hope you’re still listening. And I hope you’re listening carefully. If you get what I’m saying, you’ll get more. If you miss My meaning, even the understanding you think you have will be taken from you.

19 Around this time, Jesus was speaking to a crowd of people gathered in a house. His mother and brothers arrived to see Him, but the crowd around Him was so huge that they couldn’t even get through the door. 20 Word spread through the crowd.

Someone from the Crowd: Jesus, Your mother and brothers are outside the house hoping to see You.

Jesus: 21 Do you want to know who My mother and brothers are? They’re the ones who truly understand God’s message and obey it.

22 Picture this:

One day Jesus and His disciples get into a boat.

Jesus: Let’s cross the lake.

So they push off from shore and begin sailing to the far side. 23 As they progress across the lake, Jesus falls sound asleep. Soon a raging storm blows in. The waves wash over the sides of the boat, and the boat starts filling up with water. Every second the situation becomes more dangerous.

24 The disciples shake Jesus and wake Him.

Disciples (shouting): Master! Master! We’re all going to die!

Jesus wakes up and tells the wind to stop whipping them around, and He tells the furious waves to calm down. They do just that. 25 Then Jesus turns to the disciples.

Jesus: What happened to your faith?

The disciples had been terrified during the storm, but now they’re afraid in another way. They turn to each other and start whispering, chattering, and wondering.

Disciples: Who is this man? How can He command wind and water so they do what He says?

26 When they get to the other side of the lake, in the Gerasene country opposite Galilee, 27 a man from the city is waiting for Jesus when He steps out of the boat. The man is full of demonic spirits. He’s been running around for a long time stark naked, and he’s homeless, sleeping among the dead in a cemetery. 28-29 This man has on many occasions been tied up and chained and kept under guard, but each time he has broken free and the demonic power has driven him back into remote places away from human contact. Jesus commands the demonic force to leave him. The man looks at Jesus and starts screaming. He falls down in front of Jesus.

Possessed Man (shouting): Don’t torment me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God! Why are You here?

Jesus (calmly and simply): 30 What’s your name?

Possessed Man: Battalion.

He says this because an army of demons is inside of him. 31 The demons start begging Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit. 32 They plead instead to enter into a herd of pigs feeding on a steep hillside near the shore. Jesus gives them permission to do so. 33 Suddenly the man is liberated from the demons, but the pigs—they stampede, squealing down the hill and into the lake where they drown themselves.

34 The pig owners see all this. They run back to their town and tell everyone in the region about it. 35 Soon a crowd rushes from the town to see what’s going on out by the lake. There they find Jesus seated to teach with the newly liberated man sitting at His feet learning in the posture of a disciple. This former madman is now properly dressed and completely sane. This frightens the people. 36 The pig owners tell them the whole story—the healing, the pigs’ mass suicide, everything.

37 The people are scared to death, and they don’t want this scary abnormality happening in their territory. They ask Jesus to leave immediately. Jesus doesn’t argue. He prepares to leave, 38 but before they embark, the newly liberated man begs to come along and join the band of disciples.

Jesus: 39 No. Go home. Tell your people this amazing story about how much God has done for you.

The man does so. In fact, he tells everyone in the whole city how much Jesus did for him that day on the shore.

40 When Jesus and His disciples crossed the lake, another crowd was waiting to welcome Him. 41 A man made his way through the crowd. His name was Jairus, and he was a synagogue official. Like the man on the other side of the lake, this dignified man also fell at Jesus’ feet, begging Jesus to visit his home 42 where his only daughter, a girl of 12, lay dying. Jesus set out with Jairus. The crowd came along, too, pressing hard against Him.

43 In the crowd was a woman. She had suffered from an incurable menstrual disorder for 12 years [and had spent her livelihood on doctors with no effect].[b] It had kept her miserable and ritually unclean, unable to participate fully in Jewish life. 44 She followed Jesus, until she could reach Him. She touched the fringe of the robe Jesus wore, and at that moment the bleeding stopped.

Jesus (stopping and looking about): 45 Who touched Me?

Some in the Crowd (everyone speaking at once): Not me.

Another in the Crowd: It wasn’t me either.

Peter [and those with him][c] (intervening): Master, what kind of question is that, with this huge crowd all around You and many people touching You on all sides?

Jesus: 46 I felt something. I felt power going out from Me. I know that somebody touched Me.

47 The woman now realized her secret was going to come out sooner or later, so she stepped out of the crowd, shaking with fear, and she fell down in front of Jesus. Then she told her story in front of everyone—why she touched Him, what happened as a result.

Jesus: 48 Your faith has made you well again, daughter. Go in peace.

49 Right at that instant, one of Jairus’s household servants arrived.

Servant: Sir, your daughter is dead. It’s no use bothering the Teacher with this anymore.

Jesus (interrupting Jairus before he could speak): 50 Don’t be afraid. Just believe. She’ll be well again.

51-52 As they approached the house, the whole neighborhood was full of the sound of mourning—weeping, wailing, loud crying. Jesus told everyone to stay outside—everyone except Peter, John, James, and, of course, the girl’s father and mother.

Jesus (to the mourners): Please stop weeping. The girl isn’t dead. She’s only asleep.

53 They knew for certain that she was dead, so their bitter tears now mixed with mocking laughter.

54 Meanwhile, inside, Jesus took the girl’s hand.

Jesus: Child, get up!

55 She started breathing again, and she sat right up.

Jesus: Get her something to eat.

56 Her parents were amazed, but Jesus sternly told them to keep what had happened a secret.

Footnotes

  1. 8:10 Isaiah 6:9
  2. 8:43 This portion is omitted in some early manuscripts.
  3. 8:45 The earliest manuscripts omit this portion.

The Parable of the Sower(A)

After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.(B) The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene)(C) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s(D) household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”(E)

His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you,(F) but to others I speak in parables, so that,

“‘though seeing, they may not see;
    though hearing, they may not understand.’[a](G)

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.(H) 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.(I) 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches(J) and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

A Lamp on a Stand

16 “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.(K) 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.(L) 18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”(M)

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers(N)

19 Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers(O) are standing outside, wanting to see you.”

21 He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”(P)

Jesus Calms the Storm(Q)(R)

22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master,(S) we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked(T) the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.(U) 25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man(V)(W)

26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes,[b] which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me,(X) Jesus, Son of the Most High God?(Y) I beg you, don’t torture me!” 29 For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31 And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.(Z)

32 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. 33 When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake(AA) and was drowned.

34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35 and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet,(AB) dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed(AC) man had been cured. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them,(AD) because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.

38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman(AE)

40 Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader,(AF) came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding(AG) for twelve years,[c] but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak,(AH) and immediately her bleeding stopped.

45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master,(AI) the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me;(AJ) I know that power has gone out from me.”(AK)

47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.(AL) Go in peace.”(AM)

49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader.(AN) “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”

50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James,(AO) and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning(AP) for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”(AQ)

53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!”(AR) 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.(AS)

Footnotes

  1. Luke 8:10 Isaiah 6:9
  2. Luke 8:26 Some manuscripts Gadarenes; other manuscripts Gergesenes; also in verse 37
  3. Luke 8:43 Many manuscripts years, and she had spent all she had on doctors

Many Women Support Christ’s Work

Afterward he was traveling from one town and village to another,(A) preaching and telling the good news of the kingdom of God.(B) The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses:(C) Mary, called Magdalene (seven demons had come out(D) of her); Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward; Susanna; and many others who were supporting them from their possessions.

The Parable of the Sower

As a large crowd was gathering, and people were coming to Jesus from every town, he said in a parable,(E) “A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some seed fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the sky devoured it. Other seed fell on the rock; when it grew up, it withered away, since it lacked moisture. Other seed fell among thorns; the thorns grew up with it and choked it. Still other seed fell on good ground; when it grew up, it produced fruit: a hundred times what was sown.”(F) As he said this, he called out, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”(G)

Why Jesus Used Parables

Then his disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?” (H) 10 So he said, “The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given for you(I) to know, but to the rest it is in parables, so that

Looking they may not see,
and hearing they may not understand.[a](J)

The Parable of the Sower Explained

11 “This is the meaning of the parable:(K) The seed is the word of God.(L) 12 The seed along the path are those who have heard and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And the seed on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy. Having no root, these believe for a while and fall away in a time of testing.(M) 14 As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life,(N) and produce no mature fruit. 15 But the seed in the good ground—these are the ones who, having heard the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it and by enduring,(O) produce fruit.

Using Your Light

16 “No one, after lighting a lamp,(P) covers it with a basket or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in may see its light.(Q) 17 For nothing is concealed that won’t be revealed, and nothing hidden that won’t be made known and brought to light.(R) 18 Therefore take care how you listen. For whoever has, more will be given to him; (S) and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”

True Relationships

19 Then his mother and brothers(T) came to him,(U) but they could not meet with him because of the crowd. 20 He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”

21 But he replied to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear and do the word of God.”(V)

Wind and Waves Obey Jesus

22 One day he and his disciples got into a boat,(W) and he told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.”(X) So they set out, 23 and as they were sailing he fell asleep. Then a fierce windstorm came down on the lake; they were being swamped and were in danger. 24 They came and woke him up, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to die!”

Then he got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. So they ceased, and there was a calm.(Y) 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?”

They were fearful and amazed, asking one another, “Who then is this?(Z) He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey him!”

Demons Driven Out by Jesus

26 Then they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes,[b](AA) which is opposite Galilee. 27 When he got out on land, a demon-possessed man from the town met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes and did not stay in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out,(AB) fell down before him, and said in a loud voice, “What do you have to do with me,(AC) Jesus, Son of the Most High God?(AD) I beg you, don’t torment me!” 29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was guarded, bound by chains and shackles, he would snap the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted places.

30 “What is your name?” Jesus asked him.

“Legion,”(AE) he said, because many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged him not to banish them to the abyss.(AF)

32 A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside. The demons begged him to permit them to enter the pigs, and he gave them permission. 33 The demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.

34 When the men who tended them saw what had happened, they ran off and reported it in the town and in the countryside. 35 Then people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man the demons had departed from, sitting at Jesus’s feet,(AG) dressed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36 Meanwhile, the eyewitnesses reported to them how the demon-possessed man was delivered.(AH) 37 Then all the people of the Gerasene region[c] asked him to leave them,(AI) because they were gripped by great fear. So getting into the boat, he returned.

38 The man from whom the demons had departed begged him earnestly to be with him. But he sent him away and said, 39 “Go back to your home, and tell all that God has done for you.” And off he went, proclaiming throughout the town how much Jesus had done for him.

A Girl Restored and a Woman Healed

40 When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him,(AJ) for they were all expecting him.(AK) 41 Just then, a man named Jairus came. He was a leader of the synagogue.(AL) He fell down at Jesus’s feet and pleaded with him to come to his house, 42 because he had an only daughter(AM) about twelve years old, and she was dying.

While he was going, the crowds were nearly crushing him.(AN) 43 A woman suffering from bleeding(AO) for twelve years,(AP) who had spent all she had on doctors[d] and yet could not be healed by any, 44 approached from behind and touched the end of his robe.(AQ) Instantly her bleeding stopped.

45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter[e] said, “Master,(AR) the crowds are hemming you in and pressing against you.”[f]

46 “Someone did touch me,” said Jesus. “I know that power has gone out from me.”(AS) 47 When the woman saw that she was discovered, she came trembling and fell down before him. In the presence of all the people, she declared the reason she had touched him and how she was instantly healed. 48 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you.[g] Go in peace.”(AT)

49 While he was still speaking,(AU) someone came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother(AV) the teacher(AW) anymore.”

50 When Jesus heard it, he answered him, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe, and she will be saved.”[h] 51 After he came to the house, he let no one enter with him except Peter, John, James,(AX) and the child’s father and mother. 52 Everyone was crying(AY) and mourning for her.(AZ) But he said, “Stop crying, because she is not dead but asleep.”(BA)

53 They laughed at him, because they knew she was dead. 54 So he[i] took her by the hand(BB) and called out, “Child, get up!”(BC) 55 Her spirit returned,(BD) and she got up at once. Then he gave orders that she be given something to eat. 56 Her parents were astounded, but he instructed them to tell no one what had happened.(BE)

Footnotes

  1. 8:10 Is 6:9
  2. 8:26 Other mss read the Gadarenes
  3. 8:37 Other mss read the Gadarenes
  4. 8:43 Other mss omit who had spent all she had on doctors
  5. 8:45 Other mss add and those with him
  6. 8:45 Other mss add and you say, ‘Who touched me?’
  7. 8:48 Or has made you well
  8. 8:50 Or she will be made well
  9. 8:54 Other mss add having put them all outside