Luke 8
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 8
Hearing the Word
The Women Who Minister to Jesus. 1 After that, Jesus journeyed through towns and villages preaching and proclaiming the kingdom of God. Traveling with him were the Twelve, 2 [a]as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; 3 Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza; Susanna; and many others. These women provided for them out of their own resources.
The Parable of the Sower.[b] 4 When a large crowd gathered together as people from every town flocked to him, he said in a parable: 5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some of the seed fell along the path and was trampled upon, and the birds of the sky ate it up. 6 Some fell on rock, and when it came up, it withered for lack of moisture. 7 Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. 8 And some fell onto good soil, and when it grew it produced a crop of a hundredfold.”
After saying this, he cried out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The Purpose of Parables.[c] 9 Then his disciples asked him what the parable meant. 10 He said, “To you has been granted knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but for others they are made known in parables, so that
‘looking they may not see,
and hearing they may not understand.’
11 The Explanation of the Parable of the Sower.[d]“The meaning of the parable is this. The seed is the word of God. 12 The seed on the path represents those who hear, but then the devil comes and carries off the word from their hearts so that they may not come to believe and be saved. 13 Those on rock are the ones who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a short while, but in time of trial they fall away.
14 “That which has fallen among thorns are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the concerns and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit. 15 But that which is on rich soil are the ones who, when they have heard the word with a good and upright heart, keep it and yield a harvest through their perseverance.
16 The Parable of the Lamp.[e]“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a pot or places it under a bed. Rather he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. 17 For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing is concealed that will not be made known and brought to light. 18 Take great care, therefore, about how you listen. For to the one who has, more will be given; from the one who does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away.”
19 The True Family of Jesus.[f] Then his mother and his brethren arrived, looking for him, but they could not get near him because of the crowd. 20 He was told, “Your mother and your brethren[g] are standing outside, and they want to see you.” 21 But he replied, “My mother and my brethren are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”
The Progressive Revelation of the Mystery of Jesus
22 Jesus Calms the Storm.[h] One day, Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And so they set forth, 23 and as they sailed he fell asleep. Then a windstorm swept down on the lake. As a result, the boat was becoming filled with water, and they were in danger. 24 So they went to him and awakened him, saying, “Master! Master! We are perishing!”
Then he awakened and rebuked the wind and the turbulent waves. They subsided and there was calm. 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were filled with fear and a sense of awe, and they said to one another, “Who can this be? He gives orders to the winds and the water, and they obey him.”
26 Jesus Casts Out a Legion of Demons.[i] Then they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 As he stepped ashore, he was approached by a man from the town who was possessed by demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes. Moreover, he did not live in a house but among the tombs.
28 When the man caught sight of Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore you, do not torment me!” 29 For he had ordered the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times in the past it had seized him, and on such occasions they used to restrain him with chains and shackles, but he would manage to break loose and be driven by the demon into the wilds.
30 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, for many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.
32 Now on the mountainside a large herd of pigs was feeding, and they pleaded with him to let them go into the pigs. He allowed this. 33 The demons then came out of the man and entered the pigs. Thereupon the herd charged down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
34 When those tending the herd saw what had occurred, they ran off and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. 35 As a result, people came out to see what had happened. When they came near Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and in his right mind, and they were frightened.
36 Those who had been eye-witnesses to the incident told how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and went away.
38 The man from whom the demons had gone out pleaded that he be allowed to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home and give witness to what God has done for you.” He then departed, proclaiming throughout the town what Jesus had done for him.
40 Jesus Heals a Woman and Raises a Child.[j] When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they had all been waiting for him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue, came forward. Throwing himself at the feet of Jesus, he pleaded with him to come to his house, 42 because he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, who was dying. And as Jesus went forth, the crowds were pressing in on him.
43 There was a woman who had been suffering from bleeding for twelve years, but no one had been able to cure her affliction. 44 Coming up behind him, she touched the fringe of his cloak, and her bleeding stopped immediately.
45 Jesus then asked, “Who was it who touched me?” When everyone denied doing so, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing closely upon you.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I could sense power going out from me.”
47 When the woman realized that she had not escaped notice, she came forward, trembling, and knelt down before him. In the presence of all the people, she related why she had touched him and how she had been healed immediately. 48 Then Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
49 While he was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue leader and said, “Your daughter has died. Do not bother the Teacher any further.” 50 When Jesus heard this, he said, “Do not be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be saved.”
51 When he arrived at the house, he permitted no one to go in with him except Peter, John, and James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Everyone was weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Stop your weeping! She is not dead; she is asleep.” 53 They laughed at him because they knew that she had died.
54 However, Jesus took her by the hand and called out to her, “Little child, arise.” 55 Her spirit returned, and she stood up at once. Then Jesus directed that she be given something to eat. 56 Her parents were stunned, but he gave them strict instructions to tell no one what had happened.
Footnotes
- Luke 8:2 Some women belong to the group of disciples; this was an occurrence quite rare at that period. As for Mary of Magdala (Mary Magdalene), the expression “seven demons” suggests some violent illness with symptoms that were disconcerting for a woman.
- Luke 8:4 Since the time of the Prophets, harvesting was a current image of the Judgment (Joel 4:13). Sowing evokes the activity of Jesus. Jesus knows from experience that preaching the Gospel converts only hearts that are well disposed. Nevertheless, he underlines with optimism the growth of the seed: despite all risks and obstacles, the Word of God will make progress among human beings.
- Luke 8:9 At the moment, only the disciples are sensitive to the riches of the Gospel; the others do not yet have a free heart. See also note on Mt 13:11.
- Luke 8:11 In the meditation of the early communities, the parable of the sower becomes a lesson for the believer. In daily life, in trials, in the pleasures of life, the work of the demon is an obstacle to the Gospel. Jesus knows this. He also knows the generosity of which humans are capable. He puts us on guard but also calls us to make a persevering effort to let our life be transformed by his teachings.
- Luke 8:16 Are the mysteries of the kingdom definitively denied to others (v. 10)? No. The secret is not forever. Soon the disciples will bring the message to all people (see Lk 12:1-12). How will they receive it? We will be judged on the yield of the Word in our life (see Lk 19:25-26).
- Luke 8:19 The true family of Jesus is made up of those who hearken to the Word. Luke places this episode as a conclusion to the texts on receiving the Gospel. Belonging to Jesus is the joy of the believer.
- Luke 8:20 Brethren: i.e., according to Hebrew idiom, close relatives. See note on Mt 12:46.
- Luke 8:22 God alone is master of the sea (see Pss 65:7; 89:10; 107:25-28). The authority of Jesus over the unleashed elements shows his power divine.
- Luke 8:26 The incident is meant to show that Jesus is stronger than all the forces of evil lumped together, the forces of Satan himself. Jesus goes to face these forces in a pagan region east of the Lake of Tiberias, where, it was thought, Satan must be reigning supreme. There is a herd of pigs there, animals unclean in Jewish eyes; the herd dashes over the cliff, signifying the return of the demons to their hell.
- Luke 8:40 This episode places before us two distressed people. The first is a father on the verge of losing his young daughter, with the rites of mourning under the specter of death already organized. The second is a woman humiliated by a sickness that carries the stigma of legal impurity, preventing her from participating in religious services and from approaching the Prophet (see Lev 15:19-27). Jesus intervenes in their distress and manifests his power and goodness, both of which are those of God. Nevertheless, he refuses to give his intervention a dramatic character; the only witnesses of the girl’s raising from the dead—described in the same way as the action of Elijah (see 1 Ki 17:17, 22)—will be apostles, who are no longer seeking miracles. Here then is the portrait of Jesus: he brings life to those who approach him with faith.
路加福音 8
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
跟從耶穌的婦女
8 不久，耶穌周遊各城各村講道，宣揚 神的國的福音，和他在一起的有十二個門徒， 2 還有幾個蒙了醫治、脫離污鬼與疾病的婦女，其中有稱為抹大拉的馬利亞，曾有七個鬼從她身上趕出來； 3 有希律的管家古撒的妻子約亞拿，又有蘇珊娜，和許多別的婦女，她們都用自己的財物供給耶穌和門徒。
撒種的比喻(A)
4 當時有許多人聚在一起，還有人從各城來到耶穌那裡，他就用比喻說： 5 “有一個撒種的出去撒種，撒的時候，有的落在路旁，被人踐踏，或給空中的小鳥吃掉。 6 有的落在石頭地上，一長出來就枯萎了，因為得不著滋潤。 7 有的落在荊棘叢中，荊棘也一齊生長，把它擠住了。 8 有的落在好土裡，就生長起來，結出百倍的果實。”他說了這些話，就大聲說：“有耳可聽的，就應當聽！”
用比喻的目的(B)
9 門徒問他這比喻是甚麼意思。 10 他說：“ 神的國的奧祕，只給你們知道，對別人就用比喻，叫他們看卻看不見，聽卻聽不明白。
解釋撒種的比喻(C)
11 “這比喻是說，種子是 神的道， 12 那落在路旁的，就是人聽了，魔鬼隨即來到，從他們心裡把道奪去，恐怕他們相信就得救了。 13 那落在石頭地上的，就是人聽了，歡歡喜喜地接受，但是沒有根，不過是暫時相信，一旦遭遇試煉，就倒退了。 14 那落在荊棘裡的，就是人聽了，走開以後，被今世的憂慮、財富和宴樂擠住了，結不出成熟的子粒來。 15 但那落在好土裡的，就是人用誠實良善的心來聽，把道持守住，忍耐著結出果實。
隱藏的事終必顯露(D)
16 “沒有人點燈用器皿蓋上，或放在床底下，而是放在燈臺上，叫進來的人都看得見光。 17 因為沒有甚麼隱藏的事不被顯明，也沒有甚麼掩蓋的事不被人知道而暴露出來。 18 所以你們應當留心怎樣聽，因為凡是有的，還要給他；凡是沒有的，連他自以為有的，也要拿去。”
誰是耶穌的母親和弟兄(E)
19 耶穌的母親和弟弟來到他那裡，因為人多，不能到他跟前。 20 有人轉告耶穌：“你母親和弟弟站在外面要見你。” 21 他回答他們：“聽了 神的道而遵行的人，才是我的母親，我的弟兄。”
平靜風浪(F)
22 有一天，耶穌和門徒上了船，他對他們說：“我們渡到海那邊去吧。”他們就開了船。 23 船行的時候，他睡著了。海上忽然起了狂風，他們全身濕透，非常危險。 24 門徒來叫醒耶穌，說：“主啊！主啊！我們沒命了！”他醒過來，斥責風浪，風浪就止息、平靜了。 25 耶穌對他們說：“你們的信心在哪裡？”他們又懼怕、又希奇，彼此說：“這到底是誰？他吩咐風浪，連風浪也聽從他。”
治好鬼附的格拉森人(G)
26 船到了格拉森人的地區，正在加利利對面， 27 耶穌一上岸，就有城裡一個被鬼附著的人，迎面而來。這人已經很久不穿衣服，不住在家裡，只住在墳墓裡。 28 他一見耶穌，就俯伏喊叫，大聲說：“至高 神的兒子耶穌，我跟你有甚麼關係呢？求你不要使我受苦。” 29 因為耶穌已經吩咐這污靈從那人身上出來。原來這污靈屢次抓住那人；那人被鐵鍊和腳鍊捆鎖，而且有人看管，他竟掙斷鎖鍊，被鬼趕入曠野。 30 耶穌問他：“你叫甚麼名字？”他說：“群。”因為進到那人裡面的鬼很多。 31 他們求耶穌，不要趕他們進入無底坑。
32 那裡有一大群豬正在山上吃東西。他們求耶穌准他們進入豬群。耶穌准許了， 33 鬼就從那人身上出來，進入豬群，豬群闖下山崖，掉在海裡淹死了。 34 放豬的看見所發生的事就逃跑，到城裡和各鄉村把這事傳開。 35 眾人就出來看發生了甚麼事。來到耶穌那裡，看見鬼已經離開的那人，穿著衣服，神志清醒，坐在耶穌腳前，他們就害怕。 36 當時看見的人，把被鬼附過的人怎樣得到醫治，說給他們聽。 37 格拉森一帶的人，都要求耶穌離開他們，因為他們大大懼怕。他就上船回去了。 38 鬼已經離開的那人求耶穌，要跟他在一起；但耶穌打發他回去，說： 39 “你回家去，述說 神為你作了怎樣的事。”他就走遍全城，傳講耶穌為他作了怎樣的事。
治好血漏病的女人(H)
40 耶穌回來的時候，眾人歡迎他，因為大家都在等著他。 41 那時，有一個人來了，名叫葉魯，他是一位會堂主管。他俯伏在耶穌腳前，求他往他家裡去， 42 因為他的獨生女，約十二歲，快要死了。耶穌去的時候，群眾擁擠著他。
43 有一個女人，患了十二年的血漏病，在醫生手裡花盡了全部養生的（有些抄本無“在醫生手裡花盡了全部養生的”一句），沒有一個能醫好她。 44 她從後面擠來，一摸耶穌的衣裳繸子，血就立刻止住。 45 耶穌說：“摸我的是誰？”眾人都不承認。彼得說：“主啊，眾人都擁擠著你。” 46 耶穌說：“必定有人摸我，因為我覺得有能力從我身上出去。” 47 那女人見不能隱瞞，就戰戰兢兢地過來，向他俯伏，把摸他的緣故，和怎樣立刻得到醫治，在眾人面前說出來。 48 耶穌對她說：“女兒，你的信使你痊愈了，平安地去吧！”
使女孩復活(I)
49 耶穌還在說話的時候，有人從會堂主管家裡來，說：“你的女兒死了，不必再勞動老師了。” 50 耶穌聽見就對他說：“不要怕，只要信，她必得痊愈。” 51 到了那家，除了彼得、約翰、雅各和女孩的父母以外，他不准任何人同他進屋裡去。 52 眾人都在為女孩痛哭哀號，他說：“不要哭！她不是死了，而是睡著了。” 53 他們明知女孩已經死了，就嘲笑他。 54 他進去拉著女孩的手，叫她說：“孩子，起來！” 55 她的靈魂回來了，她就立刻起來。耶穌吩咐給她東西吃。 56 她父母非常驚奇。耶穌囑咐他們不要把他所作的事告訴人。
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
