The Gospel According to Luke (NAS)

Chapter Summary: In this chapter, Luke begins by providing a unique glimpse into the logistics and community surrounding Jesus. He highlights that the mission was not merely a band of twelve men, but a diverse community supported by women of significant means and varied backgrounds. In the foundational parable, Jesus shifts from healing physical ailments to addressing the “soil” of the human heart. Luke’s version emphasizes the persistence required to bring spiritual life to maturity, moving from the act of hearing to the result of a “perfected” harvest. Jesus then transitions from the private explanation of the Sower to the public responsibility of the “hearer.” He uses the image of a household lamp to illustrate that the “mysteries” he just shared are not meant to be hoarded, but to illuminate a new kind of community defined by obedience rather than biology. The narrative shifts from Jesus’ authority over the “internal” world of the heart to His absolute command over the “external” world of nature. This event serves as a transitional moment, preparing the disciples for the even more intense spiritual encounters waiting for them on the other side of the lake. Having survived the chaos of the storm, Jesus and His disciples land in a region that is culturally and spiritually alien. This account is the most detailed exorcism in the New Testament, depicting a collision between the “Legion” of darkness and the “Son of the Most High.” Returning to the Jewish side of the lake, Jesus is met by a desperate father and an equally desperate woman. Luke weaves these two stories together—the “daughter” of a religious leader and a “daughter” of the faith—showing that Jesus’ power is not limited by social status, ritual uncleanness, or even death itself.

“Traveling through” (diōdeuen): This is a compound verb literally meaning “to make one’s way through.” It implies a systematic, itinerant ministry. Jesus isn’t just wandering; he is on a deliberate circuit “according to city and village” (kata polin kai kōmēn).

“Preaching and proclaiming” (kēryssōn kai euangelizomenos): Luke uses two different words for Jesus’ speech. Kēryssōn refers to the official announcement of a herald, while euangelizomenos emphasizes the “goodness” of the news being shared.

“Had been healed” (ēsan tethrapeumenai): This is a periphrastic pluperfect, emphasizing a completed state. These women were not currently “sick”; they were living testimonies of Jesus’ past power over the demonic and the physical.

“Household manager” (epitropou): This is a high-ranking title. As the wife of Herod Antipas’s epitropos, Joanna moved in the highest circles of Judean and Roman political society. Her presence in the group highlights the cross-section of society Jesus reached—from the formerly demon-possessed Mary to the elite political class.

“Providing for them” (diēkonoun autois): This is the imperfect tense, meaning “they were continually serving/ministering to them.” It suggests an ongoing financial and logistical support system.

“Out of their own resources” (ek tōn hyparchontōn autais): Literally “from the things belonging to them.” In a culture where women’s property rights were often restricted, Luke goes out of his way to mention that these women had their own wealth and chose to use it to fund the movement.

“Was trampled underfoot” (katepatēthē): This detail is unique to Luke (v. 5). It suggests that the “path” isn’t just hard ground, but a place of public traffic where the Word is treated with casual indifference before the “birds” even arrive.

“Moisture” (ikmada): Luke uses a specific, almost medical/scientific term here (v. 6) instead of a general word for water. It refers to the internal “sap” or vital moisture needed for a plant to survive heat.

“Grew up with it” (symphyeisai): The thorns don’t just exist; they are “co-growing.” This highlights the competition for resources (nutrients, light, space) between spiritual life and worldly distractions.

“He called out” (ephōnei): This is in the imperfect tense, suggesting Jesus didn’t just say the closing warning once, but kept “crying out” or “proclaiming” it to the dispersing crowd.

“Bring fruit to maturity” (telesphorousin): A rare and beautiful compound verb (v. 14) meaning “to bring to a goal/end” (telos) + “to bear” (pherō). The “thorny” heart isn’t necessarily sterile—it might produce a plant—but it never reaches the finish line of ripe, usable fruit.

“An honest and good heart” (kardiā kalē kai agathē): Luke uses the classical Greek ideal of kalos kagathos (the beautiful and good). In this context, it describes a heart that is transparent and integrated, providing the right environment for the Word to “stick.”

“Hold it fast” (katechousin): This implies more than just remembering; it means to “possess,” “grip,” or “guard” the Word against the pressures previously mentioned.

“With endurance” (en hypomonē): The climax of the passage. For Luke, the difference between the “rocky” heart and the “good” heart isn’t just the initial joy, but the “remaining under” (hypo-menō) the heat until the harvest is ready.

“Take care how you listen” (blepete oun pōs akouete): Literally, “See/Look then how you hear.” In the Greek, there is a play on the senses: you must watch (pay attention to) the way you process what you hear. It links the parable of the lamp (seeing) back to the parable of the sower (hearing).

“What he thinks he has” (ho dokei echein): This is a biting psychological observation in verse 18. The verb dokeō implies an opinion or a surface appearance. Those who do not put the Word into practice might possess the “appearance” of spiritual wealth, but since it hasn’t taken root, it is an illusion that will eventually vanish.

“Unable to reach Him” (ouk ēdynanto syntychein): The verb syntychein is interesting; it often means “to meet with” or “to fall in with.” It suggests that the crowd was so dense that even a direct family encounter was physically blocked.

“Standing outside” (hestēkasin exō): This creates a spatial metaphor. There is an “inside” group (the disciples hearing the Word) and an “outside” group (even the biological family). Jesus isn’t being dismissive of his mother, but he is radically expanding the borders of “kinship” to include anyone who acts on God’s Word.

“Are these” (houtoi eisin): Jesus likely gestured to the people sitting around Him. By identifying the listeners as His mother and brothers, He establishes the Church not as an organization, but as a “household of the Word.”

“They set sail” (anēchthēsan): This is a technical nautical term. In the passive voice, it literally means “they were led up.” In a maritime context, it refers to putting out to sea, as the sea appears “higher” than the coast.

“Fell fast asleep” (aphypnōsen): This is a specific medical or descriptive term for falling into a deep, heavy sleep. It highlights Jesus’ genuine human exhaustion and His complete peace in the midst of the coming chaos.

“Windstorm of gale force” (lailaps anemou): A lailaps is not just a strong wind; it’s a fierce atmospheric disturbance or a hurricane-like squall. The Sea of Galilee is famous for these sudden, violent storms caused by cool air rushing down the steep ravines and hitting the warm, moist air of the lake.

“They were being swamped” (syneplērounto): Note that the Greek says “they” (the people/boat) were being filled. It is an imperfect verb, describing a process already in motion—the boat was in the act of taking on water and disappearing beneath the waves.

“Master, Master” (epistata epistata): The repetition of the title captures the disciples’ sheer panic. As we saw in chapter 5, they use the term epistata (commander/overseer), but the subsequent miracle will push them toward a much higher Christology.

“Rebuked” (epetimēsen): This is a strong word often used in the context of exorcisms. Jesus doesn’t “ask” the storm to stop; He commands it as one would command a rebellious subordinate or a demonic force.

“Surging of the water” (klīdōni tou hydatos): This refers specifically to the “rough water” or the “billows.” Jesus addresses both the cause (the wind) and the effect (the waves).

“Dead calm” (galēnē): This refers to a total stillness. Usually, after a wind stops, the water remains choppy for some time due to residual energy. Here, the water becomes glass-like “immediately,” signaling a supernatural suspension of physics.

“Where is your faith?” (pou hē pistis hymōn): Jesus doesn’t ask if they have faith, but where it has gone. He implies that their faith should have been as present as the storm was.

“Opposite Galilee” (antipera tēs Galilaias): This isn’t just a geographical marker; it’s a cultural one. “Opposite” implies the Gentile side of the lake. The presence of pigs (choirōn) in verse 32 confirms this is non-Jewish territory.

“What do I have to do with You” (ti emoi kai soi): A literal Semitic idiom: “What to me and to you?” It’s a defensive way of saying, “Why are you interfering with me?” Even in its rebellion, the demonic host recognizes Jesus’ identity as the “Son of the Most High God” (huie tou theou tou hypsistou).

“Seized” (synērpakei): This verb implies a violent snatching or dragging away. It suggests the man had no agency; he was a passenger in his own body.

“Legion” (Legiōn): This is a direct Latin loanword. A Roman legion at full strength consisted of about 6,000 soldiers. By using this name, the demons are signaling their overwhelming number, their disciplined organization, and their status as an occupying force.

“The Abyss” (tēn abysson): In ancient thought, this was the bottomless pit or the place of confinement for rebellious spirits. The demons recognize Jesus as the judge who has the authority to consign them to ultimate imprisonment.

“In his right mind” (sōphronounta): This is a beautiful contrast to his earlier state. It implies a mind that is “safe,” “sound,” or “self-controlled.” The man has moved from the fragmentation of “Legion” to the wholeness of a single, restored identity.

“Describe in detail” (diēgou): Jesus tells him to “go through the whole story.” In Jewish territory, Jesus often told people to be quiet (to avoid a political messianic riot). In this Gentile territory, He commissions the man to be His first missionary.

“How much God has done... how much Jesus had done”: Luke subtly aligns these two phrases in verses 39. Jesus tells him to testify about what God did; the man goes out and testifies about what Jesus did. For Luke, there is no contradiction.

“Pressing in / Surrounding” (synepnigon / sunechousin): Luke uses very physical verbs here. Synepnigon (v. 42) literally means “to choke” or “stifle.” The crowd was so thick it was hard to breathe. This contrasts with the specific, intentional “touch” (hēpsato) of the woman.

“Tassel of His garment” (kraspedou tou himatiou): This refers to the tzitzit or ritual fringes that observant Jews wore on the corners of their cloaks as commanded in Numbers 15:38. This detail shows that Jesus was following the Mosaic Law, and the woman likely believed that the “corners” (often translated “wings”) of the Messiah would hold healing (Malachi 4:2).

“Pressing against You” (apothlibousin): Peter uses a word that means “to squeeze” or “crush.” He finds Jesus’ question absurd because hundreds of people were bumping into Him.

“Power going out” (dynamin exelēluthuian): Jesus describes the healing not as a conscious decision He made in that second, but as a spontaneous “outflow” of His nature in response to the woman’s faith.

“She had not escaped notice” (ouk elathen): The woman hoped for a “stealth healing” to avoid the shame of her condition (which made her ritually unclean). Jesus forces her into the open, not to embarrass her, but to restore her socially and declare her a “Daughter.”

“Beating their breasts” (ekoptonto): This refers to the formal, loud lamentation of a Middle Eastern funeral. The contrast between this “noise” and Jesus’ claim that she is “sleeping” (katheudei) highlights the difference between human finality and divine perspective.

“Laugh Him to scorn” (kategelōn): This is an intensive form of “laugh.” It’s not just a chuckle; it’s a derisive, mocking laughter. They were “experts” in death and found Jesus’ diagnosis ridiculous.

“Her spirit returned” (epestrepsen to pneuma): Luke, the physician, describes the mechanics of the miracle. Death is the departure of the pneuma (breath/spirit); resurrection is its return.

“Directed that something be given to her to eat”: This mundane command (v. 55) serves as clinical proof of the miracle. A ghost doesn’t eat; a living child does.