Luke 8b: HG Bishop Youssef

Jesus Restores a Demon Possessed Man

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²⁶ Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” ²⁹ For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.

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

And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. ³¹ And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.

³² Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. ³³ Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.

³⁴ When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. ³⁵ Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. ³⁶ They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. ³⁷ Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.

³⁸ Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

• Gadarenes is on the Eastern side of the Sea of Galilee
  • It was mostly occupied by Gentiles, though some Jews did reside in it
• Most detailed description of a demon possessed man in the Bible
  • Classic profile of a man possessed with demons
  • Jesus did not directly seek out to reach this man, but the man was drawn to Jesus
• St Luke portrays the character of the Savior as a Friend who works continuously for the sake of one or two people
  • The Lord came all the way to this city, healed this man, and went back
  • Although this man and others like him, were rejected and not esteemed by the community, the Lord came for them
• Demon Possession
  • This demon would try and seize him (give him seizures) and give him great power to break through bonds and chains
  • The sight of the Lord Jesus was enough to make the demon tremble
  • "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" - Leave me alone!
  • "I beg You, do not torment me!" - This statement is so ironic because the man was constantly tormented by the demons, yet the demons ask the Lord not to torment them.
  • Despite their power, the Lord has more power because He is God
• "What is your name?"
  • Instead of the man answering his human name, the demons spoke by his mouth and said "Legion"
  • The man's condition was so miserable that he could not even say his own name... the demons have complete control over him
  • A Legion is 6,000 soldiers so this man was likely possessed by 6,000 demons.
• The Abyss
  • The deep place of torment of the demons (Revelation 9)
• Swine
  • When the demons cannot destroy the person, they will destroy his goods. If they can't hurt the people in their bodies, they will hurt them in their goods and possessions.
  • Why would the Lord Jesus allow them to possess the swine? The swine were kept in a Jewish property which is a violation of the Jewish Law (because pigs are unclean animals)
• The whole country AND the surrounding region
  • They feared Him maybe because they thought He would discipline them for breaking the law by keeping the swine and thought "what other judgments and punishments might we suffer"
  • They didn't mind having the demon-possessed man among them, but they minded having the Lord Jesus in their presence
• The Lord told the man to go and tell them what great things GOD has done for you and the man went and told all the things JESUS had done for him... there is no contradiction because Jesus is God.
• Why did the Lord not allow this grateful man to be one of His disciples
  • Perhaps through his testimony, some of the hard-hearted Gadarenes will believe and be won to God
  • This is the man's ministry
• The value of one soul to the Lord
  • He traveled to this city ONLY for this person - He didn't do anything on the other side of the Sea of Galilee except to heal this one person
  • With Jesus, no one is beyond hope. If this man, who had thousands of demons, could be healed, then ANYONE can change

A Girl Restored and a Woman Healed

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⁴⁰ So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him. ⁴¹ And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house, ⁴² for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.

• Jesus returns to the Jewish towns on the other side (i.e. in Galilee) and the multitude welcomed Him and were waiting for Him
  • Contrast this with the Gadarenes and surrounding region where all the people asked Him to leave
• In all three of the Synoptic Gospels, the story of the raising of the daughter of Jairus is interrupted by the bleeding woman
• Jairus is sincere in his request to the Lord (fell down at His feet and begged Him)
  • This shows that the enthusiasm for the Lord was not just the poor people - Jairus is rich
  • It was not just the non-religious people - Jairus is a ruler of the synagogue
• Despite his humility and his status as ruler of the synagogue, his faith is weaker than the Centurion
  • Jairus asked the Lord to come to his house to heal his daughter; The Centurion believed that the Lord was able to heal his servant with a word from afar off
  • The Centurion thought he was not worthy that the Lord enter his house; Jairus asked the Lord to enter his house
• While the Lord was on the way to Jairus' house, there was an interruption

⁴³ Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, ⁴⁴ came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.

⁴⁵ And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”

When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”

⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” ⁴⁷ Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.

⁴⁸ And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

• The woman has been bleeding for 12 years... the same age as Jairus' daughter. From the same time Jairus' daughter was born, this woman has been bleeding.
• St Luke, as a physician, refers to the physicians here respectfully. But in Matthew and Mark, they document that she was "tormented by physicians"
• Besides her physical illness, her bleeding made her ceremonially and socially unclean - this is a burden to live under for 12 years. Anything on which she sat or lay became unclean. Anyone who touched her became unclean. Her bed and her garments are unclean. She could not attend Synagogue or participate in Temple worship. Her condition was embarrassing.
  • She should not even be among the crowd because anyone who touched her would become unclean.
  • She would be condemned even for touching Jesus. So she wanted to be healed secretly.
  • She believed in the healing power of the Lord Jesus Christ - even the border of His garment.
  • She touched the tassel of His garment
• Who touched Me? For I perceived power going out from Me
  • This question didn't make any sense to the disciples... St Luke just told us that the multitude thronged Him
  • There were people all around who made some contact with Him
  • But the Lord said no! Someone - just one - touched Me intentionally with the touch of faith
  • Who touched Me?
    • In every meeting - Bible Study, Liturgy, Youth Meeting, Sunday School - I imagine the Lord asks this question: "Who touched Me?"
    • And we might say like the disciples... many people attended! How can You ask "who touched Me?"
    • And the Lord will say "I know many came and attended and had casual contact with Me, but I am asking about those who connected with Me and touched Me with faith, and received power from Me to be healed from their sins"
    • Many of us come to all of these church services with no purpose - we are part of the crowd. But the voluntary living contact of faith is like an electric current that draws power from the Lord Jesus Christ.
• The woman realized she was not hidden
  • The Lord called her forward, and this may have embarrassed her... but that was not His purpose
  • He did so that she would know that she is healed
    • So she doesn't wonder if the bleeding will return
    • So she knows that it was her faith that made her well. Just the mere touch like anyone else in the multitude wasn't enough.
  • So that the people may know that she is healed and she is clean
    • This is an illness that no one can see
    • People may not believe her if she goes and says out of nowhere that the bleeding has stopped - after 12 years of physicians.
  • To contrast her faith with that of Jairus and to encourage Jairus in his faith
  • To bless her
    • He called her daughter
    • Jesus never called any other person in the Scripture by the name "daughter"
  • To heal her psychologically
    • The woman's suffering was not only physical, but also psychological
    • She felt rejected, not having human touch for 12 years
    • Wholistic Approach of the Lord
      • Physicians should deal with a person as body, spirit, soul; not just body
      • Counselors should deal with a person as body, spirit, soul; not just soul
      • Clergy and spiritual leaders should deal with a person as body, spirit, soul; not just spirit.
      • The Lord healed her body, then encouraged her calling her daughter and granting her His peace (Soul), and telling her "your faith has made you well" (Spirit)

⁴⁹ While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.”

• Jairus must have been frustrated during all of this... every minute counts!
  • When he heard these words, maybe he started to blame the Lord Jesus Christ... "I told You my daughter is dying... why didn't you come with me quickly? Why worry that someone touched You? Why have this long conversation with this woman?"
  • God sometimes seems slow to the sufferer, but God is never slow
  • This interruption was another test of faith for Jairus
  • Imagine how Jairus' heart must have sank when he heard that his daughter had died.

⁵⁰ But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.” ⁵¹ When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. ⁵² Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.” ⁵³ And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.

⁵⁴ But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, arise.” ⁵⁵ Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. ⁵⁶ And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.

• The Lord gave Jairus two commands
  • Do not be afraid
    • Fear and faith don't go together
    • "Why are you afraid, O ye of little faith"
    • To put away fear is a decision
  • Believe
    • Don't try to believe while you are still afraid... it won't work. Put away the fear and the faith will come.
• This is the first time in the Gospel of Luke that we see Peter, James and John singled out to accompany the Lord
  • They will also accompany Him at the Transfiguration (Luke 9) and at the garden of Gethsemane
• Dead or Sleeping
  • Anyone would know the difference between dead and asleep
  • They ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead
  • He put out those who ridiculed Him
    • Likely they were "professional mourners" who were hired to add to the atmosphere of mourning at a death or funeral
    • These people were not interested in faith, so he drove them out so that they would not discourage the faith of the others
  • The Lord speaks to her as if she is alive because He is God
  • He shows compassion and commands that they feed her, to satisfy her needs
• Tell no one what had happened
  • People were so excited - a huge multitude was waiting for Him. The Lord did not need extra attraction or attention. The crowds were increasing. This excitement was temporary.
  • He wanted the excitement to clear and be replaced with real and genuine faith
• The Lord did not fail Jairus as He did not fail the bleeding woman
  • He needed to stretch Jairus' faith. With this experience, definitely the faith of Jairus grew
  • The work of the Lord is different, and yet the same
    • Jairus had a 12 year old daughter and her life was about to be ended; the woman was bleeding for 12 years in agony that seemed hopeless to heal
    • Jairus was an important man; ruler of the synagogue. This woman was nobody. We don't even know her name.
    • Jairus was wealthy; this woman was poor, having spent all her money on physicians
    • Jairus came publicly; this woman came secretly
    • Jairus thought Jesus had to do a lot - come to the house, etc. This woman thought all she needed is to touch the border of the garment of the Lord.
    • Jesus responded to the woman immediately, but responded to Jairus after a delay
    • Jairus' daughter was healed secretly, but the woman was healed publicly.