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Are You Resting in the Sovereign King?

January 13, 2019 Speaker: Brian Wilbur Series: Living in Christ's Kingdom

Topic: Rooted in Christ Passage: Luke 8:1–56

ARE YOU RESTING IN THE SOVEREIGN KING?

An Exposition of Luke 8:1-56

By Pastor Brian Wilbur

Date:   January 13, 2019

Series: Living in Christ’s Kingdom

Note:   Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard   Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

INTRODUCTION

Are you resting in the sovereign King? Is the sovereign King’s powerful word at home in your heart? Is His word generating peace and stability in your life even amid the storms, trials, and temptations that afflict us all? Is your internal life a dramatic bundle of reactions to external pressures, or have you learned the calmness of soul that comes from having confidence in the King who rules over every matter and every molecule in the universe?

Jesus put it this way: “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25) This is the question that must be put to us this morning. You have come to service with any number of difficulties weighing on your mind or looming on the horizon. It may be the medical issue that will not go away, or circumstantial pressures related to employment or money or needed property repairs or transportation challenges, or relational friction in the home or in the workplace or in the church, or the all-too-familiar temptations that we may have filed under the category ‘besetting sins’. If we navigate these difficulties without faith in Jesus, then we will most certainly be beset, entangled, assailed, and discouraged. Our life will mirror the raging tempest of a storm-tossed sea, and our Lord will say to us: “Where is your faith?” 

Our sermon passage this morning is the entirety of Luke 8, which yields an impressive fifty-six verses. Instead of reading it all at once, I will read it in parts and make comments along the way. This is an awesome chapter that all hangs together around the theme of the sovereign King’s powerful word and whether or not we will respond rightly to it. Are you responding rightly to the powerful word of the sovereign King? That is the question that occupies Luke 8.

PART 1: THE SOVEREIGN KING PROCLAIMS THE KINGDOM OF GOD

In Luke 8:1-3, we learn that the sovereign King, our Lord Jesus Christ, is proclaiming the kingdom of God. Scripture says:

1 Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.” (Luke 8:1-3)

After Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan and subsequently endured temptation in the wilderness, He began His public ministry. His ministry was characterized by teaching (Luke 4:15) and preaching (Luke 4:44), by proclaiming the good news of God’s grace to poor sinners (Luke 4:18-19), and by explaining what it means to follow Him (e.g., Luke 6:20-49). Further, He demonstrated the powerful reality of God’s kingdom by healing diseases and casting out demons (Luke 4:38-41) and by forgiving sinners (Luke 5:17-26, 7:36-50). So here in Luke 8 we learn that King Jesus is continuing to “[proclaim] and [bring] the good news of the kingdom of God,” and that He is accompanied by those who have received His ministry. The twelve apostles had heeded the call to follow Him – though one of them, Judas, would prove to be a serpent-like traitor. Some women who had been afflicted by various diseases and demonic afflictions were healed by Him, and now they are walking with Him and rendering service to Him and the twelve. Take note that those who are truly saved by Jesus become large-hearted servants of Jesus – and in this case these grateful women helped to fund the Savior’s ministry. Great will be their reward in heaven!

To the point of the chapter, however, we must stay on point – and the point is that the sovereign King is declaring His powerful word, and the question is whether we will respond rightly to it. The faithful women of verses 2-3 did, eleven of the twelve of verse 1 did, but will you respond rightly to Him and His message?

PART 2: THERE IS ONE RIGHT WAY, AND MANY WRONG WAYS, TO RESPOND

As we move forward into verses 4-21, we will see that there is one right way, and many wrong ways, to respond to the powerful word of the sovereign King. As it happens, some of the wrong responses have a temporary and superficial similarity to the right response, but they remain wrong responses just the same.

Scripture says:

And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, 10 he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. 14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

16 “No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 17 For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. 18 Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”

19 Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. 20 And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” 21 But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”” (Luke 8:4-21)

Over and over again, Jesus emphasizes the fundamental matter of how we “hear” God’s word. Many people hear with the ears on their head, but don’t understand with the ears of the heart. Many people see any number of interesting things when God’s Word is taught, but they don’t see with spiritual eyes and therefore they do not come to know the wonderful reality of God’s kingdom. They remain blind and deaf, even as they go through the religious motions. Thus the exhortation: “Take care then how you hear.” In other words, make sure that you hear rightly and truly: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” What characterizes a right response to the word of the sovereign King?

Well, let’s begin by briefly surveying the three wrong responses to “the good news of the kingdom of God.”

Three Wrong Responses to the Word

The first wrong response, presented in verse 5 and explained in verse 12, is no response. The word gains zero traction in their life, because “the devil comes and takes away the word” before anything happens. The man happens upon a church some Sunday morning, hears a sermon that goes in one ear and out the other, and as far as he is concerned the matter of truly great consequence is the football playoff game on Sunday afternoon. 

The second wrong response, presented in verse 6 and explained in verse 13, is the superficial and temporary response. These folks get a religious buzz from the preacher’s message, but the word doesn’t get rooted in their hearts. When reality sets in, when the “time of testing” shows up, when it becomes difficult and costly to follow Jesus, they show their true colors and “fall away.” As we shall see in verse 15, it is precisely in not falling away or, to put it positively, it is in persevering, that true and saving faith is demonstrated. Hebrews 3 puts it this way: “For we share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” (Hebrews 3:14) Those who drift away and do not return, do not share in Christ.  

The third wrong response, presented in verse 7 and explained in verse 14, is the half-hearted response. These folks begin to associate with the church and start to do churchy things, but their heart is still in the world. In due time, the world’s cares and the world’s riches and the world’s pleasures get the best of them, and the original stirring of religious resolve comes to nothing. Thus they never get around to bearing good fruit, and why is that? Because they were never savingly transformed in their heart. As Jesus said in Luke 6, “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit.” (Luke 6:43) Had they been a good tree, they would have borne good fruit. But the goodness of the word never transformed their hearts into good.

How many people pass through the doors of a church building, but are not saved?! They might like the other people, they might like the music, they might like the fringe benefits of being connected to a church family, but in the thing that really matters they are bankrupt: their response to the word is no response, or a superficial and temporary response, or a halfhearted response. They remain bad trees in need of true conversion.

The Only Right Response to the Word

The only right response to the word, presented in verse 8 and explained in verse 15, is the whole-hearted response that brings about ongoing transformation. This is the response that goes deep and endures and changes you from the inside out. This right response is indicated by the word “good”: here is “good soil,” here is “an honest and good heart,” and the result is the good fruit that Jesus had mentioned back in Luke 6. These true believers hear the word with spiritual ears and “hold it fast,” they hang onto it, they treasure it in the depths of their heart, they let it govern and shape their life, and day after day, month after month, year after year, decade after decade, they “bear fruit with patience.” In terms of verse 16, their lamp is lit, and their light is shining! Unlike the inadequate responders who sooner or later blend back in with the world, these faithful believers shine brightly as God’s lights in the world.[1] Finally, these humble receivers of God’s word are the ones who are members of the King’s family: “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it” (v. 21). So hearing God’s word rightly means receiving it into the depths of our heart, with humility and understanding; holding onto it as life-giving treasure; and letting it continually produce the good fruit of obedience in our everyday lives.

So: “Take care… how you hear”! Are you in the habit of responding rightly to the word of God?

PART 3: IN OTHER WORDS, BELIEVE!

Another way of describing the right response to God’s word is to say that we must believe, we must have faith, we must trust in the King and His life-giving word. This is evident not only by our soon-to-be-journey through verses 22-56, but also by a review of verses 4-21. Although the word ‘believe’ or ‘faith’ doesn’t occur in verses 15 and 21, its presence is implied. And it is implied by remembering how Jesus described two of the wrong responses.

In verse 12, Jesus indicated that “[the] ones along the path” do “not believe.” Then in verse 13 He said that “the ones on the [rocky soil]” only “believe for a while.” By contrast, we may assume that the faithful “good soil” hearers who hold fast to God’s Word are those who have an authentic and abiding faith – in other words, true belief, real faith, heartfelt trust in God.

Then as we consider the rest of the chapter, we find that the language of faith is key. “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25) “Daughter, you faith has made you well” (Luke 8:48). “Do not fear, only believe” (Luke 8:50). Faith is another way of describing the right response that Jesus unpacked in verses 4-21. In other words, faith involves understanding the word, receiving the word into the depths of our soul, and “holding it fast in an honest and good heart.” To do so means that we have confidence – we have trust – in the word. More precisely, it means that we have confidence and trust in the sovereign King who has spoken the word to us. Our confidence is in Him and in all that He tells us! Such faith will demonstrate itself in works, as the apostle James taught us (James 2:14-26), which means that true believers are those who trust and obey: hearing and doing (v. 21), holding fast and bearing fruit (v. 15). In all this, our dependence is upon the Lord.

Jesus Brings Peace to a Storm-Tossed Sea

But then comes the raging tempest, and it puts our faith to the test:

22 One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, 23 and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. 24 And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”” (Luke 8:22-25)

My dear friends, do not be surprised if following the Lord leads you straightaway into a fierce storm of one sort or another. The disciples were right where they were supposed to be: it was Jesus’ idea to take the boat across the lake, and they rightly followed. They were trusting and obeying. But when the “windstorm came down” and the “raging waves” filled their boat with water that put them “in danger,” their hearts became like the storm – turbulent with fear. They should have kept their eyes on Him: since He was perfectly calm in the midst of the storm (He was “asleep”!), they should have rested in Him. But instead of responding to Him, they responded to the restless waves, and became restless themselves. In their hour of diminished faith, they did not comprehend that everything was under the control of the sovereign King. They thought He didn’t care, but in reality He cared far more about their unsettled souls than the unsettled sea. After “he awoke” Jesus spoke peace over the storm-tossed sea, “and there was a calm.” “[The] wind and the raging waves” received His word and experienced His peace, but what about the disciples? And what about us? “Where is your faith?”

Our problem, of course, is that we often don’t understand the greatness of our King. The disciples were blown away by Jesus’ ability to command the sea. As R. C. Sproul has so helpfully pointed out, when Jesus removed the cause of the disciples’ fear, that didn’t remove their fear: they were afraid of the danger posed by fierce winds, but now they were afraid of the Man in the boat who could command the fierce winds! “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?” Behold your King, Commander of all creation, who brings order and peace and calm by the simple act of speaking. He speaks, and it is done! The question is: will you receive the powerful word of the sovereign King and thereby experience quietness and rest in your soul? The “winds and water” heard God’s word and obeyed it, but will you?

Jesus Brings Peace to a Storm-Tossed Man

Jesus is sovereign over the weather and, equally, over the demons. After “the raging waves” of verses 22-25 we encounter a raging man in verses 26-39. This man, like the waves before him, would experience the peace-creating power of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs.28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and 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, do not torment me.” 29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) 30 Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. 32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then 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 herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 36 And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.” (Luke 8:26-39)

This raging man had been dehumanized by a legion of demons. To say the least, he was not in a proper frame of mind. His behavior was anti-social and unruly, and his dwelling “among the tombs” was indicative of the fact that he dwelt in the regions of spiritual death. But Jesus had come “to set at liberty those who [were] oppressed” (Luke 4:18) – indeed to save people “who were oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38). So, the same Jesus who had “rebuked the wind” now rebuked the wicked spirits who were afflicting this poor and troubled man. Same sovereign King, same powerful word, same result: just as the storm-tossed sea became “calm,” so the storm-tossed man became sane and humanized again – he became “clothed and in his right mind.” He was gloriously rescued from death “among the tombs” to life “sitting at the feet of Jesus,” from death to life, from the kingdom of the serpent to the kingdom of the Savior, from darkness to light, from unruliness to peace and right-mindedness under the gracious sway of King Jesus.

Here again we get a glimpse of the power of Christ. The calming of the storm had made the disciples afraid. Well, the calming of the demon-possessed man had the same effect on the people who knew him. Of course, folks didn’t really appreciate the loss of all those pigs, but the really amazing thing is that the crazy man had gotten healed: “Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.” After learning about “how the demon-possessed man had been healed,” the people “asked [Jesus] to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear.” These folks were overwhelmed by the power of a Man who could exercise authority over demons and bring peace to a demonically-afflicted soul. Jesus was too much for them, and they asked Him to leave. Meanwhile, the formerly troubled man became a witness to the grace of Christ and “[proclaimed] throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.” Those who receive “the good news of the kingdom of God” and experience its saving power always have a testimony to share with others.

Jesus Heals a Chronically Ill Woman

The powerful word of the sovereign King brings life and peace, stability and calm – to the tempestuous sea, to the troubled man, and indeed to all who will “hold it fast in an honest and good heart.” Next, we behold Jesus exercising authority over a chronic illness.

40 Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.41 And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus' feet, he implored him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. 43 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. 44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. 45 And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”” (Luke 8:40-48)

This section begins with a twelve-year-old daughter on the doorstep of death, but that scene is quickly interrupted by a chronically ill woman who has come to Jesus for healing. How discouraged she must have been: she had been bleeding for more than a decade, she had paid doctor after doctor in hopes of a cure, and after all that her body was still broken and beyond that she was financially broke. Somewhere along the way she had learned about Jesus and she believed that Jesus could make her well. So she came to Him and, amid the commotion of a pressing crowd, she “touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately” – are you starting to understand the pattern? Jesus “rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased.” Jesus “commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man,” and the man’s madness ceased. Now “the fringe of [Jesus’] garment” touched the woman, “and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.” Even though Jesus didn’t speak any word in the moment of healing, we must understand that the woman was exercising faith in the word that she had previously heard about Jesus – she believed this word, and that is why she came to Him and touched Him, because she believed that He could heal her. And indeed He did – His power brought a calm over her body and restored her health.

However, any hopes that she had to fly under the radar screen and remain “hidden” fell to the ground. The Savior wanted to know who had touched Him, and soon enough she was found out and “came trembling” and fell down and shared what had just happened. But she needn’t have been afraid, for the Savior deals graciously with humble, believing hearts: “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

The lake became calm. The man became sane. The woman was made well and now she was sent forth to go and live her entire life within the realm of God’s grace and peace, under the heavenly Father’s favor and smile, in the reality of the kingdom that was manifest to her through the power and word of the sovereign King, Jesus Christ.  

Jesus Raises a Girl from the Dead

In verses 22-48, the shadow of death is cast over each situation. Amid the storm, the disciples thought they “were in danger” of “perishing” and dying. Under the influence of demons, the crazy man dwelt “among the tombs” – and though he hadn’t died yet, he was on track to meet the same end as the pigs who “drowned” in the lake. The woman who had been bleeding for twelve years was in poorer health than she might have been, and poorer health brings us a bit closer to death. But none of these had experienced physical death yet. However, the twelve-year-old girl who “was dying” (v. 42) eventually died. Does the powerful word of Christ the King extend even into the realm of death?

49 While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler's house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” 50 But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” 51 And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. 52 And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” 53 And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” 55 And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat.56 And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.” (Luke 8:49-56)

In verse 50 the central aim of this chapter is brought once again to the surface. Remember: “He who had ears to hear, let him hear.” “Take care then how you hear.” Healthy spiritual hearing entails receiving the message in an attitude of faith. Thus the sobering question: “Where is your faith?” And now the straightforward command in verse 50: “Do not fear; only believe…” The disciples were full of fear, both before and after the miracle on the lake. It is safe to assume that the demon-possessed man, before he was delivered, lived with a significant measure of anxiety in his life. The countryfolk who knew about the demon-possessed man were full of “great fear” after the man had been healed. The woman “came trembling” – she was afraid – after she was discovered. The message to fearful people is: “Do not fear, only believe.” Of course, this call to “believe” is not a call to believe in just anything. We don’t believe in believing, we don’t have faith in faith, we don’t trust generic and vague religious niceties. We must believe in the sovereign King and His powerful word!

There is specificity, of course, to Jesus’ instruction in verse 50: “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” Then He adds: “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” Did they rest in the words that Jesus spoke to them? Did they stop fearing, stop weeping, and start experiencing peace and hope because of the truth that Jesus spoke to them? Were their emotions transformed into a deep calm before the miracle took place? We don’t know, because the passage doesn’t tell us.

But what the passage does tell us is intended to strengthen our faith in Jesus. It is a beautiful and tender passage. The girl really had died. I know you have to slow down and pay close attention to the words, because a reader might conclude that the girl didn’t die because Jesus said “she is not dead.” Jesus, however, is speaking in view of the miracle that He is about to perform. But the girl really was physically dead. We know this because of how Luke describes the situation in verse 55: after the miracle “her spirit returned,” which means that her spirit had previously departed, which means that her body was dead. So those who “laughed at him, knowing that she was dead” (v. 53), were correct in their medical assessment, but they were ignorant of the sovereign power that stood in their midst. So they went from “weeping” to laughing, but not for the right reason.

But here is the awesome reality that we must understand. Jesus is sovereign not only over the forces of nature, not only over the forces of the demonic world, not only over the forces of bodily sickness and disease, but also over the power of death. When a little girl dies and her spirit departs and her body lay expired in front of us, we reason that she is finally and irreversibly dead, because there is nothing we can do about it. But when a little girl dies and her spirit departs and her body lay expired in front of Jesus, as far as Jesus is concerned she is sleeping – because He can wake her up anytime He wants! All He has to say is ‘Little girl, it’s time to get up now,’ and immediately the little girl will spring to life. It is the sovereign King’s powerful word that creates the miracle: dead people can’t respond to the command to “arise,” unless the One who issues the command is so powerful that the command itself creates the life that ensures the response. As in, ““Let there be light,” and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3) Or here: ‘Rise up, child,’ and “she got up at once.” “And her parents were amazed” at what Jesus had just so powerfully done in their presence.

PART 4: APPLICATION: IS JESUS’ WORD SHAPING YOUR LIFE?

Jesus speaks, and death is undone.

Jesus speaks, and disease is cured.

Jesus speaks, and demons are put to flight.

Jesus speaks, and storms submit to the Master’s voice.

Jesus speaks, and dead, diseased, demonically-aligned, restless sinners are awakened to spiritual life, forgiven of their sins, and put into a right frame of mind, thus becoming true disciples who sit at Jesus’ feet and learn to walk in His ways. 

Jesus speaks, and these true disciples learn to let His speaking shape their life. Yes, we must learn and grow. Too often we lose our spiritual equilibrium, and thus the Lord will say to us: “Where is your faith?” Such rebuke and correction is part of the growing process – but true disciples will grow.

Where are you right now? Are you in the midst of a difficult circumstance – the equivalent of a stormy sea or a demonic affliction or a chronic illness or the cruel march of death? Your difficulty might involve raising children or financing your budget or caring for older parents or dealing with troubled relationships or any number of profound disappointments. Luke 8 shows us that Jesus is the sovereign King who rules over all things. Do you trust Him?

For some the temptation is to assume that the miracles of verses 22-56 should be repeated on a daily basis as the immediate solution for all of your difficulties – and if they’re not being repeated in your life, then the problem is that you lack faith. I don’t have time to explain why this is bad teaching, but it is bad teaching. For now let me just say that the miracles of verses 22-56 have a twofold purpose: 1) to reveal Jesus to us as the sovereign King whose word is all-powerful and effective to accomplish its purpose; and 2) to point to the greater miracle with which Luke’s Gospel is concerned, namely, the forgiveness and transformation of sinners into faithful disciples through the death and resurrection of Jesus (Luke 24:45-47; see also Luke 6:46-49, 7:36-50, and 8:15-21).

Think about Luke 8. The disciples, and the demoniac, and the diseased woman, and the dead girl and her family, all experienced a momentous miracle in verses 22-56. But the first part of Luke 8 has already trained us not to over-emphasize these moments. So what if you “receive [the word] with joy” but eventually throw in the towel and “fall away”? So what if you are impressed by Jesus at a down-on-your-luck moment but in due course worldly cares sweep you away?

The question is whether the powerful word of the sovereign King is the governing reality of your heart.

The question is whether His word has taken root, so that when times of testing come, you press on.

The question is whether His word holds sway, so that when “the cares and riches and pleasures of life” show up vying for your distraction, you are not impressed, because you have found Jesus – or rather, Jesus has found you, and you’re not moving!

The question is whether His word – which of course is His Father’s word – has so defined you that it marks you out as a member of His family: “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

The question is whether His word is generating peace in your heart and life. The calming of the sea and the re-humanizing of the demon-possessed man are pictures of the peace that Jesus brings. Chapter 7 concluded with the words of Jesus to a woman known for her sin but who had received forgiveness: “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:50) Likewise the words of chapter 8: “Daughter, you faith has made you well; go in peace.” (Luke 8:48) Peace! “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14) Here in the Lord Jesus Christ there is peace with God and salvation from sin and life under the Father’s smile and fellowship with the sovereign King who is with us in the storm!

What should you do in response to Luke 8? If you are one of His, then you should always trust Him, continually hold fast to His Word, and keep on “[bearing] fruit with patience.” Say: “Be still, my soul! the waves and winds still know / His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.”[2]

On the other hand, if you are an outsider to “the good news of the kingdom of God,” then I urge you to be like the father of the dying girl or like the woman with chronic illness: go to Jesus, fall at His feet, reach out to Him for mercy, and see what He will do.

Let us pray.  

 

ENDNOTES

[1] Four-plus years ago I gained an insight from Pastor John Piper that the “fruit” of Luke 8:15 corresponds to the “light” of Luke 8:16.

[2] From the hymn “”Be Still, My Soul” by Katharina von Schlegel (translated by Jane L. Borthwick).

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