Luke 8:5-8 Seeds
“A farmer went out to sow his seed. Some of it fell on the road; it was tramped
down and the birds ate it. Other seed
fell in the gravel; it sprouted, but withered because it didn’t have good
roots,. Other seed fell in the weeds;
the weeds grew with it and strangled it.
Other seed fell in rich earth and produced a bumper crop.” (MSG)
There are two ways I see this
Parable. Are we the seeds or are we the
ground? If I look at it as seeds, then
we are a seed company of differences…..male, female, young, old, rich, poor,
etc. But we all have the potential to
grow the Spirit within us. God is
present inside each of us waiting to mature.
Are
we the ground in which the seed of the Spirit grows? In this light, we are ground of varying
genders, races, occupations, and status. All can nurture the seed, all can
bring forth the Spirit. But in these
differences, we can also be rocky, weedy, or fertile. What kind of farmer am I? What kind of ground do I till to help the
Spirit grow? How fertile is the soil of
my life?
Luke 8:15 Good Earth
“But the seed in the good earth – these are the good-hearts
who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there’s a
harvest.” MSG
15 The seeds that
fell in good soil stand for those who hear the message and retain it in a good
and obedient heart, and they persist until they bear fruit. GNT
Fruit doesn’t mature and ripen over
night. It takes time. Likewise, our maturity of Christian faith
doesn’t happen overnight. Sometimes it
is a lifelong journey. But no matter who
we are, or what gifts we have been given, we all have more to offer in return
to Christ than we realize. We all have
been given opportunities to grow; a responsibility to ripen our fruit and be a
part of Christ’s ministry here on earth – now and today.
Luke 8:22-23a Snooze Time
“One day he and his disciples got in a boat. ‘Let’s cross the lake,’ he said. And off they went. It was smooth sailing, and he fell asleep.
I can only think of one other time when
the Gospel writers indicate Jesus fell asleep – the garden of Gethsemane. Ministry was and is hard work. You get tired! Jesus was very human in this instance. He needed a nap! Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that it
is ok to let others take over for awhile when we need to recharge our engines.
It is OK to rest and relax.
Luke 8:23b-24 A Matter of Trust
A terrific storm came
up suddenly on the lake. Water poured
in, and they were about to capsize. They
woke Jesus: ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown!’ Getting to his feet, he told the wind,
‘Silence!’ and the waves, ‘Quiet down!’
They did it. The lake became
smooth as glass. Then he said to his
disciples, ‘Why can’t you trust me?’
Why can’t you trust me? Where is your faith? I’m sure God-Jesus-Spirit mumble this under
their breath every day of our lives.
Trust is so hard. Faith is so hard. We want to rely on ourselves….just in
case. And we can’t. Not when it comes to God and trust.
You can’t blame the disciples. They are scared. The storm is howling. The boat is taking on water. And Jesus was sleeping through it all. He wasn’t even aware! Or….was he?
How often do we think that God is sleeping when we need him. How often do we figure our need is too
trivial, or that God is busy with something much more important. The Psalmists accused God frequently of
‘being out to lunch’. Even when we think
the storm of life is about to overtake us, God is present. God will act.
Trust God.
Luke 8:25 Who
Is This?
“Who is this, anyway?
He calls out to the winds and sea, and they do what he tells them!”
In one of the other Gospel narratives,
Jesus’ mastery over the wind and waves is proof to Peter that Jesus IS the
Messiah! Peter walks on water in faith
right after this. Who is this man? We may continue to ask the question today,
but the answer should be clear: God. God
incarnate. God with us.
Luke 8:26-31 Madman
“As
he stepped out onto land, a madman from town met him; he was a victim of
demons….When he saw Jesus he screamed, fell before him and bellowed, ‘What
business do you have messing with me? You’re Jesus, son of the Most High God!” 
Luke 8:32-33 Pigs
“The
demons begged Jesus to order them into the pigs. He gave the order. It was even worse for the pigs than for the man. Crazed, they stampeded over a cliff into the
lake and drowned.”
Luke 8:37 Fear
“Later,
a great many people from the Gerasene countryside got
Luke 8:38-39 Share the Good
News!
“Jesus
sent him back, saying, ‘Go home and tell everything God did in you.”
Luke 8:44-46 A
Touch
A woman
who suffered illness for 12 years came up in the crowd behind Jesus and touched
the edge of his cloak, and her bleeding stopped at once. Jesus
asked, “Who touched me?”
Everyone
denied it, and Peter said, “Master, the people are all around you and crowding
in on you.”
But Jesus
said, “Someone touched me, for I knew it when power went out of me.” (Paraphrase)
One touch out of many,. One act of ultimate faith. And Jesus knows. He knows power has transferred. He knows God has acted through him. He knows. He cares. He heals. And he still does today.
One touch out of many,. One act of ultimate faith. And Jesus knows. He knows power has transferred. He knows God has acted through him. He knows. He cares. He heals. And he still does today.
Luke 8: 48 Faith
48 Jesus said to her, “My daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in
peace.” (GNT)
Your
faith has made you well. Boy, this gets
into the whole realm of faith healing, ‘if I believe hard enough’, etc. Does it always happen? No.
CAN it happen? Yes! The possibility is always there – we don’t
know how God will choose to heal and when, but faith can make it real…on God’s
plan.
Luke 8: 49-50 Jairus’ Daughter
 |
50 But Jesus
heard it and said to Jairus, “Don't be afraid; only believe, and she will be
well.” (GNT)
Jairus is a Jewish
official. This is a healing on behalf of one of the more affluent and
influential of society, one of those times when Jesus reaches beyond the
ragamuffin. This is a reminder that the
gospel message is for ALL. Healing of
spirit, soul, and self comes to ALL.
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