Luke 8:10 – It sometimes seems a bit unfair that Jesus would hide his truths like this. A pattern emerges, though. He longs for us to dig deeper than the surface with what he taught. Isn’t that true of most of his teachings? There are many layers of meaning. If we stop at the surface, we miss much of what is profound. Not only that, but at times if we take them at face value, we miss the point entirely.
Luke 8:15 – “bear fruit with patience” it says in the ESV. That’s ironic, since in the ICOC we never had much patience for those who didn’t bear fruit.
Luke 8:19-21 – I need to see this purposeful, non-sentimental side of Jesus. I tend to be one who leans toward love, tolerance and benefit of the doubt, perhaps too much. Jesus was direct and black and white at times. There’s a time for tolerance and a time for decisiveness.
Luke 8:22-23 – Boy, I’d love to have the peace of mind and faith to be able to sleep on a boat in a storm and filling with water. I’m a worrier. When things go wrong, I assume the worst and dream up all kinds of scenarios that might happen. I need faith and a more level head.
Luke 8:26-39 – Real Live Preacher has an interesting dramatized version of this story.
Luke 8:42 – I have a 12 year old. She is so full of life. In many ways, her life is really just beginning. She’s becoming a young woman, finding her own voice apart from Mom and Dad. More so that she had in the past. She’s blossoming. I cannot imagine the pain I would endure to watch her die.
Luke 8:47-48 – Imagine thinking you were in trouble, only to be praised for your faith! What a relief.
Luke 8:50 – I imagine Jesus physically turning Jairus’s head toward him. Look here, ignore reality, focus on me and all will be well. Believe. I’m not giving up, don’t you give up either.
Luke 8:54 – What was told to the girl? What did she tell others as she grew? Did she speak of it? Did she become his disciple one day?
It’s amazing, if you think about it. Jesus must have healed hundreds, if not thousands of people during his ministry. But we read of not one becoming a disciple later. You would have thought that, if they had become disciples, they would have been mentioned. Makes me wonder.