Luke 8

Introduction

Luke 8 weaves together teaching, miracle, and mission, revealing who Jesus is and what it means to respond to him in faith. The chapter opens with a detail unique to Luke: a group of women -- including Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna -- who travel with Jesus and the Twelve, supporting the itinerant ministry from their own resources. This is a window into the social world of Jesus' movement and into Luke's particular concern to highlight the role of women in the story of salvation. From there, the chapter moves into the Parable of the Sower and its explanation, followed by a series of short sayings about light and hearing, and a redefinition of Jesus' true family.

The second half of the chapter narrates four demonstrations of Jesus' authority: he calms a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee, liberates a man possessed by a legion of demons in Gentile territory, heals a woman with a twelve-year hemorrhage, and raises a twelve-year-old girl from the dead. These episodes, paralleled in Mark 4:35-43 and Matthew 8:23-27, reveal Jesus' power over nature, the demonic realm, chronic illness, and death itself. Throughout, Luke emphasizes the theme of faith -- or its absence -- as the decisive factor in how people respond to Jesus. The question the terrified disciples ask on the lake -- "Who then is this?" -- hangs over the entire chapter, and every episode provides part of the answer.

Women Who Followed Jesus (vv. 1-3)

¹ Soon afterward, Jesus traveled from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with Him, ² as well as some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, ³ Joanna the wife of Herod's household manager Chuza, Susanna, and many others. These women were ministering to them out of their own means.

¹ And it happened in the time that followed that he was traveling through city and village, proclaiming and announcing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the Twelve were with him, ² along with certain women who had been healed from evil spirits and illnesses: Mary, the one called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, ³ and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, who were providing for them out of their own possessions.

Notes

This passage is unique to Luke and offers a clear glimpse of the women who supported Jesus' ministry. The verb διώδευεν ("was traveling through") is rare in the New Testament, appearing only here and in Acts 17:1, and conveys the sense of a systematic, town-by-town itinerant mission.

Luke describes the women as having been τεθεραπευμέναι ("healed," a perfect passive participle of θεραπεύω), indicating a completed action with lasting results. Their healing was the catalyst for their discipleship and service. Mary Magdalene is identified as the one from whom δαιμόνια ἑπτά ("seven demons") had gone out -- "seven" indicating completeness or severity, not necessarily a literal count. Despite later tradition conflating her with the sinful woman of Luke 7:36-50, there is no textual basis for this identification.

Joanna's husband Χουζᾶ served as ἐπίτροπος ("steward" or "manager") of Herod Antipas's household -- a high-ranking position. Her presence among Jesus' followers is notable: a woman from the ruling elite supporting an itinerant preacher. She reappears in Luke 24:10 as a witness to the empty tomb.

The verb διηκόνουν ("were ministering to" or "were providing for") is the imperfect of the same root as "deacon." It indicates ongoing, habitual support. The phrase ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐταῖς ("out of their own possessions") indicates that these women were using their personal financial resources to fund the mission. This is a notable detail in a first-century context, where women's financial independence was unusual. Luke shows that Jesus' movement was supported in practical, material ways by women of means.

The Parable of the Sower (vv. 4-8)

⁴ While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, He told them this parable: ⁵ "A farmer went out to sow his seed. And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, where it was trampled, and the birds of the air devoured it. ⁶ Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the seedlings withered because they had no moisture. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the seedlings. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprang up and produced a crop -- a hundredfold."

As Jesus said this, He called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

⁴ And as a great crowd was gathering and people from every town were coming to him, he spoke by a parable: ⁵ "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 sky devoured it. ⁶ And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered because it had no moisture. ⁷ And some fell in the midst of the thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. ⁸ And some fell on the good soil and grew and produced fruit a hundredfold."

Saying these things, he called out, "The one who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Notes

This is one of the few parables found in all three Synoptic Gospels (compare Matthew 13:1-9 and Mark 4:1-9). Luke's version is more compressed than Mark's, omitting the lakeside setting and the detail of Jesus teaching from a boat. Luke also has distinctive touches: only Luke mentions that the seed along the path "was trampled" (κατεπατήθη), and where Mark speaks of seed producing thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold, Luke mentions only the hundredfold yield, emphasizing the extraordinary abundance of the good soil.

The word σπόρος ("seed") is Luke's preferred term (Mark uses σπέρμα in his explanation). Luke uses ἰκμάδα ("moisture") instead of Mark's "root" in verse 6 -- a word found only here in the New Testament, reflecting Luke's more literary Greek style.

The closing call -- "The one who has ears to hear, let him hear" -- is a formula that appears repeatedly in the Gospels and in Revelation 2:7. It signals that the parable carries a deeper meaning that demands active engagement, not passive hearing.

The Purpose and Meaning of the Parable (vv. 9-15)

⁹ Then His disciples asked Him what this parable meant. ¹⁰ He replied, "The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, 'though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.' ¹¹ Now this is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. ¹² The seeds along the path are those who hear, but the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. ¹³ The seeds on rocky ground are those who hear the word and receive it with joy, but they have no root. They believe for a season, but in the time of testing, they fall away. ¹⁴ The seeds that fell among the thorns are those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and their fruit does not mature. ¹⁵ But the seeds on good soil are those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, cling to it, and by persevering produce a crop."

⁹ And his disciples asked him what this parable meant. ¹⁰ And he said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest I speak 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 Those along the path are the ones 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 those on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a time, but in a season of testing they fall away. ¹⁴ And what fell among the thorns -- these are the ones who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not reach maturity. ¹⁵ But as for the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, hold it fast and bear fruit with endurance."

Notes

The quotation in verse 10 comes from Isaiah 6:9, part of Isaiah's commissioning, in which God warns the prophet that his message will harden rather than soften many hearts. Luke abbreviates the Isaiah quotation more sharply than either Matthew or Mark, using ἵνα ("so that") with a purpose clause -- "so that seeing they may not see." This is a difficult form of the saying, as it appears to make incomprehension the purpose of parables rather than merely their result.

Luke's version of the interpretation has several distinctive emphases. In verse 12, he alone specifies that the devil takes the word from their καρδίας ("hearts"), and adds the explicit purpose clause ἵνα μὴ πιστεύσαντες σωθῶσιν ("so that they may not believe and be saved"). This is among the most explicit statements in the Synoptic Gospels connecting belief with salvation.

In verse 13, Luke uses πειρασμοῦ ("testing" or "temptation") where Mark has "tribulation or persecution." This broader word encompasses all forms of trial, not just external opposition. The verb ἀφίστανται ("fall away") is the root of the English word "apostasy."

Verse 15 is worth close attention. Luke describes the good-soil hearers as those with a καρδίᾳ καλῇ καὶ ἀγαθῇ ("noble and good heart") -- a phrase that would have resonated with Greek-speaking readers, as these are classic virtues in Hellenistic moral philosophy. The verb κατέχουσιν ("hold fast" or "cling to") implies a firm grip on the word, a deliberate retention. And the fruit comes ἐν ὑπομονῇ ("with endurance" or "with perseverance") -- a key Lukan theme suggesting that fruitfulness is not instantaneous but develops through patient, steady faithfulness.

Interpretations

The relationship between divine sovereignty and human response in this parable has been a major point of discussion. Reformed interpreters emphasize the ἵνα clause in verse 10 and the passive δέδοται ("it has been given") as evidence that understanding is a gift of God's sovereign grace -- the disciples understand not because they are more perceptive but because God has granted them understanding. Arminian interpreters tend to read the four soils as representing genuine choices that individuals make in response to the word, with the "noble and good heart" of verse 15 indicating a willing receptivity that any hearer may exercise. Both traditions agree that the parable warns against complacency: even initial joy and belief (v. 13) may not lead to lasting fruit.

The Lamp on a Stand (vv. 16-18)

¹⁶ No one lights a lamp and covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he sets it on a stand, so those who enter can see the light. ¹⁷ For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be made known and brought to light. ¹⁸ Pay attention, therefore, to how you listen. Whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him."

¹⁶ "No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but places it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light. ¹⁷ For nothing is hidden that will not become manifest, and nothing secret that will not become known and come to light. ¹⁸ Watch, therefore, how you hear. For whoever has, more will be given to him; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him."

Notes

These three sayings, found also in Mark 4:21-25, are linked to the parable of the sower by the theme of hearing and understanding. The lamp saying makes the point that truth is meant to be revealed, not concealed. The parables may obscure meaning temporarily, but their ultimate purpose is illumination. The word λύχνον ("lamp") refers to a small clay oil lamp common in Palestinian homes.

Verse 17 reinforces this: everything hidden will eventually come εἰς φανερόν ("into the open"). This applies both to the mysteries of the kingdom, which Jesus is progressively revealing, and to the inner condition of the heart, which will eventually be exposed.

Verse 18 is key: Βλέπετε οὖν πῶς ἀκούετε -- "Watch, therefore, how you hear." Note that Luke says "how" you hear, while Mark 4:24 says "what" you hear. Luke's emphasis is on the manner and quality of listening, not merely its content. The paradox that follows -- whoever has will receive more, and whoever does not have will lose even what he thinks he has -- describes a spiritual principle: receptive hearing produces greater understanding, while dull hearing leads to progressive loss. The phrase ὃ δοκεῖ ἔχειν ("what he thinks he has") is pointed -- the loss may include a false sense of spiritual security.

Jesus' True Family (vv. 19-21)

¹⁹ Then Jesus' mother and brothers came to see Him, but they were unable to reach Him because of the crowd. ²⁰ He was told, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see You." ²¹ But He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and carry it out."

¹⁹ And his mother and brothers came to him, but they were unable to reach him because of the crowd. ²⁰ And it was reported to him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you." ²¹ But he answered them, "My mother and my brothers are these: the ones who hear the word of God and do it."

Notes

This episode appears in all three Synoptic Gospels (see Matthew 12:46-50, Mark 3:31-35), but Luke's version is notably gentler. Mark places this scene in the context of Jesus' family thinking he is "out of his mind" (Mark 3:21) and frames it alongside the Beelzebul controversy. Luke removes all suggestion of family hostility and uses the episode simply as a positive statement about spiritual kinship.

Jesus redefines family: οἱ τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀκούοντες καὶ ποιοῦντες -- "those who hear the word of God and do it." The present participles indicate ongoing, habitual action. This ties directly back to the parable of the sower: the "good soil" hearers are those who hear the word, hold it fast, and bear fruit. True kinship with Jesus is defined not by blood but by obedient hearing. Luke uses ποιοῦντες ("doing") where Mark has "doing the will of God" -- Luke's version is more direct and connects the saying explicitly to the preceding teaching about hearing the word.

Jesus Calms the Storm (vv. 22-25)

²² One day Jesus said to His disciples, "Let us cross to the other side of the lake." So He got into a boat with them and set out. ²³ As they sailed, He fell asleep, and a windstorm came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. ²⁴ The disciples went and woke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters, and they subsided, and all was calm. ²⁵ "Where is your faith?" He asked. Frightened and amazed, they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him!"

²² And it happened on one of those days that he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake." And they set out. ²³ And as they were sailing, he fell asleep. And a windstorm swept down on the lake, and they were being swamped and were in danger. ²⁴ And they came to him and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And he rose and rebuked the wind and the surging of the water, and they ceased, and there was a calm. ²⁵ And he said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they were afraid and marveled, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?"

Notes

This miracle story has parallels in Matthew 8:23-27 and Mark 4:35-41. The Sea of Galilee (actually a freshwater lake) lies in a deep basin surrounded by hills, and violent squalls are common as wind funnels through the surrounding valleys. Luke uses the specific term λαῖλαψ ἀνέμου ("a windstorm"), the same word Mark uses, denoting a sudden, violent gust.

The disciples address Jesus as Ἐπιστάτα, ἐπιστάτα ("Master, Master") -- a title unique to Luke in the Gospels. The word means "one who stands over" or "overseer" and conveys authority and respect. The doubling of the title intensifies their desperation. Mark has "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" -- Luke omits the implicit accusation.

Jesus ἐπετίμησεν ("rebuked") the wind and the κλύδωνι τοῦ ὕδατος ("surging of the water"). The verb "rebuke" is the same word used for commanding demons (cf. Luke 4:35), suggesting that Jesus treats the chaotic storm with the same sovereign authority he exercises over the spiritual realm. In the Old Testament, only God commands the sea and the storm (Psalm 107:29, Psalm 89:9, Job 38:8-11).

The result is γαλήνη ("a calm") -- not a gradual subsiding, but an immediate, total stillness. Jesus' question, Ποῦ ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν ("Where is your faith?"), is gentler than Mark's "Do you still have no faith?" but still probing. The disciples' response -- fear mingled with wonder -- is the proper human reaction to a theophany: "Who then is this?" The answer, which the reader already knows, is that Jesus acts with the authority of the God of Israel over creation.

The Gerasene Demoniac (vv. 26-39)

²⁶ Then they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee. ²⁷ When Jesus stepped ashore, He was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothing or lived in a house, but he stayed in the tombs. ²⁸ When the man saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, shouting in a loud voice, "What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You not to torture me!" ²⁹ For Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was bound with chains and shackles, he had broken the chains and been driven by the demon into solitary places.

³⁰ "What is your name?" Jesus asked. "Legion," he replied, because many demons had gone into him. ³¹ And the demons kept begging Jesus not to order them to go into the Abyss. ³² There on the hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding. So the demons begged Jesus to let them enter the pigs, and He gave them permission. ³³ Then the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

³⁴ When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside. ³⁵ So the people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man whom the demons had left, sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ³⁶ Meanwhile, those who had seen it reported how the demon-possessed man had been healed. ³⁷ Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to depart from them, because great fear had taken hold of them. So He got into the boat and started back.

³⁸ The man whom the demons had left begged to go with Jesus. But He sent him away, saying, ³⁹ "Return home and describe how much God has done for you." So the man went away and proclaimed all over the town how much Jesus had done for him.

²⁶ And they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across from Galilee. ²⁷ And when he stepped out onto the land, a certain man from the town met him who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes and did not live in a house but among the tombs. ²⁸ And when he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell before him and said in a loud voice, "What is there between you and me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me!" ²⁹ For he had been commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For many times it had seized him, and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desolate places.

³⁰ And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion" -- because many demons had entered him. ³¹ And they kept begging 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 allow them to enter those. And he gave them permission. ³³ And the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

³⁴ When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and reported it in the town and in the countryside. ³⁵ And 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. 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 region of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, because they were gripped by a great fear. And he got into the boat and returned.

³⁸ The man from whom the demons had gone out was begging to be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ "Return to your home and recount all that God has done for you." And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole town all that Jesus had done for him.

Notes

This exorcism narrative is paralleled in Matthew 8:28-34 and Mark 5:1-20. The setting is Gentile territory -- the presence of a pig herd confirms this, since pigs were unclean under Jewish law (Leviticus 11:7).

There is a well-known textual variant regarding the name of the region: manuscripts read "Gerasenes," "Gadarenes," or "Gergesenes." The reading Γερασηνῶν has strong manuscript support. Gerasa was a city of the Decapolis, though its location about thirty miles from the lake has led some to prefer "Gadarenes" (Gadara being closer) or "Gergesenes" (a small town on the lake shore).

The demon's cry -- Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί ("What is there between you and me?") -- is an idiom expressing protest and a desire for separation. The title Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ Ὑψίστου ("Son of the Most High God") is significant: Ὕψιστος ("Most High") was a title used for God by both Jews and Gentiles, making it fitting in this Gentile-territory context. The demons recognize Jesus' identity even when humans fail to do so.

The name Λεγιών ("Legion") is a Latin loanword referring to a Roman military unit of roughly 5,000 soldiers. The name conveys both the man's torment -- he is occupied by an army of hostile forces -- and the political overtones that may be present, as the Roman legion was the instrument of imperial occupation.

The ἄβυσσον ("Abyss") in verse 31 is a term for the deep, primordial chaos or the place of confinement for evil spirits (see Revelation 9:1-2, Revelation 20:1-3). The demons prefer even the pigs to the Abyss, revealing a hierarchy of dread.

The contrast between the man before and after deliverance is sharp: from naked, homeless, and living among the dead, he is now found "sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind" (σωφρονοῦντα -- a word implying self-control, soundness, and rational composure). Yet the townspeople's response is fear, not joy, and they ask Jesus to leave. The economic loss of the pigs and the disruption of the familiar -- even a familiar misery -- proves more unsettling than the man's suffering.

Verse 39 contains a subtle but important shift. Jesus tells the man to recount what ὁ Θεός ("God") has done for him. But when the man goes, he proclaims what ὁ Ἰησοῦς ("Jesus") has done for him. Luke lets this equation stand without comment -- what God does and what Jesus does are, for the healed man, one and the same. Unlike in Jewish territory, where Jesus often commands silence about his miracles (the messianic secret), here in Gentile territory he commissions the man as a witness. He becomes the first evangelist to the Gentiles in Luke's narrative.

Jairus's Daughter and the Woman with Bleeding (vv. 40-56)

⁴⁰ When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him. ⁴¹ Just then a synagogue leader named Jairus came and fell at Jesus' feet. He begged Him to come to his house, ⁴² because his only daughter, who was about twelve, was dying.

As Jesus went with him, the crowds pressed around Him, ⁴³ including a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. She had spent all her money on physicians, but no one was able to heal her. ⁴⁴ She came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

⁴⁵ "Who touched Me?" Jesus asked. But they all denied it. "Master," said Peter, "the people are crowding and pressing against You." ⁴⁶ But Jesus declared, "Someone touched Me, for I know that power has gone out from Me."

⁴⁷ Then the woman, seeing that she could not escape notice, came trembling and fell down before Him. In the presence of all the people, she explained why she had touched Him and how she had immediately been healed. ⁴⁸ "Daughter," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

⁴⁹ While He was still speaking, someone arrived from the house of the synagogue leader. "Your daughter is dead," he told Jairus. "Do not bother the Teacher anymore." ⁵⁰ But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, "Do not be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed."

⁵¹ When He entered the house, He did not allow anyone to go in with Him except Peter, John, James, and the child's father and mother. ⁵² Meanwhile, everyone was weeping and mourning for her. But Jesus said, "Stop weeping; she is not dead but asleep." ⁵³ And they laughed at Him, knowing that she was dead.

⁵⁴ But Jesus took her by the hand and called out, "Child, get up!" ⁵⁵ Her spirit returned, and at once she got up. And He directed that she be given something to eat. ⁵⁶ Her parents were astounded, but Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

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

And as he went, the crowds were pressing in on him. ⁴³ And a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent her whole livelihood on physicians, could not be healed by anyone. ⁴⁴ She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her flow of blood stopped.

⁴⁵ And Jesus said, "Who is it that touched me?" And when everyone denied it, Peter said, "Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing against you!" ⁴⁶ But Jesus said, "Someone touched me, for I perceived that power had gone out from me."

⁴⁷ And the woman, seeing that she had not gone unnoticed, came trembling and fell before him, and in the presence of all the people declared the reason she had touched him and how she was immediately healed. ⁴⁸ And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

⁴⁹ While he was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue leader, saying, "Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher any longer." ⁵⁰ But Jesus, hearing this, answered him, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be saved."

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 has not died but is sleeping." ⁵³ And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.

⁵⁴ But he, taking hold of her hand, called out, saying, "Child, arise!" ⁵⁵ And her spirit returned, and she stood up at once. And he directed that something be given to her to eat. ⁵⁶ And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.

Notes

This interleaved narrative -- a story within a story -- is found in all three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:21-43). The two episodes are connected by the number twelve: the woman has been ill for twelve years, and Jairus's daughter is twelve years old. One woman's suffering began the year the girl was born.

Jairus is identified as ἄρχων τῆς συναγωγῆς ("a ruler of the synagogue"), a lay leader responsible for organizing worship services. Luke emphasizes that his daughter is his μονογενής ("only") child -- a word Luke also uses of the widow of Nain's son (Luke 7:12) and the boy with a spirit (Luke 9:38). Luke is deeply attentive to the unique grief of losing an only child.

The woman's condition -- ῥύσει αἵματος ("a flow of blood") -- made her perpetually ritually unclean under Leviticus 15:25-27, and anyone she touched would also become unclean. Luke, who tradition identifies as a physician (see Colossians 4:14), includes the detail that she had spent her whole livelihood on physicians but could not be healed -- though he softens Mark's blunter statement that she "was no better but rather grew worse" (Mark 5:26).

She touches the κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου ("fringe of his garment") -- the tassels commanded in Numbers 15:38-39. The healing is παραχρῆμα ("immediately") -- a favorite word of Luke's, used frequently in Luke-Acts for the instantaneous effect of divine power.

Jesus' insistence on identifying who touched him is not about information (he already knew power had gone out) but about drawing the woman into a public relationship. She must move from anonymous, secret contact to acknowledged, personal faith. His words -- ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε ("your faith has saved you") -- use the verb σῴζω, which means both "to heal" and "to save." The dismissal πορεύου εἰς εἰρήνην ("go in peace") is not merely a farewell but a declaration of restored wholeness -- the Hebrew שָׁלוֹם underlying "peace" means complete well-being, not just the absence of conflict.

The message from Jairus's house -- "Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher any longer" -- represents the ultimate test of faith. Jesus' response is emphatic: μόνον πίστευσον καὶ σωθήσεται ("only believe, and she will be saved"). The aorist imperative πίστευσον calls for a decisive act of faith in this moment of crisis.

Jesus takes only his inner circle -- Peter, John, and James -- and the parents into the room. His command Ἡ Παῖς, ἔγειρε ("Child, arise!") is Luke's Greek rendering of what Mark preserves in Aramaic as "Talitha koum" (Mark 5:41). Luke reports that ἐπέστρεψεν τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῆς ("her spirit returned") -- a phrase that confirms actual death and actual resurrection, not merely awakening from a coma. The practical instruction to give her something to eat demonstrates both the reality of the restoration and Jesus' tender attention to ordinary human needs.

The command to silence (v. 56) stands in contrast to the Gerasene demoniac, who was told to proclaim what God had done. In Jewish territory, Jesus consistently restrains premature publicity about his messianic identity.

Interpretations

The interplay between faith and healing in this passage raises questions about the nature of saving faith. Some interpreters emphasize that the woman's faith, though imperfect in its expression (she seems to attribute healing power to Jesus' garment), is nonetheless accepted by Jesus. This suggests that faith need not be theologically precise to be effective -- it need only be directed toward the right person. Others note that Jesus' public identification of the woman serves to correct any magical understanding: it is not the garment but the person, and not the touch but the faith, that heals. The passage has also been read in light of the question of whether physical healing is included in the atonement. Some charismatic and Pentecostal traditions cite passages like this to affirm that healing is available to all who believe, while Reformed and other traditions distinguish between the unique authority of Jesus during his earthly ministry and the ordinary means of grace available in the present age.