CHAPTER 8
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,
as well as
some
women
who
had been
healed
of
evil
spirits
and
infirmities:
Mary
called
Magdalene,
from
whom
seven
demons
had gone out,
Joanna
the wife
of Herod’s
household manager
Chuza,
Susanna,
and
many
others.
These women
were ministering
to them
out of
their own
means.
While
a large
crowd
was gathering
and
people
were coming
to
Jesus
from town after town,
He told them
this parable:
“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.
Other seed
fell
on
rocky ground,
and
when it came up,
the seedlings withered
because
they had
no
moisture.
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.”
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.’
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.
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.
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.
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.
No one
lights
a lamp
and covers
it
with a jar
or
puts it
under
a bed.
Instead,
he sets it
on
a lampstand,
so
those who
enter
can see
the
light.
For
there is
nothing
hidden
that
will not be
revealed,
and nothing
concealed
that
will not be known
and
illuminated.
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.”
Then
Jesus’
mother
and
brothers
came
to see
Him,
but
they were unable
to reach
Him
because of
the
crowd.
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.
As they
sailed,
He fell asleep,
and
a squall
came down
on
the
lake,
so that
the boat was being swamped,
and
they were in great danger.
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.
“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!”
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.
When
he 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!"
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.
There
on
the
hillside
a large
herd
of pigs
was
feeding.
So
the demons begged
Jesus
to
let
them
enter
the pigs,
and
He permitted
them.
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.
When
those
tending the pigs
saw
what
had happened,
they ran off
and
reported this
in
the
town
and
countryside.
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.
Then
all
the
people
of the
region
of the
Gerasenes
asked
Jesus
to depart
from
them,
because
great
fear
had swept over them.
So
He
got
into
the boat
and started back.
“Return
home
and
tell
how much
God
has done
for you.”
So
the man went
and proclaimed
all
over
the
town
how much
Jesus
had done
for him.
Just then,
a
synagogue
leader
named
Jairus
came
and
fell
at
Jesus’
feet.
He begged
Him
to come
to
his
house,
because
his
only
daughter,
who was about
twelve,
was dying.
As
Jesus
went with him,
the
crowds
pressed around
Him,
including
a woman
who had been
subject to bleeding
for
twelve
years.
She
had spent
all
her
money
on physicians,
but
no one
was able
to heal her.
She came up
behind Jesus
and touched
the
fringe
of His
cloak,
and
immediately
her
bleeding
stopped.
“Who
touched
Me?”
Jesus
asked.
But
they all
denied it.
“Master,”
said
Peter,
“the
people
are crowding
and
pressing against
You.”
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.
While He
was still
speaking,
someone
arrived
from
the house of
the synagogue leader.
“Your
daughter
is dead,”
he told Jairus.
“Do not trouble
the
Teacher
anymore.”
But
Jesus
overheard them
and said
to Jairus,
“Do not
be afraid;
just
believe,
and
she will be healed.”
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.
Meanwhile
everyone
was weeping
and
mourning for
her.
But
Jesus said,
“Stop weeping;
she is not dead
but
asleep.”