Dailies
~Advent 2019
December
8, 2019
“So, pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my
teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not
listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.”
Reading through Luke 8 today
I found verse 18 stood out to me. Jesus gave a parable about watching where we
plant our seeds and then realizing that they will grow differently depending on
how and were we plant it; but He showed how people were the seeds. Then he said
to pay attention to how we hear. To listen closely to His teaching in order to
understand it. We need to pay attention to the words in the Word and focus on
what Jesus or God the Father, or the writers were trying to get across to us
because He via the Holy Spirit is speaking to our hearts and minds and wants us
to know what it is He is imparting to us. He wants us to know the things, the
wisdom, the guidance, that He gives to us.
So, as you read the chapter
today think on these things…what did He say? Did you hear it?
Soon afterward Jesus began
a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News
about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, 2 along with some women who
had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene,
from whom he had cast out seven demons; 3 Joanna, the wife of Chuza,
Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from
their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples.
4 One day Jesus told a story
in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to
hear him: 5 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across
his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds
ate it. 6 Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon
wilted and died for lack of moisture. 7 Other seed fell among
thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seed fell on
fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as
much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone
with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
9 His disciples asked him
what this parable meant. 10 He replied, “You are
permitted to understand the secrets[a] of the Kingdom of
God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be
fulfilled:
‘When they look, they won’t really
see. When they hear, they won’t understand.’
11 “This is the meaning of
the parable: The seed is God’s word. 12 The seeds that fell on the
footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and
take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. 13 The seeds on the rocky
soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since
they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when
they face temptation. 14 The seeds that fell among
the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the
message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so,
they never grow into maturity. 15 And the seeds that fell on
the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling
to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.
16 “No one lights a lamp and
then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a
stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. 17 For all that is secret
will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will
be brought to light and made known to all.
18 “So pay attention to how
you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given.
But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will
be taken away from them.”
19 Then Jesus’ mother and
brothers came to see him, but they couldn’t get to him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told Jesus, “Your
mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to see you.”
21 Jesus replied, “My
mother and my brothers are all those who hear God’s word and obey it.”
22 One day Jesus said to his
disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So, they got
into a boat and started out. 23 As they sailed across, Jesus
settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat
was filling with water, and they were in real danger.
24 The disciples went and
woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”
When Jesus woke up, he
rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was
calm. 25 Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?”
The disciples were
terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he gives
a command, even the wind and waves obey him!”
26 So they arrived in the
region of the Gerasenes,[c] across the lake from
Galilee. 27 As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by
demons came out to meet him. For a long time, he had been homeless and naked,
living in the tombs outside the town.
28 As soon as he saw Jesus,
he shrieked and fell down in front of him. Then he screamed, “Why are you
interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg you, don’t
torture me!” 29 For Jesus had already commanded the evil[d] spirit to come out
of him. This spirit had often taken control of the man. Even when he was placed
under guard and put in chains and shackles, he simply broke them and rushed out
into the wilderness, completely under the demon’s power.
30 Jesus demanded, “What
is your name?”
“Legion,” he replied, for
he was filled with many demons. 31 The demons kept begging
Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit.[e]
32 There happened to be a
large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby, and the demons begged him to
let them enter into the pigs.
So, Jesus gave them
permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the
entire herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned.
34 When the herdsmen saw it,
they fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the
news as they ran. 35 People rushed out to see what
had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had
been freed from the demons. He was sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and
perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. 36 Then those who had seen
what happened told the others how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 37 And all the people in the
region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a
great wave of fear swept over them.
So, Jesus returned to the
boat and left, crossing back to the other side of the lake. 38 The man who had been freed
from the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him home, saying, 39 “No, go back to your
family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” So, he went all
through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.
40 On the other side of the
lake the crowds welcomed Jesus, because they had been waiting for him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a
leader of the local synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him
to come home with him. 42 His only daughter, who was
about twelve years old, was dying.
As Jesus went with him, he
was surrounded by the crowds. 43 A woman in the crowd had
suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no
cure. 44 Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe.
Immediately, the bleeding stopped.
45 “Who touched me?” Jesus
asked.
Everyone denied it, and
Peter said, “Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you.”
46 But Jesus said, “Someone
deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” 47 When the woman realized
that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in
front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and
that she had been immediately healed. 48 “Daughter,” he said
to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
49 While he was still
speaking to her, a messenger arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the
synagogue. He told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the
Teacher now.”
50 But when Jesus heard what
had happened, he said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith, and
she will be healed.”
51 When they arrived at the
house, Jesus wouldn’t let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, James, and
the little girl’s father and mother. 52 The house was filled with
people weeping and wailing, but he said, “Stop the weeping! She isn’t
dead; she’s only asleep.”
53 But the crowd laughed at
him because they all knew she had died. 54 Then Jesus took her by the
hand and said in a loud voice, “My child, get up!” 55 And at that moment her life
returned, and she immediately stood up! Then Jesus told them to give her
something to eat. 56 Her parents were
overwhelmed, but Jesus insisted that they not tell anyone what had happened.
Teresa M. Wilson