Luke 8: 25-56, A Demon-possessed Man, a Daughter, a Distraught Woman

Jesus has just begun crossing the Sea of Galilee and is beginning a ministry in the Gentile region of Decapolis.

Luke 8: 26-39, The man called Legion
They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee.

When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!" For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" 

"Legion," he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.

A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission. When the demons came out of the man, they 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, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured.

Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left. The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

Different ancient manuscripts give different names for the region here called "Gerasenes".  The names are variants on towns in the region: Gadara and Gerasa.

This is a strange story.  Pigs are not kosher food; Jews would not have been taking care of pigs so those tending the pigs are presumably Gentiles.  Yet the demons ask to go into the pigs and then all the pigs are destroyed?!  Do we presume the demons are also destroyed (or sent into the Abyss)?

Why did Jesus tell the man to stay in that region?

Luke 8: 40-48 Jairus and a woman seek healing
Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

"Who touched me?" Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you." But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me."

Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

As Jesus gains in popularity, he is constantly pestered by people who need his attention.  He responds calmly to each of them; he is going to Jairus's house when a stranger touches his robe.  Jesus seems to heal the woman before he even notices her touching him! The disciples are obviously surprised that he notice one of many touching him and are perplexed, but Jesus has an agenda and wants her to come publicly with her request.

Her illness was probably a continuous menstrual flow, which in the Jewish eyes would have made her unclean.  This is one more "unclean" person to who Jesus responds.  (Yes, this is a theme of this gospel!)

Luke 8: 49-56 Jairus's daughter
While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," he said. "Don't bother the teacher any more." 

Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed." 

When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child's father and mother. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. "Stop wailing," Jesus said. "She is not dead but asleep." 

They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 

But he took her by the hand and said, "My child, get up!" Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

This is a pretty passage -- horror and grief turn to joy!

Notice how Jesus speaks to the people and acts so casually about the miracle. ("It might be good that she eat," he says.)  Mark's gospel says the same thing; we presumably get these details from Peter who was there.

In four incidents (the storm, "Legion", two healings) we see Jesus demonstrating power over various natural and spiritual forces.  Luke continues to show that Jesus has very deliberate concern for the weak and vulnerable, for the people who need help and know it,