Thoughts on the readings for March 17th (Leviticus 25, Psalms 135, 136, Luke 8)

Luke chapter 8 begins by naming some of the women who accompany our Lord and his Apostles. Among them was Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s nobleman (consider some of the difficulties this may have occasioned – perhaps very similar to Obadiah, the steward of Ahab; who had fed 100 of Yahweh’s prophets during the great drought). The Parable of the Sower is taught, as the basis of understanding all of our Lord’s parables. As we have seen it can be called the parable of the soils; as the seed sown is the same – it was the response that differed. The chapter then records an explanation from Jesus as to why our Lord spoke in parables. It was to reveal the message to the seekers and to confound the self righteous. The teaching by parables is a fulfilment of Christ’s mission and is explained in Psalm 78:1-4 and Isaiah 6:1-13. Then follows the parable of the lamp on the table which outlines the disciple’s responsibility to spread the Gospel. Jesus’ mother and brothers, being concerned for him, seek to curtail his preaching. They are told to join the supporters rather than those who are slowing down God’s work. Next Jesus calms a storm demonstrating that he is indeed the Son of God (see Psalm 107 verses 23 to 32). The chapter then says that he heals the man called Legion. Whose curing is proved by the destruction of the pigs. The Jews should not have been breeding these as the Law of Moses forbad it. The record follows with the curing of the woman with the issue of blood for 12 years (note Luke’s ironic comments about his fellow doctors). Then Jesus raises the twelve year old daughter of Jairus (whose name means ‘enlightenment’) and presents her alive to her parents. Christ shows that he is indeed the Good Shepherd of John 10 when he said to the child “little lamb arise”.