Purpose of Luke 8:1-15: To help us rightly approach God’s Word so that we can bear a rich crop. We are not focusing on the four categories as much as seeking to understand our own responses towards God’s Word and have a heart described to rightly receive God’s Word even as the good soil received the seed.
A) The Character of the Kingdom of God (Luke 8:1-3)
8:1 And it came about soon afterwards, that He began going about from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God; and the twelve were with Him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was 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 contributing to their support out of their private means.
1) Worth Preaching (Luke 8:1)
This is a message worth declaring. The kingdom of God was already powerfully entering the world (also Matt 13:1-9. 18-23). This is not set forth as something for the distant future or heaven but, for the then and now. If God’s kingdom is worth preaching then, then it remains to be so today. We might disagree with Jesus that this is an urgent message, but perhaps, like back then, we do not understand what God is doing through the preaching of the gospel. Yes, people might feel free not to believe, but indeed they have that freedom because they have heard, but do they have the freedom to believe? The proclamation of the kingdom of God stands as an urgent task for us due to the great need of the people and the beautiful transformation that it offers. Let’s look at verses 2-3.
2) Worth Believing (Luke 8:2-3)
The transforming power of the kingdom of God is easily seen by Luke’s simple explanation of a few people who accompanied Jesus. They are the transformed. First, he identifies several women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses, among them was Mary Magdalene (different from Magdala). Something very significant happened in their lives where they had been totally convinced of the power of God’s kingdom and wanted to be with Jesus.
Mary was the one who had seven demons gone out. She had experienced the world apart from God and desperately sought Jesus for help and peace–and found it! God works deeply in hearts, not just the poor and destitute, but the rich too. Riches do not give peace but God’s promises. How do you understand the corruption and sickening indulgence around you? Joanna, also named here, had great wealth, as her husband oversaw Tetrarch Herod Antipater’s riches. She knew it wasn’t riches, fame or security that met the deep needs of human depravity, but she did discover the peace she was looking for in Jesus. Perhaps you were inflamed with a love of the world and now wonder if somehow you can separate yourself from that which has begun to control your own life. Or perhaps you had confidence in the human race until you recently saw man’s aggression, merciless violence, injustice or crude behavior.
3) Summary (Luke 8:1-3)
With this introduction, we are wondering what was Jesus saying that could bring about such transformation, or why is it that such people–great numbers of people, were following and listening to Jesus? Luke accurately passes to us one of Jesus’ parables to clarify the nature of the kingdom of God, the Parable of the Sower.
