Luke:8

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* Shortly after this He visited town after town , and village after village , proclaiming His Message and telling the Good News of the Kingdom of God . The Twelve were with Him , * and certain women whom He had delivered from evil spirits and various diseases –Mary of Magdala , out of whom seven demons had come , * and Joanna the wife of Chuza , Herod 's steward , and Susanna , and many other women , all of whom contributed to the support of Jesus and His Apostles . * And when a great crowd was assembling , and was receiving additions from one town after another , He spoke a parable to them . * »The sower ,« He said , »goes out to sow his seed ; and as he sows , some of the seed falls by the way-side , and is trodden upon , or the birds of the air come and peck it up . * Another part drops upon the rock , and after growing up it withers away for want of moisture . * Another part falls among the thorns , and the thorns grow up with it and stifle it . * But some of the seed falls into good ground , and grows up and yields a return of a hundred for one .« While thus speaking , He cried aloud and said , »Listen , every one who has ears to listen with !« * The disciples proceeded to ask Him what this parable meant . * »To you ,« He replied , »it is granted to know the secrets of the Kingdom of God ; but all others are taught by parables , in order that they may see and yet not see , and may hear and yet not understand . * The meaning of the parable is as follows . The seed is God 's Message . * Those by the way-side are those who have heard , and then the Devil comes and carries away the Message from their hearts , lest they should believe and be saved . * Those on the rock are the people who on hearing the Message receive it joyfully ; but they have no root : for a time they believe , but when trial comes they fall away . * That which fell among the thorns means those who have heard , but as they go on their way , the Message is stifled by the anxieties , wealth and gaieties of time , and they yield nothing in perfection . * But as for that in the good ground , it means those who , having listened to the Message with open minds and in a right spirit , hold it fast , and patiently yield a return . * »When any one lights a lamp , he does not cover it with a vessel or hide it under a couch ; he puts it on a lampstand , that people who enter the room may see the light .« * There is nothing hidden , which shall not be openly seen ; nor anything secret , which shall not be known and come into the light of day . * Be careful , therefore , how you hear ; for whoever has anything , to him more shall be given , and whoever has nothing , even that which he thinks he has shall be taken away from him .« * Then came to Him His mother and His brothers , but could not get near Him for the crowd . * But He was told , »Your mother and brothers are standing on the edge of the crowd , and want to see you .« * »My mother and my brothers ,« He replied , »are these who hear God 's Message and obey it .« * One day He went on board a boat –both He and his disciples ; and He said to them , »Let us cross over to the other side of the Lake .« So they set sail . * dummy verses inserted by amos * So they came and woke Him , crying , »Rabbi , Rabbi , we are drowning .« Then He roused Himself and rebuked the wind and the surging of the water , and they ceased and there was a calm . * »Where is your faith ?« He asked them . But they were filled with terror and amazement , and said to one another , »Who then is this ? for He gives orders both to wind and waves , and they obey Him .« * Then they put in to shore in the country of the Gerasenes , which lies opposite to Galilee . * Here , on landing , He was met by one of the townsmen who was possessed by demons –for a long time he had not put on any garment , nor did he live in a house , but in the tombs . * When he saw Jesus , he cried out and fell down before Him , and said in a loud voice , »What have you to do with me , Jesus , Son of God Most High ? Do not torture me , I beseech you .« * For already He had been commanding the foul spirit to come out of the man . For many a time it had seized and held him , and they had repeatedly put him in chains and fetters and kept guard over him , but he used to break the chains to pieces , and , impelled by the demon , to escape into the Desert . * »What is your name ?« Jesus asked him . »Legion ,« he replied –because a great number of demons had entered into him ; * and they besought Him not to command them to be gone into the Bottomless Pit . * Now there was a great herd of swine there feeding on the hill-side ; and the demons begged Him to give them leave to go into them , and He gave them leave . * The demons came out of the man and left him , and entered into the swine ; and the herd rushed violently over the cliff into the Lake and were drowned . * The swineherds , seeing what had happened , fled and reported it both in town and country ; * whereupon the people came out to see what had happened . They came to Jesus , and they found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at the feet of Jesus , clothed and in his right mind ; and they were terrified . * And those who had seen it told them how the demoniac was cured . * Then the whole population of the Gerasenes and of the adjacent districts begged Him to depart from them ; for their terror was great . So He went on board and returned . * But the man from whom the demons had gone out earnestly asked permission to go with Him ; but He sent him away . * »Return home ,« He said , »and tell there all that God has done for you .« So he went and published through the whole town all that Jesus had done for him . * Now when Jesus was returning , the people gave Him a warm welcome ; for they had all been looking out for Him . * Just then there came a man named Jair , a Warden of the Synagogue , who threw himself at the feet of Jesus , and entreated Him to come to his house ; * for he had an only daughter , about twelve years old , and she was dying . And as He went , the dense throng crowded on Him . * And a woman who for twelve years had been afflicted with haemorrhage –and had spent on doctors all she had , but none of them had been able to cure her – * came close behind Him and touched the tassel of His robe ; and instantly her flow of blood stopped . * »Who is it touched me ?« Jesus asked . And when all denied having done so , Peter and the rest said , »Rabbi , the crowds are hemming you in and pressing on you .« * »Some one has touched me ,« Jesus replied , »for I feel that power has gone out from me .« * Then the woman , perceiving that she had not escaped notice , came trembling , and throwing herself down at His feet she stated before all the people the reason why she had touched Him and how she was instantly cured . * »Daughter ,« said He , »your faith has cured you ; go , and be at peace .« * While He was still speaking , some one came to the Warden of the Synagogue from his house and said , »Your daughter is dead ; trouble the Rabbi no further .« * Jesus heard the words and said to him , »Have no fear . Only believe , and she shall be restored to life .« * So He came to the house , but allowed no one to go in with Him but Peter and John and James and the girl 's father and mother . * The people were all weeping aloud and beating their breasts for her ; but He said , »Leave off wailing ; for she is not dead , but asleep .« * And they jeered at Him , knowing that she was dead . * He , however , took her by the hand and called aloud , »Child , awake !« * And her spirit returned , and instantly she stood up ; and He directed them to give her some food . * Her parents were astounded ; but He forbad them to mention the matter to any one .

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