Luke 8:36 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed.

NIV: Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured.

NASB: Those who had seen everything reported to them how the man who had been demon-possessed had been made well.

CSB: Meanwhile, the eyewitnesses reported to them how the demon-possessed man was delivered.

NLT: Then those who had seen what happened told the others how the demon-possessed man had been healed.

KJV: They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed.

NKJV: They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.

Pig herders have called people from miles around to see how about two thousand pigs spontaneously ran into the Sea of Galilee and drowned. Matthew says the herdsmen "told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men" (Matthew 8:33). When the people arrive on the scene, they're astonished that the man who wandered the local graveyard, moaning and cutting his own flesh (Mark 5:5), is sitting "clothed and in his right mind" (Luke 8:35). Pigs are one thing; power over a violent demonic force is quite another. The people want to know more, so the herders explain what they saw (Luke 8:27–35).

We aren't told what, exactly, the pig-herders are saying, but the effect is interesting. The people don't thank Jesus, worship Him, or ask to follow Him. They respond in "great fear" (Luke 8:37). The demons had made the man so powerful, "no one had the strength to subdue him" (Mark 5:4). Except Jesus. That makes Jesus very, very dangerous. So much so that the people beg Him to leave (Mark 5:17).

Contrast the witness of the pig herders to the newly rescued man. He begs Jesus to take him along. Instead, Jesus gives him a commission: "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you" (Luke 8:38–39). The man does so. And the next time Jesus comes to the area, He's first met with a group who brings a deaf man for healing (Mark 7:31–37) and then by over four thousand people who come to hear Him teach (Mark 8:1–10). The man who understood the saving power of Jesus was able to turn an entire district from fear to faith.

Luke 8:26–39 records a man's rescue from a legion of demons. This comes just as Jesus has saved the disciples from chaos and nature. The rescued man believes, having seen the light and heard the message (Luke 8:15–18). The townspeople don't listen and are filled with fear. When the once-chained man begs to stay with Jesus, Jesus instead commissions him to spread the good news he has heard and experienced, becoming the apostle to the entire district. Next, Jesus shows His power over sickness and death (Luke 8:40–56) before imbuing that power to His disciples (Luke 9:1–6). Mark also records Jesus' power over Legion while Matthew notes there were two possessed men (Matthew 8:28–34; Mark 5:1–20).

Luke 8 includes portions of three sections of Jesus' Galilean Ministry. The women who support Jesus' ministry bridge the faithful outcasts of chapter 7 to the sower who spreads the news of God's kingdom (Luke 8:1–3). Luke 8:4–18 includes the parables of the sower and the lamp under the jar. These illustrate the importance of hearing Jesus' message with a mind to believe and obey. Luke 8:19–56 presents different faith reactions when Jesus' life, power, and authority elicit questions about His identity.

This passage continues Luke's pattern in the account of Jesus' Galilean ministry: alternating calls to discipleship with stories that describe the discipleship He expects. In Luke 6:17, Jesus transitioned from calling and training the Twelve to a more general call; in Luke 7, Jesus interacted specifically with those with less privilege in society. Chapter 8 reveals how people react when Jesus reveals who He is, mostly through miracles. In Luke 9:18–50, Jesus returns to intense discipleship of the Twelve to give them courage and faith, preparing them for the journey to Jerusalem and what they will witness there.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.