Luke 8:38 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,

NIV: The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,

NASB: But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might accompany Him; but Jesus sent him away, saying,

CSB: The man from whom the demons had departed begged him earnestly to be with him. But he sent him away and said,

NLT: The man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him home, saying,

KJV: Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying,

NKJV: Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying,

Jesus has rescued a man from possession by a legion of demons. Luke's wording is poignant; at the beginning of the story, he was "a man from the city who had demons" (Luke 8:27). Now he is "the man from whom the demons had gone." That very transition has frightened the people of the surrounding countryside and city, and they ask Jesus to leave (Luke 8:36–37). The man who was rescued wishes to stay with Jesus and follow Him as a disciple.

Luke has finished the story of Jesus and the people of the region: they asked Him to leave, and He did. Now, Luke backtracks to describe how Jesus and the man He rescued part ways as Jesus enters the boat (Mark 5:18).

For some time, the man has been either tied up and under guard or living in the tombs, raging, and cutting his flesh with stones (Luke 8:27, 29; Mark 5:3–5). He had been imprisoned in the presence of demons; now, he wishes nothing more than to stay with the man who saved him. Yet Jesus has other plans for him. The man may not know all the theological implications of who Jesus is, but he knows what Jesus did for him. He's in a perfect position to tell his story to these terrified people and prepare them for Jesus' eventual return (Matthew 15:29–39; Mark 7:31—8:10).

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.