Luke 8:39 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

NIV: "Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

NASB: Return to your home and describe what great things God has done for you.' So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city what great things Jesus had done for him.

CSB: "Go back to your home, and tell all that God has done for you." And off he went, proclaiming throughout the town how much Jesus had done for him.

NLT: No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.' So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.

KJV: Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

NKJV: “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

It seems Jesus had crossed the Sea of Galilee to get away from a crowd that wouldn't leave (Mark 3:20–21; 4:35–26). Now, He's re-crossing the lake because a crowd wants Him to leave (Luke 8:37). He has healed a local man who was possessed by a great number of demons. By the time the locals came to find out what was going on, the man was calm and in his right mind, but a herd of about two thousand pigs had been drowned (Mark 5:13; Luke 8:26–36).

Whether because of Jesus' amazing authority over demons or because of His apparent disregard for unclean stock animals, the people want Jesus to leave. As Jesus enters the boat, the rescued man begs Him to take him along (Luke 8:37–38).

We would think Jesus would be happy to include another disciple in His group. Here is a man who isn't bothered by the fact Jesus can't promise him a bed or allow him to fulfill extended obligations to his family (Luke 9:57–62). He hasn't lived with his family for some time.

But Jesus has another task for him: tell everyone in the region about God. Within moments of becoming a disciple, the man is an evangelist, a prototype of the spread of the gospel among Gentiles in Luke's second letter, the book of Acts. The man's work pays off. The next time Jesus comes, the crowd of over four thousand doesn't try to get Him to leave. Rather, they stay with Him for three days, receiving healing and listening to Him teach (Matthew 15:29–39).

This concludes the first of three personal deliverance stories found in this segment of Luke's gospel. Each presents Jesus rescuing people in different ways, with different responses.

When Jesus frees a possessed man in Gentile territory who has a home in the city, He tells the man to spread news of his deliverance to the entire region.

When Jesus heals a Jewish woman from a physical condition that makes her unable to associate with others or worship God, Jesus declares to a large crowd that she is clean and healed (Luke 8:43–48).

When Jesus brings a dead girl back to life, He minimizes the seriousness of her condition and orders the witnesses to not tell anyone (Luke 8:54–56).

The man is told to evangelize in his community. The woman who has lost her status is restored to her community. The girl is protected from those who would make her a spectacle.

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.