Luke 8:56 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.

NIV: Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

NASB: Her parents were amazed; but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened.

CSB: Her parents were astounded, but he instructed them to tell no one what had happened.

NLT: Her parents were overwhelmed, but Jesus insisted that they not tell anyone what had happened.

KJV: And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.

NKJV: And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.

Jairus has tried to keep faith that Jesus can heal his daughter even though she is dead (Matthew 9:18). When he sees it actually happen, however, he and his wife are amazed. He had just walked through a crowd of professional mourners, loudly lamenting her loss. Now, there's no need: his child is alive!

In the previous two healing miracles, Jesus rescued a man from a legion of demons and healed a woman who had suffered with chronic bleeding for twelve years. He told the man to "declare how much God has done for you" to the whole region on the east side of the Sea of Galilee (Luke 8:39). He refused to allow the woman to sneak away, instead drawing attention to her wholeness in front of a great crowd (Luke 8:47–48). Now, despite those mourners, He tells the girl's parents and His disciples to keep the event quiet.

Jesus tells demons to be silent so that people will not hear evil spirits validating His identity (Mark 3:11–12). Sometimes He tells witnesses to a healing miracle to be quiet (Mark 1:44–45). It is true that His reputation as a healer complicates travel (Luke 8:42b) and teaching His disciples (Mark 6:30–34). But another reason here is that Jesus has just raised a girl, about twelve years old, from the dead. No twelve-year-old girl needs to be the center of the great hullabaloo that would inevitably follow if her situation were made known. Sadly, Jesus' words are not heeded, "and the report of this went through all that district" (Matthew 9:26).

Having shown His power in different ways, Jesus next imbues that power to His disciples, sending them to heal and preach throughout the villages (Luke 9:1–6). After Jesus feeds the five thousand (Luke 9:10–17), Luke records a series of difficult Messianic messages in preparation for the great transition of Luke's Gospel when Jesus sets "his face to go to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51). Jesus has shown the disciples His power. Soon, He will show them He needs to lay down that power to save them.

Luke 8:40–56 records the third and fourth examples of Jesus providing salvation from worldly hardships—this time, illness, shame, and death. Jairus begs Jesus to come heal his daughter. Along the way, a chronically ill woman touches Jesus' robe. Jesus stops, blesses her faith, and calls her "daughter." He then raises the young girl from the dead. Jairus and the woman both show their faith through their diligence and boldness to procure Jesus' healing power. Next, Jesus will imbue His disciples with His power to continue His work. These stories are also found in Matthew 9:18–26 and Mark 5:21–43.

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.