Luke 8:51 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child.

NIV: When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child's father and mother.

NASB: When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him except Peter, John, and James, and the girl’s father and mother.

CSB: After he came to the house, he let no one enter with him except Peter, John, James, and the child's father and mother.

NLT: When they arrived at the house, Jesus wouldn’t let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, James, and the little girl’s father and mother.

KJV: And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.

NKJV: When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl.

Jairus has begged Jesus to come to his home and heal his sick daughter. In the time it takes them to reach the house, the girl has died, but Jesus tells Jairus to have faith (Luke 8:41–42, 49–50). Jesus leaves the crowd behind, including most of the disciples. He only takes His three closest friends and the girl's parents. As they approach the girl, they pass professional mourners who cry and wail. Their "mourning" is fake, however; as soon as Jesus rebukes them, they mock Him (Luke 8:52–53).

The small audience is very intentional. Peter, James, and John can act as witnesses to Jesus' actions for the disciples. But Jesus does not want the girl to become a spectacle. He doesn't even want others to know she has died; He gives the professional mourners a euphemism, saying the girl is merely sleeping. Unlike the man Jesus rescued from thousands of demons (Luke 8:39) and the woman He healed from chronic bleeding (Luke 8:47), He wants this miracle to stay quiet.

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.

Accessed 5/2/2024 2:42:50 AM