Read Luke 8:49-56

Jesus is Lord over death.

When He arrived at the home of Jairus, the synagogue ruler, the usual death wailing was in full swing. Over the din, Jesus says to Jairus and his wife, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed” (v. 50). The mourners laughed at Him, of course.

Always thoughtful, Jesus did a very tender thing. He shut everybody out except the parents and His three closest disciples. Why? He could have advertised His powers by letting everybody in to see the great miracle take place. Was it to keep the awakened child, a girl of 12, from being terrified by a room full of noisy strangers when she returned to consciousness? Was it to protect her parents from the merely curious at an intimate family time?

Jesus did something else tailored to the needs of the people most intimately concerned. He told her parents to give their newly resurrected daughter something to eat. Why? The obvious answer is because, having been so ill, she probably had been without food for some time. But think of the parents’ shock. What should they do? Stand there dumbfounded, rooted to the floor? Jump up and down? Grab her and hug her hard? Obeying this simple direction gave them something useful to do. This activity helped break the spell of awe and terror.

Jesus hasn’t changed. He is still understanding of our human weaknesses.

Read Luke 8:40-48

Jesus is Lord over physical health.

How were Jairus and the nameless woman alike? Both had desperate needs beyond their own power to help.
The similarity ended there. Jairus was a man of prominence, comparative wealth, power and social position. The woman was poor, sick, and ceremonially unclean.

As God, Jesus knew that divine power had gone out. But He subjected Himself to a human limitation, looking about to see to whom the power had gone. The disciples did not know whether to be amused or disgusted. They said, “What do you mean, ‘Who touched me?’ You’re being jostled on all sides” (v. 45).

Being God, Jesus could have looked out over the crowd, pointed to the woman, and terrified her further by announcing to the crowd, “You did it! You touched me! How dare you?”

He did not do that. But He did force her to take the first step. Why? To embarrass her? No, not to make her uncomfortable. He wanted her to take the initiative. She supposed the power of Christ was magical and mechanical. He showed her His healing of her body was not an act of magic but of love and God’s power.

Jesus’ healings were always inseparable from divine knowledge and love. She got more than physical healing, for Jesus, seeing her heart, added, “Go in peace.”

Read Luke 8:26-39

Jesus is Master over Satan, the god of this world.

When Jesus asked the man his name, the demons, for once, gave an honest answer: “Legion,” because so many of the foul critters inhabited the man.

The pigs’ debacle provided witnesses for what Jesus had done (vv. 32-35). The folks didn’t come out to help the demon-possessed man, but a herd of demented pigs plunging into the lake brought them out in force. And there sat the man dressed and in his right mind (v. 35).

The record says the poor fellow hadn’t worn clothes or lived in a house for a long time (v. 27). He was homeless, yet a captive. Then Jesus came and set him free.

Did you ever wonder where the newly sane man got his new clothes? If Jesus had an extra garment, He probably gave it to the man. But in that society, most folks had only one set of clothes, the ones on their backs. Of course Jesus could have done another miracle and created new clothes for the man. He could have turned around to find a tasteful new cloak neatly folded on a nearby rock
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It’s fun to speculate, but Luke doesn’t tell us how Jesus dressed the man. His point is that Jesus is stronger “than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). We could add that Jesus is faithful, supplying all of our needs.

Read Luke 8:22-25

Jesus is Lord over nature.

Whose idea was this trip anyway? Jesus suggested it. He must have been exhausted, falling asleep quickly. We marvel at someone who could sleep through heavy weather.

Such windstorms were not unusual on the Sea of Galilee, the scene of this event. The lake lies 680 feet below sea level and is surrounded by hills. As the air on the heights cools toward the end of the day, it descends to the lake surface, churning it up.

This must have been a pretty good blow to alarm the seasoned fishermen with Jesus.

These men were not landlubbers or easily-frightened weekend sailors. They knew the lake well. What answer would you give to the disciples’ question, “Who is this” (v. 25)? Jesus’ miracles are wonders of God’s kingdom. Jesus is God, Who controls nature, along with everything else (Matt. 28:18).

What lesson can we learn from this event about following Jesus? It was Jesus’ idea, yet they got into difficulty. Living in obedience to God does not assure us of no troubles. We cannot conclude that because we experience distresses we are out of God’s will.

Another thing we can see from this is that we need God’s power to get safely through adversity. The boat might have been swamped, as the disciples feared, had they not called upon Jesus urgently.