Luke 8:40 - Meaning and Application

Christ had been driven away by the people of Gadara. They were tired of him and wanted him gone. But when he crossed back over the water and returned to the Galileans, they gladly received him, longed for his return, and welcomed him with all their hearts (Luke 8:40). If some will not accept the gifts Christ offers, others will. If the people of Gadara will not be gathered, there are still many among whom Christ will be honored.

When Christ finished his work on the other side of the water, he returned and found fresh work waiting where he had come from. Those who give themselves to doing good will never lack opportunities. “The needy you have always with you.” Here we have two miracles woven together, as they are in Matthew and Mark, the raising of Jairus’s daughter and the healing of the woman with the bleeding disease, while Jesus was on his way through the crowd to Jairus’s house.

First, Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came to Christ on behalf of his little daughter, who was very ill and thought to be dying. His approach was humble and respectful. Though he was a ruler, Jairus fell at Jesus’ feet, showing that he recognized Jesus as someone higher than himself. His request was urgent, he begged Jesus to come to his house. He did not yet have the same faith as the centurion, who asked Jesus to heal at a distance, but Christ still went with him. Strong faith is praised, but weak faith is not turned away. In homes where sickness and death are present, it is a great blessing to have Christ there.

As Jesus went, the people crowded around him. Some were curious to see him, while others came because they loved him. We should not complain about a crowd, a rush, or noise as long as we are doing our duty and helping others. Outside of that, wise people will avoid such confusion as much as they can.

Second, a woman who had suffered from a bleeding disease came to Christ in secret. The disease had worn down her body and drained her money too, because she had spent all she had on doctors and only got worse (Luke 8:43). Since the nature of her sickness made her unwilling to speak of it openly, and since modesty kept her quiet, she used the crowd as a cover. The more people there were, the more hidden she thought she could be. Her faith was strong. She believed that if she only touched the edge of his garment, healing power would come from him and help her. She saw Christ as such a rich source of mercy that she thought she could take a cure without drawing attention to him. Many a poor soul is healed, helped, and saved by Christ while lost in a crowd, unnoticed by anyone else.

She found an immediate change in herself, and her disease was cured at once (Luke 8:44). As believers enjoy sweet fellowship with Christ, they also receive quiet gifts from him, gifts the world knows nothing about. They have food to eat that others do not know of, and a joy that a stranger cannot share.

Third, this hidden healing was brought into the light, to honor both the healer and the healed. Christ noticed that a cure had taken place: “Power has gone out from me” (Luke 8:46). Those healed by power from Christ must admit it, because he knows it. He did not speak as if he had been weakened or wronged. He spoke with pleasure. He was glad that power had gone out from him to do good, and he did not begrudge it to the least important person. They were as welcome to it as the sunlight and warmth of the sun. And he was no less full of power because power had gone out from him. He is an overflowing fountain.

The woman then owned her case and the blessing she had received. When she saw that she could not remain hidden, she came and fell before him (Luke 8:47). We should remember that we cannot hide from Christ. That truth should move us to pour out our hearts before him and show him all our sin and all our trouble. She came trembling, yet her faith saved her (Luke 8:48). There can be trembling where there is still saving faith. She told everyone why she had touched him, because she believed that a touch would heal her, and it did. Christ’s patients should share their experiences with one another.

Then the great Physician confirmed her healing and sent her away with comfort: “Be of good comfort; your faith has made you well” (Luke 8:48). Jacob received Isaac’s blessing by trickery, but when the deceit was exposed, Isaac confirmed it openly. It had been gained quietly and underhandedly, but it was settled and sealed in the open. It was the same here. She was healed, and she would remain healed.

Fourth, Christ encouraged Jairus not to lose hope, even though his daughter was now dead and the messengers told him not to trouble the Teacher anymore. “Do not fear; only believe,” Jesus said. Our trust in Christ should be bold and willing to venture much, just as our zeal for him should be. Those who are ready to do anything for him may count on his doing great things for them, greater than they can ask or imagine. When a person is dead, there is no place for prayer or for ordinary means. But even then, believe, and all will be well. It is foolish to call a physician after death, but it is not foolish to call on Christ after death.

Fifth, there were preparations for raising the girl to life again. Christ chose who would witness the miracle. A crowd was following him, but they may have been noisy and disorderly. It was not fitting to bring such a large group into a gentleman’s house, especially when the family was grieving. So he sent the crowd away. He did not do this because he feared the miracle would not stand up to scrutiny. He had already raised Lazarus and the widow’s son in public. He took only Peter, James, and John, the close circle of disciples who were most intimate with him, along with the parents. These were enough to witness and later confirm the truth of what happened.

He also checked the mourners. They were all weeping and mourning for her, because she seems to have been a dear and hopeful child, loved not only by her parents but by the neighbors too. But Christ told them not to weep, because she was not dead, but sleeping. He meant that in her own case she had not died for good, but would soon be raised again. To her friends, it would be as though she had only been asleep for a few hours.

This promise applies to all who die in the Lord. So we should not grieve for them like people with no hope, because death is only sleep to them. It is rest from the hard work and troubles of this life, and there will be a resurrection, a waking up and rising again to the glory of eternal life.

Christ spoke this as a comfort to the mourners, but they mocked him and laughed at him. They were like people who cannot appreciate a precious gift. They also showed that they did not understand the Old Testament Scriptures, since they treated it as foolish to call death sleep. Yet their evil led to good, because it proved the miracle beyond doubt. They knew the girl was dead, and they were certain of it, so only divine power could bring her back to life.

We are not told how Christ answered them, but he soon showed his meaning, and I hope it brought them to conviction so that they would never again laugh at his words. Then he put them all out (Luke 8:54). They were not fit to witness this wonder. Since they had laughed at him in the middle of their mourning, they might have also found something to mock in what he did, and so they were rightly excluded.

Then came her return to life, after a brief stay among the dead. He took her by the hand, as we would help someone awake from sleep, and he called, “Maid, arise” (Luke 8:55). In this way, Christ’s gracious hand went with the call of his word, and made it effective. The other Gospel writers imply this, but here it is stated plainly, that her spirit came back. Her soul returned to give life to her body.

This clearly shows that the soul exists and works even when separated from the body, and so it is immortal. Death does not put out this “lamp of the Lord,” it only removes it from a dark case. As Grotius wisely observed, the soul is not just the body’s mixture or condition, something that dies with the body. It is something that stands by itself, and after death it is somewhere else than the body.

We are not told where the child’s soul was during that interval. It was in the care of the Father of spirits, to whom all souls return at death. When her spirit came back, she rose up and showed that she was alive by moving. She also showed it by her hunger, for Christ told them to give her something to eat. Newborn babies need milk, and those who are newly raised to life need spiritual food, so they may grow.

We should not be surprised that her parents were astonished. But if they alone were astonished, and not the others who had laughed at Christ, then we can only wonder at their hard hearts. That may be one reason Christ did not let this be widely spread, along with his own humility.