Luke 8: Theophilus Can Receive the Grace of Jesus - Three Stories by Luke Persuading Theophilus

Luke 8: Theophilus Can Receive the Grace of Jesus - Three Stories by Luke Persuading Theophilus

5 "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up.

6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.

7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.

8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown." When he said this, Jesus called out, "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear."

15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

21 He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice."

28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!"

30 Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "Legion," he replied, because many demons had gone into him.

31 And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.

48 Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

We should read verses 1 through 21 as a continuous parable of the sower. Where is our focus? Is it on the sower and his actions, or on the yield of the various types of soil? Our minds are often fixated on proving that the spirit governs the body by concentrating on the hundredfold yield. However, Luke directs attention to the sower. If the goal were solely yield, the sower should only sow on good soil. Yet, the farmer in Jesus's parable does not act foolishly by only sowing on fertile ground. Indeed, the land of Israel is inherently rocky, and during the farming season, cultivated fields can become paths for people during the off-season. Nevertheless, the farmer knows precisely where crops will grow well, even on broad lands. Moreover, Jesus's explanation of the parable paradoxically highlights the farmer's concern. While we may still cling to the yield of the soil, the farmer is not stingy with the seed, which is the word of God, even on soil where it appears to show no power. The farmer does not hesitate to sow the seed even if the devil devours it, or if it is choked by worries about life, wealth, and pleasures, which are the existential limits of humanity. Jesus and Luke emphasize that the stubborn persistence of the sower eventually overcomes the soil (verse 16 and following). Yes, Jesus wants to speak about the heart of the sower. Luke connects verses 15 and 21. The good soil does not signify an ontological relationship of kinship. Luke wants to tell Theophilus, who is reading the letter, that although neither of them can help their origins, which are not good soil, it does not mean that Jesus's heart has left him. How touched must Theophilus have been by reading Luke's letter. Let us focus on the heart of the sower, Jesus, and his act of sowing seeds indiscriminately. In doing so, Jesus's parable will bring refreshing rain to our barren hearts.

Let us also read the story of the exorcism of the Legion from verse 25 onwards from the perspective of the farmer who sows seeds regardless of the soil. Jesus does not ignore the plea of many demons (Legion), which seem more severe than poor soil (verse 28). Suddenly, it occurs to me that although the Gospels contain many accounts of Jesus exorcising demons, there is no story of him killing them. Until now, we have read the Bible from an anthropocentric perspective, much like the geocentric model. The focus should expand to include all of creation, and ultimately, like the heliocentric model, all creation should move around God as the center. If we remain fixated on the dichotomy of humans versus demons, other creations become objects of conquest. The climate crisis caused by environmental destruction precisely points out the limits of human-centered thinking.

The subsequent story of Jairus's daughter being brought back to life and the inserted story of the woman suffering from bleeding can also be read from Luke's perspective of persuading Theophilus. These two events are not merely arranged in chronological order. Once, Jesus openly told a Gentile woman that he was sent only for the Jews and not for Gentiles like her (Matthew 15; Mark 7). Like the centurion in Luke 7, the Gentiles associated with Jesus always exhibit great faith. Ultimately, Jesus grants the request of the Gentile Canaanite woman he initially ignored. As Theophilus reads about the woman who had been suffering from bleeding for twelve years and was healed just by touching Jesus's cloak on the way to heal the daughter of the Jewish synagogue leader, where would his heart lean? If Theophilus reaches out to Jesus's cloak, that is, if he holds Luke's letter close to his heart and asks for grace, his request will not be ignored.

Luke persuades Theophilus three times in chapter 8, just as he did in chapter 7. Essentially, Luke has set traps for Theophilus throughout his letter.