Luke 8:14-36

¹⁴The seeds that fell among the thorns are people who hear the word, but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and their fruit does not mature.

¹⁵But the seed that fell on the good soil, these are the ones who, hearing the word with an honest and good heart, hold it securely and bear fruit with patient endurance.

¹⁶No one lights a lamp and covers it with a bowl or puts it under a bed. Rather, he puts it on a lampstand so that everyone who enters may see the light.

¹⁷For nothing is hidden that will not be made known, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come into the light.

¹⁸So listen carefully, for to the one who has, more will be given to him, but the one who does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”

¹⁹Then his mother and brothers came to him, but they could not get near him because of the crowd.

²⁰He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”

²¹But Jesus answered and said to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

²²Now one day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” They set sail.

²³But as they sailed he fell asleep. A terrible windstorm came down on the lake, and their boat was filling with water, and they were in danger.

²⁴Then Jesus' disciples came over to him and woke him up, saying, “Master! Master! We are about to die!” He awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, and they ceased, and there was a calm.

²⁵Then he said to them, “Where is your faith?” and they were afraid. While they were afraid they were also amazed, and they asked one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?”

²⁶They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee.

²⁷When Jesus stepped on the land, he was met by a certain man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but among the tombs.

²⁸When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and he said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.”

²⁹For Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For many times it had seized him, and though he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and he would be driven by the demon into the wilderness.

³⁰Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” and he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered into him.

³¹They kept begging him not to send them into the abyss.

³²Now a large herd of pigs was there feeding on the hillside. The demons begged him to let them go into them, and he gave them permission.

³³So the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake and was drowned.

³⁴When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and told about it in the city and countryside.

³⁵So the people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out. He was sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

³⁶Then those who had seen it told them how the man who had been possessed by demons had been healed.