Welcome to this Daily PBJ devotional. Read Exodus 26, Ecclesiastes 2, and Luke 8 today. This devotional is about Luke 8. Soon afterward, Jesus traveled from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities. Mary called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod's household manager Chusa, Susanna, and many others. These women were ministering to them out of their own means. While a large crowd was gathering, and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told them this parable. A farmer went out to sow his seed, and while he was sowing, some seed fell along the path where it was trampled, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the seedlings withered, because they had no moisture. other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the seedlings. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprang up and produced a crop a hundredfold. As Jesus said this, he called out, He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. He replied, The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, though seeing, they may not see, though hearing, they may not understand. Now this is the meaning of the parable, the seed is the word of God. The seeds along the path are those who hear, but the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. The seeds on rocky ground are those who hear the word and receive it with joy, but they have no root. They believe for a season, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seeds that fell among the thorns are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and their fruit does not mature. But the seeds on good soil are those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, cling to it, and by persevering produce a crop. No one lights a lamp and covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he sets it on a stand, so those who enter can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be made known and brought to light. Pay attention, therefore, how you listen. Whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him. Then Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were unable to reach him because of the crowd. He was told, your mother and brothers are standing outside wanting to see you. But he replied, my mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and carry it out. One day Jesus said to his disciples, Let us cross to the other side of the lake. So he got into a boat with them and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep, and a windstorm came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, Master, Master, we are perishing. Then Jesus got up, rebuked the wind and the raging waters, and they subsided, and all was calm. Where is your faith? he asked. Frightened and amazed, they asked one another. Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him. Then they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, along the lake from Galilee. When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothing or lived in a house, but he stayed in the tombs. When the man saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, shouting in a loud voice, What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High? I beg you not to torture me. for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was bound with chains and shackles, he had broken the chains and been driven by the demon into solitary places. What is your name? Jesus asked. Legion, he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And the demons kept begging Jesus not to order them to go into the abyss. There on the hillside, a large herd of pigs was feeding. So the demons begged Jesus to let them enter the pigs, and he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs. And the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside. So the people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man whom the demons had left sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. Meanwhile, those who had seen it reported how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to depart from them, because great fear had taken hold of them. So he got into the boat and started back. The man whom the demons had left begged to go with Jesus. But he sent him away, saying, Return home, and describe how much God has done for you. So the man went away, and proclaimed all over the town how much Jesus had done for him. When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they all had been waiting for him. Just then, a synagogue leader named Jairus came and fell at Jesus' feet. He begged him to come to his house, because his only daughter, who was about twelve, was dying. As Jesus went with him, the crowds pressed around him, including a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. She had spent all her money on physicians, but no one was able to heal her. She came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. Who touched me? Jesus asked. But they all denied it. Master, said Peter, the people are crowding and pressing against you. But Jesus declared, Someone touched me, for I know that power has gone out from me. Then the woman, seeing that she could not escape notice, came trembling and fell down before him. In the presence of all the people, she explained why she had touched him, and how she had immediately been healed. Daughter, said Jesus, your faith has healed you, go in peace. While he was still speaking, someone arrived from the house of the synagogue leader. Your daughter is dead, he told Jarius. Do not bother the teacher anymore. But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, do not be afraid, just believe, and she will be healed. When he entered the house, he did not allow anyone to go in with him except Peter, John, James, and the child's father and mother. Meanwhile, everyone was weeping and mourning for her. But Jesus said, stop weeping, she is not dead, but asleep. And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But Jesus took her by the hand and called out, Child, get up. Her spirit returned and at once she got up. And he directed that she be given something to eat. Her parents were astounded, but Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened. This is God's word. Luke 8 presents us with one of Jesus' best known parables in verses 4 through 15. It also tells us some lesser-known teachings of Jesus in verses 16 through 21, and it describes several miracles in verses 22 through 56. The chapter began, though, by listing Jesus' key financial contributors. They were some women who traveled with Jesus and the disciples who were helping to support them out of their own means. That's verse 3 in the NIV. That sentence gives us some insight into how Jesus and the disciples were able to stay alive while devoting themselves full-time to the ministry. And that verse also sets a precedent for how ministry is funded that the rest of the New Testament developed for us. Luke doesn't say much about what these women did. Verse 2 indicates that they were with him and the twelve as they traveled from one town and village to another. And verse 3 says that they were helping to support them out of their own means. Those are both from the NIV. That last phrase obviously means that they were spending their own money to pay for food and lodging and anything else Jesus and the 12 needed money for. But why would these women need to travel with Jesus and the disciples? Couldn't they just send the money by messenger whenever it was needed? I think they could have sent the money, but I also think they traveled with Jesus and the 12 to hear Jesus teach just like everyone else who followed him around did. I wonder, though, if they didn't handle some of the logistics, going ahead of the men to find enough places for them to sleep, buying food and preparing meals ahead of time, as would be needed. Again, the text doesn't say in specifics these things, but it makes sense that they would do at least some of this planning and preparation work. so as to give Jesus and the disciples the maximum amount of time to do ministry and to do so without distractions. If you've served somewhere behind the scenes, in the church, doing sound, or lighting, or projection, or as a helper, or preparing meals for families that just had a baby, or helping with the Sunday coffee and donuts, or giving rides to people to church on Sunday, or making copies of material, or helping out with office work, or cleaning the floors on Saturday night, or serving in the chair ministry, or making and serving funeral meals, or serving in the food pantry, or in the prison ministry, or doing any other number of tasks. Your ministry is important. It may seem unnoticed and may feel unimportant. But the truth is that it is very important. Servants like you make every ministry possible. So if you've served in one of these ways, or something I didn't list, thank you. If you could serve in one of these ways but haven't volunteered yet, Would you consider volunteering this week? Everything we do as a church takes dedicated volunteers. So the more volunteers we have, the more ministry we can do. Jesus said, in another context, that a cup of water given in his name would be rewarded. So there are eternal dividends to be reaped if you sow into his work now, even in ways that seem insignificant and small. So if you're not serving somewhere yet, one way to put the truth in this chapter into practice is to find your place to serve. It is the Lord's work, so He's the one you're serving, just as these women served Him in their unseen but important role. So think about that today, and I'll see you next time. And maybe volunteer this week, but may God bless you. I hope you have a great day today.