Luk 8:40-56 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Luke 8:40-56: 8:40-56 These two accounts of healing demonstrate Jesus’ authority over disease and death, and illustrate the power of faith.

Summary for Luke 8:40-56: 8:40-56 ^a These two accounts of healing demonstrate Jesus’ authority over disease and death, and illustrate the power of faith.
8:41 ^b The leader of the local synagogue was the officer who maintained the local synagogue and organized services (see also 8:49 ^c; 13:14 ^d; Acts 13:15 ^e; 18:8 ^f, 17 ^g).
8:43 ^h with constant bleeding: Perhaps it was a menstrual disorder. The tragedy was both physical and spiritual, for such bleeding rendered the woman ceremonially unclean and thereby precluded her participation in community worship (Lev 15:25-30 ⁱ).
8:44 ^j The fringe of his robe probably refers to the tassels that pious Jews wore on the edges of their robes (see Num 15:38-39 ^k; Deut 22:12 ^l).
8:45 ^m Who touched me? Jesus recognized the touch of faith by a needy person.
8:48 ⁿ Your faith has made you well (literally your faith has saved you). Go in peace: Jesus said the same thing to the woman who had anointed his feet (7:50 ^o). The Greek word for “save” can indicate either spiritual or physical healing. Peace (cp. Hebrew shalom) refers to wholeness, not just lack of conflict (see 1:79 ^p; 2:14 ^q, 29 ^r; 7:50 ^s; 19:38 ^t, 42 ^u; 24:36 ^v).
8:51 ^w Peter, John, and James became the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples (see 5:1-11 ^x; 9:28 ^y; Mark 14:32-33 ^z).
8:52 ^aa The house was filled with people weeping and wailing: See study note on 7:12.

• she’s only asleep: Jesus emphasized the temporary nature of the girl’s state. For believers, death is only temporary “sleep” (cp. John 11:11 ^ab; the same term is translated as “dead/died” in Acts 7:60 ^ac; 13:36 ^ad; 1 Cor 11:30 ^ae; 15:6 ^af, 18 ^ag, 20 ^ah, 51 ^ai; 1 Thes 4:14-15 ^aj; 5:10 ^ak).
8:55 ^al her life returned: Like the raising of the widow’s son (7:15 ^am), the girl’s normal mortal life was restored. At the final resurrection, believers will receive immortal, glorified bodies (see study note on 24:39).
8:56 ^an not tell anyone: See thematic note for The Secret of the Messiah at end of chapter.

Thematic note: The Secret of the Messiah
Throughout the Gospel of Mark, Jesus tells others—those he healed or raised from the dead, the disciples who recognized him as the Christ, and the demons who had a correct understanding of his true identity—not to reveal his identity (e.g., Mark 1:34 ^ao, 44 ^ap; 3:11-12 ^aq; 5:43 ^ar; 7:36 ^as; 8:29-30 ^at; 9:9 ^au; this theme occurs far less frequently in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke—see Matt 8:4 ^av; 16:20 ^aw; Luke 9:21 ^ax). Why did Jesus command those he healed and those who knew his true identity to keep his healings and identity secret?
One possibility relates to how the Roman authorities would have responded to an extremely popular preacher who proclaimed the arrival of God’s Kingdom, performed marvelous healings, and openly allowed his followers to call him Israel’s long-awaited Messiah and King. Roman authorities would not tolerate it—they would immediately seek to suppress such a movement. In the Roman Empire, there was no room for another kingdom or for a messianic rescuer from Roman occupation. Thus, though Jesus acknowledged to his disciples that he was the Messiah (Mark 8:27-30 ^ay), he did not intend to overthrow Rome.
Another possible reason for this secrecy has to do with the prolific misunderstanding of Jesus’ identity that we see throughout the Gospel of Mark, even among his closest followers. Jesus makes clear that his identity as Messiah and Son of God is directly tied to his suffering and death, a reality which did not match up with Jewish expectations regarding the Messiah. Thus, immediately after Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus announces that he would suffer and die (Mark 8:27-31 ^az), which generates a response from Peter that demonstrates his lack of understanding (8:32-33 ^ba). It was not his miracles or his profound teaching that served as the primary attribute of his messiahship, but rather his sacrificial death.
For these reasons, it was expedient for Jesus to teach about God’s Kingdom in parables (see Mark 4:1-34 ^bb, especially 4:10-12 ^bc), to minimize the excitement created by his miracles (1:44 ^bd; 5:43 ^be; 7:36 ^bf; 8:26 ^bg), to conceal his presence at times from the people (7:24 ^bh; 9:30-31 ^bi), to conceal his teaching from outsiders (4:10-12 ^bj, 33-34 ^bk; 7:17 ^bl), and to command those who knew his true identity not to reveal it (1:23-26 ^bm, 34 ^bn; 3:11-12 ^bo; 8:29-30 ^bp; 9:9 ^bq). Jesus came “to give his life as a ransom for many” (10:45 ^br), not to lead the nation of Israel in rebellion against Rome.
Nonetheless, Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Mark 1:1 ^bs), could not be hidden. The secret was not and cannot be kept (7:36 ^bt), for Jesus is too great. Those who experienced and witnessed his healing touch could not help but proclaim what he had done. Jesus’ identity broke through, and it became clear that he is indeed the Messiah, the Son of God, the Lord over nature, disease, and death. And for the readers of the Gospel of Mark, who are made aware of his identity in the very first verse, Jesus was demonstrated to be the Messiah precisely because of—not in spite of—his suffering, death, and resurrection.

Passages for Further Study
Matt 8:4 ^bu; 16:20 ^bv; Mark 1:34 ^bw, 44 ^bx; 3:11-12 ^by; 5:43 ^bz; 7:36 ^ca; 8:29-30 ^cb; 9:9 ^cc, 30-31 ^cd; Luke 9:21 ^ce