Telling and Bringing Good News

The road was dusty and hot, but the crowd of people following Jesus to the next village didn't pay much attention to the environment. They were just excited to be around the rabbi who had been healing people and teaching a strange new thing, that God had sent peace and forgiveness of sins to people.. Some were looking forward to a
battle with the Romans that would drive those interlopers out and start the eternal reign of the God of Israel. Several others weren't waiting on political or military action: their battle had already been won. Jesus had cast out demons, (seven demons from Mary Magdalene alone) and healed their illnesses and infirmities with a word. What a display of power! Surely God's rulership was now evident in the world! Where would it go from here?

Jesus was accomplishing several things at once, according to Luke 8:1-3.  He was "proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God" as the ESV translates it. These two Greek verbs are used in other places for 'preaching' and 'proclaiming' like a public announcement; and 'evangelizing' or 'telling good news.' So Jesus went around preaching, but also doing good (see Acts 10:38). What was so special about that? Well, have a look at who was with him:  "the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna." These three women are identified as some whom Jesus had healed. The Gospel, the good news of God's authority over the earth, was 'preached' to them in words and actions. So they followed Jesus and most likely, told the other women they met in the village wells and marketplaces, what had happened to them. Jesus was "preaching and bringing" the Good News all at the same time; and he was giving the message to people who would be inclined to pass it on to others.

The same thing happens in Luke 9:1-2 and 10:9 where the twelve, and later 72 others, were sent out and given authority and instruction to heal and to preach. In 10:9, it even says " Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’" So the training of the disciples included watching Jesus do his work in chapter 8, doing it themselves in chapter 9, and even seeing others involved in chapter 10. That's a pattern of spreading that would lead to multiplication -- but it was all about doing good, including healing, and telling good news to the same audience. That might work today too, don't you think? Actually it does work, and has been working for 2,000 years.

Is the gospel actions, or words?  YES. So let's pray and find ways to follow Jesus down the road.