Advent 2. December 8. Luke 8

https://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Luke+7 (click on the link to continue the story)
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Jesus proclaims and brings the kingdom of God.  Another way to think of this is that Jesus lives his faith in God in his behavior, thoughts, words, and actions.  As such, he has students, disciples who are learning this kingdom of God way of life. 
Who follows Jesus?  Women. Men.  "Sinners".  People who are struggling with "Demons". 
Parables are stories that point toward something hidden, kind of like analogies or metaphors.  Then parable of the sower is an observation, not a prescription.  Jesus observes that some people are more receptive to God's Word in their lives.  There are many things that can prevent us from hearing, receiving, and embracing faith in God.  Worries of life.  Darkness and evil in the world.  Pain and suffering.  Faith is a kind of rootedness, a connectedness to God. 
Faith is a relationship.  He says, my mother and brothers--my family---are those who hear and do God's will. 
Faith endures life's storms with an abiding sense of peace, rest, surrender.  Jesus literally surrenders to the storm, trusting that God will protect and save them. 
Faith confronts the demons of society, facing the death-dealing darkness that they create.  And there are many demons!  Violence.  Addiction.  Prejudices.  Jesus confronts these demons and orders them to release the one who suffers. 
The story at the end of the chapter is a sandwich of two stories that reinforce each other.  This is a story about God's unconditional love for women and girls---a revolutionary idea for a patriarchal society that largely blamed women for the sins of the world.  (Eve being responsible for Adam's sin.)   Faith in this story is trust in God for healing, trust in God for comfort in a time of grief and loss.  Faith gives us hope when things seem bleak, unbearable, and impossible. 
Jesus shows us that God is able and willing to reach us, connect with us, serve and help us, heal and give life to us.  It is not God's absence that brings darkness in the world.  It is our blindness, our corruption, our distracted minds.  God is always near, always willing to give.  Are we open to God's generosity?