Luke summarizes Jesus’s preaching ministry about the kingdom of God in 8:1–3, noting that he visits a number of towns. Contrary to Jewish custom Jesus had women followers, and they supported him financially (8:3). These women are carefully distinguished from the twelve apostles. There is no evidence that Mary Magdalene was the woman in the prior story. The number seven indicates the severity of Mary’s state. The Herod mentioned here is Antipas (8:3).

One of Jesus’s distinguishing characteristics was teaching in parables, and some of the most memorable of Jesus’s parables occur in Luke. Jesus addresses the parable of the sower (Luke 8:4–15; but cf. Mark 4:1–20; Matt. 13:1–23) to the crowd that was gathering (Luke 8:4–8), but he does not explain its significance to them. The sowing of seed…