Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
9 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.
7 Now, Herod, the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8 others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. 9 But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” And he tried to see him.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
10 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, 11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging because we are in a remote place here.”
13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.”
They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” 14 (About five thousand men were there.)
But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. 17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were leftover.
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah
18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”
Jesus Predicts His Death
21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
The Transfiguration
28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure,[a] which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)
34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy
37 The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 38 A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”
41 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”
42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.
Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time
While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, 44 “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
46 An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48 Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”
49 “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”
50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”
Samaritan Opposition
51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them [Some manuscripts them, just as Elijah did]?” 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 Then he and his disciples went to another village.
The Cost of Following Jesus
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”
62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
NOTES:
9:1–6 Armed with the power and authority that Jesus himself
has been displaying in the previous episodes, the Twelve are now sent out to
continue the work that Jesus has been performing throughout his Galilean
ministry: (1) proclaiming the kingdom (Lk 4:43; 8:1); (2) exorcising demons (Lk
4:33–37, 41; 8:26–39) and (3) healing the sick (Lk 4:38–40; 5:12–16, 17–26;
6:6–10; 7:1–10, 17, 22; Lk 8:40–56).
9:3 Take nothing for the journey: the absolute detachment
required of the disciple (Lk 14:33) leads to complete reliance on God (Lk
12:22–31).
9:5 Shake the dust from your feet: see note on Mt 10:14.
9:7–56 This section in which Luke gathers together incidents
that focus on the identity of Jesus is introduced by a question that Herod is
made to ask in this gospel: “Who then is this about whom I hear such
things?”(Lk 9:9) In subsequent episodes, Luke reveals to the reader various
answers to Herod’s question: Jesus is one in whom God’s power is present and
who provides for the needs of God’s people (Lk 9:10–17); Peter declares Jesus
to be “the Messiah of God” (Lk 9:18–21); Jesus says he is the suffering Son of
Man (Lk 9:22, 43–45); Jesus is the Master to be followed, even to death (Lk
9:23–27); Jesus is God’s son, his Chosen One (Lk 9:28–36).
9:7 Herod the tetrarch: see note on Lk 3:1.
9:9 And he kept trying to see him: this indication of
Herod’s interest in Jesus prepares for Lk 13:31–33 and for Lk 23:8–12 where
Herod’s curiosity about Jesus’ power to perform miracles remains unsatisfied.
9:16 Then taking…: the actions of Jesus recall the
institution of the Eucharist in Lk 22:19; see also note on Mt 14:19.
9:18–22 This incident is based on Mk 8:27–33, but Luke has
eliminated Peter’s refusal to accept Jesus as suffering Son of Man (Mk 8:32)
and the rebuke of Peter by Jesus (Mk 8:33). Elsewhere in the gospel, Luke
softens the harsh portrait of Peter and the other apostles found in his Marcan
source (cf. Lk 22:39–46, which similarly lacks a rebuke of Peter that occurs in
the source, Mk 14:37–38).
9:18 When Jesus was praying in solitude: see note on Lk
3:21.
9:20 The Messiah of God: on the meaning of this title in
first-century Palestinian Judaism, see notes on Lk 2:11 and on Mt 16:13–20 and
Mk 8:27–30.
9:23 Daily: this is a Lucan addition to a saying of Jesus,
removing the saying from a context that envisioned the imminent suffering and
death of the disciple of Jesus (as does the saying in Mk 8:34–35) to one that
focuses on the demands of daily Christian existence.
9:28–36 Situated shortly after the first announcement of the
passion, death, and resurrection, this scene of Jesus’ transfiguration provides
the heavenly confirmation to Jesus’ declaration that his suffering will end in
glory (Lk 9:32); see also notes on Mt 17:1–8 and Mk 9:2–8.
9:28 Up the mountain to pray: the “mountain” is the regular
place of prayer in Luke (see Lk 6:12; 22:39–41).
9:30 Moses and Elijah: the two figures represent the Old
Testament law and the prophets. At the end of this episode, the heavenly voice
will identify Jesus as the one to be listened to now (Lk 9:35). See also note
on Mk 9:5.
9:31 His exodus that he was going to accomplish in
Jerusalem: Luke identifies the subject of the conversation as the exodus of
Jesus, a reference to the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus that will
take place in Jerusalem, the city of destiny (see Lk 9:51). The mention of
exodus, however, also calls to mind the Israelite Exodus from Egypt to the
promised land.
9:32 They saw his glory: the glory that is proper to God is
here attributed to Jesus (see Lk 24:26).
9:33 Let us make three tents: in a possible allusion to the
feast of Tabernacles, Peter may be likening his joy on the occasion of the
transfiguration to the joyful celebration of this harvest festival.
9:34 Over them: it is not clear whether them refers to
Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, or to the disciples. For the cloud casting its
shadow, see note on Mk 9:7.
9:35 Like the heavenly voice that identified Jesus at his
baptism prior to his undertaking the Galilean ministry (Lk 3:22), so too here
before the journey to the city of destiny is begun (Lk 9:51) the heavenly voice
again identifies Jesus as Son. Listen to him: the two representatives of Israel
of old depart (Lk 9:33) and Jesus is left alone (Lk 9:36) as the teacher whose
words must be heeded (see also Acts 3:22).
9:36 At that time: i.e., before the resurrection.
9:37–43a See note on Mk 9:14–29.
9:46–50 These two incidents focus on attitudes that are
opposed to Christian discipleship: rivalry and intolerance of outsiders.
9:51–18:14 The Galilean ministry of Jesus finishes with the
previous episode and a new section of Luke’s gospel begins, the journey to
Jerusalem. This journey is based on Mk 10:1–52 but Luke uses his Marcan source
only in Lk 18:15–19:27. Before that point he has inserted into his gospel a
distinctive collection of sayings of Jesus and stories about him that he has
drawn from Q, a collection of sayings of Jesus used also by Matthew, and from
his own special traditions. All of the material collected in this section is
loosely organized within the framework of a journey of Jesus to Jerusalem, the city
of destiny, where his exodus (suffering, death, resurrection, ascension) is to
take place (Lk 9:31), where salvation is accomplished, and from where the
proclamation of God’s saving word is to go forth (Lk 24:47; Acts 1:8). Much of
the material in the Lucan travel narrative is teaching for the disciples.
During the course of this journey Jesus is preparing his chosen Galilean
witnesses for the role they will play after his exodus (Lk 9:31): they are to
be his witnesses to the people (Acts 10:39; 13:31) and thereby provide
certainty to the readers of Luke’s gospel that the teachings they have received
are rooted in the teachings of Jesus (Lk 1:1–4).
9:51–55 Just as the Galilean ministry began with a rejection
of Jesus in his hometown, so too the travel narrative begins with the rejection
of him by Samaritans. In this episode Jesus disassociates himself from the
attitude expressed by his disciples that those who reject him are to be
punished severely. The story alludes to 2 Kgs 1:10, 12 where the prophet Elijah
takes the course of action Jesus rejects, and Jesus thereby rejects the
identification of himself with Elijah.
9:51 Days for his being taken up: like the reference to his
exodus in Lk 9:31 this is probably a reference to all the events (suffering,
death, resurrection, ascension) of his last days in Jerusalem. He resolutely
determined: literally, “he set his face.”
9:52 Samaritan: Samaria was the territory between Judea and
Galilee west of the Jordan river. For ethnic and religious reasons, the
Samaritans and the Jews were bitterly opposed to one another (see Jn 4:9).
9:57–62 In these sayings Jesus speaks of the severity and
the unconditional nature of Christian discipleship. Even family ties and filial
obligations, such as burying one’s parents, cannot distract one no matter how
briefly from proclaiming the kingdom of God. The first two sayings are
paralleled in Mt 8:19–22; see also notes there.
9:60 Let the dead bury their dead: i.e., let the spiritually
dead (those who do not follow) bury their physically dead. See also note on Mt
8:22.
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