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February 22nd, 2025

2/22/2025

This Sunday’s title is the Seventh Sunday after Epiphany. Since Easter is so late this year, the Epiphany season is a bit longer than usual. Sometimes we do not have seven Sundays after Epiphany. But with a later Easter comes a later Pentecost, so this part of the Gospel according to Luke can come up when we are in the “C” Series during Epiphany or Pentecost, but it cannot occur at both. Within this season of Epiphany, the Gospel Reading for this Sunday is Luke 6:27-38.

If you are not familiar with the writings of this website, this writer is currently going through the Gospel according to Luke, taking a piece at a time, and taking it in the way in which it was laid out by the writer. And what follows could be called just one example of an extremely literal translation of Luke 5:27-6:16 (and it may also be helpful to know that the hyphens below connect the words in English which are just one word in the Greek text, and even if you are familiar with this section of the text, because of the extremities within this literal translation, it may be helpful to look at other translations and/or a study bible for more details; one of the reasons behind such a translation is to see the great number of words in modern English that have come to us today from ancient Greece):

And  after  these-things  he-came-out,  and  he-observed  a-tax-collector  with-name  Levi,  sitting  upon  the  tax-place,  and  he-said  to-him,  “Follow  me.”  And  having-left-behind  everything,  having-risen-up,  he-was-following  him.  And  he-made  a-banquet,  mega,  Levi,  for-him,  in  the  house,  his,  and  there-was  a  crowd,  great,  of-tax-collectors  and  others  who  were  with  him,  reclining.  And  they-were-grumbling,  the  Pharisees  and  the  Writers,  their,  toward  the  disciples,  his,  saying,  “Because-of  what,  with  the  tax-collectors  and  sinners,  you-eat  and  you-drink?”
And  having-answered,  the  Jesus,  he-said  toward  them,  “No  need,  they-have  the-ones  hygienic  of-a-physician,  but-on-the-contrary,  the-ones  a-cacophony  having;  not  I-have-come  to-call  righteous-ones,  but-on-the-contrary,  sinners  into  repentance.”

Now  the-ones  said  toward  him,  “The  disciples  of-John,  they-fast  frequently  and  requests,  they-make-for-themselves,  likewise  also  the-ones  of-the  Pharisees;  now  the-ones  to-you,  they-eat,  and  they-drink.”

Now  the  Jesus  said  toward  them,  “Not  can-you,  the  sons  of-the  bride-chamber,  in  which  the  bridegroom,  with  them,  he-is,  to-make  to-fast?  Now  they-will-come,  days,  and  when  it-is-taken-away  from  them,  the  bridegroom,  then  they-will-fast  in  those,  the  days.”

Now  he-was-telling  also  a-parable  toward  them,  “No-one  a-patch  from  a-garment,  new,  having-a-schism,  he-throws-upon  upon  a-garment,  old;  now  if  not,  indeed,  also  the  new  he-will-schism  and  with-the  old,  not  a-symphony,  the  patch,  to  from  the  new.  And  no-one  throws  wine,  new,  into  wineskins,  old;  now  if  not,  indeed,  it-will-burst,  the  wine,  the  new,  the  wineskins,  and   it,  it-will-be-poured-out,  and   the  wineskins  will-be-destroyed.  But-on-the-contrary,  wine,  new,  into  wineskins  new,  to-be-thrown.  And  no-one,  having-drunk  old,  he-desires  new;  for  he-says,  ‘The  old,  pleasant  it-is.’”

Now  it-happened  in  a-Sabbath  to-go-through  he,  through  grainfields,  and  they-were-plucking,  the  disciples,  his,  and  they-were-eating  the  heads-of-grain,  rubbing  with-the  hands.  Now  some  of-the  Pharisees  said,  “Why  are-you-doing  what  not  permitted  for-the  Sabbath?”

And  having-answered  toward  them,  he-said,  the  Jesus,  “Now-not  this  did-you-read  what  he-did,  David,  when  he-hungered,  he  and  the-ones  with  him  being,  how  he-came-into,  into  the  house  of-the  God,  and  the  Breads  of-the  Presentation,  having-taken,  he-ate,  and  he-gave  to-the-ones  with  him,  which  not  it-is-permitted  to-eat,  if  not  only  the  priests?”  And  he-was-saying  to-them,  “Lord,  he-is  of-the  Sabbath,  the  Son  of-the  Man.”

Now  it-happened  in  a-hetero  Sabbath,  to-come-into,  he,  into  the  synagogue  and  to-teach.  And  he-was  a-man,  there,  and  the  hand,  his,  the  right,  it-was  withered.  Now  they-were-watching-carefully  him,  the  Writers  and  the  Pharisees,  if  in  the  Sabbath  he-is-therapeutic,  in-order-that  they-might-find  to-accuse  him.  Now  he,  he-knew  the  dialogues,  their,  now  he-said  to-the  man,  to-the  withered,  having,  the  hand,  “Rise  and  stand  into  the  middle.”  And  having-risen-up,  he-stood.  Now  he-said,  the  Jesus,  toward  them,  “I-question  you  if  it-is-permitted  for-the  Sabbath  to-do-good  or  to-do-a-cacophony,  life  to-save  or  to-destroy?”  And  having-looked-around,  all  them,  he-said  to-him,  “Stretch-out  the  hand,  your.”  Now  the-one  did  and  it-was-restored,  the  hand,  his.  Now  they,  they-were-filled  with-a-loss-of-reason  and  they-were-speaking-back-and-forth  toward  one-another  what  they-might-do  to-the  Jesus.

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February 16th, 2025

2/16/2025

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This Sunday’s title is the Sixth Sunday after Epiphany, and that should not be a surprise. And the idea of a surprise, better yet a manifestation or a revelation (even better, an ‘epiphany’) continues to come through in the Gospel readings in various ways. The Gospel Reading for this Sunday is Luke 6:17-26 and now Jesus is not only dealing with ‘a great crowd of disciples’, but also ‘a great multitude of the people’ from many different places (and the places of Jerusalem and Sidon are given; and those two are extremely different places).

The writings of this website are currently going through the Gospel according to Luke, taking a piece at a time, and taking it in the way in which it was laid out by the writer. Last Sunday’s Gospel Reading was Luke 5:1-11, and that text is included below, and a few more verses after that will be included.

It is helpful to get the context of the passages that are spoken on Sunday.  And it may be helpful to get the history behind some of the words that are in the text.  Unique words have unique contexts.  New Testament Greek may be an old language, but some words that are used today have come from that. The translation that is given below may help to point that out. And hopefully it is a helpful start.

The following could be called an extremely literal translation of Luke 5:1-26 (and if this is the first time reading the texts of this website, it may be helpful to know that the hyphens connect the words in English which are the same word in the Greek text of the New Testament; and even if you are somewhat familiar with this section of the text, it may be helpful to look at other translations and/or a study bible for more details):

Now  it-happened  in  which-the  the  crowd  to-press-upon  him  and  to-hear  the  word  of-the  God,  and  he  he-was  standing  by  the  lake  of-Gennesaret, and  he-saw  two  boats  standing  by  the  lake;  now  the  fishermen,  from  them  having-stepped-out,  they-were-washing  the  nets.  Now  having-stepped-in  into  one  of-the  boats,  which  it-was  of-Simon,  he-asked  him  from  the  land  to-put-out  a-little;  now  having-sat-down,  from  the  boat  he-was-teaching  the  crowds.  Now  as  he-ceased  speaking,  he-said  toward  the  Simon,  “Put-out  into  the  deep,  and  let-down  the  nets  of-you  into  a-catch.”

And  having-answered,  Simon  said,  “Overseer,  through  whole  night  having-labored,  nothing  we-took;  now  upon  the  saying  of-you,  I-will-let-down  the  nets.”  And  this  having-done,  they-enclosed  a-fullness  of-fishes,  large;  now  they-were-being-ripped-apart,  the  nets  of-them.  And  they-nodded  to-the  partners  in  the  other  boat,  of-the  having-come  to-hold-together  them;  and  they-came,  and  they-filled  both  the  boats,  so-as  to-be-sinking  them.

Now  seeing,  Simon  Peter,  he-fell-toward  to-the  knees  of-Jesus  saying,  “Depart  from  me,  because  a-man,  sinful,  I-am,  Lord.”  For  astonishment  surrounded  him  and  all  the-ones  with  him,  upon  the  catch  of-the  fishes  which  they-took-in;  now  likewise  also  Jacob  and  John,  sons  of-Zebedee,  who  they-were  koinonia  with-the  Simon.

And  he-said  toward  the  Simon,  the  Jesus:  “Not  you-fear;  from  the  now,  men  you-will-be  catching-alive.”  And  having-led-down  the  boats  upon  the  land,  having-left  all,  they-followed  him.

And  it-happened  in  the  to-be  him,  in  one  of-the  cities,  and  behold,  a-man,  full  of-leprosy;  now  having-seen  the  Jesus,  having-fallen  upon  face,  he-begged  him,  saying,  “Lord,  if  you-are-willing,  you-are-able,  me  to-catharsis.”  And  having-stretched-out  the  hand,  he-touched  him  saying,  “I-am-willing;  be-catharsized.”  And  immediately  the  leprosy  went-away  from  him.  And  he  he-charged  him  no-one  to-tell,  but-on-the-contrary,  “Having-gone-off, show  yourself  to-the  priest,  and  to-carry-toward  concerning  the  catharsis  of-you,  as  he-commanded,  Moses,  into  a-testimony  to-them.”  Now  it-was-going-through,  more,  the  word  concerning  him,  and  they-were-coming-together,  crowds,  many,  to-hear  and  to-be-therapied  from  the  infirmities  of-them.  Now  he,  he-was  withdrawing  in  the  deserts  and  praying.

And  it-happened  in  one  of-the  days,  and  he  he-was  teaching,  and  they-were  sitting,  Pharisees  and  law-teachers  who  they-were  having-come  from  every  village  of-the  Galilee  and  Judea  and  Jerusalem;  and  power  of-Lord  it-was  into  the  to-cure,  him.  And  behold,  males  bearing  upon  a-bed,  a-man  who  was  having-been-disabled,  and  they-were-seeking,  him  to-carry-into  and  to-lay  him  before  him.  And  not  having-found  how  they-might-carry-into  him  because-of  the  crowd,  having-gone-up  upon  the  roof,  through  the tiles,  they-let-down  him  with  the  bed  into  the  midst,  in-front-of  the  Jesus.  And  having-seen  the  faith  of-them,  he-said,  “Man,  they-have-been-forgiven  of-you,  the  sins  of-you.”

And  they-began  to-dialog,  the  Writers  and  the  Pharisees  saying,  “Who  it-is  this-man  who  speaks  blasphemies?  Who  is-able  sins  to-forgive,  if  not  only  the  God?”
Now  having-perceived  the  Jesus  the  dialogs  of-them,  having-answered,  he-said  toward  them,  “Why  you-dialog  in  the  hearts  of-you?  What  is  easier,  to  say,  ‘They-have-been-released  of-you  the  sins  of-you,’ or  to-say,  ‘Rise  and  walk-around’?  Now  that  you-may-know  that  the  Son  of-the  Man,  authority  he-has  upon  the  earth  to-release  sins,”  he-said  to-the  having-been-disabled-one,  “To-you  I-say,  Rise.  And  having-picked-up  the  bed  of-you,  go  into  the  house  of  you.”  And  beyond-riches  having-risen-up  before  them,  having-picked-up  upon  which  he-was-lying,  he-went-away  into  the  house  of-him,  glorifying  the  God.

And  ecstasy  took  all,  and  they-were-glorifying  the  God,  and  they-were-filled  of-fear  saying,  “We-saw  paradoxes  today.”

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February 08th, 2025

2/8/2025

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This Sunday’s title is the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany. And the idea of a manifestation or revelation (an ‘Epiphany’) is still coming through in the texts. The Gospel Reading for this Sunday is Luke 5:1-11 and deals with Jesus’ manifestation to his disciples.

In the writings of this website, we are also currently going through the Gospel according to Luke, taking a piece at a time, and taking it in the way in which it was laid out by the writer. The following piece of the account is the last part of what is commonly known as chapter four of the Gospel according to Luke, and reading it may be helpful in getting some of the context of the reading for this Sunday, the first part of chapter five.

The following is just one way to have an extremely literal translation of Luke 4:31-44 (and if this is the first time reading the texts of this website, it may be helpful to know that the hyphens connect the words in English which are the same word in the Greek text of the New Testament; and even if you are familiar with this section of the text, it may be helpful to look at other translations and/or a study bible for more details):

And  he-went-down  into  Capernaum,  a  city  of-the  Galilee.  And  he-was  teaching  them  in  the  Sabbaths;  and  they-were-being-pounded-out  upon  the  teaching  of-him,  because  in  authority,  it-was,  the  word  of-him.
And  in  the  synagogue  it-was  a-man  having  a-spirit  of-a-demon,  an-unclean,  and  he-cried-out  with-a-voice,  mega,  “Ah,  what  with-us  and  with-you,  Jesus,  Nazarene?  Did-you-come  to-destroy  us?  I-know  you,  who  you-are:  the  Holy-one  of-the  God.”

And  he-rebuked  him,  the  Jesus,  saying,  “Be-muzzled   and  come-out  from  him.”  And  having-thrown-down  him,  the  demon,  into  the  midst,  he-came-out  from  him,  not  having-harmed  him.

And  it-happened,  amazement,  upon  all,  and  they-were-speaking-together  toward  one-another  saying,  “What  the  word,  this,  that  in  authority  and  power  he-commands  the  unclean  spirits,  and  they-come-out?”  And  it-was-going-out  an-echo  about  him  into  every  place  in-the  surrounding-region.

Now  having-risen-up  from  the  synagogue,  he-came-into  into  the  house  of-Simon.  Now  mother-in-law  of-the  Simon  she-was  having-with  a-fever,  mega;  and  they-questioned  him  about  her.  And  having-stood-over  over  her,  he-rebuked  the  fever,  and  it-left  her;  now  at-once  having-risen-up,  she-was-serving  them.

Now  setting,  the  sun,  all  as-many-as  they-had  ones-ailing,  with-diseases,  various,  they-led  them  toward  him;  now  the  one  on-each  of-them,  the  hands,  putting-upon,  he-was-therapy-to  them.

Now it-was-coming-out,  also,  demons,  from  many,  screaming  and  saying,  “You,  you-are  the  Son  of-the  God.”  And  rebuking,  not  he-would-allow  them  to-speak,  because  they-knew,  the  Christ,  him,  to-be.

Now  having-happened  a-day,  having-come-out  he-went  into  a-wilderness  place;  and  the  crowds  were-seeking-upon  him,  and  they-came  until  him,  and  they-were-holding-back  him  of-the  not  to-go  from  them.  Now  the-one  said  toward  them,  “Also  to-the  other  cities  to-evangelize,  me,  it-is-necessary  the  kingdom  of-the  God,  because  upon  this,  I-was-sent-out.”  And  he-was  proclaiming  into  the  synagogues  of-the  Judea.

What is the similarity between a demon and a fever? Jesus rebukes them both. Talk about authority! (And thankfully this is usually seen, no matter the translation of the text.) And the third time that the verb to rebuke shows up, Jesus is rebuking the demons in that he is not allowing them to speak. Speaking about Jesus is an important thing.

One may already in this text see a connection to the book of Acts, and to the Christian Church that continues on today, since the two verbs, to EVANGELIZE and PROCLAIM, are being used to describe what JESUS is doing. (And it is also interesting that, when Jesus says very near the end of this section, that he was ‘sent out’, this is the verb form for the noun ‘apostle’.)

The word translated ‘echo’ above is a good reminder that we do not change the message. We simply let it echo on.

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February 01st, 2025

2/1/2025

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This Sunday’s title is quite interesting. As was mentioned in last week’s writing, the titles around this time of year are somewhat similar, since they follow after the important day of Epiphany. But the official title for this Sunday, since this Sunday happens to fall on February 2 (the fortieth day after December 24), is “The Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord”. That does not happen too often.

There are many details in the Gospel according to Luke that are not found in the other accounts. And even when they ARE found in the other accounts as well, sometimes they are significantly different. Last week’s writing basically looked at the difference between the important thing being in the middle and the important thing being at the end. Ultimately both points are important. And both points, at the time of their occurrence, give a helpful structure to whatever is the thing that is being progressed to its finality. It would be nice to know when you are halfway through something, and it is certainly nice to know when you are at the end.

In these writings we are going through the Gospel according to Luke, in the way in which it was laid out by the writer, taking a little piece at a time. What follows is the section of that Gospel account which follows right after Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. You might say that the temptation time in the wilderness is a good start that closely compares to where he will be ending his life, at the cross. Instead of the devil tempting Jesus to jump down from a high place on the temple, those around Jesus while he is on the cross just outside of Jerusalem want him to come down from the cross and save himself (see Luke 23:35ff). Yet he stayed on the cross to save someone more important to him.

What follows is an extremely literal translation of Jesus’ start of ministry among the people, Luke 4:14-30; and the ending of this text gives yet another possibility of an ending to Jesus’ life. But that is not the end; instead of being at a low point in death by being pushed over a cliff, he waited and was raised to a high point on a cross. And he did this for ALL people. And here is the text (and if this is the first time reading the texts of this website, it will be helpful to know that the hyphens connect the words in English which are the same word in the Greek text of the New Testament; sometimes this writer uses some big and rare words; and even if you are familiar with this section of the text—it was quite recently essentially the Gospel reading of the day—it may be helpful to look at other translations and/or a study bible for more details):

And  he-returned,  the  Jesus,  in  the  dynamite  of-the  Spirit,  into  the  Galilee;  and  a-report  came-out  through,  whole,  the  region-around  concerning  him.  And  he,  he-was-teaching  in  the  synagogues  of-them,  being-glorified  by  all.

And  he-came  into  Nazareth,  where  he-was,  having-been-nourished,  and  he-came-into,  according-to  the  custom  for-him,  in  the  day  of-the  Sabbaths,  into  the  synagogue,  and  he-stood-up  to-read.  And  it-was-given-over  to-him  a-bible  of-the  prophet  Isaiah,  and  having-unrolled  the  bible,  he-found  the  place  where  it-was,  having-been-written:

“Spirit  of-Lord,  upon  me,  which  for-the-sake-of,  he-christened  me,  to-evangelize  to-poor-ones,  he-has-sent-out  me  to-proclaim  to-captives  release,   and  to-blind-ones,  to-see-again,  to-send-out,  having-been-shattered-ones  in  release,  to-proclaim  a-year  of-Lord,  favorable.”

And  having-rolled  the  bible,  having-given-back  to-the  attendant,  he-sat;  and  of-all  the  eyes  in  the  synagogue  were  gazing  at-him.  Now  he-began  to-say  toward  them,  “Today  it-has-been-fulfilled,  the  writing,  this,  in  the  ears  of-you.”
And  all  they-were-witnessing  to-him,  and  they-were-marveling  upon  the  words  of-the  grace,  the-ones  going-out,  out-of  the  mouth  of-him,  and  they-were-saying,  “Not  son  it-is  of-Joseph,  this-one?”

And  he-said  toward  them,  “By-all-means  you-will-say  to-me  the  parable,  this:  ‘Healer,  therapize  yourself;  what-things  we-heard  having-happened  into  the  Capernaum,  do  also  here  in  the  patron-place  of-you.’”  Now  he-said,  “Amen,  I-am-saying  to-you  that  no  prophet,  acceptable,  is  in  the  patron-place  of-him.  Now  upon  truth,  I-am-saying  to-you,  many  widows  were  in  the  days  of-Elias  in  the  Israel,  when  it-was-closed,  the  heaven,  over  years  three,  and  months  six,  as  it-happened,  a-famine,  mega,  upon  all  the  land,  and  toward  not-one  of-them  he-was-sent,  Elias,  if  not  into  Sarepta  of-the  Sidon,  toward  a-woman,  a-widow.  And  many  lepers  were  in  the  Israel  upon  Elisaios  the  prophet,  and  not-one  of-them  was-a-catharsis  if  not  Naaman,  the  Syrian.”

And  they-were-filled  all,  of-anger,  in  the  synagogue,  hearing  these-things,  and  having-stood-up,  they-threw-out  him,  outside  the  city,  and  they-led  him  until  a-brow  of-the  hill  upon  which  the  city  had-been-built  of-them,  so-as  to-throw-down-a-cliff  him;  now  he,  having-come-through,  through  midst  of-them,  he-was-going.

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A Sabbath Day's Journey

February 22nd, 2025

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