August 2nd, 2025

The season of Pentecost continues on, and perhaps you knew that this Sunday is called the “Eighth Sunday after Pentecost.” The Gospel Reading for this week makes a slight jump to the next chapter, and the text is Luke 12:13-21. The context is the same as was started in chapter nine; Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem.

The current writings of this website are also going through the Gospel according to Luke, not skipping any part, taking the entire work into account. We are a bit farther along in this, and we are currently dealing with chapter seventeen.

If you are unfamiliar with the writings of this website, it should be stated that the section of the text below is given in an EXTREMELY literal translation. The purpose of such a translation is to help the reader delve into the text. Another bible translation or study bible nearby would probably be very helpful.

To be more specific, the text below is given in the order in which it appears in the language of the New Testament. The hyphens are designed to help the reader see how many English words are given to explain one Greek word. It should also be said that some of the English words chosen are deliberately chosen to show how close they are to the Greek language. And some of these Greek words are quite rare (as you might expect someone like a doctor to have), but they are still important, and they certainly deliver an important message. This chapter happens to deal with the second coming of Christ.

What follows is a very different translation of Luke 17:20-37:

Now  having-been-questioned  by  the  Pharisees,  when  it-is-coming,  the  kingdom  of-the  God,  he-answered  them,  and  he-said,  “Not  it-is-coming,  the  kingdom  of-the  God,  with  observation,  nor  they-will-say,  ‘Behold,  here’,  or  ‘There’;  for  behold,  the  kingdom  of-the  God,  in-the-midst  of-you,  it-is.”

Now  he-said  toward  the  disciples,  “They-will-come,  days,  when  you-will-desire  one  of-the  days  of-the  Son  of-the  Man  to-see,  and  not  you-will-see.  And  they-will-say  to-you,  ‘Behold,  there’;  or  ‘Behold,  here’.  Not  do-come-away  nor  pursue.  For  just-as  the  lightning,  flashing  out-of  the  under  the  heaven,  into  the  under  heaven,  it-shines;  so  he-will-be,  the  Son  of-the  Man,  in  the  day  of-him.”

“Now  first,  it-is-necessary,  him,  many-things  to-suffer,  and  to-be-disapproved  from  the  generation,  this.  And  just-as  it-happened  in  the  days  of-Noah,  so  it-will-be  also  in  the  days  of-the  Son  of-the  Man;  they-were-eating,  they-were-drinking,  they-were-marrying,  they-were-being-given-in-marriage,  until  which  day,  he-came-into,  Noah,  into  the  box,  and  it-came,  the  cataclysm,  and  it-destroyed  all.  Likewise  just-as  it-happened  in  the  days  of-Lot;  they-were-eating,  they-were-drinking,  they-were-on-the-agora,  they-were-selling,  they-were-planting,  they-were-building.  Now  on-the  day  he-came-out,  Lot,  from  Sodom,  it-rained  fire  and  sulfur  from  heaven,  and  it-destroyed  all.”

“According-to  the  same-things  it-will-be,  in-which  day  the  Son  of-the  Man,  is-apocalypsed.  In  that,  the  day,  who  will-be  upon  the  roof,  and  the  gear  of-him  in  the  house,  not  let-him-come-down  to-take  them,  and  the-one  in  a-field,  likewise  not  let-him-turn-back  into  the-things  behind.  Remember  the  wife  of-Lot.  Who  ever  seeks  the  psyche  of-him  to-preserve,  he-will-lose  it,  now  who  ever  will-lose,  he-will-give-life-to  it.  I-am-saying  to-you,  in-this  the  night,  there-will-be  two-men  upon  a-couch;  one,  the  one  will-be-taken-away,  and  the  other  will-be-left;  there-will-be  two-women  grinding  upon  the  same,  the  one  will-be-taken-away,  now  the  other  will-be-left.”

And  having-answered,  THEY-SAY  to-him,  “Where,  Lord?” 

Now  the-one  said  to-them,  “Where  the  body,  there  also  the  vultures  will-be-synagogued-upon.”

Much could be said about any text of the scriptures. And much could be said about this section. So that you are not too confused after going through what was above, it should be noted that the words in capital letters near the end of the text are meant to stand out because the verb is in the present tense, and in this situation a past tense verb would normally be used. It should not be too surprising that this event in grammar is called the historical present.

There is not the frequency of the historical present in this account as much as there was in the previous two accounts. Within the Gospel according to Luke though there has been a great variety of people attached to the historical present verbs.
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Finally we are getting to the disciples having a word that is important enough to come into the present. And it is a question. And that is an okay thing. The followers of Jesus can have questions. The frequent question in the Small Catechism of the Lutheran Church is, in German, Was ist das? In English it is usually translated as “What does this mean?” The faith is as of a child.

The followers of Jesus can also gather together. And this is not a perfect thing. People can easily be disappointed when it comes to seeing some of the actions of some Christians. But the Lord still works among his sinners. He still works among various groups of people. And he still does some amazing things.
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Whatever the person, whatever the place, whatever the situation, what Jesus did on the cross makes a difference. It does not matter that it happened long ago. The crucified life makes an eternal difference to the follower of Christ.