August 23rd, 2025

The season of Pentecost continues on, and if you have been following these writings, it should be no surprise that the title for this Sunday is the “Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost”. And it should also be no surprise that the Gospel Reading for this week continues after a little jump from the text that was last Sunday’s reading. The text for this Sunday is Luke 13:22-30. And the context remains the same as in the previous chapters. Jesus is getting closer and closer to Jerusalem. And I do not think you would be surprised to learn that the tension is heightening.

The current writings of this website are also going through the Gospel according to Luke, from beginning to end, not skipping any parts. And we are currently looking at what is typically called chapter nineteen. And Jesus is finally entering Jerusalem within this text.

If this is the first time dealing with the writings of this website, it will be helpful to know that the text below has been translated in an extremely literal way. With such a translation, a familiar text may not be so familiar. Having another bible translation or study bible nearby would in all likelihood be helpful.

The text below is given in the order in which it appears in the language of the New Testament, and generally the words closer to the beginning of the sentence are the more important ones. And the verb is usually very early in the sentence. The hyphens are designed to help the reader see how many English words have been given to explain one Greek word. It should also be said that some of the English words chosen have been deliberately chosen to show how close they are to the Greek language.


Since the writer of this biblical text was a doctor, and since doctors tend to have a great vocabulary, some of these Greek words are extremely rare, and the attempt is to reflect that in the translation. As was mentioned above, here is an extremely literal translation of Luke 19:29-48:


And  it-happened  as  he-drew-near  into  Bethphage  and  Bethany,  toward  the  mount,  the-one  being-called  “Of-olives”;  he-sent-out  two  of-the  disciples,  saying,  “Depart  into  the  opposite  village,  in  which,  going-into,  you-will-find  a-colt,  having-been-tied,  upon  which  no-one  ever  of-people  sat,  and  having-loosened  it,  bring.  And  if  a-certain-one,  you,  he-asks,  ‘On-account-of  why  are-you-loosening?’  Thus  you-will-say,  ‘The  Lord  of-it,  a-need,  he-has.’” 
​

Now having-come-away,  the-ones  having-been-sent-out,  they-found  just-as  he-said  to-them.  Now  loosening,  they,  the  colt;  they-said,  the  lords  of-it,  toward  them,  “Why  are-you-loosening  the  colt?”

Now  the-ones  said,  “The  Lord  of-it,  a-need,  he-has.”  And  they-led  it  toward  the  Jesus,  and  having-thrown-upon,  of-them  the  garments,  upon  the  colt;  they-set-upon,  the  Jesus.  Now  going,  he,  they-were-spreading-out  the  garments,  theirs,  in  the  way. 

Now  drawing-near,  he,  already  at  the  descent  of-the  mount  of-the  olives,  they-began,  all  the  multitude  of-the  disciples,  rejoicing,  to-praise  the  God,  with-a-voice,  a-mega-one,  concerning  all  which  they-saw,  the-dynamite-deeds,  saying,  “Having-been-blessed,  the  coming-one,  the  king  in  name  of-Lord;  in  heaven  peace,  and  glory  in  highest-places.”

And  some  of-the  Pharisees  from  the  crowd,  they-said  toward  him,  “Teacher,  rebuke  the  disciples  of-you.”

And  having-answered,  he-said,  “I-am-saying  to-you,  if  these  will-be-silent,  the  stones  will-cry-out.”

And  as  he-drew-near,  having-seen  the  city,  he-wept  over  it,  saying,  “If  you-knew  in  the  day,  this,  even  you  the -things  toward  peace,  now  at-this-present-moment,  it-was-hidden  from  eyes  of-you.  Because  they-will-come,  days,  upon  you,  and  they-will-throw-up-alongside,  the  enemies  of-you,  a-stake  to-you,  and  they-will-encircle  you,  and  they-will-press-in-on  you,  on-every-side,  and  they-will-knock-to-the-ground  you  and the  children  of-you  in  you,  and  not  they-will-leave  a-stone  upon  a-stone  in  you,  because  of-which  not  you-knew  the  appointed-time  of-the  episcopy,  your.”

And  having-come-into,  into  the  temple,  he-began  to-throw-out  the-ones  selling,  saying  to-them,  “It-has-been-written,  ‘And  it-shall-be,  the  house  of-me,  a-house  of-prayer.’  Now  you,  it,  you-made  a-cave  of-robbers.”

And  he-was  teaching,  the  each  day,  in  the  temple;  now  the  archpriests  and  the  writers,  they-were-seeking  him  to-destroy,  and  the  protos  of-the  people,  and  not  they-found  the  what  they-should-do,  for  the  people,  all,  they-were-hanging-upon  him,  hearing.

At the beginning of the text did you catch the contrast between THE Lord and the lords or owners of the colt? That title is often used within this account. And it is an important word that is used even today.

Regarding the last few words of the above text, you can probably guess how many times the verb “to hang upon” is used in the New Testament. It appears nowhere else in the New Testament, and in the Greek translation of the Old Testament it is used only one time, figuratively in Genesis 44:30. But it is interesting that only the Gospel according to Luke (23:39) describes the criminals who were crucified next to Jesus as hanging. That word is the base of the word above.

It is a rare thing for someone who is crucified to be described as “hanging”. People were hanging next to Jesus in life. And they were hanging next to him in death. Jesus is certainly special. And he leads the way in both life and death situations. That pretty much covers it all.