February 08th, 2025

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.