February 16th, 2025

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