March 23rd, 2025

For this Sunday, The Third Sunday in Lent, the Gospel Reading is Luke 13:1-9. And that reading is a bit earlier in that Gospel account compared to last week’s reading, and that is a bit different from the biblical texts that we study each week. In the writings of this website, we are going through the Gospel according to Luke in the order that was laid out by the writer.

We are a bit earlier in the Gospel account than chapter thirteen. In the previous week, the writing just started with what is known as chapter seven. It was a significant one since it had the first use of the word “Lord” by the writer to describe Jesus.

It is interesting that normally the title of Lord is used after Jesus died and was raised from the dead. This first, special usage of Lord is connected to the compassion for a widow whose son had just died. And that son was raised from the dead by Jesus.

Obviously the news of this particular “resurrection” gets out. And the fellow known as John the Baptist sends some of his disciples to ask basically regarding the “plan” of Jesus. And the title of “Lord” is used again below. It makes sense that if John the Baptist was in prison at this time, he would think that Jesus would be able, with such great power, to get him out of prison.

Now, in the text below, the title of Lord is used in connection with bad things happening to those who are on the Lord’s side. And some people still ask this today that, if followers of Christ have bad things happen to them, where is their God? You might want to answer that he is on the cross, dying to pay for sins.

You may also wish to note below that Jesus GRACED some people to see. He did not EMPOWER them to do such a thing. And the long list of things that Jesus said he was doing has the Gospel at the end, the word that is at the heart of the verb to evangelize. You may say that it is at the climax or culmination of the list. The Gospel has an ETERNAL importance. People are only healed for a very short time.

If this is your first encounter with the writings of this website, please note that the hyphens below are designed to give the reader an idea of how many words in English are from the one word in the Greek, the language of the New Testament. And some of the translations of the words are designed to show how similar the Greek language is to the English.

One might say that the translation below is extremely literal. It should also be noted that the order of the words and their immense variety may make the reading of the text somewhat difficult. But in this language, the order of the words is important, with generally the more important words coming first. Looking at this text in another translation or a study bible is highly recommended. Now what follows is Luke 7:18-35:
And  they-reported  to-John,  the  disciples,  his,  about  all  these-things.  And  having-called-toward-himself  two,  certain,  of-the  disciples,  his,  the  John,  he-sent  toward  the  Lord,  saying,  “You,  you-are  the  coming-one,  or  another  we-may-think-toward?” 

Now  having-happened-along  toward  him,  the  men  said,  “John  the  Baptist,  he-sent-out  us  toward  you  saying,  ‘You,  you-are  the  coming-one,  or  another  we-may-think-toward?’”

In  that,  the  hour,  he-therapied  many  from  diseases  and  whippings  and  spirits,  evil,  and  to-blind-persons,  many,  he-graced  to-see.  And  having-answered,  he-said  to-them,  “Having-gone,  report  to-John  the-things  you-saw  and  you-heard:  Blind-men,  they-see-again;  lame-men,  they-walk,  lepers,  they-are-cleansed,  and  deaf-men,  they-hear,  and  dead-men,  they-are-raised,  poor-men,  they-are-evangelized;  and  blessed  is  who  ever  not  is-scandalized  in  me.”

Now,  having-gone-away,  the  angels  of-John,  he-began  to-say  toward  the  crowds  concerning  John,  “What  you-came-out,  into  the  wilderness  to-scrutinize?  A-reed  by-wind,  being-shaken?  But-on-the-contrary  what  you-came-out  to-see?  A-man  in  soft  clothes,  having-been-dressed?  Behold,  the-ones  in  clothing,  in-glorified   and  in-softness,  being  in  the  royal-palaces  they-are.  But-on-the-contrary  what  you-came-out  to-see?  A-prophet?  Yes,  I-am-saying  to-you,  and  more  of-a-prophet.  This  he-is  concerning  whom  it-has-been-written:  ‘Behold,  I-am-sending-out  the  angel,  my,  before  face,  your,  who  he-will-prepare  the  way,  your,  before  you.’  I-am-saying  to-you,  greater  in  those-born  of-women,  John,  no-one,  he-is;  now  the-one  less  in  the  kingdom  of-the  God,  greater  of-him,  he-is.”  And  all  the  people,  having-heard,  and   the  collectors  justified  the  God,  having-been-baptized  the  baptism  of-John;  now  the  Pharisees  and  the  lawyers,  the  counsel  of-the  God,  they-rejected  into  themselves,  not  having-been-baptized  by  him. ​

“Therefore,  to-what  I-will-compare  the  people  of-the  generation,  this,  and  what  they-are  like?  Like  they-are  to-children,  the-ones  in  an-agora,  sitting  and  calling-toward  one-another  what  he-says,  ‘We-piped  to-you  and   not  you-danced,  we-mourned  and  not  you-wept.’  For  he-has-come,  John  the  Baptist,  not  eating  bread  nor  drinking  wine,  and  you-are-saying,  ‘A-demon  he-has.’  He-has-come,  the  Son  of-the  Man,  eating  and  drinking,  and  you-are-saying,  ‘Behold,  a-man,  a-glutton  and  a-drunkard,  a-friend  of-collectors  and  sinners.’  And  it-was-justified,  the  wisdom,  by  all  the  children  of-her.”