March 25th, 2023

This Sunday is the Fifth Sunday in Lent, and we are SO CLOSE to Holy Week. And for some people, the Gospel text for this Sunday will be WAY too long, but this will get us ready for next week. There are even three options of this week’s text: John 11:1-45, John 11:1-53, or John 11:17-27 & 38-53. However long the text, hearing more of the context may be helpful to understanding that text.

This is also the first time to see the context that comes after the so-called Sermon on the Mount. And after some connections that were made between that sermon and Genesis, it may be helpful in this case to hear some of the context within the Gospel according to Matthew as well. So this week will also be an extra-long “Sabbath Day’s Journey” with a text. And so the following is a somewhat-literal translation of Matthew 8:1-9:13 (with the historical presents in bold print):

Now coming down, he, from the mountain, they followed him, many crowds. And, behold, a leper, approaching, he worshipped him, saying “Lord, if you are willing, you are able me, to cleanse.”

And stretching out the hand, he touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately it was cleansed of him, the leprosy. And he says to him, Jesus, “See, no one you tell; but on the contrary, go, yourself show to the priest. And offer the gift which he ordered, Moses, into a testimony to them.”

Now entering he, into Capernaum, he approached him, a centurion, imploring him and saying, “Lord, the boy of me has been thrown in the house, a paralytic, terribly, being tormented.” And he says to him, Jesus, “I, coming, I will heal him.”

And, answering, the centurion said, “Lord, not I am worthy that of me under the roof, you may enter, but on the contrary, only say a word, and he will be healed, the boy of me. For also I myself am a man under authority, having under myself, soldiers. And I say to this, ‘Go,’ and he goes. And to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes. And to the servant of me, ‘Do this,’ and he does.”

Now hearing, Jesus, he marveled, and he said to the ones following, “Amen, I am saying to you, not such faith in the Israel I found. Now I am saying to you that many from east and west will come, and they will recline with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens. Now the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the darkness, the outer. There will be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth.” And he said, Jesus, to the centurion, “Go, as you believed, let it be to you.” And he was healed, the boy of him, in the hour, that.

And coming, Jesus, into the house of Peter, he saw the mother-in-law of him, having been thrown and fever-stricken. And he touched the hand of her, and it left her, the fever. And she rose up, and she served them.

Now evening, coming, they brought to him demon-possessed, many. And he threw out the spirits with a word, and all those badness having, he healed; thus it was fulfilled, that spoken through Isaiah, the prophet, saying, “He, the weaknesses of us, he took; and the sicknesses, he carried.”

Now seeing, Jesus, a crowd around him, he commanded to go away into the other side. And, approaching, one scribe, he said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

And he says to him, Jesus, “The foxes, holes, they have, and the birds of the heaven, nests. Now the Son of the Man has not where the head he lay.”

Now another of the disciples of him, he said to him, “Lord, allow me first to go away and to bury the father of me.”

Now Jesus, he says to him, “Follow me, and allow the dead to bury of them, the dead.”
And getting, he, into the boat, they followed him, the disciples of him. And, behold, a great shaking happened in the sea, so that the boat was covered over by the waves. Now he himself was sleeping. And approaching, they raised him, saying, “Lord, save! We are perishing.”

And he says to them, “Why afraid are you, little-faiths?” Then, rising, he rebuked the winds and the sea, and it happened, a great calm.

Now the men marveled, saying, “Of what kind is this, that also the winds and the sea obey him?”

And coming, he, into the other side, into the country of the Gadarenes; they met him, two demon-possessed, out of the tombs, coming out, violent very, so as not to be able, anyone, to pass through the way, that. And, behold, they cried out, saying, “What to us and to you, Son of God?” You have come here before time to torment us?” Now it was far from them, a herd of pigs, many, feeding. And the demons implored him, saying, “If you throw us out, send us out into the herd of the pigs.”

And he said to them, “Go.” Now those coming out, they went away into the pigs. And, behold, it rushed, all the herd of the pigs down the precipice into the sea, and they died in the waters. Now those feeding, they fled, and going away into the city, they reported all things, and the things of the demon-possessed. And, behold, all the city went out to meet with Jesus, and seeing him, they implored that he go away from the borders of them.

And getting into the boat, he crossed over, and he came into the own city. And, behold, they brought to him a paralytic on a bed, having been thrown. And seeing, Jesus, the faith of them, he said to the paralytic, “Be comforted, child; they are forgiven, the sins of you.”

And, behold, some of the scribes said in themselves, “This one blasphemes.”

And knowing, Jesus, the thoughts of them, he said, “Why do you think evil in the hearts of you? For what is easier, to say, “They are forgiven of you the sins,” or to say, “Rise up and walk”? Now that you may know that authority he has, the Son of the Man, on the earth to forgive sins, then he says to the paralytic, “Rise up, take of you the bed and go into the house of you.” And, rising, he went away into the house of him. Now, seeing, the crowds feared, and they glorified the God, the One giving authority, such, to the men.

And passing by, Jesus, from there, he saw a man sitting at the tax office, Matthew named, and he says to him, “Follow me.’ And, rising up, he followed him. And it happened, he, reclining in the house, and, behold, many tax-collectors and sinners, coming, reclined with Jesus and the disciples of him.
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And seeing, the Pharisees, they said to the disciples of him, “Why with the tax-collectors and sinners he eats, the teacher of you? Now he, hearing, said, “No need they have, the ones being strong, of a healer, but on the contrary, the ones bad having. Now going, learn what it is, “Mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.” For not I came to call righteous, but on the contrary, sinners.