May 10th, 2025

The season of Easter continues. And if you guessed that this Sunday is known as the “Fourth Sunday of Easter”, you would be correct. And perhaps you also knew that this Sunday is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday. The Gospel Reading for this Sunday is John 10:22-30. And although this is the Easter season, this text is approximately half-way through that Gospel account.

With the weekly writings of this website, we are currently looking at the Gospel according to Luke, we are looking at the work in the order that was laid out by the writer, and we are approximately half-way through that account as well. It is more of a midway point when it comes to the topic and not to the totals of verses or words. Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration. And now Jesus is headed toward Jerusalem. And that is a significant place, and he is a significant person. With both of those components, this is a significant action.

Last week’s reading ended with the point that, if the Son of God is rejected, then God is rejected as well. That makes for a serious mission, a serious sending.

Before giving the text from the remainder of the tenth chapter of the Gospel according to Luke, if this is the first time you are reading this writing, it should be said that what follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of the Greek text. The order of the words below is the order that they occur in the Greek. And that is not always helpful in getting the meaning of the sentence. But the order may be helpful to see what words are more important, since the important ones tend to be the earlier ones in the sentence. It should also be said that the hyphens below are designed to give the reader an idea of how many words in English are from the one-word in Greek. And the words in English given below are designed to help the reader see that many English words have at least some connection to the Greek language. It should also be noted with this Gospel account that sometimes this very literal translation gives you an idea of the great vocabulary of the writer, since Luke was a doctor.

In the end, hopefully such a translation will be helpful. It should also be noted that, because of what was stated above, another translation or a study bible nearby may be helpful in your study of the text. So, what follows is Luke 10:17-42:

Now they-returned,  the  seventy  two,  with  joy,  saying,  “Lord,  also  the  demons  submit  to-us  in  the  name  of-you.”

Now  he-said  to-them,  “I-was-beholding  the  Satan,  as  lightning,  out-of  the  heaven,  having-fallen.  Look,  I-have-given  to-you  the  authority  of-the  to-tread  upon  serpents  and  scorpions,  and  upon  all  the  dynamite  of-the  enemy,  and  nothing,  you,  certainly  not,  he-shall-hurt.  Nevertheless,  in  this  do-not  rejoice,  that  the  spirits  to-you  they-submit,  now  rejoice  that  the  names  of-you,  they-have-been-written  in  the  heavens.”

In  same,  the  hour,  he-exulted  in-the  Spirit,  the  Holy,  and  he-said,  “I-confess-out  to-you,  Father,  Lord  of-the  heaven  and  of-the  earth,  that  you-have-hidden  these-things  from  wise  and  intelligent,  and  you  apocalypse  them  to-infants;  yes,  the  Father,  because  such  good-pleasure  it-happened  in-front-of  you.  All-things  to-me  were-given-over  by  the  Father  of-me,  and  no-one  knows  who  is  the  Son,  if  not  the  Father,  and  who  is  the  Father,  if  not  the  Son,  and   to-whom  ever  he-wills,  the  Son,  to-apocalypse.”

And  having-turned  toward  the  disciples,  according-to  their-own,  he-said,  “Blessed  the  eyes,  the-ones  seeing  the-things-which   you-are-seeing.  For  I-am-saying  to-you  that  many  prophets  and  kings,  they-desired  to-see  the-things-which  you,  you-are-seeing,  and  not  they-did-see,  and  to-hear  the-things-which  you-are-hearing,  and   not  they-did-hear.” 

And  look,  a-lawyer,  a-certain-one  stood-up,  tempting-out  him,  saying,  “Teacher,  what  having-done,  life  eternal,  I-may-inherit?”
Now  the-one  said  toward  him,  “In  the  Law,  what  has-been-written?  How  do-you-know-up?”

Now  the-one,  having-answered,  he-said,  “You-will-love  Lord,  the  God  of-you  from  whole  the  heart  of-you,  and  in  whole,  the  soul  of-you,  and  in   whole  the  strength  of-you,  and  in  whole  the  mind  of-you,  and  the  neighbor  of-you  as  yourself.”

Now  he-said  to-him,  “Rightly  you-answered;  this  do,  and  you-will-live.”

Now  the-one,  wanting  to-justify  himself,  he-said  toward  the  Jesus,  “And  who,  he-is  my  neighbor?”

Having-taken-up,  the  Jesus  said,  “a-man,  a-certain-one,  he-was-going-down  from  Jerusalem  into  Jericho,  and  robbers  he-fell-among,  who  both  having-stripped  him  and  blows  having-laid-upon,  they-came-away,  having-left  halfdead.  Now  according-to  coincidence,  a-priest,  a-certain-one,  he-was-going-down  in  the  way,  that,  and  having-seen  him,  he-came-alongside-opposite.  Now  likewise  also  a-Levite,  happening  according-to  the  place,  having-come  and  having-seen,  he-came-alongside-opposite.  Now  a-Samaritan,  a-certain-one,  journeying,  he-came  according-to  him,  and  having-seen,  was-feeling-inward-parts,  and  having-come-toward,  he-bound-up  the  traumas  of-him,  pouring-upon  oil  and  wine;  now  having-caused-to-mount  him  upon  the  own  pack-animal,  he-led  him  into  an-inn,  and  he-cared-for  him.  And  upon  the  morrow,  having-taken-out,  he-gave  two  denarii  to-the  innkeeper,  and  he-said,  ‘Care-for  him,  and  the  what  ever  you-spend-in-addition,  I,  in  the  to-come-back  me,  I-will-repay  you.’  Who  of-these  of-the  three,  a-neighbor,  it-seems  to-you  to-have-become  of-the-one  having-fallen-in,  into  the  robbers?

Now  the-one  said,  “The-one  having-done  the  mercy  with  him.”

Now  he  said  to-him,  the  Jesus,  “Go  and  you,  you-do  likewise.”

Now  in  the  to-go,  they;  he,  he-came-into,  into  a-village,  a-certain-one;  now  a-woman,  a-certain-one,  by-name  Martha,  she-received  him.  And  to-her  was  a-sister,  being-called  Mariam,  who  also  having-sat-beside  toward  the  feet  of-the  Lord,  she-was-hearing  the  word  of-him.  Now  the  Martha  was-drawn-around  concerning  much  serving;  now  having-come-upon,  she-said,  “Lord,  it-does-does-it-not  matter  to-you  that  the  sister  of-me,  alone,  me  she-left-down  to-serve?  Therefore,  tell  her  that  me  she-may-take-up-alongside.”

Now  having-answered,  he-said  to-her,  the  Lord,  “Martha,  Martha,  you-are-anxious  and  you-are-disturbed  about  many-things,  now  of-one-thing  there-is  a-need;  for  Mariam,  the  good  part  she-said-out,  which  not  it-will-be-taken-away-from  her.”
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There are basically a huge number of ways in which the above words could be translated. But repetition is a good thing. And Jesus repeats himself when he talks to Martha. And the writer of this account repeats himself when he calls Jesus “Lord” and not simply “Jesus”. Now this will be an important title when it comes to the book of Acts. And we also have three other accounts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, each providing a unique and helpful perspective.