Jesus Stories, TGBC Tuesday, Week 3
The Good Book Club
TUESDAY, February 27 -> Luke 9:1-27
… Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. He said to them, ‘Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money—not even an extra tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there, and leave from there. Wherever they do not welcome you, as you are leaving that town shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.’ They departed and went through the villages, bringing the good news and curing diseases everywhere.
Now Herod the ruler heard about all that had taken place, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the ancient prophets had arisen. Herod said, ‘John I beheaded; but who is this about whom I hear such things?’ And he tried to see him.
On their return the apostles told Jesus all they had done. He took them with him and withdrew privately to a city called Bethsaida. When the crowds found out about it, they followed him; and he welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured.
The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said, ‘Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a deserted place.’ But he said to them, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said, ‘We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.’ For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, ‘Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.’ They did so and made them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say that I am?’ They answered, ‘John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered, ‘The Messiah of God.’
He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone, saying, ‘The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’
Then he said to them all, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.’
THOUGHTS FOR TUESDAY. First, the evangelist (gospel writer) sets something in motion, Jesus sending the Twelve off on an assignment - - though not nearly as dramatic as with Jesus, Jairus & Talitha, and the Woman with the Issue of Blood - - another literary Time device to start the clock ticking. We hear more a few verses later, upon their return, about how well it went. Jesus’ seemingly vengeful word about shaking the dust off their feet as a testimony against, well, okay, Jesus is human and is not always being welcomed and having an easy time of his ministry, so he warns his Apostles to expect the same rudeness and not to worry about it, just go on to the next town.
Herod hears about Jesus, he’s a little afraid it may be JohnBaptist redivivus, but more he’s curious and is eager to see Jesus when later, during Jesus’ trial (end of Luke 22 and beginning of Luke 23 and only in Luke), Herod gets to see Jesus and, if Herod the Vain Fool in Jesus Christ Superstar is any indication, King Herod is vastly disappointed. So anyway, Luke sets up a precedent here for Herod eagerly meeting Jesus later, hoping to see some miracle.
The Confession of Peter. “You are the Christ of God.” Perhaps a bit more famous and I like it better, Matthew has Peter proclaim, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
Jesus Feeds the 5,000, a story that appears in all four canonical gospels. In the three synoptics (Mark, Matthew & Luke) it’s another miracle of loving compassion (Jesus working God’s power) to feed a crowd (in the Sunday School days of my youth we heard it as a “multitude”) of hungry souls. Each evangelist describes the gathering occasion a little differently. Then (in the synoptics) Jesus celebrates what turns out to be a “eucharistic action” by Taking, Blessing, Breaking, and Giving the Bread. Here, there’s no sacrificial element as later at The Last Supper, so no wine as blood; it’s a gathering at which everyone is invited and welcome to eat, to be fed. Notable for obtuse Christians of every denomination that Jesus doesn’t announce that the meal is only open to people who are baptized or who are members of his own cult, as I’ve heard priests do. In our diocese, and if you come to our parish, everyone is invited and welcome to the Lord’s Table, constitution and canons notwithstanding. My prayer about this is that TEC will come to its senses in my lifetime and welcome all to God's table.
Again, and interestingly, the Feeding of the Five Thousand appears in all four gospels. However, GospelJohn does not present it as a eucharistic action of lovingkindness, but specifically to give us a sign of who Jesus is.
Jesus word about taking up one's cross - - an anachronism, untimely in that when Jesus was working his earthly ministry, the cross was not yet a symbol but only came to be such after Easter; which could suggest some sort of literary enlightenment to some Bible students, let the reader understand. As for taking up one's cross, my main word on it comes from Bonhoeffer, who wrote in essence that by one's cross Jesus does not mean the ordinary sufferings that come into every human life, but the specifically chosen suffering that one embraces because of an exclusive allegiance to Jesus Christ. This was a major topic in my Sunday School class this past Sunday morning.