The Gospel of Luke

This devotional is written by Alina Speller, who is currently very much into the word to word translation of the Bible.

Luke 9:1-17

Jesus sends out the Twelve
9 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal those who were ill. 3 He told them: ‘Take nothing for the journey – no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.' 6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8 others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. 9 But Herod said, ‘I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?' And he tried to see him.

Jesus feeds the five thousand
10 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, 11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, ‘Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.'

13 He replied, ‘You give them something to eat.'

Reflection

Jesus called together THE TWELVE and offered them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. Then, Jesus sends them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He asks them not to take anything with them so that they can fully concentrate on God, and fully engage inside the houses they come to. He asks them to not pick a house, but to go to the one they feel lead to, and then stay there until they feel lead to another city. This command is a protection from the distraction of our own wants and fears.

By hearing of all that was happening, Herod the Tetrach becomes perplexed. A Tetrarch, (ruler over 1/4th of a region) is forced to think about his actions, leading him to seek to see, Jesus. How amazing.

The APOSTLES (apostello; a delegate) return to Jesus and report all that they had done. They have become ambassadors of Jesus. In their return, Jesus takes them away privately to the hometown of the apostles Peter, Andrew, and Philip. A place of familiarity of home, a safe space. However, crowds appear. Jesus does not send the crowd away. He speaks to them about the kingdom of God and heals the sick. The TWELVE even after having been through all that they had been through still get worried about provision when the night comes. So, Jesus asks his DISCIPLES (learner, pupil) to give all they have, and to go to the crowds and ask them to recline down for eating. Before the blessing and multiplication of the bread and the fish, the pupils are required to act in line with the miraculous that is about to happen. The crowd was satisfied and there were still 12 baskets full to collect. Sometimes we are called to evangelize and to heal the sick even when we are in our safe space. When we feel like pupils and not apostles. We are called to give what we have, but all our efforts are not only returned in the end, they return with having satisfied those that are hungry. We are offered to tap into the miraculous, even when we are just pupils.

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