READING: Luke 9 – Twelve Sent, Feeding 5,000, Who? Death Forecast, Transfiguration, & More

Jesus sent the twelve on a mission to proclaim God’s Kingdom in Galilee. He empowered them to exorcise demons and heal the sick. He said to take nothing with them, but to rely on people. If a village rejected them, “shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”  

He took them to Bethsaida, seeking solitude to be with the Twelve. A crowd saw Him and was waiting when His boat arrived. He had compassion for them, cured sicknesses, and taught them. Late afternoon, the Twelve asked Him to dismiss the crowd to surrounding villages for food and shelter. He said, “You feed them.” They said, “We only have five loaves and two fish.” Jesus said, “Have them sit in groups of fifty.” He blessed the food, and the Twelve passed it out until all 5,000 men plus women and children ate all they wanted. They picked up twelve baskets afterward. 

Jesus asked, “Who do people say I am?” They said John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets. “But who do you say I am?” Peter said, “The Messiah of God.” Then He told them he would suffer; be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes; and be killed.” But they did not understand.  

He took Peter, James, and John up a mountain to pray. As he prayed, his face changed its appearance, and His clothes became dazzling white. Two men, Moses and Elijah, were talking with Him. “They appeared in glory and were speaking about His departure, which he would accomplish at Jerusalem.” As Moses and Elijah were leaving, Peter wanted to build three tabernacles for the three glorious men. As Peter spoke, a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My Son, My Chosen; listen to Him.” Then they saw Jesus only. Then, they told no one what they had seen. 

At the mountain’s foot, a crowd waited. One man cried loudly for Jesus to remove a demon from his son. He’d asked the disciples to do this, but they failed. Jesus cast the demon out. The Twelve argued about who was greatest. (Did Peter boast he would’ve handled that demon?) Jesus took a child, and put it by His side, saying, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and the one who sent me, for the least of all is the greatest.” 

John said, “We saw someone exorcizing demons in Your name; we forbade him since he does not follow with us.” Jesus said, “Don’t stop him; for whoever is not against you is for you.”  

Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem to die. They went through Samaria; messengers went ahead of Him. One village wouldn’t receive Him. James and John said, “Shall we call fire down from heaven?” Jesus rebuked them and continued to another village. 

Many wanted to follow Jesus, putting a hand on the plow, but looking back. (Luke 9:57-62) 

How many of us look back as Lot’s wife did? 

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PRAY FOR YOURSELF 

Father, my God and Savior, I treasure all the stories about Jesus Luke tells in so few words. I would love to be able to go in a time machine back to the time when Jesus walked by blue Galilee. I know that is not possible, but I wonder what I would be doing in following Jesus. I confess I have often put my hand to the plow and then looked back. Forgive me for this wrong, and give me strength to continue to plow the field for Jesus. This is my prayer, in Jesus’s name, I pray, AMEN! 

MY PRAYER FOR YOU (and for me)  

 Holy Father, I pray for all who may read these words (and for myself) that each of us will picture ourselves in the crowds who followed Jesus in one of the true events Luke has given us. Then, let us bring that experience back to our present time. How would this change our lives? If we can imagine it and believe it, they say we can do it. Are we willing to imagine that and do that? Would that change how we act with people of this age? Give us the power of imagination and faith to believe it so we can do it, O Lord! This is my prayer, in His Holy Name, AMEN!