Luke 15:1-10

This passage occurs in the RCL Year C.  Most recently September 2025
 
Summary: 
The key words in Luke 15 are "lost" and "found." They occur over and over. But a reader of English would know this. 

Something worth considering when preaching:  Jesus includes three metaphors for lost and found and together they cover many situations that our parishioners experience.  Each in its own is a great passage, together they make an amazing trifecta.

A little ripple in the text, but hopefully a good insight. Having found her coin, the woman invites her female friends over. This is the only occurrence in the NT and OT of female friends (φιλας)! So while we (Lutheran) pastors delve into the mechanics of lost sinners repenting, let's not forget the fact that everyone in this passage, Jesus, the shepherd and the woman, call together their friends and rejoice!

Also, don't overlook the lost coin.  Plenty of people have felt lost in their own home and own space!

Key words:
ευρισκω (15.:,5,6,7,8,9; "find") To remember this verb, remember Archimedes running through the city naked shouting "Eureka" when he realized how buoyancy worked.

απολλυμι (15:4,6,8,9; "lost") This word has a range of meaning, from destroy to perish. Worth noting is that it is not the sheep who passively gets lost, but actually, the shepherd who loses the sheep!

μετανοουντι (participle of μετανοεω; 15:7, 10, "repent")  This word is fascinating in general and specifically in this passage.  In the Old Testament, the word for repent is the Hebrew S-U-V.  It comes from the word to turn.  The idea is of a person turning to God from their ways or the way they were going.  The Greek word means something a bit different -- literally 'over-mind' or even 'after-thought.'  The idea being that reflecting on a situation causes one to have a change of attitude that leads to a change of behavior.  The Greek word then emphasis more the mind and the Hebrew more the body, although real repentance includes both.

In this particular case, it is worth asking -- what is repentance?  What new mind does the sheep have?  What new mind does that coin have?  Ironically the only character who shows repentance (as we think of it) is the younger son, who is never described by Jesus as repenting.  What must be renewed within us?  What must turn?  How is God involved in our repentance?  This topic is a lifetime of sermons -- so this week, what aspect of repentance do you want to focus on?

Other words:

αμαρτωλος (15:1,2,7; "sinner") Luke uses this word quite a bit -- 18 times in fact. What is interesting is that this word is not really defined; the assumption is that people know who sinners are and what this means. The first explicit sinner in the Gospel is Peter (back in chapter 5), who confesses before Jesus.

καταλειπω (15.4; "leave behind"). Ironically, the first person to "kataleip-oo" everything for Jesus is a tax collector, Levi! (Luke 5:28)

χαιρω (15.5; "rejoicing"). This word is used more in the book of Luke than in another book in the Bible. Other writers don't shy away from it (although Mark uses it is measly two times). Luke though, time and time again, emphasizes worship and devotion.

φιλας (15.9; "female friends"). This is only time in the Bible that the word friend is used in the feminine.

Grammar focus: "syn"-verbs.
In Greek one can use the pronoun "syn" (meaning with) as a prefix. This passage has a number of such verbs: συνεσθιω "synesthi-oo" (15:2, eat together) and συγκαλεω "sygkale-oo" (15:6, call together"). You might ask, why "syg" instead of "syn" in "sygkale-oo." This is because the n-k sound morphs into an g-k sound. "n" is a very soft letter. For example, "con" means with and mean English words have this as a prefix: "connect" or "contact." But the "n" often changes or disappears: "communicate" or "cooperation."  One thing to notice is that in Greek, the writers can sometimes pack a powerful punch with "syn" verbs, such as in Romans 8:17.

Sentence break-down

Luke 15:4
Τις ανθρωπος εξ υμων εχων εκατον προβατα και απολεσας εξ αυτων εν ου καταλειπει τα ενενηκοντα εννεα εν τη ερημω και πορευεται επι το απολωλος εως ευρη αυτο;

"Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?

Τι΄ς ανθρωπος: The tis here is a question...You can tell because the accent is strong (okay, my English keyboard makes it hard to make this mark). You can also tell because the last mark of the sentence is a semicolon, indicating a question. This is really the only word in Greek where the accent type matters. If it were not a strong accent, the sentence would read: "any man of you." (Strong face forward; weak lean backwards!)

εξ υμων: The "of/from you" has a fancy genitive name but the translation is straight forward: "which among you"/"of you" (I believe this is called a partitive genitive)

εχων εκατον προβατα και: participle here...can you guess which type? Well, there is no "the" nearby, so probably not a substantive or adjectival. Also, no "to be" verbs nearby, probably not a supplementary. You guessed it: Circumstantial: "Under the circumstances of "having" sheep. To simplify: "having sheep"

απολεσας εξ αυτων εν: The circumstances have changed: "lost" a sheep :-( The "hen" meaning "one" is out of order for our English minds, so we read it as "of them one" but our brains should be able to reorder this: "one of them."

ου καταλειπει τα ενενηκοντα εννεα: a question that has a "ou" to start expects a "yes" for answer. I remember this alphabetically: "mh" expects "no"; "ou" expects "yes" (m-n-o-y). Do you know why the ninety has the "ta" in front of it? Email me and I will tell you!

εν τη ερημω: In the wilderness. Can you guess why this phrase is in the dative?

και πορευεται επι το απολωλος: Here we have a substantive participle: The one who is lost. It has a preposition (epi) before it; don't let this distract you. Substantive participles are easy to translate!

εως ευρη αυτο; Alas, they put this little diddy at the end. The word εως, a conjunction, demands the subjunctive here, hence why eurisko looks so stinking weird!

Luke 14:25-33

This passage occurs in Year C of the narrative lectionary, most recently Sept 4, 2022.

Summary:
Regardless of the great imagery used in Jesus passages, the word "hate" is the stumbling block to this passage. BDAG suggests a softer translation, as in "disregard." I think this is better than "hate" but this doesn't really save the day! Jesus words to disregard our family is difficult to understand.  I offer below a handful directions for preaching.

I have some notes on the verb tenses today.  They do not change the challenge of the passage, but certainly sharpen its bite.

Key words:
μισεω (14.26; "hate") Hate may not be the best translation here. BDAG puts it, "depending on the context, this verb ranges in meaning from 'disfavor' to 'detest.' The English term 'hate' generally suggests effective connotations that do not always do justice, especially to some Semitic shame-honor oriented use of μισεω (שנא in Hebrew) in the sense 'hold in disfavor, be disinclined to, have relatively little regard for.' In fact, BDAG even suggests translating it "disfavor, disregard" in contrast to preferential treatment"

Note:  In previous years, I left open the possibility that Jesus calls for us to have emotional antipathy toward our family.  I do not believe this is the case, for Jesus calls us to love our enemies.  Three preaching possibilities then emerge

- I think Jesus is calling us to move toward him, forsaking all other priorities in our lives.  To what extent do we let love of not just things, but others, get in the way of our devotion to Jesus?

- Jesus will help us ultimately create fictive families, social groups that extend beyond blood lines (or extend into his blood line).  What are ways in which the church can function as a truer family for people?

- To what extent must we let go of someone in order to love them?  Ie, we can love someone so much that we make an idol of them, or seek to live vicariously through them or attach to much of our worth to the relationship.  Buddhism teaches the need for detachment.  To what extent must we detach ourselves in order to fully love?  

ἑαυτοῦ (14.27, "himself") Jesus does not tell us to bear HIS cross, but our cross.  I know almost no people for whom bearing their cross does not involve loving their family.  In the end, we cannot escape our duty to our neighbor, especially our parents and spouses (both enshrined in the 10 commandments!)

μαθητης (14:26, 27 and 33; "disciple", but read on)  The word μαθητης means literally student.  In Latin, student is "disciplus" and so we get "disciple."  The word disciple then, sounds like discipline in English.  There is indeed a discipline element of following Jesus.  Yet, the word in Greek does not imply discipline, but rather an intimate student, one who seeks to be caught up in the way of the master.  However, I wonder if in this case, we would do better to translate it as student.  How might this sound:

"If anyone comes to me and does not disregard his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters-- yes, even his own life-- he cannot be my student."  

It is not necessarily less harsh, but it makes is clear -- Jesus is not seeking emotional aggression against our family, but rather we cannot learn from him unless we are willing to make him first in our lives.

I also appreciate the fact that Jesus distinguishes between those who are hanging out with him and those who will learn from him.  Are you hanging out with Jesus?  Or are you learning from him?

Some other interesting words:
* οχλοι (14.25; "crowds") This word does not mean leaders or elite, but really the everyday mass of people; can also mean 'mob'

* ψηφιζω (14.28; "calculate") I don't think it is important for this passage, but this is the verb that is used in Revelation to indicate it is time to "add" up the number values for a word such as "KASER NERON" (666).

* εμπαιζω (14.29, "ridicule") In Luke's Gospel, Jesus is the only one mocked (18:32;22:63, 23:11, 23:26)

* αποστασσω (14.33, "give up") This word means basically "say good-bye." This is a fun image, saying good-bye to one's possessions.  For 2028, let's expand this!

Grammar concept: present tense

A number of verbs in 14.25-27 are in the present tense. Greek does not distinguish between present progressive (I am running) and present like English (I run). Generally the present tense connotes present progressive. When I was taught Greek, I was taught to even add the adverb "continually" to present tense translations, "I am running continually." I am not sure if this is as helpful in all cases, but the basic point of my teacher bears itself out in Greek. The present tense generally signifies an action that is on-going. In this case, the verb of carrying the cross, following and (gasp) hating are all in the present tense. 

To put it simply:  All the important verbs in this passage are in the present tense, suggesting that renouncing our possessions, disregarding our loved ones, bearing our cross and following Jesus are on-going, life-long activities. That sounds difficult. Good thing the most gracious chapter in the entire Bible is next

Sentence break-down: 14.33

Greek: ουτως ουν πας εξ υμων ουκ αποτασσεται πασιν τοις εαυτου υπαρχουσιν ου δυναται ειναι μου μαθητης
"So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions."

ουτως ουν: "Thus, therefore" or "Likewise." Two little words here. Don't change much; they appear a combined nearly 2000x in the NT/OT so its good to recognize them for that they are, namely, fill-in words that don't alter too much!

πας εξ υμων: "All of you" This you can literally translate word for word. The pronoun is in the genitive, but your brain figured this out automatically.

ος : hos is a relative pronoun. They behave a lot like in English. Relative pronouns start a relative clause, like, "I love the one whom I married." Whom I married is the relative clause here. The relative pronoun, like in English, is in the case that it functions within the relative pronoun. Back to my example, this would not be correct English: I love the one who I married. Who must become a whom because it is not behaving as a subject in the relative clause. This happens in Greek too. Greek relative pronouns behave a bit differently, or perhaps one could say, a bit more advanced. Because the nouns (and thus pronouns) have a gender, you can connect the pieces a bit more clearly in Greek, because the pronoun contains more information that will link it back to what it refers. In English, it is considered poor writing to move the "antecedent" (the thing to which the relative pronoun refers) far away from the pronoun. Greek has less of a problem doing this. Moreover, Greek can build massive sentences that continue to add relative sentences.

ουκ αποτασσεται: literally "is not saying good bye." Reminder here -- the verb is in the present tense. This suggests Jesus is not talking about a one time action.

πασιν τοις εαυτου υπαρχουσιν: "all your possessions." A couple of things here. First, it is all in the dative, because it is the object of the verb "αποτασσεται." This is a case where the dative takes the direct object (normally accusative). Don't ask why. Just accept that some verbs take a direct object in the dative! If it helps, think about it this way. To translate the dative, you often can add the word "to" in front of the word. In this case we add in, "say good-bye TO all your possessions." The only word here not in the dative is "εαυτου " which here is a genitive of possession (ie, belonging to you.). It is slightly out of order for our English eyes. Literally you get here: "to all the belonging to you possessions." Or more eloquently: "All your possessions."

ου δυναται ειναι: Not able to be! This is a case where to describe what is happening is complex (helper verb taking an infinitive) but translation is easy: "not able to be." (normally to translate an infinitive in English (from Greek) you need to add "to" in front of the verb).

μου μαθητης: Like with the word "εαυτου " we have a genitive possessive occur before the noun: "my disciples."

Luke 14:1;7-14

This passage occurs in the Revised Common Lectionary, Year C, most recently on August 28, 2025.

Summary:
At first glance, this passage seems practical moral advice with a heavenly reward. Jesus' use of δοξα (doxa) and δοξη (doxe) suggest something deeper is going on. δοξη is a fairly uncommon word meaning "banquet." In fact, in the OT, the people who throw such banquets are normally Persian kings! Also unusual is the word δοξα, or glory. Although it is a fairly common word, here it is translated unusually as "honor." This is possible, but really stretches it. The word is not really a word one would associate with mortals. In fact, the last time we heard the word in Luke's Gospel was when the angels announced Jesus birth. These two words, in other words, are fairly out of place for a typical meal. Which suggests that what is at the stake (and not steak) is hardly a common meal, but the feast of the humbled yet exalted one! He is the one to whom glory will be given.

Key Words:
δοξα (14.10; "honor"): Normally we think of δοξα as glory (Think OT and the "glory of the Lord"). Here, however, it is translated as honor...well, maybe. Luke only uses this word three other times. When Jesus is born and the angels sing (2.9 and 14) and when the people cry out during Jesus' entry in to Jerusalem. The context permits translating δοξα as "esteemed." However, it has such divine implications that it points us back to Christ, to the one to whom glory is given.

δοξη (14.13; "meal"): This word is very rare in the New Testament; only used twice. The other time it is in Luke when Levi, the tax-collector, invites Jesus to his house. When this word is used in the OT, it normally refers to banquets put on by Persian kings. In other words, this is a big, rich party that few can actually host.

If you put these words together, you get a very surprising twist at the end of the story:  Who is invited to this feast of glory?  Jesus commends us to invite those on the outside.  Jesus here is introducing table fellowship to the unthinkable.

δικαίων (form of δίκαιος, 14.14)  It is a humbling reminder that even in the Gospel of Luke, there is a limit to inclusion, a limit to salvation.  The resurrection if for the righteous.  Which leads to the question -- who is righteous and how are they made righteous?  Here you might find a way to a broad and expansive tent, but heaven isn't for sinners as they are, but sinners made righteous by Christ.  The gate does narrow (see 13.24).

Other words worth pondering:
ταπεινοω (14.11; "humble"): This word is often paired with exalts (υψοω).  In Philippians 2 and Hebrews 12, we are reminded that Jesus humbles himself that he might be exalted.

μακαριος (14.14; "blessed"): This is the word Luke (and Matthew) use for the beatitudes, "Blessed are..."

καλεω (14.7; used 7 times in this passage!; "invite") This word is used virtually very sentence. It means invite and call.  If we think about this parable as a reference to God, then we get a new name for God in vs 10:  The one who has invited or called you.  God as one who calls!  (I still remember one of my first chapel services at Luther Seminary, during orientation week.  A Greek/NT professor preached on this text and focused on this word!)

αισχυνη (14.9; "disgrace" or "shame"): One would expect to find this word quite frequently in the NT, especially given the 'fuss' about honor/shame societies (see my post for the previous week's lectionary Gospel!). While this word appears quite frequently in the OT, it is rather rare in the NT. This might be an avenue for more reflection. Is Jesus neglecting this dynamic in his society?  Is it so much a part of the world that the writers do not need to mention it?  In this case, Jesus seems to be appealing to people's sense of honor and shame, telling them that seeking honor is itself shameful.

Aside: One of the places "shame" (αισχυνη) is used in the NT is Philippians 3:19 -- "their glory is their shame." Classic line.

Sentence deconstructed:
και εγενετο εν τη ελθειν αυτον εις οικον τινος των αρχοντων των φαρισαων σαββατω φαγειν αρτον και αυτοι ησαν παρατηρουμενοι αυτον

14.1 On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the Sabbath, they were watching him closely.

και εγενετο : This is a typical way to begin a sentence. It simply means: "And it happened." It is unnecessary.

εν τη ελθειν αυτον : Technically this is an "articular infinitive with preposition." This means a couple of things. It combines a preposition (in) with an article (the) with an infinitive (coming). Literally: "In the coming." You have to translate the preposition as an adverb: "While he comes..." The problem with an infinitive is that it is, well, infinite. This means it is un-conjugated. You don't know who is doing the action. So, to indicate this, they stick the subject of an infinitive clause in the accusative. In this case, auton, or he.

εις οικον τινος των αρχοντων των φαρισαων: "into the house" is fairly straight forward. The rest is a genitive where we just put in a lot of "ofs": 'of one of the leaders of the pharisees.'  Worth contemplating that the Pharisees had leaders.  Those seeking holiness found a way to hierarchy very quickly...

σαββατω : The sabbath here is in the dative; here this is a dative revealing when something happens, ie, "on the sabbath." So you can combine this with the earlier infinitive (we are still in the infinitive phrase here): "When Jesus went on the sabbath into the house of one...pharisees...

φαγειν αρτον: Here we have another infinitive, which completes the other verb, "went" as in, "he went to eat." Oddly enough, the object of this infinitive phrase is also in the accusative, "arton" or bread. In an infinitive phrase, both subject and object can be in the accusative!

και αυτοι ησαν παρατηρουμενοι αυτον: Let's take care of the "autoi"s here. The first is plural, they; the second is mas. sing, him. 95% of "auto"s are not going to be translated as "self" or "very" but are simply pronouns.

ησαν παρατηρουμενοι: A really complex way of making a verb in the imperfect -- put an imperfect for of "to be" with a perfect tense participle. Used quite frequently with middle/passive verbs. But simple to translated: "were watching."

Luke 13:10-17

This passage occurs in the RCL year C, most recently August 24, 2025.

Summary:  I do not think our culture needs to hear words encouraging us to ignore the Sabbath.  Clearly we are in the entirely opposite place than the Jewish world of 2,000 years ago.  What is the consequence?  We are bound by our exhaustion, our stress and our love of our works.  Jesus comes to free this woman from Satan's chains and evil spirits.  I argue that if Jesus were around today, he would seek to free us from the chains that our lack of Sabbath structure imposes on us.

2025 add-on: A reflection on honor/shame

Note for 2028:  I ended up, in 2025, preaching on being seen

Key words on healing
λυω (luo, "free"; 13.15;13:16): "...untie his ox; should not this woman...be set free."  This word appears in two consecutive verses, however, we likely miss this.  First because the English translators translate the word differently in verses 15 and 16.  Second, it appears in a slightly more difficult form as λυθηναι in 13:16.  The verb, which many of us know from all sorts of conjugation charts, means "to loose, to set free." Jesus makes a play on words here: You set free your animals; I set people free. 

This passage puts this illness in terms of binding and releasing in two other places.  We are told in verse 12 that Jesus απολελυθαι the woman.  This word, essentially a linguistic sibling to λυω means "release."  Jesus even says that the woman was in δεσμος (chains, 13:16; also used as verb in this sentence).

ανωρθωθι (from ανορθοω, "straighten", 13.13): "...she stood up straight"  This verb comes from the prefix/preposition "ana" which means upright or again and the adjective "ortho" meaning straight. It simply means straighten up or restore. It is not an especially common word in the Bible, but it recalls the words from the book of Psalms: "The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down (146:8)." [Technical note:  The Psalm translation is in a slightly different order.]

ασθενειας  ("weakness," 13.11)  This word does not necessarily mean crippled or hunched over.  It simply means "frailty, weakness, want of strength."  The ambiguity around her illness creates a potential for connection with this woman.  It could be physical, it could be emotional, it could be spiritual, it could be communal.  It is unclear if the spirit was causing her infirmity; or she simply has a spirit that could be described as frail.  In the end, she will have multiple layers of healing

• Physical:  She stands up
• Spiritual:  She glorifies God
• Communal:  She is called by name, by Jesus, in front of everyone (Child of Abraham) and restored to a place of honor.

παντελες (13.11): "could not straighten up at all..." The word builds "pan", meaning "all" and "teles" meaning complete together for a 1-2 punch, like a baseball announcer shouting "it could...go...all...the...way."  The woman was bound up over herself so she did not have the power to stand up into her full measure.

Honor/Shame

καταισχύνω ("be put to shame", 13.17)  Increasingly, I have tried to pay attention to words around shame and honor.  First, this is a matter of understanding the biblical world, which was likely more of an honor-shame society than ours today.  Shame, as opposed to guilt, is not necessarily the internal feeling of remorse, but the social embarrassment at reducing the social rank of one's family or clan.  What mattered was not so much that your sin was forgiven, but that your social standing was restored.  You can see how in many situations, Jesus' work of forgiveness and healing were intended to retore the person to community and in fact, a good status within that community, not simply to address the individual's failures or limitations.

Second, this has incredibly powerful missiological implications.  (A good summary of the differences between honor-shame and guilt-innocence cultures can be found here -- the book this website references is a great read!)  In the last 300+ years, as Western cultures have grown increasingly individualistic, we have tended to have more of a guilt-innocence paradigm for understanding life and therefore Scripture.  This has meant that our understanding of atonement and salvation tends to be understood in terms of guilt and innocence.  This category of thinking is unlikely an effective way to formulate and communicate the Gospel to shame-honor cultures.  This may help explain the ineffectiveness of the Christian missionary efforts in Asian, Middle eastern and African cultures where honor-shame dynamics are more important than guilt-innocence.  There has been an incredibly renewed interest among missionary movements to attend to the honor-shame (and power-fear) dynamics at work in the cultures where they work but also the Gospel narrative itself!

Third, I wonder if our culture may actually becoming more honor-shame as we worry less about abstract rules for moral conduct.  We spend more time signaling our virtue to others rather than worrying about our own righteousness before God.  But I also wonder if we are living a new world that is based on honor-shame but it is individualistic rather than communal.

Fourth -- least importantly -- there is some sense that "καταισχύνω" means disappoint.  

• Hope does not put us to shame(καταισχύνω), because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:5)

In this light, it is interesting to think that Jesus disappointed the leaders of the synagogue!

However, I think the better interpretation, within an honor-shame dynamic is to see that Jesus gives her honor and reduces their social rank by upstaging them.

Other words

διδασκων (didaskoon, participle meaning "teaching", 13:10)  A reminder that Jesus is teaching on the sabbath.  He continues teaching until the end.  Perhaps a reminder that good teaching isn't just about content, but about transformation!  (Also this is the last time Jesus is in a synagogue!)

χειρας ("hands", 13:13)  Jesus touches her!  A reminder that the word is embodied and incarnate.  He speaks, but he also touches.

αγανακτων (aganakton, meaning "indignant", 13.14): "Indignant because Jesus..." The word here has its root in "agony." The people watching are in agony over Jesus performing a healing!  How easy it is to get upset about mercy!

εθεραπεθσεν (from θεραπευω, "therapy", meaning "heal", 13.14): "healed" The word began in Greek by meaning service to the Gods; almost like worship! It became to mean, it seems, service that the Gods could render, namely, healing.

υποκριται (hypocrites, 13.15):  This word came right into English!  (The rough breathing mark over the υ means it is sounded hy.)  The word literally means "down judge-er/answer-er." It comes from theater, where the person has to speak to the people from a different height than the others. It came then to mean someone who pretends.

I might also add something about δει...

Total breakdown of 13:11
και ιδου γυνη πνευμα εχουσα ασθενειας ετη δεκαοκτω και ην συγκυπτουσα και μη δυναμενη ανακυψαι εις το παντελες

NRSV Luke 13:11 And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight.

The sentence begins with "και ", typical for a Greek sentence and essentially translatable by either "and" or a "period."  It can also mean but, even, more, also, etc...

The next word is "ιδου " This word, like the Hebrew hennah means "pay attention!" It does not describe what happens in the narrative, but it is a direction for the reader.

"γυνη πνευμα εχουσα ασθενειας" Before we parse this, let's just stick in the word-for-word translations: "woman spirit having weakness." The specific cases (accusative verses genitive) help here, but one can probably deduce this reads: "a woman having a spirit of weakness." For modern readers we'd like to take out the word "having a spirit" and replace it with "illness" but this limits the connection we will make later when Jesus says that Satan had this woman bound.

The participle "εχουσα" looks like an aorist because it has an "s" toward the end, but this is a feminine marker! Sigh! How does one translate this participle? Because there is neither a "the" (definitive article) nor a helping verb anywhere near by, you can assume it is a circumstantial. If we then use the formula "A woman, under the circumstance of having, an ill spirit" we see we can toss out the formula and just roll with it, "A woman having a ill spirit."

"ετη δεκαοκτω" 18 years.

και ην συγκυπτουσα ; Here we come to a supplementary participle. You will come to love these because your brain in English already thinks this way.  If you see a form of a "to-be" verb (ie, ην) next to a participle, you can read it like in English -- just stick in the basic translation of the words -- "The woman was bent over." This is the very complex way in Greek of forming the imperfect tense!

και μη δυναμενη ανακυψαι: This is a train wreck by Luke! He basically continues to leave the helping verb, here δυναμενη (to be able) as a participle. This means he must use "μη " for a negative instead of "ou" (all non indicative no-s should be μη and not ou). He then connects it with an aorist infinitive. Ouch.  At the end of the day: "was not able to stand up"

εις το παντελες: This use of εις here basically makes the adjective, παντελες, an adverb because it now describes the action of standing up straight.  The way Luke writes this little tidbit here though leaves a very poetic end to the sentence:  "She was not able to stand up into completeness."  Her not standing up had an impact in her life beyond simply being hunched over.

Late Summer 2025 Preaching

I will not be posting the next couple of weeks, but here are links for the next few weeks

July 27

Luke 11:1-13

August 3

Luke 12:13-21 

August 10

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Luke 12:32-40

August 17

Isaiah 5:1-7

Hebrews 11:29-12:2

Luke 12:49-56

Luke 12:32-40

This passage occurs in the Revised Common Lectionary, Year C. Most recently August 10, 2025.

Summary:  Jesus offers us some words of wisdom

I also add that it might be worth including some of the previous verses, especially 12:31.  It helps set up the context for what Jesus says here.

Key Words:
ευδοκενσεν (meaning "please", 12:32)  In Luke's Gospel, the voice of the God billows over the waters of Jesus Baptism and declares "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased" (3:22).  In Matthew's Gospel, God's voice also reaffirms this claim about Jesus during the transfiguration.  What might it mean that Jesus says it is the father's good pleasure to give the kingdom?  God has two great joys:  Jesus and giving the kingdom. 

μη φοβου (meaning "do not be afraid", 12:31)  Jesus tells people three times not to be afraid in Luke's Gospel

- When the boat is overflowing with fish and nearly sinking (5:10)

- When a man has learned his daughter has died (8:50)

In the previous verses there is no threat of death, simply an acknowledgment of the every day worries of life.

οσφυες  περιζωσμεναι  (literally meaning "gird loins", 12:35)  The NRSV and NIV poetically translate this passage, because "gird your loins" doesn't have the same force as it did years ago.  Jesus is issuing a summons though, a clear call to be ready -- get dressed!

κυριον (meaning "Lord", from κυριος, 12:36 ).  The translators correctly translate this word as "Master" in Jesus parable.  However, the literal word is "Lord."  Jesus parable isn't so hidden after all -- he is speaking about when the Lord comes.

διακονησει  (diakonia, meaning "serve", from διακονεω, 12:37)  In Mark's Gospel, Jesus declares that he did not come to be served, but to serve others.  In Luke's Gospel, he promises the same thing -- that he is ultimately a servant!

Some phrases I will look at another time

εκ των γαμων ("from the wedding", 12:36).  The use of the wedding image in the Gospels is fascinating..

μακαριοι ("blessings", 12:37,38,43)  It would be interesting to stack up these three blessings with the other blessings of Luke.

Luke 10:38-42

This passage occurs in the RCL, Year C.  It occurred most recently in July 20, 2025.

Summary:  This passage is a powerful contrast to the previous passage of the Good Samaritan.  The work of the church (or of Christian individuals) cannot be service to neighbor alone but also worship of Christ.  Perhaps the two are more connected than we think though.  Jesus commends the rich lawyer to show mercy.  In this passage Mary is praised for attentive listening.  Maybe in our culture of sound bites and tweets, active listening is one of the most powerful displays of mercy we can give someone.

Key words (and use of language):
For Martha:
υπεδεξατο (from υποδεξομαι, "hypodexato", meaning receive; 10:38).  The Liddell-Scott offers a tremendous number of variations on the meaning of this word.  It literally means, "to receive beneath the surface."
It also means, among other variants:
A)  to receive into one's house, receive hospitably.
B)  to give ear to, hearken to
C)  to take in charge as a nurse
D)  of a woman, to conceive

I commend this list (truncated) because all of these are good things.  They are powerful ways to think about hospitality to strangers or ways in which we can "receive beneath the surface."  Martha seems on the right track!

διακονια(ν) ("diakonia", meaning "service", 10:40).  The word diakonia means originally "table service" but came in the Christian tradition to mean acts of ministry.  Long-complicated development of this word that is still debated today.  Regardless, to describe oneself as doing diakonia on behalf of Jesus is a very good thing, something in fact, every Christian is called to in their baptism.

So what's the problem?
επιστασα  (from εφιστημι, ephistemi, meaning "stand over", 10:40)  Mary gets so frustrated she goes over to Jesus and is literally looking down on him (and her sister).  We can get so busy doing the work of the Lord that we lose sight of the Lord and develop an unjustified sense of our own importance.

Imperfect tense:  The words to describe Martha's worries: περισπαω (40), μεριμνας (41) and θορυβαζη (41) are all imperfect/present tense verbs, suggesting an on-going action.  She was consumed and continually worried.  All this said, I have a lot of compassion for Martha.  In my family (both of origin and current) people put a lot of effort into welcoming our guests.  This would be especially true in times before modern kitchens, when even things as basic as getting water for guests, would have required tremendous effort.  It is hard for me to hear Martha criticized.

Also, the word θορυβαζη comes from θόρυβος, which means "riot" or "clamoring tumult" (like, Pilate fears a θόρυβος from happening).  There is a chaos around Martha - she is even creating it.  In short, Jesus is not simply saying "you are distracted" but you are creating the distraction!!  (There probably is another sermon in here too about our world being constantly distracted!)

Furthermore, Martha complains that Mary has not: "συναντιλάβηται"  This word begins with the prefix συν or "together."  Martha isn't simply complaining that Mary hasn't helped, but that she hasn't helped her.  Martha has moved from the agenda being serving the Lord to serving Martha!

For Mary:
παρακαθεσθεισα (from παρακαθεζομαι, meaning "sit along side of"; 10:39)  Mary seats herself along side of Jesus, giving him attention.  How often do we have people simply sit alongside of us, without any agenda but to focus on us?

ηκουεν (ακουω meaning "listen"; 10:39) She listens.  In fact, the verb ακουεν is in the imperfect tense, showing this is an on-going action.  As I wrote earlier, I think this is profound.  She listened.  In our culture that wants to blog, livestream and tweet, she actually took time to listen.  Not for one or two sentences, but for a long time.  Maybe she loved it.  I am sure she did.  (Most times when I actually listen and truly give someone my focus, I love it too!) 

Note -- This past year I went to Tanzania.  I was quite struck by how much of the day is spent procuring food, water and fire (for cooking and heating).  It is worth pointing out that in all likelihood, Mary listened to Jesus for hours!!  Imagine listening to anyone for hours!

The worship of Jesus is ultimate.  I am not trying to refute the basic meaning of the story.  I wonder though, if here on Earth, in this time and cultural space, listening may be a profound way to love our neighbor.  Listening to Jesus, as well, might be the profound way in which we worship him!

Luke 10:25-37

This passage occurs in the RCL, Year C.  Most recently July 20, 2025.
 
Summary:  This is a classic passage that needs no complex exegesis to make it understandable.  One can tell it as a morality tale (we should be the Good Samaritan); or one go a Lutheran route (Christ is the Good Samaritan).  But if you want to try something else...A word I'd never caught before was the word for inn -- πανδοχειον -- literally all-are-welcome.  I find this a comforting image of the church -- a place where anyone and everyone comes to receive mercy and healing on the road of life.  (okay, okay, it is not a great image of repentance, but nonetheless, it is worth pondering:  why do people find comfort at a local bar/inn and not the church).

2025 addition:  The Good Samaritan may not have started the story as the neighbor; he may have needed to become the neighbor.  A reminder that in our divided world, we are not born neighbors, but trauma can bring us together.

Other words:

σπλαγχνιζομαι ("splagchnizoma", meaning "compassion", 10.33)  This word means compassion in Greek; it comes from intestines.  To have compassion meant your guts were turned over.

Based on a reader comment (2025):  Some translators employ "seized with compassion" to translate ἐσπλαγχνίσθη. The aorist aspect/tense of the verb is understood, in this translation, to emphasize the action beginning. The verb is very common in the Greek New Testament. The particular form (aorist passive) is less common and is found only in the synoptics. However, it is not rare. In this form Jesus is almost always the subject. This is also true in Luke's Gospel, where once Jesus has compassion on a grieving mother, where another time the prodigal son's father has compassion and then here, when the Good Samaritan has compassion. Another hint that the Good Samaritan is Jesus. 

That said, I don't think one needs to appeal to how Luke uses this verb three times in the aorist passive to make the case that the Good Samaritan is Christ-like.

ζωην (from ζωη "zooe" meaning life, 10.25)  In John's Gospel Jesus affirms that everlasting life is not something that begins after death, but begins here.  You can really see this in the Greek in his Gospel, where many of the tenses regarding everlasting life are in the present:  he who believes HAS everlasting life (John 3:36).  In this passage from Luke, Jesus also connects everlasting life with earthly life.  (Do this, Jesus says, and you will live.)  Jesus denies a distinction between everlasting life (the lawyers' question) and life.  To live with God is everlasting life, which begins here on earth.  However, Luke here connects them with moral action.  What does everlasting life look and feel like?  Like showing mercy.  I have no desire to drive a wedge between Luke and John or between faith and works here.  Simply, the everlasting life is the life in the new creation, where our faith transforms us into God's instruments of mercy.

πως ("poos" meaning "how", 10.26)  Jesus does not say, "What does the law say?"  Rather he says, "How do you read the law?"  A reminder that people can read the same laws in different ways!

συγκυρίαν (syn + kyria = "by chance", 10.31)  I cannot confirm the etymology, but from what I can read here, the word literally means "with the Lord."  In other words, this is not "random", but seemingly orchestrated by the Lord!

τραῦμα (trauma, "wound", 10.34)  There is a beautiful image here of the Good Samaritan binding up the wounds.  The Good Samaritan isn't simply donating money, but he is dealing with the wounds of another person.  More deeply, it is interesting to think about the trauma caused by such an event.  In what ways is the Good Samaritan, by his acts, healing the other wounds the person experienced?

γεγονέναι (become, 10.37)  The common way we remember the story is that Jesus asked the person "Who was the neighbor to the man who (was injured)"?  But Jesus asks a slightly different question -- who became the neighbor?  This word γίνομαι can mean "be" but has more of a sense of "came into being or became."  The point is that these people may not always have been neighbors, but they became neighbors through the trauma!

Galatians 6:1-18

This passage occurs as the RCL New Testament Lesson during year C, most recently July 2022.

Summary one:  This passage is full of contradictions, or as Lutherans call them, dialectics.  We are called to bear one another's burdens, yet carry our own load; boast in our work, yet only boast in Christ; we are called to do good for all, yet do good chiefly for those in the community.  Phew.  I don't think a preacher or pastor or theologians should resolve these tensions.  This is life in the spirit, which we are called to walk together (στοιχέω, 5:25).  I think Paul's challenging words here call us into a community of discernment.  Ultimately, we are called in this community back to the cross, where we can realize we will not get it right, but finally Christ will bring about a new creation.

Summary two:  Paul presents us with a couple of images of the church here.  A hospital, a family and a big arrow to the cross.  Perhaps even a military unit.

Summary three:  The canon within the canon, ladies and gentlemen, is, Christ crucified and the new creation.  Done.

Key words:
προσλαμβανω ("catch", Gal 6:1)   The word here for catch is "prolambano." "λαμβανω" is a common word in Greek, meaning give or take. The pro prefix is also a familiar word meaning before or ahead of time.   So this word means 'catch ahead.' Interestingly, this phrase then almost means "If you catch someone before they sin..." The point here is not simply admonishment but prevention of further injury.

καταρτιζω ("restore", 6:1)  The word for "restore" here is "katartizo" which is related to the Greek medical term for "set a bone in place." This obviously takes skill, time and care. What a powerful image about admonishment! Another image comes from Hebrews 11:3, where God καταρτιζ-ed, ie, "prepared", the world by his Word. Talk about skill and time and energy!

πνεθματικος ("spiritual"), 6:1, the word for "spiritual" appears a lot in other Pauline writings, see 1 Cor 2:13, but it is not developed in Galatians. It is worth noting here that the point of our justification, of our ultimate union with Christ, is not to disregard the world, but the enter more fully into it, to help heal others.

βασταζετε ("bear"), 6:2 (and also 6:5).   In 6:2, "Bear one another's burdens" is in the present imperative: Continually and keep bearing one another's burdens. This is an on-going work. It also appears in 6:5.

Curiously there are different Greek (and English) words used for the object of the bearing:
Bear one another's burden (6:2)
Each must carry their own load (6:5)
The first object, burden or βαρος, probably means more weight (and can mean emotional weight).

The second one, load or φορτιον, means more merchandise, a specific thing you could carry, a load. Does Paul intend anything with these different images? Maybe one could say put them together something like this: You are responsible for making your own ship float but this does not absolve you from helping your neighbor's sinking boat either. I wonder if this is a case, like the Gospel of John, where you can try to splice synonyms and not get very far!

καυχμα ("boast", verb in 6:14, 6:4)  The NRSV and NIV locate the pride in different places, based on how they translate εαυτου. The NRSV indicates the pride is in the work. The NIV (and NET) translate it as "Each can take pride in himself." It really says, "in himself" (eauton).   Eauton can mean his as in possessive, but if this were the case, Paul would use the word in the genitive.  (At least I think!)   Here I'd go with the NIV.

Ultimately, none of this boasting really matters because the only thing finally worth boasting about is the cross.  Paul warns here ultimate against spiritual pride, in that we can make the cross (or faith in it) a matter of our own doing by turning faith into works or faith itself into a work, instead of a gift.

oικειος, ("household", 6:10).  This word is really beautiful.  It describes a family member, a relative, one who would dwell with you.  Ephesians 2:19 also contains this:
"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God,"
I sometimes shy away from the idea of a family as a metaphor for church because it can be closed off (everyone considers their family loving but ask that to a new person coming in).  Yet it speaks to the intense care we can and should have for one another.

στοιχησουσιν ("walk," 6:16) This verb has its root in a military or ordered formation.  Paul also uses this verb in chapter 5:25.  Paul commends us to walk in the "stoicheo" of the Spirit; now we are to walk in-line with the standard of Christ crucified and the new creation

κανον ("standard", 6:16)  The word in chapter 6 is "canon," ie standard or law!  What is the canon within the canon:  Christ crucified and the new creation!

Ισραηλ του θεου ("Israel of God", 6:16)  I wonder if Paul means the nation of Israel (ie, the theoretically existing tribal boundaries of the Jews called Israel, which didn't exist in the Roman empire) or if he means the new Israel, the people of God in Jesus Christ?

Grammar Review:  Negative imperatives
μη + verb, 6.7.   A μη imperative should be translated, "No longer" ie "Stop being afraid."   In this   "Stop being deceived."  (Notice the case of "mock" -- present.  God is continually not mocked, or in better English, God is never mocked.")

Luke 9:51-62

This passage occurs in the Revised Common Lectionary.  Most recently June 29, 2025.

Summary:  Clearly Jesus is focused and determined here.  The Greek highlights this.  This passage is a humbling reminder for a culture that wants to fit Jesus into our life rather than build our life on Jesus.  Church becomes one of many competing activities instead of the encounter with the living Lord that weekly re-orients our life.  The good news? Jesus does not let the rejection of pagans stop him from dying on the cross for them and for us; likewise our lack of focus and prioritization of Jesus does not change his death for us on the cross.

Key words:
αναλημψεως (meaning "ascension", 9:51)  This inclusion of this word is a reminder that the ascension is an integral part of the plan for Jesus.  

I sense that for Luke, the ascension here doesn't mean simply going back to heaven, but completing the salvation of humankind.  I base this on the way in which Luke writes

ἐν τῷ συμπληρουσθαι τὰς ἡμέρας (meaning "during the fulfillment of days", 9:51)  

• This is an articular infinitive phrase.  See grammar note below 
• The word ἡμέρας, which means, "days" is in the plural.  Given that the actual ascension is typically understood as a singular event, this would mean that something broader is happening.
• In Acts 2:1, Luke uses the same phrase "ἐν τῷ συμπληρουσθαι..." to describe that the day of Pentecost had arrived.  In this case, Luke refers to something that is happening right then and not in the future.  This suggests that for Luke, the ascension is beginning in this story.
• Luke uses the articular infinitive with "ἐν τῷ + infinitive" quite a bit (well over 25 times in the Gospel).  I cannot find a singular example where it refers to a future event.

το προσωπον εστηρισεν ("strengthened his face", 9:51)  It is interesting that Luke uses the word face (προσωπου) three times in this three verses.  Almost no English translations capture this.  Luke wants to give us a visual here.  Jesus has set his face toward Jerusalem.  His eyes are on the prize!

του ("the" in the genitive, 9:51)  Greek can show intention by combining "του" + an infinitive.  Greek can also show intention with the preposition "εις" meaning "for."  In 9:51 Luke stacks all of this together to create one long sentence of purpose!

ετοιμασαι (meaning "prepare", 9:52)  The word prepare shows up frequently in the Gospel of Luke and often at important times:

John the Baptist prepares for John (1:17, 1:76, 3:4)
God's celebration of Jesus birth (Luke 2:31)
Prepare for Passover (22:8)
Prepare spices for burial (23:56, 24:1)

προτον ("proton" meaning "first", 9:59,60)  The core problems is neither love nor duty with family.  However, the key is the word first -- proton.  What is first in your life?

A proton is the building block of the periodic table -- of chemistry.  It is the foundation upon which every atom exists.  In fact, an atom can be stripped on neutrons, even temporarily electrons.  But without a proton, an atom, by definition, ceases to exist.  What is integral and essential for us today?

Grammar note:  preposition + articular infinitive (ἐν τῷ συμπληρουσθαι)

A quick primer on what is happening grammatically here.  

• When it comes to an infinitive, the only information you get about the verb is its tense and voice.  
• In this case, we have a present tense verb, which emphasizes on-going action. 
• The middle voice isn't one we really have in English; the best way to think about it is "reflexive" verbs like "I bathe myself", in that the subject and object of the verb are the same.  "the thing filled itself"
• An articular infinitive adds an article.  This should be familiar to English readers:  "The fulfilling"
• In an infinitive phrase, the subject is actually in the accusative.  Here = "the days"
• The exciting part is actually the preposition.  This really sets the translation.  The preposition ἐν can mean "in", or often in such phrases, "during" or "while" or "when."
• In this case, we might want to translate it as "when the days of the ascension were being fulfilled."  Wordy but also theologically complex!
• Last note:  The word συμπληρουσθαι an infinitive coming from the words συν πληροω, meaning "with" and "fill" In every language "n" is a soft sound and so the "synp" morphs into a "symp" (try to synp without it sounding like an "symp")

Galatians 5:1;13-25

This passage is found in the Revised Common Lectionary, Year C, most recently June 29, 2025

Summary:  Freedom means something different for Paul than for modern Americans.  For modern Americans freedom means license to live as we please.  In Paul's eyes freedom is not about the individual, but living as the new creation in community.  I think it is greatly worth preaching on this topic -- what does freedom actually mean?  Freedom allows us to reject -- even crucify -- the flesh and embrace service together in the community.   At the bottom of the post I offer some more suggestions on preaching.

ενεχεσθε ("hold in", from ενεχω, 5:1) This little verse is a good example of how context helps us translate.   Paul here commends us not to "be subject/be burdened" (ενεχω) to the yoke of slavery. This word, ενεχω (enecho), is tough to translate.  Literally it means "hold in."  It has the connotation of "cherish inward wrath at one," or perhaps "be seized" with something, as in get caught up in a situation.   Elsewhere in the NT (Mark 6:19; Luke 11:53) it means hold a grudge or be bitterly opposed to.   If one inserts this translation, one gets this meaning: "Christ set you free; don't be opposed to the yoke of slavery!" That doesn't sound right!

So...let's look at the whole context.  Galatians as a whole and specifically chapter 5 suggest the yoke of slavery is not the burden of following Jesus but the burden of (antiquated) laws and works-righteousness.   Thus, we need a different translation; ultimately we will take on the burden of slavery to Christ.  To capture this, a best sense is probably "caught up in"  as in, "don't get caught up in the law again."  I think the NIV does the best job with this translation (be burdened).

αφορμη(ν) ("opportunity," 5:13) A little bit more word play.  Paul tells us here not to "indulge the flesh" (NIV). Paul literally writes: Not freedom for αφορμη in/to the flesh, but through love serve/slave one another. The word αφορμη is pretty interesting and alone would make for a good sermon in a few ways. The word comes from apo (from) + horme (ορμη with rough breathing accent).  "horme" comes into English as "hormone," meaning "stir" or "impulse."   An apohorme then is a base from which the impulse comes.  Moreover, the word can also mean the capital of a banker. So you have three metaphors for how our freedom can be abused: we follow the hormones of our flesh; we use our freedom as a base of operations for the flesh or it becomes the capital on which we draw to sin...Grace becomes the bank that we rob??

λογος ("word," 5:14) Paul curiously phrases this verse: "The law can be fulfilled in one command, love one another as yourself." First off, he does not use the word command; he uses the word "logos."  I am speculating here, but I wonder if Paul almost wants to elevate this above the idea of commandments, if not the law itself. (Paul uses similar language in Romans 13:9). It as if Paul is saying -- loving your neighbor belongs to the eternal Word; the other stuff we have are laws and words.  In fact, the command, "Love you neighbor as yourself" is not really a command, but in fact, an indicative statement: "You will love your neighbor as yourself." While Greek can use the future indicative for a command, I find this fascinating that the most essential command is, in fact, not a command.   We cannot be told to love our neighbors.  This is not a possibility for obedience.  We can obey simply tasks, but love of our neighbor is a divine gift, a fruit of the Spirit.

πεπληρωται ("fulfill", from πληρoω, 5:14)  "Summed up" is not a strong enough translation for this verse.  It means more brought to fullness or completion.  Perhaps this would have more bite:  "The law is completed in one word, in this: Love your neighbor as yourself"

εσταυρωσαν (form of "σταυρoω", 5:24)   It is striking here that Paul says that Christians are actually doing the crucifying of the flesh. Normally these sorts of activities are done by God or left in the passive; here the verb is in the active.   First off, only those who are are of Christ can do this (vs 24) and the Spirit is guiding us (vs 25).  Clearly Paul puts this in terms of the trinity, but Paul does not let our own activity off the hook...

στοιχημεν ("walk", 5:25)   The word for walk here is "stoicheoo."  This word has a rather interesting meaning and related sets of words, but basically, it comes from the word for rows. The idea here is that to "walk" in the spirit here would mean to "assemble orderly ranks for walking."  In short, to walk in the Spirit is probably not as free as we think it is today.  It is certainly not as independent as we'd have it either.

Some reflections on preaching:  How do we convince people that freedom in Christ is true freedom, greater than their political, sexual and economic freedoms they find in our culture today?  Perhaps one way to show this is how our "freedoms" turn out not to be as freeing as we thought!

I also think the challenge with the word love is that people hear love against a background of autonomy; I do not think any Biblical writer could possible imagine the extent to which people in our preaching audience view themselves as independent moral agents.  In short, I think the ancients viewed the moral task of life as taking one's place in the "circle of life", finding one's place within the complex matrix of human and divine relationships that exist.  I think modern Americans view the moral task as "finding oneself" and then maybe, just maybe, inserting oneself back into this moral matrix, but likely on one's own terms!  Sin was something that jeopardized one's place in this moral matrix; today sin is likely a failure to "let it go" and "be yourself."  Even if this is sounding like a rant...any discussion about Paul's notions of freedom (and love) must be restored to a far more communal way of approaching life than the individual notions we have today.

Luke 8:26-39

This passage occurs in the Revised Common Lectionary, Year C, most recently June 22, 2025

Summary:  Just because someone has broken free of their chains, does not mean they are free of their demons.  This is story about Jesus freeing an outcast of their demons and restoring them to life.  It takes identifying the problem, the prayerful word of God, a person who can integrate the healed back into society and frankly, an economic cost to the whole.  As I read this story this year, I think about the great challenge it is to heal and restore people.  It is not impossible, but it is a greater work than I first thought.

Key Words:
εδεσμευετο αλεσεσιν (from δεσμευω αλυσις, meaning "bound in chains", 8:29)  What is interesting is that even though the man can break free of his chains, he is not free.  The Bible presents a complex relationship between chains and imprisonment and freedom.  At points God comes to set the prisoner free.  As Jesus quotes from Isaiah:  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."  (Luke 4:18-19)  On the other hand, Paul will write numerous points about his work in chains (Ephesians 6:20, Acts 28:20; Philippians 1:14).  This does not stop the message, but the message goes forth.  As Paul most pointed says in 2 Timothy 2:9 "...for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained."  External chains do not always reveal the inner and more enduring chains.  External freedom may not be true freedom.  To put it another way, just because someone has broken free of their chains, does not mean they are free of their demons.

ερημος (pronounced "heramos," meaning wilderness or desert; 8:29)  This word comes into English as "hermit."  The desert is a spiritual place in the Bible, a place where demons do dwell, but God is also present (think temptation story with both the devil and angels present).  

Side note:  St. Anthony is often considered the founder of Christian monasticism.  He lived in the wilderness.  However, he did not go to the wilderness to flee the worldly pleasures of the city, but to confront the demons that dwell here. In short, the wilderness is not viewed a place of pristine beauty, but of spiritual warfare.

ονομα (meaning "name", 8:30)  In order for Jesus to cast out the demon, the name must be revealed.  This is true in our lives as well.  A Jesuit priest offered this insight to me 20 years ago regarding this passage. As I grow older, what strikes me is that the demon's name must come from the man's mouth.  Naming the demon for another (you are an addict; he is a racist) does not empower change.  Saying "I am an addict" or "I am a racist" is the gateway to a new path.

λεγιων (pronounced "legion", 8:30)  This could simply refer to the fact that there are many demons...or could be an illusion to a Roman military unit; a hostile, non-kosher, occupying force!  Here is my take:  In order to exorcise a demon, you have to know its name!  We must name the problems in this world to solve them!

αβυσσος (pronounced, "abyssos", 8:31)  The word abyss is the place of the dead in Scripture; it also seems to refer to the primordial chaos waters.
Romans 10:7 "or 'Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
Genesis 1:2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.
Sadly, this is the only place in Luke's Gospel where the word abyss is found!  I was wanting some more fun!

Rabbit hole of the week:  I don't think this is the main point of this passage, but I consider it interesting that Jesus does not kill the demon here, even though they acknowledge that he could.  Is Jesus hoping for its repentance?  Is Jesus using it kill the unclean animal and source of Roman money in the area?  Is Jesus okay simply with evil existing until the day of judgment, when all such creatures will end up in (λιμνη, Revelation 19:20 among other passages)?

βοσκοντες (meaning "tend" or "feed", 8:34)  A nice example of a substantive participle...but I digress.  The point here is that the emancipation of the demon possessed man (the outcast in society) cost the society something, even with Jesus present.  What are we willing to give up to help the outcasts?  I would love to say that it is not a zero sum game (because it isn't), but giving life to the outcasts in society is not without costs.

εφοβηθησαν (verb from "φοβος", pronounced "phobos" meaning "fear", 8:35).  The reaction to the healing of the person is fear.  How often might we react in fear to God's emancipating work?  How can this be overcome?  Fortunately the fear is not of the man, but of Jesus.  How might the healing work of God have a cost for the ones doing the healing and freeing work?

θεος ("theos", meaning God 8:38).  This is a subtle reminder that Jesus = God.  Jesus tells him to tell what God has done; he tells what Jesus has done. 

κηρύσσων (pronounced, "kerusso" akin to kerygma, meaning "proclaiming", 8:39) Jesus officially commissions the disciples to "proclaim" in 9:1; this, then, is the first commissioning in Luke.  The disciples have lots of training before they are sent out; in this case, this person is sent out to declare the Word of the Lord in his life.  I wonder if we spend so much time preparing people for grand commissioning (seminary) that we overlook the very basic task of commissioning people in our midst to talk about God's work in their lives.  

ο διαμονισθεις (the one possessed, 8:36)  The man had lost his name; this can happen too, in our society, where we identify people by their problem rather than their name; or even their possibility!

A little grammar bonus:
τι εμοι και σοι ("what to you and to me", 8:28)  The Greek here seems pretty mild "What is to you and to me?"  It really means "What is your problem with me?"  It is used often to set up an adversarial conversation between two parties.  Interestingly, this will be how Jesus approaches his mother at Cana (in John 2)

Side note:  If you are curious about how Luke and Mark are different in this story:  Mark uses imperfect tenses for verbs, highlighting the on-going battle.  Luke uses aorist, choosing to focus less on the battle scene.

Actually, if you want to see a crazy participle, you can look at how Luke constructs verse 27.  ἐξελθόντι is a dative participle, which means it refers to what is in the dative in the sentence, name "him" or Jesus.  "To the one getting out upon the land, came a man, one of the city, who had demons."

Galatians 3:23-29 (3:19-29)

Note:  This passage occurs in year C of the lectionary, during the season after Pentecost, most recently June 22, 2025

Summary:  It would be tough to preach a sermon on this, at least for me, because so much of what is happening here is theological argumentation.  It could be a fun challenge though!  Normally I focus on key words and concepts, but this passage kind of demands a more granular analysis:

The actually lectionary lesson begins at verse 23, but let's pick up Paul's argument at verse 19.

3.19: Paul literally writes: "Why then the law ?" Perhaps the great question is: What does Paul mean by "nomos" or "law" here? Well...let's see!

3.19: Paul here writes that the law was added ἄχρις (until) the σπέρμα (seed/offspring) came.  The world until is fascinating in this whole passage; more to come.  The word seed or offspring is a word closely associated with Abraham and the promises made to him.

3:19: The NIV and NRSV/NET differ in how the translate a little relative pronoun "whom" (literally ᾧ or 'who').  I read what I wrote here years ago and decided it was too complicated.  In a nutshell, the NIV translation wants to emphasize Jesus as the promised seed; the NRSV/NET want to include the people to whom the promise was given, something the NIV leaves out.  The NRSV/NET seem more grammatically correct here.

3:19: Point about how Greek works: Paul switches back to talking about the law in the latter half the sentence. How do you know? Because the aorist particle beginning this part of the sentence is in conjugated as a masculine nominative and thus refers back to the law (νόμος is a mas. nom). If it referred to the seed it would be neuter; if it referred to the promise it would be feminine. Participles are conjugated based on what they relate to in the main sentence; relative pronouns are conjugated based on what they relate to in the relative clause.

3:20:  I actually think Paul is saying something monumental here in verse 20 when he says that God is one.  This suggests that the whole work of Moses was an act of God.  More bluntly, God did not leave the law to humans and then walk away, but the law is living through the work of the Spirit!  This is why Paul can write in vs 22 that Scripture trapped us -- because it is a living thing.

3:21: Great example of an εἰ ἂν clause. If both are in the indicative, this means that both points are wrong: If the law could give life (but it doesn't); then you could have righteousness (but it doesn't).

3:22  Scripture, has like a net entangling fish (συνέκλεισεν), caught us up under sin. That's the image. Now you can figure out what that means.

3:22 This is the classic "Faith of Christ", where we are not sure if Paul means the faith in Christ or the faith that Christ has.  My sense is that in this case, it is referring to the faith of Christ.  Another interesting note is that the faith (noun) of Jesus makes possible the believing (verb; action) by us.

3:23 Here comes another translation issue on a preposition: εἰς. This little bad boy can mean until or toward or to. So, the question for interpreters of Gal 3 is: Does the law lead us until Christ or up to Christ or toward Christ?

3:24 The great word here is "παιδαγωγὸς" (paidagogos, literally foot-leader). As Liddell-Scott puts it: a boy-ward; at Athens, the slave who went with a boy from home to school and back again, a kind of tutor, Hdt., Eur., etc.:-hence Phoenix is called the paidagogos of Achilles. The law is a slave in itself finally...

3:25 The participle here is a genitive absolute (they stick everything in genitive to start out the sentence that has nothing to do with the second half). So you have to treat the genitive word and the genitive participle as all in the nominative and then put a coma: "Faith came," Or to make it connect: After faith came...

Note:  I had offered a number of earlier NIV translation, which clearly reflected the pre-2011 translation update!

3:27 Compare this verse with Col 3:12. Can you see the difference in Greek?

John 16:12-15

This passage occurs in the RCL for Holy Trinity Sunday, Year C, most recently June 2025.

Summary:  This is not my favorite Holy Trinity passage; in fact, I think one needs to be really careful not to use this passage counter-productively.  The use of the word paraclete (παρακλητος) in John 14-16, often translated as advocate, suggests our need for a lawyer before our heavenly judge.  While a legal metaphor of salvation may make sense in other contexts, let us be perfectly clear:  In John's Gospel Jesus is not describing the Holy Spirit as our defense attorney before God the Father as judge.

Rather, Jesus presents the Holy Spirit as the abiding and living presence of God for the believers, particularly the whole community as they encounter and are challenged by the world.  The Holy Spirit will continue the work of Jesus through the disciples.  To put it another way, the Holy Spirit will make us holy, making us alive in Jesus Christ, both individually but also collectively.  This is the work of the third person of the Trinity: to bring us into the life of God.

Key Words:
παρακλητος (paraclete, 15.26 and throughout John 15 and 16) The word parakletos for the Holy Spirit is a tough one to crack! The noun literally means "one called along side of." Originally it meant a "legal assistant." Hence the affinity for the term advocate.

Yet, the whole field of words related to parakletos pushes against a cold, judicial term, especially in terms of our relationship with God.

14.16 The parakletos is a gift from God
14.17 The parakletos will be with us, even abide in us forever
14.26 The parakletos will teach you and cause you to remember the words of Jesus
15.26 The parakletos will witness about Jesus
16.8 The parakletos will prove the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgment.
16.13 The parakletos will guide you on the way
16.13 The parakletos will listen to the Father and Son
16.14 The parakletos will glorify Jesus
16.14 The parakletos will make Jesus known

Interestingly, the Vulgate does not even use the term advocate to translate parakletos, instead transliterating the word "paracletus." In fact, the Latin does translate the word "parakletos" from the Greek into the Latin "advocatum" once, and this is from 1 John 2.1, where the sense is different. Indeed, here the idea is Jesus interceding for us against the judge of the Father concerning our sins; in John's Gospel the idea of the parakletos has nothing to do with a legal metaphor before God the Father, but the enabler of Christian before the world of unbelievers.

Furthermore, a look at the verb παρακαλεω, the related verb for the noun παρακλητος, really brings home that this word (really word field) is not primarily about legal matters:
Isaiah 40.1 "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God."
Psalm 23 "Your rod and staff, they comfort me."
Proverbs 8:4 "To you, O people, I call and my cry is to all that live."
2 Corinthians 1:3-4  "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation,  who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God."

αληθεια (truth, 16.13). The Gospel of John uses the word truth a number of times. Jesus is full of truth (1.14 and 1.17) and the truth shall set you free (8.32) but what is the truth? The best I can tell, John's Gospel asserts few things as "truth". In fact, little if anything is actually specifically stated as true, but if you do some work around times when "truth" is being debated, you can conclude a few things:
The truth is: The Word of God (1.14)
The truth is: Anyone who sins is a slave to sin (8.34); the consequence of sin is death (8.24)
The truth is: By believing in Jesus, we have life (8.24)
The truth is: Jesus and the Father are one (8.26)
The truth is: Followers of Jesus hear his voice (18.37) and walk in the light (8.12)
The truth is: Jesus is King (18.37)

To put it another way, it turns out that only some really essential things are declared/implied as truth in the Gospel of John.

οδηγεω (guide, 16.13) The verb here for "guide" is "hodege-oo" which means "hodos+ag-oo"=lead on the way; the verb is used in describing Philip's interaction with the Eunuch, where the Eunuch invites Phillip to show him the way of understanding Scripture.

Acts 2:1-11 (Pentecost)

Summary:   Luke's use of language in his first two sentences of Acts chapter 2 sets up an incredible contrast.   Verse one captures the togetherness of the pre-Pentecost community; verse two shows the Holy Spirit bursting the community into the world.  As I contemplate the church over the centuries, I wonder if we always stand between verse 1 and 2; full of love and community, but waiting for the awesome movement of the Spirit to push us outside of ourselves.   Moving churches out of their walls is a Herculean task, but God is up to it!

The miracle of fiery tongues gets the attention, but I see three other miracles

- The patience of the disciples to grief together

- The willingness of people to listen - true communication

- The church moving outside of its walls

Image one: The pre-Pentecost community (Verse 1 captures all of Acts chapter 1)

ομου + επι το αυτο ("together" and "all together") Luke uses a rather redundant phrase. Both halves mean "together"; in English he basically wrote "They were together with each other in the same place." Luke wants to drive the point across that they were united. It is important to note that a united church is not a church in mission; a united church is a church waiting for mission.

I used to see the church of Acts 1 as "First Lutheran Church of Jerusalem."  Great doctrine.  Great fellowship.  Perfect Committee Structure.  No outreach.  Overtime I have softened on this, as I begin to see how unity (processing grief!!) is a precursor to ministry.

εν τω συμπληρουσθαι (συμπληροω; fulfill)  To the point: By employing this particular construction, Luke makes it clear that they did not simply come together on Pentecost, but they had been together for a while. A few other points here about the verb fulfill:
* The verb fulfill occurs three times in just a few verses. The days of Pentecost were being fulfilled; the house was filled; now the people are filled.
* The verb is in the present suggesting it is ongoing action; especially when paired with an imperfect as the main verb. The notion suggested here is that they have been together (rather obediently!) since Jesus told them to wait.
* Purely grammar note: Chapter two begins with an articular infinitive after a preposition:  εν τω + infinitive which can be translated "During the ..." In this case, the verb is "fulfill."

In summary, Luke does not simply imply "The group was assembled for the celebration" but rather, "As the day of Pentecost approached, they were continually together in the same place."

Image two: The Spirit comes (vs 2 and the rest of Acts)

ηχος ("sound"; literally echo!) The Spirit comes as an echo...that has reverberated across the years.

φερημενης (φερω; "carry") The wind that comes is a carrying wind; a wind that will carry the disciples outside of their walls.

βιαιος ("violent") When this word occurs in the OT, it describes the wind blowing back the waters during Exodus.   Maybe that is one metaphor for the Spirit's activities during the 21st century: Making a way through the troubled waters for the church. Interestingly, this word is used in classical Greek to describe the "power" or "strength" of Hercules. This may also be a way to think about the Spirit -- overcoming the Herculean task of getting Christians to leave the door. Sometimes this might take shaking things up a bit!

To put this together, the Spirit carries with it...a hint of upheaval...that echoes across the centuries.

διαμεριζομεναι (from διαμεριζω, meaning divide, 2:3, 2:45)  The spirit divides tongues among them; later they divide their property among each other!  It is interesting how the spiritual leads to the material -- they are related!

A few other points:
ευλαβης ("devout"; 2:5)  The men in Jerusalem are considered "devout".  Interestingly, Simeon (Luke 2) was labeled as devout as well -- a rather rare term in the NT (only used four times). As Jesus was revealed (as a baby) to a devout man, the church was revealed (in its baby stage!) to devout men and women.

ιδια διαλεκτω ("Our own language" literally "the idiom dialect"; 2:6) Luther hits the nail on the head: Muttersprache (mother tongue).

ακουω ("hear"; 2:6,8 and 11)  This verb means listening.   While the tongues of flames get the attention, the Holy Spirit tends to work just as much through the ears as through the eyes!

απεφθεγξατο ("proclaim"; from αποφθεγγομαι; 2:14) Luke describes Peter's speech using a word here that means "dignified proclamation."  This is significant given the education and social rank of Peter; but it also shows that the Spirit does not simply give ecstatic or emotional speech, but that the Spirit can lead us to be articulate.

John 14:8-17, (25-27)

Note:  This passage is the Gospel reading for Pentecost Sunday, year C.  My sense is that most people prefer to -- and frankly should -- preach on the Pentecost story.  But a few tidbits here for sermonizing.

Tidbits for preaching:

παράκλητον ("paraclete", 14:16; 14:25)  This word is a tough one to translate.  As the NET Bible offers, "No single English word has exactly the same range of meaning as the Greek word."  

Thayer (via Accordance) defines it as this:

• Generally:  summoned, called to one’s side, especially called to one’s aid; hence,
• 1. one who pleads another’s cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant; an advocate
• 2. universally, one who pleads another’s cause with one, an intercessor (including on behalf of sins)
• 3. in the widest sense, a helper, succorer, aider, assistant;...

Which is really interesting because you can move quickly into a legal metaphor- where the Holy Spirit becomes your lawyer before God the judge.  Sometimes this understanding of God's work, especially in regards to justification, is called "forensic."

However, in the Gospel of John, that is not the way in which the Spirit functions.  The Spirit never intervenes to tell God that we are not needing to be punished and that God should love us instead.  In fact, the only time the Spirit shows up in regard to judgment in the Gospel of John (chapter 16), it is doing the opposite -- it is judging the world!  Look at these two other uses of the word παράκλητον in John's Gospel

• John 14:26 But the παράκλητον, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
• John 15:26   “But when the παράκλητον comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, the will bear witness about me.

In short, the Spirit in the Gospel of John is NOT pointing God back to Jesus to remind God to be merciful, but the Spirit is pointing the disciples back to Jesus to remind us of who Jesus is!

(The NET Bible, which translates παράκλητον as advocate, goes through all the possibilities, indicates the short comings, acknowledges that this shortcoming, but wants to emphasize the power of the Spirit in the proclamation of Jesus)

κόσμος (literally cosmos, "world," 14:27)  This is an easy word to learn in Greek!  What I want to emphasize here is that the world, which God loves, is not an easy place.  Furthermore, in the Gospel of John the world consistently is hostile to God and the disciples.  The world is not loved because it deserves to be loved, the world is loved because God chooses to love it.

Acts 1:1-11 (Acts 1:1-14)

Acts 1:1-14 is the Narrative Lectionary passage in Year 1
Acts 1:1-11 or Acts 1:6-14 is the RCL passage for the Ascension/Easter 7.

Summary:  The disciples want a restoration project.  Jesus wants them to be witnesses to the ends of the earth.  Especially after COVID, our churches want things to "get back to normal" or "to restore what we were."  You might also sense that our nation also wants "to get back to the way it was."  (Make X Great Again!)  I wouldn't necessary use Acts 1 as political commentary, but it certainly has parallels to our religious situation, in which our grief makes us trapped in nostalgia.  

You could really go for an edgy sermon:  Acts 1 shows a united church that loves and prays together, but does not do any outreach.  It is "First Lutheran Church of Jerusalem", a small, tight-knit group that sings and worships with joy, fills committee spots (with people that have been here the longest) and avoids outreach at all possible costs.

For those note quite as bold:
Acts 1:1 may just summarize all of the book.  In fact, one word, sometimes missed by the translators, may summarize all of acts:  "began."  Luke says that his Gospel is "all that Jesus BEGAN to do and teach."  Jesus' work in the Gospel's is not complete; it must be continued by his disciples.  By the Spirit, they carry forth and do the greater things Jesus told us we would do if we believed in him.  Luke is inviting us, as readers -- lovers of God! -- into the movement of seeing all things reconciled in Jesus Christ.

Key words:
Θεοφιλος  ("lover of God", 1:1)  Luke may have written this to a specific person name Theophilos.  Or he writes it to all of us who love God!

ηρχατο ("begin" aorist form of αρχω, in 1:1)  It is worth noting that Luke says that Jesus begins his doings and teachings.  The completion of Jesus ministry will be done through the disciples.  This one verb, may in fact, tell you everything you need to know about the book of Acts!

τε και ("and and" in verse 1).  BDAG suggests this combination means "connecting concepts, usually of the same kind."  Here it links the words ποιειν (doing) and διδασκειν (teaching).  A helpful reminder than the hands and head are connected in Luke's mind!

εξελεξατο ("choose" aorist form of εκλεγω, in 1:2; see also 1:24; 6:5 and 15:7;22;25)  Throughout the book of Acts, the disciples have to make choices.  The tricky thing is figuring out how the Holy Spirit will guide this process of choice.  In Acts 1:2 no indication is given for this will happen.  In 1:24, lots are used; in 6:5, the Spirit works through community's approval of the leadership's suggestion concerning deacons; in chapter 15, the choice is made through collective debate.  (One might suggest Acts 1:24 is a judgment because the disciple chosen is never picked from again)

επαγγελια(ν) ("promise", 1:4)  The NIV translates this as "gift."  This seems less helpful.  The word is promise:  Wait for the promise.

τω Ισραηλ ("to Israel"; 1:6)  Jesus was teaching them about the Kingdom of God; they were concerned with the Kingdom which belongs to Israel.

αποκαθιστανεις ("to restore"; 1:6)  This sentence is a sermon in itself.  The disciples want Jesus to be on a restoration project of their particular tribe.  He is not interested in this.  He is interested in the salvation of the earth.
 
μαρτυς ("to witness"; 1:8)  This word looks like "martyr"...because it means just that.  Jesus hear commands his disciples to be witnesses.   When Jesus used the word it had no implication of suffering.  However, the early Christians who were witnesses became "martyrs."  The definition of the word was changed by the heroic actions early Christians.  So, Jesus here is calling his disciples to be martyrs.  Ouch!

Σαμαρια (Samaria; 1:8)  Jesus mission includes the "other side of the tracks."  This is a good way to think about the mission field:  your home town (Jerusalem and Judea), the "other" (Samaria") and the far away (the ends of the earth).  My sense is that most of us have an inclination toward one of these mission fields.

ομοθυμαδόν ("one mind" or "one passion" 1:14)  The people were united.  This is a beautiful scene of the early Christian community:  united in prayer and one might argue, doctrine.  The problem:  they did not do any outreach, but instead spent their time filling spots committees per historical expectations.  When I became a pastor, I loved to preach this sermon and "rip" into congregations for their inward nature.  Now that I've helped lead churches through change (and not just preach), I realize that coming together -- grieving together -- is necessary for their to be the transformation necessary for outreach.

Grammar/translation review:  Word order and Luke's grammatical mastery.
In Greek, word order is not essential for understanding the sentence; in English it is.  For example, "The boy hit the dog" and "The dog hit the boy" are two different ideas in English.  In Greek, the reader knows who did the action by the cases of the nouns, not their order in the sentence.  The nominative does the action; the accusative is the object of the action, regardless of which comes first.  This means that Greek (and to some extent Hebrew) can move words around for emphasis.  For example, Acts 1:2, is very convoluted if you just read the words:  until which day, after he taught the apostles whom he had chosen, he was ascended.  Permissible in English perhaps, but the sentence points out that good Greek can have words all over the place because the cases are governing their function, not word order.

In Acts 1:5 we have a very unusual split of some words:  εν πνευματι βαπτισθησεσθε αγιω 
Although the specific conjugation may be odd, (future passive 2nd person plural is fairly rare for verbs!), the words are pretty clear:  "In the spirit you will be baptized holy."  What is Luke doing?  Could holy be an adverb?  Unlikely. (Long grammar point: it would be in the accusative rather than dative).  Hmm... what to do?  Well, Luke earlier claims that Jesus will baptize us with the Holy Spirit.  (Let's use more clear Scripture to interpret less clear Scripture!)  So what could Luke possibly be doing here by putting Baptism in the middle of the Holy Spirit?  Well, duh, Luke is making the claim that the Holy Spirit and Baptism are bound up in each other!  To put it another way, Luke has stretched Greek language to show us that Baptism is in the Holy Spirit! 

This is something like, in my mind, when Handel has the tenor sing "The rough places plain," the word "rough" has small rapid changes; the note for "plain" is constant and smooth.

Luke 24:44-53 (Ascension)

This passage occurs for Ascension in the RCL, all three years; sometimes this is celebrated on a Thursday, the 40th day after Easter; other times it takes the place of Easter 7.

I added in 2022:  A long digression about repentance and metanoia

Summary:  Normally good-byes are sad.  But not the Ascension!  Luke wants to point out a few things about the ascension.  Namely that it is a commissioning; a celebration; and a crescendo.  A closer look at the Greek suggests this often overlooked story is vitally important for the Christian understanding of God in Christ Jesus.  In fact, Luke's account of the Ascension challenges me to include sending in my list of core Gospel actions:  forgiveness and resurrection.  (If that just sounds too much for your Lutheran piety, you can go with this:  Jesus knows that preaching forgiveness will get us into trouble because, well, the world cannot handle law and Gospel.

Key Words:
μαρτυρες ("witness", from μαρτυς, 24:48) The Greek word there for witness is "martyros," from which we get our word Martyr.  It originally had a simple legal connotation, as in give testimony, or generally, to speak on someone's behalf.  Yet in the Christian context, it very quickly came to mean suffer for this proclamation, including Jesus himself.   So Jesus says (literally), "You are martyrs of these things."  This is the ultimate commissioning:  You will go out and testify to the resurrection and forgiveness of sins and be persecuted for it.

χαρας ("joy", from χαρα, 24:52)  Luke uses this word more than other authors.  It is significant that worship of the ascended Christ still fills the believers with great joy.  Luke makes the point:  Just because Jesus isn't here on earth doesn't mean we cannot worship him. In fact, worship of the risen (and ascended Christ) still fills the believers with joy.  Jesus ascension means unlimited access instead of only local contact; hence the possibility of a universal church.

προσκυνησαντες ("worship", προσκυνεω, 24:52)  For all of the times Luke has Jesus praying, this is the only instance where people are worshiping in his Gospel.  The only other mention of the verb is in the temptation of Christ where Jesus declares we must worship God alone.  For Luke, the ascension confirms Jesus' divinity in a way that allows the disciples to worship him as God in way even his resurrection did not.  The ascension completes his first mission on earth: his suffering, his resurrection and his commissioning.  Now he shall return to be exalted and come again in glory.

διηνοιξεν ("open", 24:45)  We saw this verb last week in Acts account of Lydia's Baptism.  It is interesting that this word is associated in Acts and Luke with understanding the Word.  It also suggests the need for proclamation, because the Scriptures need to be opened.  They are not self-explanatory.

 αρξαμνοι (participle form of "αρχω" meaning, in middle voice, to begin; 24:47)  In both Luke 24 and Acts 1, this word shows up:  begin.  The three year ministry of Jesus Christ is only the beginning of the work of God!  The promised Holy Spirit will move the disciples forward in mission and ministry!

αποστελλω ("sending"; 24:49)  This is the only indicative verb in this entire section is present tense.  I would argue this is the last action of Jesus on behalf of his disciples:  To send the Spirit.  One could make the argument, I think, this is why Jesus came back from the dead.  To send out the Spirit!  Interestingly, it is only once Jesus has sent the Spirit that the disciples can worship! 

One could also argue that this is in the present tense, suggesting that Jesus is continually (always) sending forth the Spirit.

καθισατε ("sit", καθιζω, 24:49)  The disciples are told to "sit" until the Holy Spirit comes.  Part of the Christian life is waiting.

δυναμιν ("power" from δυναμις. 24:49)  This word comes into English as dynamite.  Christ calls us to be both the martrys and dynamite for the world.  The two seem related in tragic ways; yet, Christ does not call us to cause suffering in others, but simply to suffer for others as the world persecutes the news of forgiveness and resurrection.

***

μετανοια(ν)  (literally metanoia, meaning perhaps "repentance", 24:47).  This is a word whose history of translation is fascinating.  

In classic Greek, the word simply meant:  "change one's mind" (Fascinating article on this here.  I believe it is by Robert Wilken.).  The word retains this meaning when used in the Greek OT.  In fact, in the translation of the OT into Greek, the translators almost never translated the classic OT word for repentance "shub" (שוב)  as metonoia.  The more common word translated as metanoia is "nakham" (נחם), which means to change one's mind, often after emotional consideration.  For a variety of reasons that remain unclear to me, in the early Latin church, the word came to be understood as "do penance."  Apparently Tertullian indicated this word should have been translated as "convert."

Codified by St. Jerome, this translation of metanoia as 'do penance' became the standard in Latin Christianity.  This way of thinking would hold sway over a millennia until late Medieval translators (Wycliffe and Luther) came along and 'liberated' the word from the medieval penance system.  The first of the 95 theses, in fact, is about the translation of this word!  Generally, these translators used words having to do with regret and repentance - emotionally loaded words.

Today, a critique of translating metanoia as "repent" has emerged.  Interestingly, one of those leading the charge is Richard Rohr, who aims for the pre-biblical idea of "change one's mind" or "new mind."  While I am not convinced that Rohr goes as far as his students, I think that some of his followers get pretty close to Gnosticism (see here for an example of this), wanting to claim that a specific new mind set, liberated from the past vestiges of bad religion, will free them to be special people.

That said, Rohr and others make a valuable contribution:  shame has limits.  True spirituality is not about fear and regret, but love and hope.  I also wonder how often our people experience shame over sins that are not biblical.  I mean, how many people in our congregations are taking anxiety medicine because they haven't lived up the beatitudes?  Far more often we lead lives of shame and are plagued with a sense of inadequacy that has nothing to do with a failure to love their neighbor, but rather living up to the expectations of their neighbor.  Metanoia in this case then often means rejecting these false judges and replacing them with ourselves as the determiner of true living.  Progress, I guess, but not terra firma.

That aside, God is okay with humans experiencing regret.  The people on Pentecost were, as it turns out, cut to the heart.  As Paul writes in 2 Cor 9-10, there is such a thing as godly sorrow.  Furthermore, metanoia does seem to imply regret in the Bible (Luke 17:4)

Alas, what to do.  I offer that the word metonoia has at least two strands of meaning:

- 'insight': when one has a paradigm shift that leads one to reconsider old ways to operating

- 'regret': when one has an emotional experience of guilt (perhaps even shame) that leads one to reconsider old ways of operating.

The former seems more Greek, the later more Hebrew.  While the NT is written in Greek, it is also hard to separate out the Jewish mindset of most of the New Testament voices.  Would first century Jews really aimed for a repentance that was simply a matter of "have a new mind"?

In this case (Luke 24:47), Jesus says "repentance for forgiveness of sins"  (They are linked by the preposition εις).  One way we could understand this verse to mean this:   repentance -- feeling bad -- is a precursor to forgiveness.  This works well and is an easily defended position.

However, I think one is also justified in saying that Jesus is saying, proclaim "a new way of thinking that results in the forgiveness of sins."  This could mean, for example, that one believes that forgiveness is actually possible!  I wonder how many people this is the new mind they actually need -- that a God of mercy is on the loose in this world!

Grammar concept:  hendiadys; or in this case, hendiatris
Hendiadys refers to the literary device of using two words to mean one thing.  For instance:  "formless and void" of Genesis 1 means "a whole lot of nothing!" or perhaps more accurately, "chaos."

In this case, Jesus refers to Scriptures by calling them:  Moses, Prophets and Psalms.  Here he is referring to all of the OT, not simply Gen-Deut; 12 prophets and Psalms.  He is laying out the Tanakh (Torah, Prophets and Writings) division of Scripture.