Year of the Bible
Luke 9
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Commentary on the Gospel According to St. Luke, Chapter 9:
At the conclusion of his own demonstration of ministry, Jesus calls the Twelve together to send them on the mission to announce the Kingdom of God and heal (8:22-9:5). The Twelve return and Jesus invites them to mission again, this time empowering them to feed a large crowd that He had welcomed (vs. 11-17). Luke’s Gospel depicting Jesus’ travelling ministry now comes to a transitional section where the identity and destiny of this man with the authority of God becomes the focal point--to the most powerful secular rules (vs. 9), to the Twelve (vs. 9-20), and in dazzling display to Peter, James, and John (vs. 28-36). Yet Jesus’ descriptions of his future death and resurrection are not understood (vs. 22, 44-46), as they struggle with radical humility and openness to all in their own lives (vs. 23-27, 46-50, 54-55). Jesus’ announcement of the Kingdom continues, his “exodus” to be “accomplished in Jerusalem” and “received up” (vs. 31, 51) has begun--all are invited to follow.
The Gospel According to St. Luke, Chapter 9:
The Mission of the Twelve
1 And he called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal. 3 And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. 4 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
Herod’s Perplexity
7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, 8 by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen. 9 Herod said, “John I beheaded; but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see him.
Feeding the Five Thousand
10 On their return the apostles told him what they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a city called Bethsaida. 11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him; and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and cured those who had need of healing. 12 Now the day began to wear away; and the Twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away, to go into the villages and country round about, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a lonely place.” 13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in companies, about fifty each.” 15 And they did so, and made them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And all ate and were satisfied. And they took up what was left over, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
Peter’s Declaration That Jesus Is the Christ
18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone the disciples were with him; and he asked them, “Who do the people say that I am?” 19 And they answered, “John the Baptist; but others say, Elijah; and others, that one of the old prophets has risen.” 20 And he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” 21 But he charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
Taking Up One’s Cross
23 And he said to all, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For who ever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death be fore they see the kingdom of God.”
The Transfiguration
28 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men talked with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep but kept awake, and they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. 34 As he said this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” 36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silence and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon
37 On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. 38 And behold, a man from the crowd cried, “Teacher, I beg you to look upon my son, for he is my only child; 39 and behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him till he foams, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. 40 And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” 41 Jesus answered, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” 42 While he was coming, the de mon tore him and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43 And all were astonished at the majesty of God.
Jesus Again Foretells His Death
But while they were all marveling at everything he did, he said to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
True Greatness
46 And an argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. 47 But when Jesus perceived the thought of their hearts, he took a child and put him by his side, 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me; for he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
Another Exorcist
49 John answered, “Master, we saw a man casting out de mons in your name, and we for bade him, because he does not follow with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him; for he that is not against you is for you.”
A Samaritan Village Refuses to Receive Jesus
51 When the days drew near for him to be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him; 53 but the people would not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them. 56 And they went on to another village.
Would-Be Followers of Jesus
57 As they were going along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 But he said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
"Who do the people say that I am?" (Lk 9:18) Chapter 9 talks about many miracles. Miracles are performed by God, not by men. Based on God´s manifestations, who do I think that is Jesus?
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan, an adult faith formation apostolate. cbsmich.org/join
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further.
1 Convocó a los doce y les dio poder y
potestad sobre todos los demonios, y
para curar enfermedades. 2 Los envió a predicar
el Reino de Dios y a sanar a los enfermos.
3 Y les dijo:
–No llevéis nada para el camino, ni
bastón, ni alforja, ni pan, ni dinero, ni
tengáis dos túnicas. 4 En cualquier casa
que entréis, quedaos allí hasta que de
allí os vayáis. 5 Y si nadie os acoge, al salir
de aquella ciudad, sacudíos el polvo
de los pies en testimonio contra ellos.
6 Se marcharon y pasaban por las aldeas
evangelizando y curando por todas
partes.
7 El tetrarca Herodes oyó todo lo que
ocurría y estaba perplejo, porque unos
decían que Juan había resucitado de entre
los muertos, 8 otros que Elías había
aparecido, otros que había resucitado
alguno de los antiguos profetas. 9 Y dijo
Herodes:
–A Juan lo he decapitado yo, ¿quién
es, entonces, éste del que oigo tales cosas?
Y deseaba verlo.
10 Cuando volvieron los apóstoles,
le contaron todo lo que habían hecho;
y, tomándolos consigo, se retiró aparte
hacia una ciudad llamada Betsaida.
11 Cuando la gente se dio cuenta, le siguió.
Y les acogió y les hablaba del Reino
de Dios, y sanaba a los que tenían
necesidad.
12 Empezaba a declinar el día, y se
acercaron los doce para decirle:
–Despide a la muchedumbre, para
que se vayan a los pueblos y aldeas de
alrededor, a buscar albergue y a proveerse
de alimentos; porque aquí estamos
en un lugar desierto.
13 Él les dijo:
–Dadles vosotros de comer.
Pero ellos dijeron:
–No tenemos más que cinco panes
y dos peces, a no ser que vayamos nosotros
y compremos comida para todo
este gentío 14 –había unos cinco mil
hombres.
Entonces les dijo a sus discípulos:
–Hacedlos sentar en grupos de cincuenta.
15 Así lo hicieron, y acomodaron a
todos.
16 Tomando los cinco panes y los dos
peces, levantó los ojos al cielo y pronunció
la bendición sobre ellos, los partió
y se puso a dárselos a sus discípulos,
para que los distribuyeran entre la muchedumbre.
17 Comieron hasta que todos
quedaron satisfechos. Y de los trozos
que sobraron, ellos recogieron doce
cestos.
18 Cuando estaba haciendo oración a solas,
y se encontraban con él los discípulos,
les preguntó:
–¿Quién dicen las gentes que soy
yo?
19 Ellos respondieron:
–Juan el Bautista. Pero hay quienes
dicen que Elías, y otros que ha resucitado
uno de los antiguos profetas.
20 Pero él les dijo:
–Y vosotros ¿quién decís que soy
yo?
Respondió Pedro:
–El Cristo de Dios.
21 Pero él les amonestó y les ordenó
que no dijeran esto a nadie.
22 Y añadió que el Hijo del Hombre
debía padecer mucho y ser rechazado
por causa de los ancianos, de los príncipes
de los sacerdotes y de los escribas,
y ser llevado a la muerte y resucitar al
tercer día.
23 Y les decía a todos:
–Si alguno quiere venir detrás de
mí, que se niegue a sí mismo, que tome
su cruz cada día, y que me siga. 24 Porque
el que quiera salvar su vida la perderá;
pero el que pierda su vida por mí,
ése la salvará.
25 »Porque ¿de qué le sirve al hombre
haber ganado el mundo entero si se
destruye a sí mismo o se pierde? 26 Porque
quien se avergüence de mí y de mis
palabras, de él se avergonzará el Hijo
del Hombre cuando venga en su gloria
y en la del Padre y en la de los santos
ángeles. 27 Os aseguro de verdad que
hay algunos de los aquí presentes que
no sufrirán la muerte hasta que vean el
Reino de Dios.
28 Unos ocho días después de estas
palabras, se llevó con él a Pedro, a Juan
y a Santiago y subió a un monte para
orar. 29 Mientras él oraba, cambió el aspecto
de su rostro, y su vestido se volvió
blanco y muy brillante. 30 En esto,
dos hombres comenzaron a hablar con
él: eran Moisés y Elías 31 que, aparecidos
en forma gloriosa, hablaban de la salida
de Jesús que iba a cumplirse en Jerusalén.
32 Pedro y los que estaban con él
se encontraban rendidos por el sueño. Y
al despertar, vieron su gloria y a los dos
hombres que estaban a su lado. 33 Cuando
éstos se apartaron de él, le dijo Pedro
a Jesús:
–Maestro, qué bien estamos aquí;
hagamos tres tiendas: una para ti, otra
para Moisés y otra para Elías –pero no
sabía lo que decía.
34 Mientras así hablaba, se formó
una nube y los cubrió con su sombra.
Al entrar ellos en la nube, se atemorizaron.
35 Y se oyó una voz desde la nube
que decía:
–Éste es mi Hijo, el elegido: escuchadle.
36 Cuando sonó la voz, se quedó Jesús
solo. Ellos guardaron silencio, y a
nadie dijeron por entonces nada de lo
que habían visto.
37 Sucedió al día siguiente que, al bajar
ellos del monte, le salió al encuentro
una gran muchedumbre. 38 Y en medio
de ella un hombre clamó diciendo:
–Maestro, te ruego que veas a mi
hijo, porque es el único que tengo: 39 un
espíritu se apodera de él, y enseguida
grita, le hace retorcerse entre espumarajos
y a duras penas se aparta de él, dejándolo
maltrecho. 40 Y les he rogado a
tus discípulos que lo expulsen, pero no
han podido.
41 Jesús contestó:
–¡Oh generación incrédula y perversa!
¿Hasta cuándo tendré que estar
entre vosotros y soportaros? Trae aquí
a tu hijo.
42 Y al acercarse, el demonio lo revolcó
por el suelo y le hizo retorcerse. Entonces
Jesús increpó al espíritu impuro
y curó al niño, devolviéndolo a su padre.
43 Todos quedaron asombrados de la
grandeza de Dios.
Y estando todos admirados por
cuantas cosas hacía, les dijo a sus discípulos:
44 –Grabad en vuestros oídos estas
palabras: el Hijo del Hombre va a ser
entregado en manos de los hombres.
45 Pero ellos no entendían este lenguaje,
y les resultaba tan oscuro, que no
lo comprendían; y temían preguntarle
sobre este asunto.
46 Les vino al pensamiento cuál de ellos
sería el mayor. 47 Pero Jesús, conociendo
los pensamientos de sus corazones, acercó
a un niño, lo puso a su lado 48 y les dijo:
–El que reciba a este niño en mi
nombre, a mí me recibe; y quien me recibe
a mí, recibe al que me ha enviado:
pues el menor entre todos vosotros, ése
es el mayor.
49 Entonces dijo Juan:
–Maestro, hemos visto a uno que
expulsaba demonios en tu nombre, y
se lo hemos prohibido, porque no viene
con nosotros.
50 Y Jesús le dijo:
–No se lo prohibáis, pues el que no
está contra vosotros con vosotros está.
51 Y cuando iba a cumplirse el tiempo
de su partida, Jesús decidió firmemente
marchar hacia Jerusalén. 52 Y envió
por delante a unos mensajeros, que
entraron en una aldea de samaritanos
para prepararle hospedaje, 53 pero no le
acogieron porque llevaba la intención
de ir a Jerusalén. 54 Al ver esto, sus discípulos
Santiago y Juan le dijeron:
–Señor, ¿quieres que digamos que
baje fuego del cielo y los consuma?
55 Pero él se volvió hacia ellos y les reprendió.
56 Y se fueron a otra aldea.
57 Mientras iban de camino, uno le
dijo:
–Te seguiré adonde vayas.
58 Jesús le dijo:
–Las zorras tienen sus guaridas y los
pájaros del cielo sus nidos, pero el Hijo
del Hombre no tiene dónde reclinar la
cabeza.
59 A otro le dijo:
–Sígueme.
Pero éste contestó:
–Señor, permíteme ir primero a enterrar
a mi padre.
60 –Deja a los muertos enterrar a sus
muertos –le respondió Jesús–; tú vete a
anunciar el Reino de Dios.
61 Y otro dijo:
–Te seguiré, Señor, pero primero permíteme
despedirme de los de mi casa.
62 Jesús le dijo:
–Nadie que pone su mano en el arado
y mira hacia atrás es apto para el Reino
de Dios.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).