The Gospels · New Testament
Luke 9
Luke 9: the twelve sent out, bread for five thousand and the face set toward Jerusalem
General context
Jesus gives the twelve power over devils and disease and sends them out to preach and heal, telling them to take nothing for the journey. Herod the tetrarch hears the reports, says he beheaded John, and desires to see him. When the apostles return, the party withdraws toward Bethsaida, the crowds follow, and with five loaves and two fishes about five thousand men are fed, with twelve baskets left. Praying alone with his disciples near, he asks who people say he is and then who they say he is; Peter answers, The Christ of God, and they are charged to tell no man. He says the Son of man must suffer, be rejected, be slain and be raised the third day, and calls any follower to take up his cross daily. About eight days later he takes Peter, John and James up a mountain to pray; his countenance is altered, Moses and Elias speak with him of his decease at Jerusalem, and a voice from a cloud says, This is my beloved Son: hear him. Coming down, he heals a man's only child after the disciples could not. They argue who is greatest, and he sets a child by him. When a Samaritan village will not receive him, he rebukes James and John for proposing fire, and three men who offer or are called to follow hear hard answers.
Cited passages: Luke 9:1, Luke 9:2, Luke 9:3, Luke 9:6, Luke 9:7, Luke 9:9, Luke 9:10, Luke 9:12, Luke 9:13, Luke 9:14, Luke 9:16, Luke 9:17, Luke 9:18, Luke 9:20, Luke 9:21, Luke 9:22, Luke 9:23, Luke 9:28, Luke 9:29, Luke 9:30, Luke 9:31, Luke 9:35, Luke 9:38, Luke 9:40, Luke 9:42, Luke 9:46, Luke 9:47, Luke 9:51, Luke 9:53, Luke 9:54, Luke 9:55, Luke 9:58, Luke 9:60, Luke 9:62
Luke 9 (KJV)
1Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
2And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
3And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.
4And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart.
5And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.
6And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.
7Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead;
8And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.
9And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.
10And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.
11And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.
12And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.
13But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.
14For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.
15And they did so, and made them all sit down.
16Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.
18And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?
19They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.
20He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
21And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;
22Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
23And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
25For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
26For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.
27But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
28And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.
29And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.
30And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:
31Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
32But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.
33And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.
34While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.
35And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
36And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.
37And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him.
38And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.
39And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.
40And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.
41And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.
42And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.
43And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,
44Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
45But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.
46Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.
47And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,
48And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.
49And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.
50And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.
51And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
52And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
53And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
54And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
55But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
56For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
57And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
58And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
59And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
60Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
61And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
62And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
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Historical context
John's death is not narrated in this book at this point; it reaches the reader inside Herod's own speech, John have I beheaded, and Herod is identified as the tetrarch, not as the king of Judea named in the first chapter. The desert place is located as belonging to the city called Bethsaida. The three taken up the mountain are named as Peter and John and James, and the interval is given loosely, about an eight days after these sayings. The two who appear are named Moses and Elias, and the subject of their speech is stated as his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. The voice from the cloud here says, This is my beloved Son: hear him, a wording that differs from the voice at the baptism in the third chapter. The narrator says of Peter's proposal that he spoke not knowing what he said. The Samaritan village, the father with the afflicted son and the three men on the road are all left unnamed.
Cited passages: Luke 9:7, Luke 9:9, Luke 9:10, Luke 9:28, Luke 9:30, Luke 9:31, Luke 9:33, Luke 9:35, Luke 9:38, Luke 9:52, Luke 9:57, Luke 9:59, Luke 9:61, Luke 1:5, Luke 3:20, Luke 3:22
Literary context
Questions of identity organize the chapter. Herod asks, who is this, of whom I hear such things? The same rumours he heard are then repeated by the disciples as the people's answers, and the question is put to them directly before Peter replies. Glory and suffering are set next to one another: the announcement of rejection and death comes before the mountain, and the talk on the mountain is about a departure to be accomplished at Jerusalem. Failure follows the vision, with disciples who could not cast out a spirit, a dispute about who is greatest, and a complaint about an outsider casting out devils. The pivot at verse fifty-one, when he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, changes the direction of the book, and the three exchanges on the road that close the chapter meet two offers and one call with sayings about foxes and holes, about burying the dead, and about a plough that must not be looked away from.
Cited passages: Luke 9:7, Luke 9:8, Luke 9:9, Luke 9:18, Luke 9:19, Luke 9:20, Luke 9:22, Luke 9:31, Luke 9:40, Luke 9:46, Luke 9:49, Luke 9:51, Luke 9:58, Luke 9:60, Luke 9:62
Key moments
- Sent with nothing (Luke 9:3). The twelve are told to take no staff, bread, money or second coat.
- Herod's question (Luke 9:9). Herod says he beheaded John and wants to see Jesus.
- Five loaves, two fishes (Luke 9:16). He blesses and breaks the food and gives it to the disciples.
- Whom say ye that I am (Luke 9:20). Peter answers that he is the Christ of God.
- A voice from the cloud (Luke 9:35). A voice out of the cloud says, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
- A child set beside him (Luke 9:47). He answers the dispute about greatness by placing a child by him.
- His face set to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). The narrator marks the turn toward Jerusalem.
For reflection
Peter names him rightly and is immediately charged to tell no man, and then hears that the Son of man must suffer. Why might the right answer come with silence attached to it?