Chapter Nine

1–6. The Mission of the Twelve Apostles. – 7–9. Herod’s Opinion of Christ. – 10–17. The Miraculous Feeding of the People. – 18–27. The Confession of the Apostle Peter and Christ’s Prediction of His Sufferings. – 28–45. The Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Healing of the Demon-Possessed Boy. – 46–50. Teachings on Humility. – 51–62. Christ’s Journey to Jerusalem.

Luke 9:1. And calling the twelve together, He gave them power and authority over all demons, and to heal diseases, Luke 9:2. and sent them forth to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Luke 9:3. And He said to them: Take nothing for the journey; neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and have not two tunics. Luke 9:4. And whatever house you enter, abide there, and depart from there. Luke 9:5. And whosoever will not receive you, when you depart from that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. Luke 9:6. And they departed, and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. Concerning the sending of the Lord of the twelve apostles to preach, the evangelist Luke speaks, following Mark (Mark 6:7-13). In the evangelist Matthew the instructions to the disciples are much more extensive (Matt 10). “Neither a staff” (verse 3). Here the evangelist Luke agrees not with Mark, but with Matthew (see Mark 6:8; Matt 10:10).

Luke 9:7. Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that Jesus was doing; and he was perplexed, because some said that John had risen from the dead; Luke 9:8. and others, that Elijah had appeared; and others, that one of the old prophets had risen again. Luke 9:9. And Herod said: John I have beheaded; but who is this about whom I hear such things? And he sought to see Him. (See Mark 6:14-16; Matt 14:1-2). “But who is this...” In the evangelist Mark, Herod speaks definitely, saying that this is the risen John (Mark 6:16); whereas the evangelist Luke, as it were, hesitates to put such an incredible thought into the mouth of Herod, a cultured man. “And he sought to see Him.” Conscience troubled Herod, and he thought that by a personal meeting with this mysterious man, perhaps a prophet, he might quiet his heart.

Luke 9:10. And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him what they had done. And taking them, He withdrew apart into a desert place near a city called Bethsaida. Luke 9:11. But when the people knew it, they followed Him. And He welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and healed those who were in need of healing. Luke 9:12. Now the day was beginning to decline. And the twelve came and said to Him: Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about and lodge and get food; for we are here in a desert place. Luke 9:13. But He said to them: You give them something to eat. And they said: We have no more than five loaves and two fishes; unless we go and buy food for all these people. Luke 9:14. For there were about five thousand men. And He said to His disciples: Have them sit down in groups of fifty. Luke 9:15. And they did so, and made all sit down. Luke 9:16. And He took the five loaves and the two fishes and, looking up to heaven, He blessed them and broke them and gave them to the disciples to distribute to the multitude. Luke 9:17. And they ate and were all satisfied; and there were taken up of the fragments that remained to them twelve baskets. Regarding the miracle of the feeding of the people, the evangelist Luke tells the account in a condensed form, following Mark (Mark 6:30-44; cf. Matt 14:13-21). He merely defines more precisely the direction of the path by which Christ departed. “Near the city...” (verse 10) – more accurately: “in the direction of the city called Bethsaida,” that is, on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Gennesaret. On Bethsaida see the commentaries to Mark 6:45.

Luke 9:18. And it came to pass, as He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am? Luke 9:19. They answered and said, “John the Baptist; but some say Elijah; and others, that one of the ancient prophets has risen. Luke 9:20. Then He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God. Luke 9:21. But He strictly charged them to tell this to no one, Luke 9:22. saying that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. Luke 9:23. And He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. Luke 9:24. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake, the same will save it. Luke 9:25. For what advantage is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses himself or is cast away? Luke 9:26. For whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed, when He comes in His own glory and that of the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:27. And I say to you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God. The confession of the apostle Peter and the prediction of Christ concerning His sufferings, the evangelist Luke sets forth in accordance with Mark (Mark 8:27-9:1; cf. Matt 16:13-28). “When He was praying in a solitary place” (verse 18). Only the evangelist Luke makes mention of this prayer of Christ. “And He said to all” (verse 23). According to the Gospel of Mark, the Lord at this time called to Himself the crowds that were following Him (Mark 8:34).

Luke 9:28. And it came to pass, about eight days after these words, He took Peter, John, and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. Luke 9:29. And as He was praying, the appearance of His face was transformed, and His clothing became white and gleaming. Luke 9:30. And behold, two men were talking with Him, who were Moses and Elijah; Luke 9:31. who appeared in glory, and were speaking of His exodus, which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem. Luke 9:32. But Peter and those who were with him were weighed down with sleep; but, awakening, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. Luke 9:33. And when they were parting from Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master! it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah,” not knowing what he was saying. Luke 9:34. And while he was speaking thus, a cloud appeared and overshadowed them; and they were afraid when they entered into the cloud. Luke 9:35. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, the Beloved, listen to Him. Luke 9:36. And when the voice had come, Jesus was alone. And they kept silence, and reported to no one in those days anything of what they had seen. Luke 9:37. And it came to pass on the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a great crowd met Him. Luke 9:38. And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, saying, “Teacher! I beseech You, look upon my son, for he is my only child; Luke 9:39. a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out, and it tears him so that he foams at the mouth; and it scarcely departs from him, bruising him. Luke 9:40. And I asked Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not. Luke 9:41. And Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation! how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here. Luke 9:42. And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and tore him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. Luke 9:43. And all were amazed at the majesty of God. But while all were marveling at all the things which Jesus was doing, He said to His disciples, Luke 9:44. “Let these words sink into your ears: the Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men. Luke 9:45. But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them, that they might not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying. Regarding the Transfiguration of the Lord and the healing of the demon-possessed boy, the evangelist Luke speaks in accordance with Mark (Mark 9:2-32; cf. Matt 17:1-9). But in doing so he introduces into the account certain new details. “About eight days” (verse 28) – an expression quite indefinite. The evangelist Luke probably counts here both the day of the confession of the apostle Peter and the day of the Transfiguration, so that his count comes out two days more than in Matthew and Mark. “And when He was praying” (verse 29; see Luke 3:21). Only the evangelist Luke speaks of Christ’s prayer before the Transfiguration. “The appearance of His face” (verse 29). The evangelist Luke here combines into one the two expressions of Matthew (Matt 17:2). “Having appeared in glory” (verse 31), that is, in splendor, surrounded by heavenly radiance. “They were speaking of His exodus” (verse 31). Only the evangelist Luke makes this remark. By “exodus” is here understood Christ’s departure from this earthly life through death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven (cf. 2 Pet 1:15). They spoke of this in order to give the representatives of the apostles the assurance that the death of Christ, which troubled them so much (Matt 16:22 and following), was foreseen even in the Old Testament. “Were weighed down with sleep...” (verse 32). Only the evangelist Luke mentions this. In all probability the disciples were sleeping while Christ was praying, and they awoke just as the light from the face of the Lord shone forth and Moses and Elijah appeared in its radiance. “When they were parting from Him” (verse 33). According to the Gospel of Luke, Peter by his proposal intended to prevent the departing Moses and Elijah. “Overshadowed them” (verse 34) – not Moses and Elijah, as B. Weiss interprets, but the disciples, because immediately it is said “and they were afraid” – assuredly not Moses and Elijah, but the disciples. “Look upon my son” (verse 38), that is, cast upon him Your merciful gaze, help him (cf. Luke 1:48). “For he is my only child” (verse 38). Only the evangelist Luke adds this.

Luke 9:46. And there came a dispute among them, who of them should be the greatest. Luke 9:47. But Jesus, perceiving the thought of their hearts, took a child and set him before Him, Luke 9:48. and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for whoever is least among you all, the same is great. Luke 9:49. And John said, “Master! we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him, because he does not follow with us. Luke 9:50. But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him; for whoever is not against you is for you. The teachings of Christ concerning humility, the evangelist Luke sets forth in accordance with Mark (Mark 9:33-40). “Set him before Him” (in Mark – “in the midst of them”). By this the Lord shows that the child is dearer to Him than the disciples, who thought themselves greater than all other people.

Luke 9:51. And it came to pass, when the days of His taking up were being fulfilled, He set His face toward Jerusalem; Luke 9:52. and He sent messengers before His face; and they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him; Luke 9:53. but they did not receive Him, because His face was set toward Jerusalem. Luke 9:54. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord! do You will that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elijah did? Luke 9:55. But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; Luke 9:56. for the Son of Man came not to destroy the lives of people, but to save them. And they went into another village. This section is found only in the Gospel of Luke. “When the days of His taking up were being fulfilled...” The word “taking up” (ἀνάληψις) is used only in this one place, but in subsequent Christian writings it clearly denotes the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven (Switzer. Tes., p. 282). Thus the evangelist Luke begins here the history of Christ’s journey from Galilee to Jerusalem for the Passover of the Passion. This journey, according to Luke’s account, was not direct – for a direct journey would have required only three days – but a slow visitation of those cities and villages of Galilee and Perea which the Lord wished to enlighten with the light of the Gospel. At the same time it is indicated that Christ intended to pass through Samaria and that He was not received by the Samaritans, after which there is again a visitation of Galilee, and then Christ appears again at the borders of Samaria (Luke 17:11). “He set His face toward Jerusalem.” More precisely: “He steadfastly set His face toward Jerusalem” (τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐστήριξε – a Hebraism; cf. Jer 21:10). Thus from this point on Jerusalem becomes the goal toward which Christ’s gaze is constantly directed. “To prepare for Him” (verse 52), that is, to prepare the Samaritans for His arrival, as the Samaritans, as is evident from the following verse 53, viewed unfavorably Christ’s journey to Jerusalem, where, they supposed, Christ would declare Himself king. They were extremely displeased that their enemies – the Jews – were about to receive such a great mercy from Him whom they themselves had already recognized (John 4) as the Messiah (cf. Matt 11:3). “When this was seen” (verse 54), that is, when they learned of it from the returning “messengers.” In response to the angry declaration of the sons of Zebedee, whom the Lord Himself called sons of thunder (Mark 3:17), who wished, like the prophet Elijah, to bring down fire on the foolish Samaritans, the Lord answers that they do not understand, clearly, that as disciples of Christ, living in the New Testament rather than the Old, as did Elijah, they must not resort to those harsh measures of instruction to which the prophets of the Old Testament resorted. Elijah also had the Spirit of God within him, but that Spirit was different, manifesting itself differently, than the Spirit by whose action the disciples of Christ stand. “What kind of spirit you are of” (verse 55). The word “Spirit” should be written with a capital letter, not lowercase as in the Russian translation, because the Greek expression εἶναι πνεύματος means to stand, to remain in dependence on the Spirit – of course, God’s Spirit. Cf. Mark 9:41. “Another village” (verse 56) – most likely, no longer Samaritan. The Lord goes, probably through Galilee and Perea, where pilgrims from the north usually traveled to Jerusalem.

Luke 9:57. And it happened, as they were journeying on the road, someone said to Him, “Lord! I will follow You wherever You go. Luke 9:58. 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. Luke 9:59. And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord! permit me first to go and bury my father. Luke 9:60. But Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God. Luke 9:61. And another also said, “Lord! I will follow You; but first permit me to say farewell to those of my household. Luke 9:62. But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. The evangelist Luke sets forth the answers of the Lord to those who wished to follow Him in accordance with Matthew (cf. Matt 8:19-22). It is difficult to say why he places this event at the time of Christ’s journey to Jerusalem, when, according to the evangelist Matthew, it took place much earlier. Perhaps it seemed to him more fitting to place this account here, as somewhat revealing the condition of affairs at that time. Christ goes to His death, and those desiring to become His disciples, as it were, sense the danger to which both the disciples of Christ and they themselves will soon be exposed, and they ask Him to allow them to say farewell to their relatives, whom they will no longer see... As for the first answer of Christ – concerning His lack of a dwelling place – it was quite appropriate to the circumstances at hand, when the Samaritans had just refused to receive Christ. “But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God” (verse 60). By this addition, made only by the evangelist Luke, the seemingly harsh answer of the Lord to the request of one who had wished, or rather, been called by the Lord to follow Him, is somewhat softened. Now – the Lord seems to say – time is precious: the Kingdom of God, or the Kingdom of the Messiah, will soon be revealed, and people must be prepared for this more quickly. “And another also said.” This request and the Lord’s answer to it (verses 61–62) are found only in the evangelist Luke. The person making the request apparently had not yet fully decided whether to follow Christ – he apparently wants to consult with his household, concealing this intention under the appearance of a natural desire to say farewell to them. The Lord in a figurative speech says that one cannot undertake the new service with any doubts. No, one must give oneself to it wholly, sincerely, with all one’s heart; otherwise such a disciple will constantly be looking back, like a plowman indifferent to his work. One cannot expect any benefit from such an attitude to the work of spreading the Gospel.