The Gospel of Luke

by Pablo T. Gadenz

  The Twelve Sent on Mission (9:1–6)

  1He summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2and he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal [the sick]. 3He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. 4Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. 5And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.” 6Then they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.

  NT: Luke 10:1–12; Acts 13:51; 18:6. // Matt 10:1, 5–14; Mark 6:7–13

  Catechism: mission of the Twelve, 551

  [9:1–2]

  Jesus equips the Twelve (6:13; 8:1) to share in his ministry, thus multiplying his outreach and training them for their future mission. He gives them the power and authority by which he performs exorcisms and healing miracles (see 4:36; 5:17, 24; 8:46), so that they may similarly expel demons and cure diseases. The significance of their being called “apostles” (6:13) becomes clear, as they are sent (verb apostellō) by Jesus. Extending his mission, they go forth to proclaim the kingdom of God (see 8:1) and to heal [the sick] (see 6:18–19).

  [9:3]

  Jesus gives them specific directions. They are to take nothing for the journey, leaving everything behind (see 5:11, 28). Those sent on mission have to travel light and not be weighed down by excess baggage. They must forgo not only nonessential things like a walking stick (see Matt 10:10; Mark 6:8) but also basic necessities such as food, money, and a second tunic (a change of shirt). Neither do they need a sack in which to carry such things. Through this radical simplicity, Jesus is teaching them to rely more on God than on their own resources. The apostles will be stepping out in faith, trusting that they will receive what they need. In the next chapter, Jesus will give similar instructions to a larger group of disciples whom he sends out (Luke 10:4). Later in the passion narrative, however, Jesus will instead tell his disciples to take a sack and a money bag (22:35–36) on account of the more hostile circumstances that the disciples will face.

  [9:4]

  Wherever they go, they are to find a house as their base and stay there until they move on. This practice is intended to ensure an upright intention, avoiding any semblance of pandering to the wealthy, who could give more comfortable hospitality (see 1 Pet 5:2).

  [9:5]

  It is to be expected that, like those who reject Jesus (Luke 4:28–29; 6:11), some will not welcome the apostles. In this case, they are to shake the dust off their feet as they leave that town (see Acts 13:51; 18:6). This action gives testimony of God’s coming judgment unless such people repent (see Luke 10:10–14).

  [9:6]

  The apostles obediently set out on their mission, curing diseases and proclaiming the good news (verb euangelizō). An equivalent expression for their preaching task occurs earlier in the passage: “Proclaim the kingdom of God” (v. 2, verb kēryssō). These two verbs—from which come English words like “evangelization” and “kerygma”—were used earlier to describe Jesus’ ministry of preaching (see 4:18–19, 43–44; 8:1). They are applied to the apostles’ mission here and later in Acts (Acts 8:4–5; 28:31). They continue to apply to the Church’s mission today.

  Herod Inquires about Jesus (9:7–9)

  7Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying, “John has been raised from the dead”; 8others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”; still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.” 9But Herod said, “John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see him.

  OT: Mal 3:23

  NT: Luke 13:31; 23:8. // Matt 14:1–2; Mark 6:14–16

  [9:7–9]

  Hearing all the news, Herod raises the question of Jesus’ identity that has frequently appeared throughout the Galilean ministry (5:21; 7:19–20, 49; 8:25): Who then is this? The reports he gets are the same as those given later by the disciples (9:19). Some think that Jesus is John the Baptist raised from the dead. When readers last heard about John (7:18–19), he was still in prison (3:20), but since then he has been beheaded by Herod (Matt 14:3–12; Mark 6:17–29), adding to the list of Herod’s “evil deeds” (Luke 3:19). Others—perhaps linking Jesus’ miracles to Old Testament precedent—think that Jesus is Elijah, who was foretold to appear again (Mal 3:23). Another opinion is that he is one of the ancient prophets who has arisen, perhaps even the prophet like Moses who is supposed to arise (Deut 18:15, 18; 34:10). Although these reports are inaccurate or incomplete, they correctly recognize that Jesus is a prophetic figure (Luke 4:24; 7:16, 39). Ironically, he is the one who will rise from the dead.

  Herod is trying to see him, perhaps for evil intent (13:31) or out of idle curiosity (23:8). Knowing the fate of John, Jesus is not so eager to see Herod. It is probably no coincidence that the New Testament never mentions a visit by Jesus to Herod’s two capital cities, Sepphoris and Tiberias. Jesus sought to avoid him.

  The Feeding of the Five Thousand (9:10–17)

  10When the apostles returned, they explained to him what they had done. He took them and withdrew in private to a town called Bethsaida. 11The crowds, meanwhile, learned of this and followed him. He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed to be cured. 12As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve approached him and said, “Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.” 13He said to them, “Give them some food yourselves.” They replied, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people.” 14Now the men there numbered about five thousand. Then he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of [about] fifty.” 15They did so and made them all sit down. 16Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets.

  OT: Exod 16; Num 11; 1 Sam 21:4; 1 Kings 17:8–16; 2 Kings 4:42–44

  NT: Luke 6:4; 22:19; 24:30, 35. // Matt 14:13–21; Mark 6:30–44; John 6:1–13

  Catechism: prefiguring the Eucharist, 1335

  Lectionary: Luke 9:11–17: Corpus Christi (Year C); Institution of Acolytes

  [9:10–11]

  When the apostles returned from their mission, Jesus took them and withdrew from public view. The purpose, according to Mark, was so that they might rest from their labors (Mark 6:31). However, the reference to Herod (Luke 9:7–9), which Luke has so compactly sandwiched between the apostles’ setting out and their returning (9:6, 10), suggests that Jesus may have withdrawn because of the threat posed by Herod (see Matt 14:12–13). His aim in going toward Bethsaida is to get out of Herod’s territory. Bethsaida (see Luke 10:13) was a fishing village at the northern end of the Sea of Galilee, but east of the Jordan River and hence in Philip’s tetrarchy. It was also the town of origin of Peter, Andrew, and Philip (John 1:44).

  What was intended as a retreat in private soon became known, and the crowds followed Jesus and his apostles. He received or welcomed them, as they had welcomed him (Luke 8:40), and proceeds to minister to them in word and deed.

  [9:12–15]

  A complication arises when the day is far spent. They are in a deserted place (erēmos), so the Twelve want Jesus to let the people go to the surrounding villages for provisions. The mention of a “deserted” (i.e., uninhabited) place and nearby “villages” (as in Matt 14:13, 15; Mark 6:31–32, 35–36) indicates that they have not yet arrived at Bethsaida. Some scholars say the feeding miracle took place in its vicinity, but a better explanation is that they have just begun withdrawing “towards” Bethsaida (Luke 9:10 NJB).1 Indeed, Mark mentions Bethsaida as the
destination to which the disciples are headed by boat after the miracle (Mark 6:45). The miracle could then have occurred where early Christian tradition situates it, Tabgha, a little southwest of Capernaum.2

  Figure 11. Mosaic of loaves and fish (fifth or sixth century) in the Tabgha Church of the Multiplication. [© Baker Publishing Group]

  Rather than dismiss the crowd, however, Jesus tells the Twelve to return the favor of hospitality that they received during their mission: give them some food yourselves. They take stock of the little they have—five loaves (artos) and two fish—and so wonder if they need to buy food for all these people. Jesus instead has them make the people sit down in groups of [about] fifty. The men are about five thousand in number. These details allude to several biblical passages, thus presenting Jesus as the one prefigured by various Old Testament people and events.

  1. In the time of Moses, when the people needed food in the “wilderness” (erēmos, Exod 16:3, 14, 32 LXX), God gave them manna—namely, “bread” (artos, Exod 16:4, 12, 15, 32 LXX). When the people were also clamoring for the fish they ate in Egypt (Num 11:5, 22), God gave them quail (Exod 16:13; Num 11:31–32).3 Moreover, Moses like the apostles was concerned about the burden of feeding “all this people” (Num 11:12–13). The arrangement in groups of “fifty” may also recall Israel in the wilderness (Exod 18:21, 25; Deut 1:15; see Mark 6:40). The similarities suggest that Jesus is the prophet like Moses (Luke 7:16; 9:8; Deut 18:15) who is bringing about a new exodus (see the sidebar, “Isaiah’s New Exodus Fulfilled in Luke-Acts,” p. 84). Shortly, Moses will appear with Jesus at the transfiguration, where indeed they will converse about Jesus’ “exodus” (Luke 9:30–31). In the intervening passage, Jesus will be identified as the Messiah (9:20). In Jewish literature of the time, there was the expectation that the manna would return in the days of the Messiah: “And it shall come to pass when all is accomplished . . . that the Messiah shall then begin to be revealed. . . . And it shall come to pass at that self-same time that the treasury of manna shall again descend from on high, and they will eat of it in those years.”4

  2. As Jesus told the apostles to “give” the people to eat, so did the prophet Elisha in a similar case where there were twenty loaves to feed a hundred men, yet they ate and had some left over (2 Kings 4:42–44). Jesus has already compared himself to Elisha by his words and deeds (Luke 4:27; 7:1–17). He now works a greater miracle than Elisha, with fewer loaves for more men. Elisha was himself recognized as a great miracle worker, performing “twice as many marvels” as Elijah (Sir 48:12), one way of interpreting his receiving a double portion of his spirit (2 Kings 2:9). Jesus is compared with both Elijah (Luke 9:8, 19, 30) and Elisha but is greater than both.

  3. The phrase “five loaves” occurs in the Old Testament only when David asks Ahimelech for “five loaves” (1 Sam 21:4), the passage to which Jesus referred in the incident of picking grain on the sabbath (Luke 6:3–4). Unlike Matthew and Mark, Luke links the feeding miracle to this sabbath controversy by referring to bread that is taken and given (6:4 NRSV; 9:16). David, who was running from Saul, took five loaves and gave them to his men, much as now Jesus, who is avoiding Herod, takes five loaves and gives them to his apostles. In this way, Jesus nourishes his flock, as Ezekiel foretold: “I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them” (Ezek 34:23 RSV).5 Jesus will presently be identified as the “Messiah” (Luke 9:20), a Davidic title (2:11).

  [9:16]

  The miracle itself occurs through a simple series of actions. Taking the loaves and fish and while looking up to heaven, Jesus said the blessing and broke them. He then gave them to his disciples, who thus play an intermediary role in distributing the food to the people. Jesus’ action of “looking to heaven” is typical for a person praying (18:13; Mark 7:34; John 17:1; Acts 7:55). His other four actions—taking, blessing, breaking, and giving the bread—are all found in accounts of the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper (Matt 26:26; Mark 14:22). For “bless,” Luke’s account substitutes the equivalent “give thanks” (eucharisteō in Luke 22:19; see Matt 15:36; Mark 8:6), as is also found in Paul’s account (1 Cor 11:24). The feeding miracle thus points forward to the greater miracle of the Eucharist. The meal scene at Emmaus likewise has the same four actions—“He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them”—by which Jesus is “recognized” (Luke 24:30–31). Here too, following “the breaking of the bread,” Jesus is “made known” (24:35) as Messiah (9:20).

  [9:17]

  Like the people in the days of Moses who ate their “fill of bread” (Exod 16:8, 12), here too all ate and were satisfied. In this sign of the messianic banquet, the promise of the beatitude is thus fulfilled: “Blessed are you who are now hungry, / for you will be satisfied” (Luke 6:21). Moreover, like the miracle of Elisha where there was “some left over” (2 Kings 4:43–44), here too there are plenty of leftover fragments. The twelve wicker baskets that they fill—one for each of the “Twelve” (Luke 9:12)—is another sign that Jesus is bringing about the restoration of Israel by regathering the twelve tribes.

  Reflection and Application (9:10–17)

  Looking up to heaven. An echo of Jesus’ action in the feeding miracle is found in the First Eucharistic Prayer (Roman Canon), highlighting the connection between the miracle, the Last Supper, and the Eucharist: “He took bread in his holy and venerable hands, and with eyes raised to heaven to you, O God, his almighty Father, giving you thanks, he said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my Body, which will be given up for you.”6

  Peter’s Messianic Confession and Jesus’ First Passion Prediction (9:18–27)

  18Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” 20Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Messiah of God.” 21He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

  22He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

  23Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself? 26Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

  OT: 2 Sam 7:12–16; Ps 118:22; Dan 7:13–14; 9:26; Hosea 6:2

  NT: Luke 2:11; 12:9; 14:27; 17:25, 33; 18:31–33; 20:17; 24:7; Rom 1:16. // Matt 16:13–28; Mark 8:27–9:1

  Catechism: Jesus at prayer, 2600; Peter’s confession, 552; passion prediction, 557; the daily cross, 1435

  Lectionary: Luke 9:18–24: Twelfth Sunday Ordinary Time (Year C); Luke 9:22–25: Thursday after Ash Wednesday

  [9:18–19]

  As at other significant moments in the Gospel, Jesus is praying (see comment on 3:21). The time has now come to address the question of his identity directly. He therefore asks the disciples: Who do the crowds say that I am? Their response is the same as what Herod has been hearing (9:7–8): John the Baptist or Elijah or one of the ancient prophets. All of these suggestions recognize Jesus as some kind of prophet (see 7:16). As there is consensus on this point, Jesus can go further and begin a new stage of revelation regarding his identity.

  [9:20]

  He thus asks a second question: Who do you say that I am? The one who answers is Peter, who identifies Jesus as the Messiah of God. This truth was earlier announced by an angel (2:11), revealed to Simeon (2:26), and known by demons (4:41). How
ever, Peter, the first in the list of apostles (6:14), is the first human being who, in response to Jesus’ public ministry, confesses him as the awaited Messiah (christos, “anointed one”). Jesus himself had indirectly referred to this title in the Nazareth synagogue, when he applied to himself the words of the prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, / because he has anointed me” (Luke 4:18 [emphasis added]). Moreover, after being recognized as a prophet (7:16), Jesus had prepared for this further recognition of his identity by explaining John’s role as a prophet who prepares for the Messiah (7:26–27).

  BIBLICAL BACKGROUND

  Messianic Expectations

  Among the Jewish people, there emerged by the †Hasmonean era, a century or so before Jesus’ birth, expectations for a messiah (Hebrew mashiah, “anointed one”; Greek christos).a God would raise up a leader who would restore Israel (Ezek 37:21–25), overthrow (Ps 2) or convert the Gentiles (Isa 49:6), renew temple worship (Zech 6:12–13), and bring about an era of peace (Isa 9:5–6) and righteousness (Jer 23:5–6). In the Old Testament, an “anointed” figure could be a king (1 Sam 16:13; 2 Sam 2:4; 5:3; 1 Kings 1:39), a priest (Exod 28:41; 30:30; 40:13, 15), or even a prophet (1 Kings 19:16). Messianic hopes thus looked for a king, specifically one in the line of David, in fulfillment of Old Testament promises (2 Sam 7:11–16; Ps 132:10–11; Isa 11:1–4; Ezek 34:23–24). The Psalms of Solomon, written in the first century BC and not part of the Bible, witness to these hopes: “See, O Lord, and raise up for them their king, the son of [David] . . . / to rule over Israel, your servant. . . . And he shall be a righteous king . . . / and there shall be no injustice in his days . . . / for all shall be holy, and their king the anointed of the Lord.”b Moreover, based on biblical texts that speak of “the anointed priest” (Lev 4:3, 5, 16; 6:15) and of dual leadership (Zech 4:14; 6:11), some Qumran documents speak of two messiahs, with precedence seemingly given to the priestly messiah of Aaron.c Since other biblical texts speak of a prophet to come like Moses (Deut 18:15, 18), the return of Elijah (Mal 3:23), and an anointed prophet (Isa 61:1), some Qumran documents also speak of a prophetic messiah.d In Luke, Jesus fulfills these diverse expectations of a messiah who is priest, prophet, and king.