JESUS Anointed by a Sinful Woman

       Now one of the Pharisees invited JESUS to have dinner with him, so HE went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that JESUS was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind HIM at HIS feet weeping, she began to wet HIS feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

       When the Pharisee who had invited HIM saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner."

       JESUS answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."

       "Tell me, teacher," he said.

       "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

       Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."

       "You have judged correctly," JESUS said.

       Then HE turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give ME any water for MY feet, but she wet MY feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give ME a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing MY feet. You did not put oil on MY head, but she has poured perfume on MY feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

       Then JESUS said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

       The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

       JESUS said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Gospel of Luke: chapter 7, verses 36 - 50

The Parable of the Sower

       After this, JESUS traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of GOD. The Twelve were with HIM, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

       While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to JESUS from town after town, HE told this parable: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown."

       When HE said this, HE called out, "He who has ears to her, let him hear."

       HIS disciples asked HIM what this parable meant. HE said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of GOD has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that,

       " 'though seeing, they may not see;

          though hearing, they may not understand.'

       "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of GOD. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Gospel of Luke: chapter 8, verses 1 - 15

A Lamp on a Stand

       "No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him."

Gospel of Luke: chapter 8, verses 16 - 18

JESUS' Mother and Brothers

       Now JESUS' mother and brothers came to see HIM, but they were not able to get near HIM because of the crowd. Someone told HIM, "YOUR mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see YOU."

       HE replied, "MY mother and brothers are those who hear GOD'S word and put it into practice."

Gospel of Luke: chapter 8, verses 19 - 21

JESUS Calms the Storm

       One day JESUS said to HIS disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, HE fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

       The disciples went and woke HIM, saying, "MASTER, MASTER, we're going to drown!"

       HE got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. "Where is your faith?" HE asked HIS disciples.

       In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? HE commands even the winds and the water, and they obey HIM."

Gospel of Luke: chapter 8, verses 22 - 25

The Healing of a Demon-possessed Man

       They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. When JESUS stepped ashore, HE was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. When he saw JESUS, he cried out and fell at HIS feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do YOU want with me, JESUS, SON OF THE MOST HIGH GOD? I beg YOU, don't torture me!" For JESUS had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

       JESUS asked him, "What is your name!"

       "Legion," he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And they begged HIM repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.

       A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged JESUS to let them go into them, and HE gave them permission. When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

       When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to JESUS, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at JESUS' feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked JESUS to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So HE got into the boat and left.

       The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with HIM, but JESUS sent him away, saying, "Return home and tell how much GOD has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much JESUS had done for him.

Gospel of Luke: chapter 8, verses 26 - 39

A Dead Girl and a Sick Woman

       Now when JESUS returned, a crowd welcomed HIM, for they were all expecting HIM. Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at JESUS' feet, pleading with HIM to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

       As JESUS was on HIS way, the crowds almost crushed HIM. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind HIM and touched the edge of HIS cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

       "Who touched ME?" JESUS asked.

       When they all denied it, Peter said, "MASTER, the people are crowding and pressing against YOU."

       But JESUS said, "Someone touched ME; I know that power has gone out from ME."

       Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at HIS feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched HIM and how she had been instantly healed. Then HE said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

       While JESUS was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," he said. "Don't bother the teacher any more."

       Hearing this, JESUS said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed."

       When HE arrived at the house of Jairus, HE did not let anyone go in with HIM except Peter, John and James, and the child's father and mother. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. "Stop wailing," JESUS said. "She is not dead but asleep."

       They laughed at HIM, knowing that she was dead. But HE took her by the hand and said, "MY child, get up!" Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then JESUS told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astonished, but HE ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

Gospel of Luke: chapter 8, verses 40 - 56

JESUS Sends Out the Twelve

       When JESUS had called the Twelve together, HE gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and HE sent them out to preach the kingdom of GOD and to heal the sick. HE told them: "Take nothing for the journey--no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them." So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.

       Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed, because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. But Herod said, "I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?" And he tried to see HIM.

Gospel of Luke: chapter 9, verses 1 - 9

JESUS Feeds the Five Thousand

       When the apostles returned, they reported to JESUS what they had done. Then HE took them with HIM and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, but the crowds learned about it and followed HIM. HE welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of GOD, and healed those who needed healing.

       Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to HIM and said, "Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here."

       HE replied, "You give them something to eat."

       They answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish--unless we go and buy food for all this crowd." (About five thousand men were there.)

       But HE said to HIS disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." The disciples did so, and everybody sat down. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, HE gave thanks and broke them. Then HE gave them to the disciples to set before the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Gospel of Luke: chapter 9, verses 10 - 17

Peter's Confession of CHRIST

       Once when JESUS was praying in private and HIS disciples were with HIM, HE asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?"

       They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life."

       "But what about you?" HE asked. "Who do you say I AM?"

       Peter answered, "THE CHRIST of GOD."

       JESUS strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. And HE said, "THE SON OF MAN must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and HE must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."

       Then HE said to them all: "If anyone would come after ME, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow ME. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for ME will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of ME and MY words, THE SON OF MAN will be ashamed of him when he comes in HIS glory and in the glory of THE FATHER and of the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of GOD."

Gospel of Luke: chapter 9, verses 18 - 27