Luke 9: 50

"But Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he who is not against you is for you."  The impulse to protect our niche in the marketplace of life seems to be very strong.  Jesus' learners returned, calling him On-Stander (ultra literal title), and reported an odd incident.  They had seen someone who "followeth not with us" AND who was also "casting out little-teachings in thy name".  The Etymological New Testament translates DAIMONIA, typically "demon", ultra literally from the root word for "teaching", which also has a diminutive grammatical ending.  Thus "little-teaching".  What is the right response to someone encroaching on our turf?  Doing what we do and using our motif? The necessary response is obvious: Stop Them.  Jesus' reply turns the exclusive impulse on its head.  If someone is not specifically against you, then they are for you!  If the ersatz followers of Jesus could only embrace this one concept...how different this world would look.

Luke 9:46-48

"And there arose a through-word among them, which of them was the greatest.  But when Jesus perceived the through-word of their heart, he took a little girl, and set her by his side, and said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this little girl in my name receiveth me:"  Of the various compound words in Greek, those having to do with LOGOS, Greek for "word" or message or saying or thought, etc, are very interesting.  Here, the Etymological New Testament very literally has a "through-word" arising among Jesus' learners.  Typically translated "dispute" or "argument" in this passage, it uses "through" as an intensifier.  They were having a very intense discussion!  But, Jesus also perceived that this intensity was heartfelt.  Often, intense discussions are among life' greatest joys, but if they are purely self-seeking, they are among the worst of afflictions. In this case, the argument was not so positive. They were trying to adjudicate who was the greatest!  The solution: Jesus set a little girl among them as an illustration.  The ENT allows the English reader to see the breadth of the semantic range of the Greek word in this passage, which includes both male and female children.  Because English is more male-centric than is Koine Greek, most of our English translations sound more gender specific than the original text actually intends.  One way to overcome this is to help the English reader feel the range of possibilities more explicitly...as in this passage!  One way to "receive" Jesus: receive a little girl, a little child, and so receive him. 

Luke 9:44,45

"Be placing these words into your ears: for the Son of humanity shall be beside-given into the hands of humans.  But they un-knew this saying, and it was beside-covered from them, that they should not be sensing it; and they were afraid to ask him about this saying."  Jesus had just "on-valued the unclean wind" in the preceding verses.  And as they were still astounded by that action, he asks them to "be placing" these words "into your ears."  Rather than the more mundane translation of "listen to what I'm saying", the Etymological New Testament ultra literally asks (all of us!) to continually (the linear action of the verb) be placing these words in our ears.  We need to listen with intentionality to this teaching. And the teaching is about suffering, the very thing we are inclined to tune out.  The word typically translated as "betray" is here "beside-given" reflecting the two Greek components that make up this word.  When someone was "given to the side", they were betrayed.  And this is what Jesus faces from foe and friend. By translating ultra literally and etymologically, the ENT lets us see the connection between what Jesus felt was coming for him vs. how his learners received the saying.  He is "beside-given" while his saying is "beside-covered" from them!  Off to the side and covered...that's why they "un-knew" what he was talking about.  They could not even "sense" what he was saying.  We certainly have to consider if we are willing to stand firm for the Jesus-way-of-life, even in the face of some serious opposition...and can we even hear the call?

Luke 9:30-32

"And behold, there talked with him two men, who were Moses and Elijah; who appeared in esteem and spoke of his out-way which he was about to make-full at Jerusalem.  Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep: but when they were fully awake, they perceived his esteem, and the men who stood with him."  Often translated "glory", DOXA is ultra literally "esteem".  To glorify someone or something is to genuinely hold in esteem.  In these verses, Jesus and Moses and Elijah are said to "appear" in esteem.  And, when "fully awake", the learners are able to "perceive his esteem".   And so for us!  The topic of the conversation was Jesus' "out-way", from Greek EXODUS.  And Jesus was about to make this full at Jerusalem.  As you read the Etymological New Testament, you will note the various usages of "making full".  Adding fullness to life (and death) as well as to Scripture itself, is a strong emphasis in the New Testament.  There are good themes in this brief passage, from esteem to fullness.

Luke 9:29

"And as he was toward-good-having, the perception of his face was altered, and his clothing became white and out-gleam-flinging."  The reality stayed the same, but the perception of his face changed as Jesus was having (or holding) himself and his learners toward the good.  And then his clothing, his outward appearance, became very white...to the perception. One of the fascinating aspects of reading the Etymological New Testament is noting connections between words.  The star that led the Magi to Jesus in Matthew 2 is ultra literally a "gleamer".  Jesus' early life begins with the gleaming leading the wise to teem toward him.  Now, Jesus' outward perception becomes "out-gleam-flinging".  One three-part word in Greek and thus hyphenated in the ENT.  Jesus is radiating star light, here, on the mount!  Just as the gleaming led the Magi years ago, so the gleaming shows his learners whom they are learning from.

Luke 9:28

"And it became about eight days after these words, that he took with him Peter and John and James, and up-stepped into the mountain to toward-good-have."  Luke intentionally connects this verse with the previous one by noting that it's just been eight days since Jesus' statement about perceiving the realm.  So the four of them proceed (ultra literally "up-step") to ascend the mountain for one purpose: to toward-good-have.  Typically translated as "prayer", the Greek PROSEUCHE is a three part word that is always rendered into English, by the Etymological New Testament, very literally.  Prayer is directional, "toward", it is toward goodness or, just as literally, it could be translated "well-being", and it is something we "have" or hold.  Etymologically, prayer is to have or hold ourselves or others toward well being/goodness.  Jesus and his close associates went up into the mountain to hold-toward-well being, themselves and others...and so should we.

Luke 9:27

"But I tell you of a truth, there are some of those who stand here, who shall in no way taste of death, till they perceive the realm of Placer." Over the next several posts we'll look at the entire episode of verses 27-36.  After discussing, in the immediately preceding verses, the idea of trading one's selfhood for the entire system (a terrible bargain!), Jesus now speaks of perceiving Placer's realm.  But first he establishes the time frame, "who shall in no way taste of death".  That is, Jesus is speaking of a realized eschatology.  Before some, who are standing here now, taste death, i.e. fully experience death, they shall have this experience of perceiving the new realm.  It is a "this life" experience that Jesus is speaking of.  His emphasis is unmistakable, the promise is that we become able to see the realm of Placer now, as we live and work today in this too often repressive system.  In the next post we shall see how they began to perceive the new realm, but here Jesus is clear, "tell you...truth", this ability to see the new realm that is here, even now, is something to see (present tense) being realized within the current system, cultural, political and religious, that encompasses all of us.  Jesus' vision of human relationships is not an unrealistic, futuristic pipe dream.  It is a way to live today so that we can see the new divine realm unfold.