The Pharisees have begun to notice Jesus's growing ministry and the increasing number of disciples He is baptizing through His followers, which surpasses even John the Baptist's following. To avoid premature confrontation with the religious authorities, Jesus decides to leave Judea and return to Galilee. His journey requires Him to pass through Samaria, a region Jews typically avoided due to longstanding ethnic and religious tensions between Jews and Samaritans. Jesus arrives at Jacob's well near the Samaritan town of Sychar around noon, tired from His travels. His disciples have gone into the town to purchase food, leaving Him alone at the well. A Samaritan woman approaches to draw water, and Jesus initiates a conversation by asking her for a drink. This request startles the woman because Jewish men traditionally would not speak to Samaritan women or share drinking vessels with Samaritans, whom they considered ritually unclean. Jesus is addressing the Samaritan woman.
[1] Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John [2] (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), [3] He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. [4] But He needed to go through Samaria.
[5] So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. [6] Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
[7] A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” [8] For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
[9] Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
[10] Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
[11] The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? [12] Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”
[13] Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, [14] but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
[15] The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”
[16] Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
[17] The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.”
Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ [18] for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
[19] The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. [20] Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”
[21] Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. [22] You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. [23] But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
As Jesus departs from the ruler's house after raising the young girl from death and healing the woman with the issue of blood, two blind men begin following him. They cry out for mercy, calling him "Son of David," a messianic title acknowledging his royal lineage and divine authority. Jesus has just demonstrated his power over death and disease, and news of his miraculous works continues spreading throughout the region. The blind men persist in following Jesus even into a house, showing their determination to receive healing. This encounter occurs during Jesus's extensive ministry in Galilee, where he teaches in synagogues, preaches the gospel of the kingdom, and heals various diseases among the people.
[27] When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”
[28] And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
[29] Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” [30] And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.” [31] But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.
[32] As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. [33] And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!”
[34] But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.”
Jesus has been teaching and performing miracles in Galilee, drawing large crowds and selecting his twelve apostles. The religious leaders from Jerusalem have accused him of being possessed by Beelzebul and casting out demons by the prince of demons. Jesus responds by explaining that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand and warns against blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Meanwhile, his mother and brothers arrive at the house where he is teaching, but cannot reach him because of the crowd surrounding him. Someone informs Jesus that his family is outside looking for him. Jesus is addressing the crowd gathered inside the house.
[31] Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. [32] And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.”
[33] But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” [34] And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! [35] For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”
Peter travels to Caesarea at the invitation of Cornelius, a devout Roman centurion who received a vision instructing him to send for Peter in Joppa. Meanwhile, Peter also received a vision showing him that God has made all foods clean and that he should not call anything impure that God has made clean. Understanding this vision to mean he should not consider Gentiles unclean, Peter agrees to accompany Cornelius's messengers. Upon arriving in Caesarea, Peter finds Cornelius has gathered his relatives and close friends in anticipation of his arrival. Peter is addressing Cornelius and the assembled group of Gentiles in Cornelius's house.
[24] And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends. [25] As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. [26] But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.” [27] And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together. [28] Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. [29] Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?”
[30] So Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, [31] and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God. [32] Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.’ [33] So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.”
[34] Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. [35] But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. [36] The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all— [37] that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: [38] how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. [39] And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. [40] Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, [41] not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. [42] And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. [43] To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”
[44] While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. [45] And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. [46] For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.
Then Peter answered, [47] “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” [48] And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.
A Pharisee named Simon invites Jesus to dine at his house. Earlier in Luke's Gospel, Jesus has been performing miracles throughout Galilee, including healing a centurion's servant in Capernaum and raising a widow's son from the dead in Nain. These mighty works have caused His fame to spread widely, and people are declaring Him to be a great prophet. John the Baptist, now imprisoned, has sent messengers to ask Jesus if He is the Messiah, and Jesus has responded by pointing to His miraculous works as evidence. Jesus has also praised John while criticizing the current generation for rejecting both John's ascetic ministry and His own more social approach. He has denounced the unrepentant cities where He performed miracles and welcomed those who are weary and burdened to come to Him.
[36] Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. [37] And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, [38] and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. [39] Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”
[40] And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
So he said, “Teacher, say it.”
[41] “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. [42] And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”
[43] Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”
And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” [44] Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. [45] You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. [46] You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. [47] Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
[48] Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
[49] And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
[50] Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
In the preceding sections of his letter, Peter has been instructing Christians on how to conduct themselves honorably in society, addressing slaves who suffer unjustly and pointing to Christ's example of patient endurance. He explained how Christ suffered for sins, died, was made alive in the spirit, and proclaimed to imprisoned spirits before ascending to heaven. Peter emphasized that baptism now saves believers through Christ's resurrection and that Christians should live according to God's will rather than human passions, even when facing hostility from those who consider their changed behavior strange. He reminded them that judgment is coming for both the living and the dead, and encouraged them to love one another earnestly, show hospitality, and use their gifts to serve others faithfully.
[1] Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, [2] when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. [3] Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— [4] rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. [5] For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, [6] as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.
[7] Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
[8] Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; [9] not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.