PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (from "A Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 9:1-6
 ¹And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. ²And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. ³And He said to them, "Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics apiece. ⁴Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that city. ⁵And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them." ⁶Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

9:1 "He called the twelve together" Possibly all twelve were not with Jesus all the time. They had responsibilities at home with their families (cf. 1 Tim. 5:8) and it is quite possible that different groups of Apostles (four groups of three) went home at different times for short periods.

Here Luke seems to follow Mark 6:7 in calling the disciples "the Twelve" (dōdeka, MSS P⁷⁵, A, B, D, W), but some Greek manuscripts address them as

1. his disciples – in several lectionaries

2. his twelve disciples (cf. Mark 10:1) – MSS C³, E, F, H

3. twelve apostles – MSS א, C^*, L

The UBS⁴ gives "the Twelve" a B rating (almost certain).

▣ "gave them power and authority" Dunamis means the ability to overcome; exousia means legal right or authority. These two terms are used earlier in Luke 4:36, also in connection with Jesus' exorcisms of demons. See Special Topic: Luke's Use of Exousia at Luke 20:2.

▣ "over all the demons and to heal diseases" Notice the distinction that is made between demon possession and physical illness. Demons often cause physical symptoms, but in exorcisms there is a clear distinction in the NT between demonic activity and physical diseases. See Special Topic: The Demonic at Luke 4:33.

9:2 "He sent them out" The term "sent" (apostellō) is related to the term "apostle" (apostolos). The primary meaning in rabbinical circles was "to send someone" as an official representative with authority. They were to preach that the kingdom of God had come in Jesus of Nazareth and then confirm their message with signs.

Jesus' power and authority can be delegated to His followers. Surely there is an intensity shared between the Twelve and Jesus that cannot be duplicated, but God's power is available to His church. Where is the power in our day? It seems that these power signs are used to confirm the gospel message and give credence to the gospel preacher. This is still true today. However, in cultures where the gospel message has taken root, then believers must walk by faith, not by sight; trust in God, do not demand miracles (cf. John 4:48). Miracles are not the answer to faith problems! It is also very possible that the judgment of God on the modern western church is the perception of success, but the reality of ineffectiveness.

Signs and miracles, as well as demonic and angelic activity, increased in Jesus' and the Apostles' day. This spiritual activity is surely present in every age, but it intensified at Jesus' first coming and will intensify again as His Second Coming draws near.

I rejoice in the manifestations of God's love and power (i.e., the gifts are still active), but I trust in gospel truths, not the presence or absence of physical confirmations. Miracles and signs can be counterfeit (cf. Matt. 24:24; 2 Thess. 2:9; Rev. 13:13; 16:14; 19:20). Believers must not demand confirmation! Childlike faith is spiritually superior to supernatural signs and wonders.

This is a good place to compare Luke's account of the mission of the Twelve to Matthew's account (cf. Matt. 10:5), where Jesus specifically says not to go to the Gentiles or Samaritans, but only to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel." The questions arises, what exactly did Jesus say? Does Luke edit Jesus' words or does Matthew expand Jesus' words? This is the kind of question that cannot be answered. Each evangelist (Gospel writer) had a particular audience in mind (Matthew – Jews, Luke – Gentiles). They select, arrange, and adapt Jesus' words to fit this target audience (see Fee and Stuart, How To Read the Bible For All Its Worth, pp 127-148 ). This example of the sending of the Twelve illustrates the differences! This does not violate inspiration; it is part of it!

▣ "the kingdom of God" This was the central thrust of Jesus' teachings. It relates to the reign of God in human hearts now that will one day be consummated with God's reign over all the earth (cf. Matt. 6:10). This new day of God's activity (the New Age of the Spirit) began in Jesus' ministry. They did not yet know all the gospel details, but they did know the gospel person—Jesus. It is Him they preach. See Special Topic: The Kingdom of God at Luke 4:21.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THIS AGE AND THE AGE TO COME

9:3 "Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff" There seems to be a contradiction between this verse and Mark 6:8. Some explain it by saying that there was a confusion in translating the two Aramaic terms. Others assert that "a staff" is mentioned because often it had a secret compartment for carrying money. Although I cannot explain the discrepancy, it is obvious the main thrust of this verse is that they were to depend on God's provision, not their own. It is also obvious that this was not a universal principle to be followed in all ages (cf. Luke 22:35-36).

These comparisons are confusing and painful to our simplistic understanding of the nature of the inspiration of the Gospels, but we cannot get away from them. A good discussion of this and other "discrepancies" between Gospel accounts is found in Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 422-424.

9:4 "Whatever house you enter, stay there" The disciples were not to be moving from house to house seeking better food or accommodations, but were to stay where they were first invited. This showed the community that they were not self-seeking.

9:5 "shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them" This was a cultural sign of rejection. The rabbis did this whenever they had to travel through Gentile areas before reentering Jewish areas. It was also used in the book of Acts (cf. Acts 13:51). This may have been a subtle way of treating Jewish unbelievers the way they treated Gentiles.

9:6 As Jesus passed through all the villages preaching and healing, so now the Apostolic group mimics the Master. See Robert Coleman's The Master Plan of Discipleship.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 9:7-9
 ⁷Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was happening; and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, ⁸and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen again. ⁹Herod said, "I myself had John beheaded; but who is this man about whom I hear such things?" And he kept trying to see Him.

9:7 "Herod the tetrarch" This refers to Herod Antipas. He was the one who had John the Baptist beheaded and was ruler of Galilee and Perea. He took power from his father, Herod the Great, in 4 b.c. and reigned until a.d. 39. See Special Topic: The Family of Herod the Great at Luke 3:1.

Luke mentions this Herod often.

1. his perplexity and desire to see Jesus, Luke 9:7-9

2. his attempt to kill Jesus, Luke 13:31-33

3. his questioning of Jesus at the request of Pilate, Luke 23:8-12

▣ "he was greatly perplexed" This is an imperfect active indicative, which refers to repeated action in past time. Luke uses this term (diaporeō) several times (Luke 9:7; Acts 2:12; 5:24; 10:17). It is not used by any other NT writers.

▣ "John had risen from the dead" Matthew (cf. Matt. 14:2) and Mark (cf. Mark 6:14) tell us that Herod was worried about Jesus being John the Baptist.

9:8 "by some that Elijah had appeared" In this context all three of the guesses involve a resuscitation. They are repeated again in Luke 9:19. Elijah and John the Baptist were both prophets, similar in their lifestyle and dress.

9:9 "I myself had John beheaded" The fuller account is in Mark 6:14-29.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 9:10-11
 ¹⁰When the apostles returned, they gave an account to Him of all that they had done. Taking them with Him, He withdrew by Himself to a city called Bethsaida. ¹¹But the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing.

9:10 "When the apostles returned, they gave an account to Him of all that they had done" Jesus tried to provide a time ofdebriefing, rest, and recuperation, but from Luke 9:11, it is obvious that a crowd followed Him. It is amazing how Jesus always had time for common people (welcoming, speaking about the Kingdom, and curing those in need). But He needed time alone with the Twelve. See Robert Coleman, Master Plan of Discipleship.

▣ "to a city" There are several textual variants.

1. "a city" – MSS P⁷⁵, אi¹, B, L, X (UBS⁴ gives it a B rating)

2. "a town" – MS D

3. "a desert place of a city" – MSS A, C, W

4. "a desert place" – MSS אi^*,2 (similar to Matt. 14:13; Mark 6:32)

Again the variants do not affect the meaning of the text.

▣ "Bethsaida" This is a city on the north side of the Sea of Tiberias (cf. John 6:1, Sea of Galilee). The name means "house of hunting." This was the home of Peter, Andrew, and Philip (cf. John 1:44; 12:21). Philip the tetrarch had enlarged this village into a city and renamed it Julias, after Augustus Caesar's daughter (cf. Josephus Antiq. 18.2.1).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 9:12-17
 ¹²Now the day was ending, and the twelve came and said to Him, "Send the crowd away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging and get something to eat; for here we are in a desolate place." ¹³But He said to them, "You give them something to eat!" And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people." ¹⁴(For there were about five thousand men.) And He said to His disciples, "Have them sit down to eat in groups of about fifty each." ¹⁵They did so, and had them all sit down. ¹⁶Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them, and broke them, and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the people. ¹⁷And they all ate and were satisfied; and the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full.

9:12 Jesus' popularity had caused Him to preach out in the countryside; no building was large enough and the Jewish leaders did not want Him preaching in the Synagogues. The problem was that there were no facilities in these remote areas to accommodate the needs of the crowd (food, shelter, latrines, etc.). The Apostles were exhibiting concern and practicality, but Jesus wanted them to exhibit faith!

9:13 "You give them something to eat" The account of feeding the five thousand is recorded in all four Gospels (cf. Matt. 14:13-31; Mark 6:32-44; John 6:1-4). These miraculous feedings were tremendous evidences of Jesus as the promised Messiah based on the rabbinical interpretation of OT promises about the Messiah providing food, like Moses (cf. Deut. 18:15,18; Ps. 132:15; Isa. 49:10). It is even possible it is an allusion to 2 Kgs. 4:42-44, which would make it another sign of Jesus' prophetic role. However, they are also related to the temptation experiences of Jesus (cf. Luke 4:3-4). Quite often the crowds misunderstood His motive and followed Him for the wrong reasons (cf. John 6:14,15).

▣ "We have no more than five loaves and two fish" We learn from John 6:9 that this was one boy's lunch. Jesus' command (aorist active imperative) was met with an analysis of their resources. They were not trusting in His provision!

▣ "unless" This is a third class condition which usually has ean, but here it has ei (cf. 1 Cor. 14:5 and Phil. 3:12). This denotes potential action.

9:14 "(For there were about five thousand men)" Exactly how large the crowd was is uncertain, but the presence of at least some women and children is probable, indicating many more people.

▣ "Sit down to eat in groups of about fifty each" Jesus organized the task. Just think of how many groups of fifty it would take to accommodate 5,000 plus people. Even with twelve disciples serving them, this was a major task!

9:16 "He looked up to heaven" Jesus knew and acknowledged the source of His power. The typical physical position for Jewish prayer was:

1. standing

2. hands lifted to God

3. eyes open looking up

4. direct address to God

▣ "He blessed them, broke them, and kept giving them" The first two verbs are aorist active indicatives, implying a prayer and a breaking, but the third is an imperfect active indicative, implying a continual giving. The miracle continued to occur as He broke the food and kept passing it out! Think again of the size of this crowd! The disciples were amazed again.

9:17 "twelve baskets full" "Baskets" are also mentioned in the feeding of the four thousand, found in Mark 8:8. But, the baskets there are large, hamper-sized baskets (spuris), while the baskets in this text are small knapsacks (kophinos). The disciples collected the food to eat later. Jesus did not regularly multiply food for the disciples' needs.

Luke follows Mark's chronology, but for some reason, a major section of Mark (i.e., Mark 6:45-8:26) is omitted between Luke 9:17 and Luke 9:18. The exact reason is uncertain, but most scholars assume it has to do with Luke wanting to keep Jesus' activity in Galilee. Mark's Gospel has Jesus' activity outside Galilee (Mark 6:14-8:30). Luke's structure is Jesus traveling to Jerusalem. To maintain this emphasis he omits some events of Jesus' life that Mark chose to include.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 9:18-22
 ¹⁸And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, "Who do the people say that I am?" ¹⁹They answered and said, "John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again." ²⁰And He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God." ²¹But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, ²²saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day."

9:18 "while He was praying alone" For a fuller discussion of this event see Matt. 16:13ff. Luke records Jesus praying before the major events of His ministry much more than any of the other Gospels. He was praying alone, possibly removed a distance from the disciples; the phrase may mean that only Jesus and His special inner circle of disciples (Peter, James, and John) were present.

▣ "Who do people say that I am" The same three guesses mentioned in Luke 9:8 and 9 are repeated here. It is important that Elijah is connected with the Messianic kingdom (cf. Mal. 4:5). "One of the prophets of old" possibly refers to Moses' statement in Deut. 18:15,18 about "the Prophet."

9:20 "But who do you say that I am" The "you" (plural) is emphatic. This question was given to all the disciples.

▣ "The Christ of God" Peter, as a spokesman for the others, affirmed that Jesus was the promised Messiah (see Special Topic at Luke 2:11). Christ is the Greek translation of "the Anointed One." However, their concept of what this meant was formed more by rabbinical Judaism than Jesus' teachings (cf. Acts 1:6). The Jews of Jesus' day were expecting an empowered Jewish leader, like the Judges of the OT, to militarily free Israel from foreign domination and restore the Jews to a place of power and independence. In a sense this judgmental aspect is exactly what He will do when He returns. However, they had missed the Gen. 3:15; Psalm 22; Isaiah 53; Ezekiel 9-14; Zechariah 9 aspect of a humble, suffering, and dying Savior.

9:21 "But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone" These are two strong terms for a command, even an implied threat. There has been much discussion about this because it seems so unusual. Apparently the gospel was not yet complete and they had nothing to tell except their false Messianic views (cf. see full list of texts at Luke 8:56). We must remember that these Gospels were written decades after the events. The Evangelists knew the full account, but they (except John) wrote as if it was an unfolding truth to their readers.

9:22 "The Son of Man" This was Jesus' self-chosen designation. It had no rabbinical connotations. It is a phrase that means "human being" (cf. Ps. 8:4; Ezek. 2:1). However, in Dan. 7:13-14 it involves the idea of deity. See Special Topic at Luke 5:24.

▣ "must" This Greek word, dei means "necessity." Jesus had to suffer (cf. Luke 9:44; 12:50; 13:33; 17:25; 18:31-33; 22:37; 24:7,26,46). What a shocking reflection on human sin (cf. Mark 10:45; 2 Cor. 5:21)! In a sense this term should be translated with all the following phrases.

▣ "suffer many things" The great stumbling block to Jesus being the Messiah for the Jewish people was His suffering and death (cf. 1 Cor. 1:23). The OT seems to depict one coming of the Messiah, in power and glory. The NT reveals that such passages as Gen. 3:15; Ps. 22; Isa. 53; Ezek. 9-14; and Zech. 9 describe the coming of the Messiah as a Suffering Servant, which the Jewish nation—and for a long time, the Apostles—misunderstood.

▣ "be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes" This may be an allusion to Ps. 118:22 (cf. Luke 20:17). The term "rejected" is a legal term for the examination and rejecting of someone. This series of nouns reflects the deliberations of the Sanhedrin, which was the ruling court of the Jews in Jerusalem made up of seventy members that had limited authority under the Roman Empire.

Jesus fully understood His mission and its cost (cf. Mark 10:45). See Special Topic below.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE SANHEDRIN

▣ "raised up on the third day" Jesus was in the grave somewhere around thirty hours, but in Jewish reckoning of time, it was three days (cf. 1 Cor. 15:3-4). Each part of a day, twilight to twilight, was counted as a full day.

1. died at 3 p.m., but buried before 6 p.m. on Friday (day one)

2. in the tomb all of the high holy Sabbath of Passover Week (day two)

3. arose sometime before dawn Sunday following the high holy Sabbath (day three)

This phrase could refer to Hos. 6:1-2. It is interpreted in a similar way in the Aramaic Targum on this verse. However, Jesus seems to be making an allusion to Jonah 1:17 (cf. Matt. 12:39; 16:4). This type of predictive sign was exactly what the Pharisees were asking for in Luke 9:12 (cf. Matt. 16:4). This type of prediction was the basis of defining a true prophet according to Deut. 13:2-5; 18:18-22. Jesus gave them sign after sign, but they could not comprehend. Luke used the phrase "three days" often (cf. Luke 9:22; 13:32; 18:33; 24:7,21,46; Acts 10:40) in connection with Jesus' resurrection.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE RESURRECTION

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 9:23-27
 ²³And He was saying to them 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, he is the one who will save it. ²⁵For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? ²⁶For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. ²⁷But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God."

9:23 "if" This is a first class conditional sentence which is assumed to be true from the writer's perspective or for his literary purposes.

▣ "anyone" Here again is the mystery of election and free will. Jesus' invitation is wide open to all (possibly all who had heard Him preach and were fed), but we know from other texts that no one can respond without the wooing and drawing of the Spirit (cf. John 6:44,65). Food alone is a poor motive (cf. John 6:15).

▣ "he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me" There are three imperatives in this phrase. The first is an aorist middle (deponent, "deny himself"), followed by an aorist active ("take up daily"), but then a present active ("and continue to follow Me"). There is a gate and then a road (cf. Matt. 7:13-14). There is an initial response and an ongoing response. Both are necessary! This speaks of our once-and-for-all death to selfish ambitions and our ongoing followship of Jesus (cf. Matt. 10:38; Gal. 2:20; 6:14). The Jews understood that "the cross" referred to a once-for-all death. Condemned criminals had to carry their own cross (the top beam) to the place of execution. We die to self so as to live daily for God (cf. Rom. 6; 8:36; 1 Cor. 15:31; 2 Cor. 5:14-15; Gal. 2:20; 1 John 3:16).

The Fall (Genesis 3) has made mankind's independence and self-centeredness the goal of life, but now believers must return to selfless dependence on God. This should become a world view and life directive (i.e., daily). It is not a one-time decision, but a recurrent, volitional choice of priorities (cf. Luke 14:33).

9:24 "life. . .life" There is a play on two connotations of the Greek word psuchē, which reflects the OT term nephesh. Both of these terms simply refer to a human's personality or life force (cf. Luke 17:33; Matt. 10:38-39; John 12:25). I think these two terms relate to the two Jewish ages. Physical life is bound to this fallen age of rebellion, but eternal life is part of the age to come. See Special Topic: This Age and the Age to Come at Luke 9:2.

Not only is there a play on the word "life," but also on the word "save." Its OT sense was physical deliverance, but its NT connotation is eternal spiritual salvation.

Our decisions about knowing, trusting, and following Jesus have in-time and beyond-time consequences! He lay down His life for us; we must reciprocate (cf. 2 Cor. 5:14-15; Gal. 2:20; 1 John 3:16)!

9:25 This is a penetrating question. It is very similar to the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:16-20. Those who cling to this world (age) lose the next. One cannot serve/love God and mammon (cf. Luke 16:13; Matt. 6:24).

9:26 "whoever" The warning is as wide as the invitation (cf. Luke 9:23,24).

▣ "is ashamed of Me and My words" This refers to the time when each person is confronted with the gospel. This same truth is expressed in a different way in Matt. 10:32-33 and Luke 12:8-9. What people decide today about the gospel determines their future. Jesus is the gospel!

▣ "when He comes" The OT clearly reveals one coming of the Messiah. However, Jesus showed that Gen. 3:15; Psalm 22; and Isaiah 53 also refer to a suffering of the Messiah. The second glorious coming of the Messiah as Lord and Judge of the Kosmos will be exactly the way the Jews were expecting Him to come the first time. Their closed-minded, theological dogmatism caused them to reject Jesus.

The Second Coming is a major and oft repeated NT truth (cf. Matt. 10:23; 16:27-28; 24:3,27,30,37; 26:64; Mark 8:38-39; 13:26; Luke 21:27; John 21:22; Acts 1:11; 1 Cor. 1:7; 15:23; Phil. 3:20; 1 Thess. 1:10; 2:19; 3:13; 4:16; 2 Thess. 1:7,10; 2:1,8; James 5:7-8; 2 Pet. 1:16; 3:4,12; 1 John 2:28; Rev. 1:7).

SPECIAL TOPIC: NT TERMS FOR CHRIST'S RETURN

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE SECOND COMING

▣ "In His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels" This is an OT prediction from Dan. 7:10 (cf. Matt. 16:27; Mark 13:20; Luke 9:26; 2 Thess. 1:7). This refers to the Second Coming. This was another way of asserting the deity of Jesus. Several times in Matthew the angels are the eschatological gatherers and dividers of humanity (cf. Matt. 13:39-41,49; 24:31).

In the OT the most common Hebrew word for "glory" (kbd) was originally a commercial term (which referred to a pair of scales) meaning "to be heavy." That which was heavy was valuable or had intrinsic worth. Often the concept of brightness was added to the word to express God's majesty (cf. Exod. 15:16; 24:17; Isa. 60:1-2). He alone is worthy and honorable. He is too brilliant for fallen mankind to behold (cf. Exod. 33:17-23; Isa. 6:5). God can only be truly known through Christ (cf. Jer. 1:14; Matt. 17:2; Heb. 1:3; James 2:1). See Special Topic at Luke 2:9.

9:27 There have been many theories to explain Jesus' statement. It may have referred to

1. Jesus' ascension

2. the Kingdom already present in Jesus

3. the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost

4. the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70

5. the expectation of Jesus' early return

6. the rapid spread of Christianity

7. the transfiguration

These theories focus on different phrases in the text:

a. "some of the people standing here"

b. "the Kingdom of God"

c. "come in its power" (parallels in Mark 9:1)

The best guess is #7 because of the immediate context (cf. Mark. 9; Matt. 17; also 2 Pet. 1:16-18). Also, no other theory can explain all three aspects of the Markan text (Mark 8:38).

▣ "truthfully" Luke has replaced the "amen" of Mark 9:1 with alēthōs because his Gentile audience would not know the Hebrew term. See Special Topic: Amen at Luke 4:24.

▣ "not" This is the strong double negative.

▣ "taste death" This same idiom is used in the Synoptic parallels of Matt. 16:28; Mark 9:1. It is also used in John 8:51,52 and Hebrews 2:9.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 9:28- 36
 ²⁸Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. ²⁹And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. ³⁰And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, ³¹who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. ³²Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. ³³And as these were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not realizing what he was saying. ³⁴While he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!" ³⁶And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.

9:28 "some eight days after these sayings" The parallel in Mark 9:2 has "six days." The reason for the difference is one of the mysteries of why God allowed four Gospels to be written which do not agree on chronology, sequence, or details! These differences are the reason the term "inerrant" is an inappropriate adjective for Scripture. Which one of the four Gospels is the historically accurate one? They are all true, but they are eastern and ancient, not western and modern literary accounts.

One theory about Mark's "six days" is that it links this event to Exod. 24:12-18.

▣ "went up on the mountain to pray" Context seems to make Mt. Hermon the best possibility (cf. Matthew 16 at Caesarea Philippi). Tradition from the non-Canonical Gospel According to Hebrews affirms Mt. Tabor. In the fourth century the tradition grew that Mt. Tabor was also the Mount of Temptation as well as transfiguration, but this cannot be true.

Only Luke mentions "to pray." Jesus' prayer life is a recurrent theme in Luke's Gospel. Prayer is crucial.

9:29 The other two Synoptic Gospels (cf. Matt. 17:1-11; Mark 9:2-8) describe this same event with the Greek term metamorphoō, which means to transfigure, to change the external form. Paul uses this metaphorically of Christians being changed in Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:18. Luke simply describes the outburst of radiant glory (cf. Mark 9:3) connected to Jesus' meeting with two OT leaders.

9:30 "Moses and Elijah" Apparently they were (1) two eschatological OT figures (cf. Deuteronomy 18 and Malachi 3-4) or (2) those who had unusual deaths and their bodies were never found. There is no evidence in Judaism that Moses and Elijah represented the Law and Prophets sections of the Hebrew canon. They were meant to encourage Jesus and discuss His upcoming (periphrastic present active infinitive) crucifixion and resurrection (cf. Luke 9:31).

9:32 "Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep" Literally this is "were having been burdened," a periphrastic perfect passive. This experience is very similar to what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane (cf. Matt. 26:43).

▣ "they saw His glory" This was one of the purposes of the event. Little by little it was dawning on them who He was!

9:33 Peter was very impetuous and often spoke out of turn. The term "tabernacles" refers to the leafy booths that were made to briefly live in during the Feast of the Tabernacles.

Peter wanted to hold on to this glorious moment. Who wouldn’t?! However, they were needed down in the valley, and so are we.

▣ "not realizing what he was saying" This can be understood as Peter not recognizing the uniqueness of Jesus. He cannot/could not be one with even Moses and Elijah. He was not a prophet but the incarnation of God (cf. Luke 9:35).

9:34 "a cloud" I think this is related to the Shekinah Glory of the OT (cf. Exod. 13:21,22; 14:19,20,24; 16:10; 19:9,16; 24:15,16,18; 40:34-38; Num. 9:15-23), which represents the very presence of YHWH. It is seen several times in the NT.

1. at Jesus' baptism

2. at the transfiguration

3. at the ascension

4. at the return of Jesus at the Second Coming (cf. 1 Thess. 4:13ff)

In a sense it is the transportation of deity (cf. Dan. 7:13; Matt. 24:30; 26:64; Acts 1:9-11; Rev. 1:7).

▣ "formed and began to overshadow them" This is the very same word used of the Spirit overshadowing Mary in the conception of Jesus (cf. Luke 1:35). This was an awesome spiritual experience!

9:35 "a voice came out of the cloud" This kind of event, of God's speaking out of a cloud, was not unique. The rabbis referred to it as a Bath-kol. It was the tradition during the inter-biblical period of how to know and affirm God's will.

▣ "This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him" This statement of the Father is recorded three different ways in the Synoptic Gospels. 

1. Mark, "This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!" (Mark 9:7)

2. Matthew, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!" (Matt. 17:5)

3. Luke, "This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!" (MSS P⁴⁵, P⁷⁵, א, B, L; UBS⁴ gives it a "B" rating)

The Lukan statements seem to be a combination of the Royal Messianic Psalm, Psalm 2 (My Son) and the Servant Song of Isaiah 42:1 (My Chosen One, cf. Luke 23:35). In this combination the two functions (Savior and Judge) or two comings of Christ are united—Savior and Judge/King.

The common element in all three is, "Listen to Him!" (Present active imperative - plural). This may be an allusion to one Messianic passage of Deut. 18:15.

9:36 This experience was so awesome that they:

1. did not ask Jesus any questions

2. did not tell anyone, even the other disciples, until after the resurrection.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 9:37-43a
 ³⁷On the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him. ³⁸And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, "Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only boy, ³⁹and a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion with foaming at the mouth; and only with difficulty does it leave him, mauling him as it leaves. ⁴⁰I begged Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not." ⁴¹And Jesus answered and said, "You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here." ⁴²While he was still approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. ⁴³And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.

9:37-62 This is a series of events that clearly illustrates the disciples' lack of spiritual maturity.

1. the demonized boy, Luke 9:37-43

2. the prophecy of Jesus' death, Luke 9:43-45

3. the fight over who is greatest, Luke 9:46-48

4. jealousy over other exorcists, Luke 9:49-50

5. the anger of the Apostles, Luke 9:51-56

6. mixed loyalties, Luke 9:57-62

9:37-43a Mark 9:14-20 is a much fuller account of this healing.

9:39 The physical symptoms are of a grand mal seizure. Demons often manifest symptoms of diseases. However, the NT makes a clear distinction between disease and demon manifestation.

9:40 Jesus had given power and authority over the demonic to His Apostles in Luke 9:1-6. However, in this instance they were unable to exorcize the boy.

9:41 "Jesus answered" This is an allusion to the Song of Moses from Deut. 32:5,20; it addresses not only the disciples (cf. Matt. 17:19-21), but also the crowd (Israel).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 9:43b-45
 ^43bBut while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, ⁴⁴"Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men." ⁴⁵But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.

9:44

NASB, NRSV"Let those words sink into your ears"
NKJV"Let those words sink down into your ears"
TEV"Don’t forget what I am about to tell you"
NJB"For your part, you must have these words constantly in mind"

This is an idiom (cf. Exod. 17:14). The verb tithēmi basically means "to place," "to set," or "to lay." Here the imperative is used to encourage attention and remembrance. This phrase functions like Jesus' "Amen, Amen" to introduce a significant truth statement.

▣ "the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men" In all the Synoptic Gospels Jesus predicts and warns the disciples about the upcoming events in Jerusalem. This is an allusion to Isaiah 53, especially Luke 9:12, in the Septuagint (i.e., "deliverance"). Mark has a much fuller account in Luke 9:30-32. He predicted this for several reasons:

1. to show His knowledge of future events

2. to reveal the redemptive plan of God

3. to try to help them prepare

9:45 Only Luke has this statement. Jesus spoke to them, but someone veiled (periphrastic perfect passive participle) their eyes (cf. Luke 18:34). Was it the Spirit or was it Satan? If it is the Spirit, then the disciples were just not ready to receive this truth. It would come in time. If Satan, then the purpose is to cause them not to understand and, therefore, cause more fear and confusion. What surprises me is that Jesus makes this statement to them and, for some reason, it is veiled. Why would Luke add this? What could be his purpose?

The confusion and fear of the disciples is revealed in the last phrase, "they were afraid to ask Him about this statement" (cf. Luke 9:36). This entire section deals with the Apostles' immaturity.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 9:46-48
 ⁴⁶An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. ⁴⁷But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, ⁴⁸ and said to them, "Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great."

9:46-48 This discussion is recorded in all three Synoptic Gospels (cf. Mark 9:33-37; Matt. 18:1-5), but each is slightly different. Verses 37-56 have a series of events which reveals the disciples immaturity.

Here they argue over who of them was greatest (obviously they did not acknowledge Peter's leadership). Jesus defines true greatness as service, not control!

SPECIAL TOPIC: SERVANT LEADERSHIP

9:47 "knowing what they were thinking in their heart" See the discussion at Luke 5:22 and 6:8.

There is a Greek manuscript variant in this phrase. Some texts have "knowing" (cf. MSS א, B, F) and some have "seeing" (cf. MSS A, C, D, L, W, and the Vulgate). Either one makes sense in this context. UBS⁴ puts "knowing" in the text but gives it a C rating.

9:48 "in My name" See Special Topic below.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE NAME OF THE LORD

▣ "receives Him who sent Me" This phrase reflects the theological emphasis of John's Gospel (cf. John 17:3,8,18,21,23,25). Jesus acknowledges His dependence on the Father (cf. Luke 10:16). Jesus serves also!

▣ This same type of teaching is also found in Luke 22:26 and Matt. 10:40-42. Jesus must have used this concept often in different teaching situations.

The truth is that greatness is in service and that those who men consider "the least" are significant to God.

Also, the life-changing power of Jesus' name means that not only do we speak it, we must conform to and emulate Him. Jesus is the ultimate example of love, service and, therefore, greatness (cf. Mark 9:35b).

SPECIAL TOPIC: SEND (APOSTELLŌ)

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 9:49-50
 ⁴⁹John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow along with us." ⁵⁰But Jesus said to him, "Do not hinder him; for he who is not against you is for you."

9:49-50 This is also found in Mark 9:38-40.

9:49 "someone" The question is, was it a Jewish exorcist simply using Jesus' name as a magic formula or was this a disciple, but not part of the Twelve?

9:50 This is an important principle in our relationship to other Christian denominations ("in My name"), however, it cannot be a blank check of acceptance (cf. Luke 11:23).

▣ "Do not hinder him" This is a present active imperative with the negative particle, which usually means to stop an act in process. The disciples were jealous of others involved in ministry. Oh my!

▣ "he who is not against you is for you" When one compares Luke 11:23a and Matt. 12:30a with this text, there seems to be a paradox. Many of Jesus' teachings were framed in this type of tension-filled statement. It is an eastern way of expressing truth. All truths can be taken to extremes. Metaphors, analogies, and illustrations all break down when pressed. Remember these were oral statements given in specific contexts. See Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 466-467.

Be careful of proof-texting literalism! All Scripture is inspired, not just my favorite parts and verses. A little knowledge often causes undue dogmatism and judgmentalism!

This brief account may reflect a situation in the later church (setz im laben of Luke). The Gospels have two authors: (1) Jesus and (2) the evangelist. The evangelist wrote his Gospel for a later target audience. It is possible, even probable, that some of Jesus' actions and teachings were chosen to relate to and impact later controversies.

SPECIAL TOPIC: EASTERN LITERATURE

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 9:51-56⁵¹When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem; ⁵²and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. ⁵³But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. ⁵⁴When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" ⁵⁵But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; ⁵⁶for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."]And they went on to another village.

9:51-62 A new section of Luke's Gospel that describes Jesus' travel to Jerusalem begins here (cf. Luke 9:51-19:44). Luke structures his Gospel around Jesus' travels and especially His march to Jerusalem (cf. Luke 9:51; 13:22; 17:11; 18:38; 19:11,28). We are thankful that Luke recorded this section, for this tremendous information is unique to Luke.

9:51

NASB"when the days were approaching"
NKJV"when the time had come"
NRSV"when the days drew near"
TEV, NJB"As the time drew near"

This is another idiom, literally "to fill up with" (a present passive infinitive). There was a set plan for Jesus' life and death (cf. Acts 2:23; 3:18; 4:28; 13:29). Jesus had revealed to them what would happen in Jerusalem (cf. Luke 9:22,31) and now Luke comments that the time of these events was approaching.

▣ "for His ascension" Jesus has told them of His upcoming trial, death, and resurrection (cf. Luke 9:22; Matt. 16:21; Mark 8:31), but now Luke introduces "the ascension," that special event forty days after the resurrection, where Jesus is taken into heaven by a cloud from the Mount of Olives (cf. Luke 24:51; Acts 1:2,9,11,22; 1 Tim. 3:16). It had not been mentioned before and it is not defined here at all, but simply mentioned in passing. It may be an intentional linking of Elijah's ascension (2 Kgs. 2:9-11) with Jesus' ascension (Acts 1:2,11).

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE ASCENSION

NASB"He was determined to go to Jerusalem"
NKJV"He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem"
NRSV"he set his face to go to Jerusalem"
TEV"he made up his mind and set out on his way to Jerusalem"
NJB"he resolutely turned his face toward Jerusalem"

This is another Semitic idiom. The NRSV is closest to a literal translation. He metaphorically looked straight ahead. He let nothing distract Him to the right or to the left. God's will was in Jerusalem (cf. Mark 10:32). This may be an allusion to Isa. 50:7 or Jer. 42:15,17 (cf. Dan. 9:3).

9:52 This is the only time the Gospels mention Jesus sending people ahead of Him to prepare for His visit. Who they were and why they were rejected is uncertain.

It is surprising that Luke is the only Synoptic Gospel to record this negative account when his other accounts related to Samaritans are so positive (cf. Luke 10:25-27; 17:11-19; Acts 1:8; 8:1-13,14,25; 9:31; 15:3). Luke mentions this outcast group often to show Jesus' love and concern for all people (i.e., his Gentile audience), but not here!

9:53 "they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem" This relates to Jewish/Samaritan prejudices. These two groups hated each other. It is also possible that they knew He was traveling to a feast at the Temple and they rejected Jerusalem as the site of the true Temple, which they thought was on Mt. Gerizim, near Shechem. Josephus mentions Jewish travelers to Jerusalem feasts being harassed (cf. Antiq. 20.6.1).

This verse sets the stage for the request of James and John in Luke 9:54, which Jesus rebukes in Luke 9:55.

9:54 "James and John" See Mark 3:17, where these two men are called "sons of thunder." This very incident is how they got their nicknames.

▣ The KJV (NRSV and TEV footnote) inserts a phrase ("just as Elijah did," which is in MSS A, C, D, W), but it is not in MSS P^45,75, א, B, or L. The UBS⁴ committee gave the shorter reading a "B" rating (almost certain).

9:55-56 The KJV inserts a phrase ("and said, 'You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them’"), which is found only in the uncial manuscript K and later versions. It is missing in MSS P^45,75, א, A, B, C, L, and W. The UBS⁴ committee gave the shorter reading an "A" rating (certain).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 9:57-62
 ⁵⁷As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, "I will follow You wherever You go." ⁵⁸And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." ⁵⁹And He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." ⁶⁰But He said to him, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God." ⁶¹Another also said, "I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home." ⁶²But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

9:57-62 The cost of discipleship is a radical commitment that supersedes all cultural and family ties. There are three different people who want to follow Jesus (cf. Luke 9:57,59,61). In the context of Middle Eastern culture (see Kenneth E. Bailey, Through Peasant Eyes, pp. 22-32), Jesus' call to follow was a radical commitment not to an easy life, but to suffering and rejection. It was a call to leave the most significant cultural commitment—"family"— and become a part of a new family (cf. Luke 8:19-21; Matt. 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35).

Jesus tries to get these "would-be" followers to count the cost before they make the choice (cf. Luke 14:25-35). His first coming was one of suffering and rejection; this will certainly be the experience of His followers also. These first century Jews were expecting a powerful, glorious, conquering Messiah (Daniel), not a Suffering Servant (cf. Isaiah 53).

9:57 "someone said to Him" The parallel in Matthew 8:19-22 has "a scribe said."

▣ "I will follow You wherever You go" This eager disciple had good intentions, but did not realize the price of followship (cf. Matt. 26:33,35). Talk is easy; daily denial and focused commitment are very hard.

9:58 Jesus is calling for a reality check. Jesus' Jewish followers were still thinking in terms of kingdom benefits and perks (cf. Matt. 20:20-28; Mark 10:35-45; Acts 1:6), which is very much like "what's in it for me" Christianity, which turns the gospel into a message of more-and-more for me!

9:59 "Follow Me" This imperative reflects the terminology which the rabbis used to call their disciples. We have examples of Jesus saying this very thing to the Twelve (cf. Luke 5:27; 9:23,59; 18:22; Matt. 4:19; 8:22; 9:9; 16:24; 19:21; Mark 2:14; 8:34; 10:21; John 1:43; 10:27; 12:26; 21:19-22).

▣ "permit me first to go and bury my father" This is very similar to Elisha's response to Elijah in 1 Kgs. 19:19-20. In the ancient world children (especially the oldest male) were duty-bound to care for their parents (cf. Luke 9:61). However, Jesus' call to followship superceded every earthly call (cf. Matt. 10:37-39; Luke 14:26-35). This statement would have shocked the rabbis.

This is another example of one word with two connotations (like "life" [psuchē] in Luke 9:24). Here the word "dead" refers to the spiritually dead (cf. Eph. 2:1) and the physically dead. The death is related to their lack of response to Jesus' words and call.

9:60 "go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God" These imperatives show the mandate of the Great Commission ministry (cf. Luke 24:47; Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). The self-centered life of the fall (cf. Genesis 3) is replaced by the kingdom-centered, Spirit-filled, service to others. Jesus' followers are to mimic Jesus' actions (cf. Luke 8:1; 9:6). He sent out the Twelve (Luke 9) to preach, as well as the Seventy (Luke 10).

9:62 What a shocking statement! The Kingdom is ultimate! It must take priority over every aspect of self and culture. Followship with God in Christ is the only worthy goal. Keep focused!

In ancient times plowing with an animal held two dangers of not staying focused on the ground ahead:

1. One could hit a rock or root and damage the plow.

2. One could plow a crooked row and cause loss of crop.

Again this type of call for priority discipleship cannot be used in every family issue. We all live in families and are called on to act responsibly toward them (cf. 1 Tim. 5:8). John was told to care for Jesus' mother (cf. John 19:26), which he did until her death in Palestine; then John went to Asia Minor. Jesus' statements are hard-hitting priority truths, but they must not be pushed so as to damage other Scriptural truths.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. Why does Luke give such a condensed account of these events?

2. How is demon possession related to physical illness?

3. How does one reconcile 9:3 with Mk. 6:8?

4. Explain in your own words what Luke 9:23 means.

5. Why did Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus?

Copyright © 2013 Bible Lessons International

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (from "A Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS TO 11:1-4

A. There are many textual variants of Luke 11:1-4 (and, for that matter, the whole chapter) which are attempts to harmonize Jesus' prayer in this context with Matt. 6:9-13, which was used liturgically in the church very early.

B. It is still surprising to modern readers and interpreters how differently the Synoptic Gospels record Jesus' life and teachings. These eyewitness accounts (i.e., Mark from Peter, Luke from interviews or written documents from eyewitnesses) are verified by their very differentness. We have essentially what Jesus said, but not the exact wording.

C. The doctrine of inspiration must cover the variety found within the four Gospels. Remember they are salvation tracts, not modern western biographies nor histories. We must be content with the trustworthiness of the differing accounts.

D. From 5:33 it seems that John the Baptist taught his disciples to pray in a patterned way. Here, too, Jesus is setting a pattern (present middle [deponent] subjunctive). The different elements of this prayer were to be repeated emphases in regular prayer, not necessarily the exact words.

1. God's character magnified

2. God's reign increase

3. God's provision sure

4. God's forgiveness certain

5. God's presence effective

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 11:1-4
 ¹It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples." ²And He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. ³Give us each day our daily bread. ⁴And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'"

11:1 "while Jesus was praying in a certain place" Luke often records Jesus praying before significant events or teachings. This prayer emphasis is unique to Luke (although Mark mentions it twice, cf. Mark 1:35; 6:46). Matthew records Jesus telling His disciples to pray, but does not mention Jesus praying as much as Luke.

▣ "after He had finished" Jesus' regular prayer life impressed and interested the Apostles. It was the source of His fellowship and intimacy with the Father. Jesus' power, authority, and message came from this intimacy. The disciples were delegated the power, authority, and message, but to fulfill their assignment, they also needed Jesus' fellowship with the Father. This only occurs by faith through prayer.

▣ "teach us to pray" This is an aorist active imperative. These disciples felt an urgency about this request. They needed Jesus' peace and composure.

▣ "as John also taught his disciples" We know from John 1:29-41 that some of Jesus' disciples were first John the Baptist's disciples.

It was the task of the teacher (rabbi) to train his followers in all the ways and truths necessary to function independently at some point in the future (cf. Luke 5:33). Prayer establishes a life-long dependence on the Father. This was the key to Jesus' earthly mission (cf. Luke 10:21-24).

11:2 "And He said to them, 'When you pray, say’" It seems that one's attitude is more significant than one's words, however, this particular phraseology implies that the form may be repeated (cf. Matt. 6:9). Luke's version is much shorter than Matthew's (cf. Matt. 6:9-13). Jesus probably repeated His teachings on this subject several times and to different groups.

▣ "'Father’" The OT introduces the intimate familial metaphor of God as Father.

1. in Deuteronomy the analogy of God as Father is used (Deut. 1:31; 32:6)

2. this analogy is stated in Ps. 103:13 and developed in Ps. 68:5 (the father of orphans)

3. the nation of Israel is often described as YHWH's "son" (cf. Hos. 11:1; Mal. 3:17)

4. it was common in the prophets (cf. Isa. 1:2; 63:8; Israel as son, God as Father, 63:16; 64:8; Jer. 3:4,19; 31:9)

Jesus spoke Aramaic, which means that many of the places where "Father" appears as the Greek Pater it may reflect the Aramaic Abba (cf. Luke 14:36). This familial term "Daddy" or "papa" reflects Jesus' intimacy with the Father; His revealing this to His followers also encourages our own intimacy with the Father. The term "Father" was used sparingly in the OT (and not often in rabbinical literature) for YHWH, but Jesus uses it often and pervasively. It is a major revelation of our new relationship with God through Christ. Heaven is a family experience.

There are several ancient Greek uncial manuscripts that change "Father" (MSS P⁷⁵, א, B, L) into the phrase found in Matt. 6:9, "Our Fahter who are in heaven" (MSS A, C, D, W). The UBS⁴ gives the short reading an "A" rating (certain). Luke's version of "the Lord's Prayer" is much more condensed.

▣ "hallowed be Your name" This is an aorist passive imperative. "Hallowed" comes from the root "be holy" (see SPECIAL TOPIC: HOLY at Luke 1:35) and refers to the character of God (cf. 2 Kgs. 19:22; Ps. 71:22; 78:41; 89:18; Isa. 1:4; 29:23 [used 28 times in Isaiah]). He is separated from evil. This term was used often in the Septuagint

1. of things, Gen. 2:3; Amos 2:12

2. of people

a. a firstborn, Exod. 13:2,12

b. Israel, Exod. 19:14

c. Priests, Exod. 19:22; 29:21; 2 Chr. 26:18

d. Levites, Neh. 12:47

▣ "Your kingdom come" This aorist active imperative refers to the reign of God in human's hearts now that will one day be consummated over all the earth. This is an eschatological emphasis (see SPECIAL TOPIC: THE KINGDOM OF GOD at Luke 4:21). The kingdom of God is spoken of in the Synoptic Gospels as

1. past (Luke 13:28)

2. present (Luke 17:21; Matt. 4:17; 12:28)

3. future (Luke 11:2; Matt. 6:10)

11:3 "Give us each day" This is another present active imperative. The Matthew parallel has an aorist active imperative. Verse 3 emphasizes our continual daily dependence on God.

This is one example of modern theologians asserting that Luke has a modified eschatology that envisions a delayed Second Coming. The argument runs like this: Matthew has the aorist, implying a once-for-all giving (i.e., eschatological fulfillment), but Luke has the present, implying a regular (daily) giving through time. This may be true. Paul, Luke's friend and missionary companion, also emphasizes a delayed Second Coming in 2 Thessalonians (one of Paul's early books).

▣ "each day" Luke uses the phrase kath' hēmeran often (cf. Luke 9:23; 11:3; 16:19; 19:47; 22:53; Acts 2:46,47; 3:2; 16:11; 17:11). It denotes repeated action.

▣ "daily" The Greek word translated "daily" (epiousios) is found only here and in Matt. 6:11. It is used of a master giving a slave enough food to accomplish the task he was assigned for that day (Koine papyri found in Egypt, cf. TEV). The emphasis here seems to be that

1. believers' need to trust God constantly

2. God provides for us on a daily basis (Greek idiomatic usage), not a once-for-all provision

This word may also carry the eschatological emphasis of "bread of the future or new age." This would imply that the kingdom is present now in believers (analogous to "eternal life" now). This is the "already-yet-future" tension of Jesus' preaching.

▣ "bread" There have been many theories as to the meaning of this word in this context:

1. physical bread

2. the bread of the Eucharist (cf. Acts 2:46)

3. bread as referring to the word of God (cf. Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4)

4. Jesus Himself (cf. John 6:41,48,51,58)

5. the Messianic bread (cf. Luke 14:15)

It seems to me the literal is best here, but it is used for God's provision of all believers' daily needs.

11:4 "And forgive us our sins" This is an aorist active imperative. This seems to refer to the finished work of God in Christ in the lives of believers (initial justification and sanctification) as well as the ongoing need for forgiveness (progressive sanctification, cf. 1 John 1:9).

The Greek term "sin" means "to miss the mark." The Matthew parallel has Jesus' Aramaic "debts," which is a Jewish idiom that Luke's Gentile readers would not understand.

SPECIAL TOPIC: NEW TESTAMENT HOLINESS/SANCTIFICATION

▣ "For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us" Forgiving is a sign that we have been forgiven (cf. Matt. 5:7; 6:14-15; 7:1-2; 10:8; 18:35; Luke 6:36; Col. 3:13; James 2:13; 5:9). Our forgiveness of others is not the grounds of our being forgiven, but the result and evidence of a new heart and a new mind (i.e., the new covenant, cf. Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-35). This phrase is the only one relating to human actions.

▣ "lead us not into temptation" This is a negated aorist active subjunctive ("don't ever"). The term "temptation" (peirazō) is a term that has the connotation in the NT of "to tempt with the view toward destruction." See Special Topis at Luke 10:25. Jesus told his disciples to pray for this very same thing in Luke 22:40,46. James 1:13 uses a different word (dokimazō) for test, which has the connotation of "to test with a view toward approval." God does not test us for destruction, but He does test us to strengthen us (cf. Gen. 22:1; Exod. 16:4; 20:20; Deut. 8:2,16; 13:3; Jdgs. 2:22; 2 Chr. 32:31; Matt. 4:1; 1 Thess. 2:4; 1 Pet. 1:7; 4:12-16).

Several ancient Greek uncial manuscripts add a phrase from Matt. 6:13 (MSS A, C, D, W). The short text of Luke is found in MSS P⁷⁵, אi^*,1, C, L. The UBS⁴ gives the shorter reading an "A" rating (certain).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 11:5-13
 ⁵Then He said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; ⁶for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; ⁷and from inside he answers and says, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' ⁸I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. ⁹So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. ¹¹Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? ¹²Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? ¹³If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"

11:5-13 This is a story not to illustrate God's reluctance to answer our prayers, but His willingness. This is called a contrasting parable. It is a fictitious account to highlight mankind's reluctance but God's willingness.

11:5

NASB, NRSV,
TEV, NJB"suppose one of you"
NKJV"which of you"

This is literally "who of you." Luke uses this often to introduce Jesus' teachings (cf. Luke 11:5,11; 12:25; 14:5,28; 15:4; 17:7). This literary introduction can be seen in the OT in Isa. 42:23 and 50:10.

This verse culturally expects an emphatic "no" answer (see Kenneth Bailey, Poet and Peasant, pp. 119-141).

11:6 "for a friend of mine has come to me" Travelers might travel at night to avoid the heat in some Middle Eastern countries, but in others travel at night was dangerous and unusual.

▣ "I have nothing to set before him" It was a host's cultural duty to provide a meal.

11:7 "Do not bother me" This is a present active imperative with the negative particle, which usually means stop an act already in process. Then the homeowner lists two reasons why he cannot get up.

11:8 This verse explains the point of the parable. Persistence is an important aspect of prayer (cf. Luke 11:9-10). This is not because God is reluctant, but because prayer develops intimacy with God. Our greatest need is God, not the answer to all our prayers (cf. Luke 18:1-6).

God invites His children to come to Him even in times and circumstances that may seem inappropriate. God is more available than any ancient host (cf. Ps. 23:5-6).

11:9 "ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened" These are all present active imperatives which speak of habitual, lifestyle commands (cf. Deut. 4:29; Jer. 29:13). It is important that one balance human persistence with God's responsive character. Believers cannot force God to do that which is not good for them. However, at the same time, they can bring any perceived need to their heavenly Father at any time and as often as desired. Jesus prayed the same prayer in Gethsemane three times (cf. Mark 15:36,39,41; Matt. 26:39,42,44). Paul also prayed three times about his thorn in the flesh (cf. 2 Cor. 12:8). But the great thing about prayer is not that one receives a specific answer to his request, but that he has spent time with the Father!

Persistence (literally "shamelessness") is important (cf. Luke 18:2-8). However, it does not coerce a reluctant God, but reveals the level of interest and concern of the person praying. Neither one's many words nor his repeated prayers will motivate the Father to give that which is not in one's best interest. The best thing believers get in prayer is a growing relationship and dependence on God.

11:11-12 Both questions expect a "no" answer. Jesus used the analogy of a father and son to describe the mystery of prayer. Matthew gives two examples, while Luke gives three (cf. Luke 11:12, although there is some confusion in the manuscript tradition). The whole point of the illustrations was that God will give believers the "good things." Luke defines this "good" as "the Holy Spirit" (cf. Luke 11:13). Often the worst thing our Father could do for us is answer our inappropriate, selfish prayers! All three examples are a play on things that look alike: stone as bread, fish as eel, and egg as a coiled, pale scorpion.

11:11 "instead of a fish" The Semitic form of this would use "and instead" (cf. MSS P^45,75, B), while the normal Greek idiom would require "not instead" (cf. MSS א, A, D, L, W). This clearly shows how later Greek scribes did not fully understand the Aramaic influence on the writers of the NT (even Luke) and changed the unusual Semitic forms to their common Koine Greek forms.

We do not have the exact words of Jesus. The Gospels are not video tapes, but Holy Spirit-inspired memories. Their differences do not affect inspiration or trustworthiness.

11:13 This is a First class conditional sentence which is assumed to be true from the author's perspective or for his literary purposes. In a rather oblique way this is an affirmation of the sinfulness of all men (cf. Rom. 3:9,23). The contrast is between evil human beings and a loving God. God shows His character by the analogy of the human family.

▣ "how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him" There is some question about the wording of this verse. It is important to look up the parallel in Matt. 7:11, which replaces "the Holy Spirit" with "good things." Manuscripts P⁴⁵ and D of Luke 11:13 have "good gift" (as does the Greek text used by Ambrose). This seems to imply that this reference is more to spiritual gifts (cf. F. F. Bruce, Answers to Questions, p. 53) than to the Holy Spirit Himself (there is no article). I do not know of one place in the Scriptures that we are to ask the Father for the Holy Spirit since we are given the Holy Spirit at salvation. The indwelling Spirit comes when Jesus is received. However, the manuscript attestation of "Holy Spirit" is overwhelming (cf. MSS P⁷⁵, א, A, B, C, W).

There is another variant in this text. The designation for God can be (1) "the Father from heaven" (cf. MSS P⁷⁵, א, L) or (2) "the Father will give from heaven" (cf. MS P⁴⁵ and the parallel in Matt. 7:11). As with most variants, the meaning of the text is not affected.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 11:14-23
 ¹⁴And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute; when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed. ¹⁵But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons." ¹⁶Others, to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven. ¹⁷But He knew their thoughts and said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls. ¹⁸"If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. ¹⁹And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? So they will be your judges. ²⁰But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. ²¹When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed. ²²But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder. ²³He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters."

11:14 "a demon, and it was mute" Matthew 12:22 says the demon caused blindness as well as dumbness. Both Matt. 12:22-32 and Mark 3:2-30 record this same discussion in a different settings and locations.

There is a Greek manuscript variant here in the phrase "and it was mute." Most manuscripts omit "and it was" (cf. MSS P^45,75, א, A^*, B, L).

Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, p. 158, says the full form reflects a Semitism used by Luke, but the shorter reading has overwhelming Greek manuscript attestation. The translation committee of the UBS³ put the phrase in brackets and gave it a "D" rating (with great difficulty). However, the UBS⁴ has it as a "C" Rating (difficulty in deciding). Scholars change their minds!

As with most of these variants, this does not affect the thrust of the verse or affect the meaning of the paragraph as a whole.

11:15 "But some of them said" Matthew 12:24 has "Pharisee," while Mark 3:22 has "scribes from Jerusalem."

▣ "Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons" Beelzebul is an OT fertility god (Ba’al BDB 127) of Ekron (cf. 2 Kgs. 1:2,3,6,16). The manuscripts of the NT differ between the spelling of Beelzebub and Beelzebul (cf. Mark 3:22 and Matt. 10:25). This is probably due to the Jews' attempt to make fun of idols by slightly changing their names. The term Zebub means "lord of dung." Zebul means "is exalted" and later became a title in Judaism for the chief of demons. It is found in the Vulgate and Peshitta translations.

The phrase "the ruler of the demons" identifies "Beelzebul" as Satan (cf. Luke 11:18). Although the OT is silent on the relationship between Satan and the demonic (see Special Topic: The Demonic in the To at Luke 4:1), interbiblical literature (affected by Zoroastrianism) identifies Satan as the head of demons.

Also the relationship between the OT fallen angels and the demonic is uncertain (cf. Rev. 12:9). I Enoch says the Nephilim of Genesis 6, who died in the flood, became the demonic seeking a physical body.

11:16 "to test Him" This term (peirazō, see note at Luke 11:4 and Special Topic at Luke 10:25) is used in the NT with the connotation of "to test with a view toward destruction."

This paragraph seems to mix two separate issues:

1. exorcisms of Jesus

2. testing by those wanting a sign

The exorcisms themselves were the most relevant sign that could be given of Jesus' origin, authority, and power.

▣ "demanding of Him a sign from heaven" They had a sign, the exorcism, but they would not accept it (cf. 1 Cor. 1:22). The demand for signs became a major stumbling block to the Jews (cf. Luke 11:29-30; Matt. 12:38; John 2:18; 6:30).

This repeated insistence for a sign reminds us of Jesus' temptation (cf. Matthew 4; Luke 4), where Satan tempts Him to jump from the pinnacle of the temple, apparently on a crowded feast day to impress the Jewish crowd (cf. Luke 4:9).

▣ "He knew their thoughts" See notes at Luke 5:22; 6:8; 9:47; 24:38.

11:17-18 Jesus asserts the logical absurdity of His opponents. Why would Satan defeat his own servants (cf. Luke 11:18)?

11:18 "if" This is the first of three first class conditional sentences (cf. Luke 11:18, 19, 20) which are assumed to be true from the author's perspective or for his literary/logical purposes.

The one in Luke 11:19 is an example of how the first class conditional is not true to reality, but to help the author make a strong, logical point. In reality, this statement is not true!

▣ "his kingdom" Satan has a kingdom and wants to keep it and expand it. There is a spiritual conflict (cf. John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; 4:14,27; 6:11-12,16; James 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8-9).

11:19 "by whom do your sons cast them out" The Jews were quite active in exorcisms (cf. Acts 19:13-16; see Josephus, Antiq.8.2,5). If they denied Jesus' power to exorcize demons, how did they explain Jewish exorcisms (esp. those using Jesus' name, cf. Luke 9:49-50; Mark 9:38-40)?

▣ "So they will be your judges" At least these Jewish exorcists who were using Jesus' name recognized His power. This crowd (Matthew says Pharisees) had committed the unpardonable sin by calling light dark. They clearly saw and heard, but deemed it evil!

SPECIAL TOPIC: Exegetical Procedures for Interpreting "The Unpardonable Sin"

11:20 "by the finger of God" This phrase is used several times in the OT:

1. God as creator, Ps. 8:3

2. God as giver of revelation, Exod. 31:18; Deut. 9:10

3. God as redeemer, the plague which brought deliverance from Egypt, Exod. 8:19

This is an anthropomorphic phrase (see Special Topic at Luke 1:51). Humans have only earthly vocabulary to describe spiritual persons, events, and things. All our language about God is analogical and metaphorical. God is personal and, therefore, the Bible describes Him in human terms (physical, emotional, relational). God is an eternal Spirit, present throughout creation. He does not have a human body, though He can take that form (e.g., Gen. 3:8; 18:33; Lev. 26:12; Deut. 23:14).

▣ "then the kingdom of God has come upon you" The logic is overwhelming. If Jesus cast out demons by God's power, then He was the Messiah. The crowd's rejection of Him and His power and authority was a rejection of YHWH (cf. 1 John 5:10-12).

The casting out of demons showed the defeat of Satan and his kingdom. The eschatological event (cf. Isa. 24:21-23; Rev. 20:1-3) has come in the ministry of Jesus. The kingdom is present (cf. Matt. 12:28), yet future! This is the NT tension of the "already" and "not yet." Satan is defeated and is being defeated!

11:21-22 Jesus' power over the kingdom of Satan and his followers shows Jesus' God-given authority. The exorcism of Jesus and those He delegates clearly shows God's power over the evil one (even "a strong, fully armed" – perfect passive participle). Satan is helpless against Jesus, cf. Luke 11:22; 10:18).

11:22 "plunder" This may be an allusion to Isa. 53:12b ("He will divide the booty with the strong"). It (skulon) is a metaphor of military victory, the dividing of spoils (cf. Septuagint of Exod. 15:9; Num. 31:11,12,26,27; 1 Sam. 23:3).

11:23 This seems to contradict 9:50, but remember the ones to whom Jesus is speaking. In Luke 9:50 He is addressing His disciples about tolerance. Jewish exorcists or other disciples recognized Jesus' power and were using it to help people. However, here it is those who are trying to test Jesus (cf. Luke 11:16) who were rejecting His power and authority from God by asserting that He was using Satan's power. There are two totally different contexts and recipients!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 11:24-26
 ²⁴"When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' ²⁵And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. ²⁶Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first."

11:24-26 This passage has three possible meanings.

1. The Jewish exorcists performed exorcisms without personal faith, and the demonic spirit returned.

2. It is an allusion to national Israel in the sense of their rejection of idol worship without replacing it with a faith relationship to YHWH.

3. it referred to the preaching of John the Baptist, whom they accepted as being from God, while rejecting Jesus.

The last condition was far worse than the existential problem.

11:24 "the unclean spirit" See Special Topic: The Demonic at Luke 4:33 and the note on Exorcism at Luke 4:35.

▣ "it passes through waterless places seeking rest" In the OT the demonic lived in uninhabited places (cf. Lev. 16:10; Isa. 13:21; 34:11).

The term "rest" (anapausis) is used in the Septuagint of Isa. 34:14 (according to Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke, vol. 2, p. 925), which describes the resting place of the Lilith (female night demon). See SPECIAL TOPIC: THE DEMONIC IN THE OLD TESTAMENT at Luke 4:1.

11:26 "seven other spirits" This is metaphorical for a more severe possession.

▣ "the last state of that man becomes worse than the first" Evil, if not dealt with decisively by faith in Christ, can develop and progress. Evil can and will intensify because its ultimate goal is the destruction of the person.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 11:27-28
 ²⁷While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed." ²⁸But He said, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it."

11:27 The parallel in Matt. 12:46-50 records the account of Jesus' mother and brothers seeking an audience with Him. Luke has recorded this earlier in Luke 8:19-21.

This shows us that the Gospels are not structured chronologically. This does not depreciate their historicity, but helps us remember that the Gospels are not modern, western cause-and-effect, sequential histories, nor are they biographies. They are gospel tracts for the purpose of salvation and Christian maturity. The main issue is the person and work of Christ.

11:28 "But He said" Jesus was appreciative of the woman's affirmation of approval, but He affirmed that an even closer relationship (even a blessing) exists between those who hear and follow (cf. Luke 6:46-49) His message more than those who simply have family ties (i.e., blood kin).

NASB"On the contrary"
NKJV"more than"
NRSV, TEV"rather"
NJB"more"

The Greek compound (men + oun) has several connotations. It addresses what has just been said and adds to it. It can (1) affirm it, (2) negate it, or (3) go beyond it (cf. Rom. 9:20; 10:18; Phil. 3:8). Option three fits this context best.

▣ "blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it" This is parallel to Luke 8:21. These are both present active participles. Together they reflect the Hebrew word shema, Deut. 6:4-6. Jesus' true family are those who hear and do God's will expressed in God's word! God wants a people who reveal and demonstrate His characteristics to the world.

Jesus is the one who is giving the word (Logos) and is the Word (cf. John 1:1). Believers are blessed when they hear and do the gospel.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 11:29-32
 ²⁹As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, "This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. ³⁰For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. ³¹The Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. ³²The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here."

11:29 "this generation is a wicked generation" The Matthew parallel (cf. Luke 12:38-42) calls them "an evil and adulterous generation," which Luke's Gentile readers would not have understood in its OT connotation (i.e., faithless, idolatrous, e.g., Exod. 34:15-16; Deut. 31:16; Jdgs. 2:17; 8:27; Ezek. 6:9; 23:30; Hos. 3:1; 4:12; 9:1). This verse may refer to Luke 11:16.

▣ "it seeks a sign"In Mark 8:11-12 Jesus refuses to give a sign! Both Matthew and Luke record Jesus as alluding to the sign of the prophet Jonah.

1. Matthew to his being in the great fish three days (i.e., Jesus' resurrection)

2. Luke to his preaching on Nineveh repenting (i.e., what the crowd should do)

They had heard Jesus' teachings and had seen the healings and the exorcisms performed by Him, but they wanted some ultimate sign to convince them to believe on Him. This is exactly the temptation of Matt. 4:5-7, to which Jesus would not succumb. However, in reality, He had given them sign after sign, but they would not or could not see!

▣ "yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah" The Matthew parallel (Matt. 12:38-42) emphasizes Jonah in the great fish three days as Jesus was three days in the grave (Hades). We must remember that this is three days by Jewish reckoning, not three twenty-four hour periods. Any part of a day, which for them was evening to evening (cf. Genesis 1), was reckoned as a full day.  Jesus' allusion to Jonah confirms the historicity of the prophet Jonah (as does 2 Kgs. 14:25). It is precisely the experience in the great fish that was used as the analogy. Also, Jonah's preaching resulted in the salvation of Gentiles (Luke's target audience was Gentiles).

Luke emphasizes the repentance of Nineveh at Jonah's preaching. In Luke Jesus is calling for the crowds' repentance in light of His teachings and miracles as the OT sign they sought (cf. Luke 11:32).

11:30 It was Jonah's preaching which God used to cause ancient Nineveh, the capital of the evil and cruel Assyria (Israel's enemy), to repent. The Matthew parallel uses Jonah in the great fish for three days and Jesus in the earth three days as the sign.

11:31 "The Queen of the South" This refers to the visit of the Queen of Sheba (a Gentile) to hear Solomon's wisdom recorded in 1 Kings 10 and 2 Chronicles 9.

▣ "something greater than Solomon is here" What a tremendous self-affirmation and the self-understanding of this carpenter of Nazareth. He saw himself as having greater wisdom (i.e., "something") than Solomon (cf. Luke 11:49,52).

Jesus, in His dialogs with different groups, clearly asserts that He is "greater than"

1. the temple, Matt. 12:6,8

2. Jonah, Matt. 12:41; Luke 11:31

3. greater than Solomon, Matt. 12:42; Luke 11:32

4. greater than Jacob, John 4:12

5. greater than John the Baptist, John 5:36

6. greater than Abraham, John 8:53

This is either the rambling of a mad man or the witness of incarnate deity! Each hearer/reader must decide.

11:32 "men of Nineveh" This is obviously the generic use of "men" as people.

▣ "something greater than Jonah is here" Notice again "something." Jesus' wisdom and message are greater than any OT wisdom and message. Jonah's message caused a pagan nation to repent. Jesus' message is greater than Jonah's, but these religious leaders will not repent and believe. Their condemnation is far worse because the message they heard was so superior!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 11:33-36
 ³³"No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. ³⁴The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. ³⁵Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. ³⁶If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays."

11:33-36 These same metaphors are used in Matt. 5:15; Mark 4:21; and Luke 8:16, but with different applications. Apparently Jesus used the same illustrations in different settings. Here they refer to mankind's attitudes and openness to God in Christ.

This is commonly called the unpardonable sin (see Special Topic at Luke 11:19). See notes below from my commentaries on the parallel contexts in Mark 3:29 and Matt. 12:31-32.

"Mark 3:29 "but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit" This must be understood in its pre-Pentecostal historical setting. It was used in the sense of God's truth being rejected. The teaching of this verse has commonly been called "the unpardonable sin." It must be interpreted in light of the following criteria:

1. the distinction in the OT between "intentional" and "unintentional sins," (cf. Num. 15:27-31)

2. the unbelief of Jesus' own family contrasted with the unbelief of the Pharisees in this context

3. the statements of forgiveness in Mark 3:28

4. the differences between the Gospel parallels, particularly the change of "son of man," (cf. Matt. 12:32; Luke 12:10) to "sons of men," (cf. Matt. 12:31; Mark 3:28)

In light of the above, this sin is committed by those who, in the presence of great light and understanding, still reject Jesus as God's means of revelation and salvation. They turn the light of the gospel into the darkness of Satan (cf. Mark 3:30). They reject the Spirit's drawing and conviction (cf. John 6:44,65). The unpardonable sin is not a rejection by God because of some single act or word, but the continual, ongoing rejection of God in Christ by willful unbelievers (i.e., the scribes and Pharisees).

This sin can only be committed by those who have been exposed to the gospel. Those who have heard the message about Jesus clearly are the most responsible for its rejection. This is especially true of modern cultures that have continual access to the gospel, but reject Jesus (i.e., America, western culture).

▣ "never has forgiveness" This statement must balance with Mark 3:28.

▣ "but is guilty of an eternal sin" This was a willful rejection of the gospel (i.e., the person and works of Jesus) in the presence of great light!

There are many variants related to the phrase "an eternal sin." Some ancient Greek manuscripts (1) changed it to a GENITIVE phrase (i.e., hamartias) - C*, D, W; (2) added "judgment" (i.e., kriseōs) - A and C2 (cf. KJV); or (3) added "torment" (i.e., kolaseōs), minuscule 1234.

It was shocking to the early scribes to talk about an "eternal sin." Robert B. Girdlestone, in his book Synonyms of the Old Testament, has an interesting comment on the word "eternal":

"The adjective aiōnios is used more than forty times in the N.T. with respect to eternal life, which is regarded partly as a present gift, partly as a promise for the future. It is also applied to God's endless existence in Rom. 16.26; to the endless efficacy of Christ's atonement in Heb. 9.12, 13.20; and to past ages in Rom. 16.25, 2 Tim. 1,9, Titus 1.2.

This word is used with reference to eternal fire, Matt. 18.8,25. 41, Jude 7; eternal punishment, Matt. 25.46; eternal judgment or condemnation, Mark 3:29, Heb. 6.2; eternal destruction, 2 Thess. 1.9. The word in these passages implies finality, and apparently signifies that when these judgments shall be inflicted, the time of probation, change, or the chance of retrieving one's fortune, will have gone by absolutely and for ever. We understand very little about the future, about the relation of human life to the rest of existence, and about the moral weight of unbelief, as viewed in the light of eternity. If, on the one hand, it is wrong to add to God's word, on the other we must not take away from it; and if we stagger under the doctrine of eternal punishment as it is set forth in Scripture, we must be content to wait, cleaving to the Gospel of God's love in Christ, while acknowledging that there is a dark background which we are unable to comprehend" (pp. 318-319).

Matt. 12:31-32 This reference to blasphemy against the Spirit is often called "the unpardonable sin." From the parallel in Mark 3:28 it is obvious that "Son of Man" was not a title for Jesus in this context but a generic use of the Hebrew idiom "sons of men" or "mankind." This is supported by the parallelism of Matt. 3:31 and 3:32. The sin discussed was not the sin of ignorance, but of willful rejection of God and His truth in the presence of great light. Many people worry about whether they have committed this sin. People who desire to know God or are afraid that they have committed this sin have not! This sin is the continuing rejection of Jesus in the presence of great light, to the point of spiritual callousness. This is similar to Heb. 6 and 10."

11:34

NASB, NJB"clear"
NKJV, NIV"good"
NRSV"healthy"
TEV, REB"sound"

See note at Matt. 6:22-23 at www.freebiblecommentary.org.

SPECIAL TOPIC: GENEROUS/SINCERE (HAPLOTES)

11:36

NASB, NRSV,
NJB"rays"
NKJV"bright shining"
TEV"its brightness"
REB, NIV"shines"

This word normally means "lightning" (cf. Luke 17:24; 24:4), but here it denotes "a bright shining" (see Harold Moulton, The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised (p. 57).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 11:37-41
 ³⁷Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in, and reclined at the table. ³⁸When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed before the meal. ³⁹But the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness. ⁴⁰You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you."

11:37 "a Pharisee asked" Remember this context deals with the Pharisees' rejection of Jesus. This account (cf. Luke 11:37-41) illustrates their spiritual blindness to the major truths and nit-picking legalism based on Talmudic regulations (human traditions, cf. Isa. 29:13). See SPECIAL TOPIC: PHARISEES at Luke 5:17.

▣ "lunch" The terms ariston and deipnon distinguish between a meal about noon (or earlier, cf. Matt. 22:4; John 21:12,15) and a larger meal about 4 p.m. (cf. Luke 14:12). This first term is used here for an early meal in the mid-morning.

11:38 "When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed before the meal" Apparently Jesus, on purpose, left out this expected rabbinical ceremonial procedure in order to bring the Pharisee into dialogue (this parallels Jesus' actions on the Sabbath).

The word wash is baptizō, where it means to ceremonially purify by washing. Modern interpreters must be careful of using etymology to dogmatically define Greek words and then insert their technical definition (dying by means of immersion) into every place that word is used. This context is not referring to immersion, but the Jewish ritual of pouring a certain amount (two hen eggs) of water over the elbow until it drips off the fingers and then again over the fingers until it drips off the elbow.

There is a good article in Robert B. Girdlestone's Synonyms of the Old Testament, pp. 152-157 on the Hebrew thaval and the Greek baptizō.

11:39 "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter" Jesus wanted to discuss the Pharisees' orientation of minute details (Talmud) as a sign of being spiritual. The heart is the key to all religious acts. God knows the heart (cf. 1 Sam. 2:7; 16:7; 1 Kgs. 8:39; 1 Chr. 28:9; 2 Chr. 6:30; Ps. 7:9; 44:21; Pro. 15:11; 21:2; Jer. 11:20; 17:9-10; 20:12; Luke 16:15; Acts 1:24; 15:8; Rom. 8:27).

11:40 This question expects a "yes" answer.

▣ "You foolish ones" See Special Topic following.

SPECIAL TOPIC: TERMS FOR FOOLISH PEOPLE

11:41

NASB"charity"
NKJV, NRSV,
NJB"alms"
TEV—

This verse seems to imply that if the inside of the cup is loving and obedient, then it will show in outward manifestations of love to the poor and needy, not legalisms and elitisms (cf. Luke 11:42; Micah 6:8). See Special Topic below.

SPECIAL TOPIC: ALMSGIVING

▣ "then all things are clean for you" This was a radical statement for those brought up under kosher rules (cf. Leviticus 11). However, Jesus modified the OT requirement (cf. Mark 7:1-23), thereby showing He is Lord of Scripture (i.e., its only true interpreter, cf. Matt. 5:17-48). This truth is used as an illustration for Peter in Acts 10:9-16. Paul followed this understanding of ceremonial defilement (cf. Rom. 14:14,20; 1 Cor. 10:25-26; 1 Tim. 4:4; Titus 1:15).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 11:42-44
 ⁴²"But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. ⁴³Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places. ⁴⁴Woe to you! For you are like concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it."

11:42 "'woe to you’" This reflects an OT prophetic curse formula using a funeral dirge (cf. Luke 11:42,43,44,46,52; Matt. 23:13-36).

▣ "pay tithe on" See Special Topic following.

SPECIAL TOPIC: TITHING

▣ "yet disregard justice and the love of God" It is extremely important that we do not let rituals or liturgical acts blind us to God's will for His people, which is

1. love for God (cf. Deut. 6:4-6; Luke 10:27)

2. justice towards humans (cf. Lev. 19:18; Luke 10:27)

▣ "but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others" They strained at a gnat and swallowed the camel (cf. Matt. 23:24). Is tithing the spices of the kitchen more important, more spiritual, than how we live and love?

An early church heretic, Marcion (early second century in Rome), rejected the OT and only accepted a modified Gospel of Luke and certain letters of Paul as inspired. Since he rejected the OT, the phrase, "but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others" is omitted in codex Bezea (D), but included in most earlier Greek manuscripts and versions, so probably its omission in MS D was due to his influence.

11:43 "For you love the chief seats in the synagogues" These were places of prominence. The chief seats were on a semi-circular bench around a place where the Torah was kept, facing the congregation (cf. A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, vol. 2, p. 167). See parallel in Matt. 23:1-12.

▣ "and the respectful greetings in the market place" Apparently there were standard phrases and titles used by religious leaders for one another, spoken in public. This phrase, therefore, rebukes their pride in their positions in the synagogue and society. They loved being recognized and praised!

11:44 "'For you are like concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it’" Physical contact with the tomb made one ceremonially unclean (cf. Lev. 21:1-4; Num. 19:11-22) for one week (rabbinical interpretation), however, in this case the people would not realize it, therefore, the Jews white-washed the tombs in order to avoid this type of inadvertent ceremonial defilement (cf. Matt. 23:27). Jesus accuses these self-righteous, legalistic leaders of being the real cause of spiritual defilement!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 11:45-52
 ⁴⁵One of the lawyers said to Him in reply, "Teacher, when You say this, You insult us too." ⁴⁶But He said, "Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers. ⁴⁷Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and it was your fathers who killed them. ⁴⁸So you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build their tombs. ⁴⁹For this reason also the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, ⁵⁰ so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, ⁵¹from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation.' ⁵²Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering."

11:45 "One of the lawyers" This refers to a scribe (see Special Topic at Luke 5:21) whose major task was to interpret the oral (Talmud) and written (OT) law. They took the place of the local Levites as instructors and interpreters of the Law and became the religious experts for people to consult about daily matters (binding and loosing). Most scribes in Jesus' day were also Pharisees.

▣ "you insult us too" The Greek term hubrizō means "violent mistreatment" (cf. Matt. 22:6; Luke 18:32; Acts 14:5; 1 Thess. 2:2). It is common in the Septuagint ("to insult," cf 2 Sam. 19:44; II Macc. 14:42 and "to be haughty," Jer. 31:29). These Jewish religious leaders felt the sting of Jesus' comments (cf. Matthew 23).

11:46 "For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear" There is a word play (cognate accusative) in this verse. The verb and noun (twice) of "burden" are used. This refers to rabbinical nit-picking interpretations of the Torah developed in the Oral Traditions (later codified in the Talmud). These religious rules and procedures were so complicated and contradictory that normal working people could not do them (cf. Matt. 23:4; Acts 15:10).

NASB"while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers"
NKJV"you yourselves do not touch the burden with one of your fingers"
NRSV"you yourselves do not lift a finger to ease them"
TEV"you yourselves will not stretch out a finger to help them carry those loads"
NJB"burdens that you yourselves do not touch with your fingertips"

They did meticulously perform their rabbinical interpretations, yet would not make any exceptions for others or even take time to help others.

The word "touch" is found only here in the NT (not in the Septuagint or the Egyptian Papyri). M. R. Vincent, Word Studies, vol. 1, p. 187, says it is a medical term used of lightly touching a sore. If this was the general connotation, then these religious leaders would not even sympathize with the plight of the common person ("people of the land") as they tried to keep the meticulous rules of the Pharisees.

11:47 "you build the tombs of the prophets" The parallel in Matt. 23:29-33 is striking! In the OT God's people would kill God's prophets (i.e., reject their message) and then build large tombs for them to honor their memory. The building of monuments to God's spokesmen is not what God wanted. He desires obedience to His message. As the leaders of the OT killed the prophets, these leaders will kill Jesus and His followers (cf. Matt. 23:34).

11:49 "For this reason also the wisdom of God said" There is no place in the OT where this is quoted. Therefore, many believed that Jesus was referring to Himself as "the Wisdom of God" (cf. 1 Cor. 1:24,30; Col. 2:3), which would be an allusion to Pro. 8:22-31. This OT text is the background to John 1:1-14.

▣ "prophets and apostles" This seems to refer to OT and NT speakers for God. This is a panorama of how the Jews received God's spokespersons (death and persecution).

11:50 "may be charged against this generation" This is a shocking verse. Jesus was the culmination of Jewish theology, history, and hope. To miss Him was to miss everything! Ultimate truth had come and now they were rejecting Him (cf. Luke 11:14-26,29-36)! See full note at Luke 11:31.

This may refer to the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70 by Titus.

11:51 "from the blood of Abel" This refers to the first premeditated murder in the Bible, recorded in Gen. 4:8.

▣ "to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God" This refers to the incident recorded in 2 Chr. 24:20-22.

It is possible that Jesus chose one example (i.e., Abel) from Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew canon, and one (Zechariah) from 2 Chronicles, the last book of the Hebrew canon, to illustrate the ongoing problem of the Jews (cf. Deut. 9:6,7,13,24,27; 31:27).

The altar referred to is the sacrificial altar at the entrance to the temple, while the "House of God" refers to the building itself, which had two major chambers, the outer one called "the Holy Place" and the inner one called "the Holy of Holies."

Abel's death was an evidence of the fall (cf. Genesis 3), while Zechariah's death showed a willful disregard for God's special dwelling place (the temple). The Jews now were plotting (cf. Luke 11:53-54) to murder Jesus also.

11:52 "For you have taken away the key of knowledge" The Jewish leaders who should have recognized Jesus ("the key of knowledge") not only missed Him, but led others into their willful blindness in God's name (cf. Matt. 23:13). This is shocking condemnation of the religious elite of Jesus' day.

When we share Christ we use the "keys of the kingdom" (cf. Matt. 16:19). When believers live godless or arrogant lives, they become like the Pharisees (cf. Matt. 23:13-15) who hinder people seeking God.

Jesus, not human knowledge, is the key of wisdom (cf. 1 Cor. 1:18-31). Jesus has the keys of death and hades (cf. Rev. 1:18). Jesus is the true descendant and promise of David (cf. 2 Samuel 7 and Rev. 3:7).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 11:53-54
 ⁵³When He left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile and to question Him closely on many subjects, ⁵⁴plotting against Him to catch Him in something He might say.

11:53

NASB, NRSV"began to be very hostile"
NKJV"began to assail Him vehemently"
TEV"began to criticize him bitterly"
NJB"began a furious attack on him"

The first term, deinōs, means "terrible," "vehement," or "dreadfully" (cf. Matt. 8:6). It was used in the Septuagint in Job 10:16 and 19:11 in the same sense.

The second term, enechō, means to fix upon in the sense of to hold a grudge (cf. Mark 6:19). The anger and hatred of the religious leaders, both Sadducees and Pharisees, which is so evident the last week of Jesus' life in Jerusalem, started much earlier (cf. Mark 6:19; Luke 11:53). This settled opposition was instigated by Jesus' pointed condemnation of their hypocrisy, self-righteousness, and arrogance.

NASB"to question Him closely on many subjects"
NKJV, NRSV"to cross-examine Him about many things"
TEV"ask him questions about many things"
NJB"tried to force answers from him on innumerable questions"

The verb apostomatizō is used only here in the NT. It is not used in the Septuagint, but is used in classical and late Greek literature in the sense of rote memory or repeating what someone else has said. It seems to imply a rapid series of questions so as not to give Jesus a chance to think through His answers. The whole purpose was to catch Him in a misspoken response, so they could condemn Him (cf. Luke 11:54) as He so powerfully condemned them! But they could not (cf. Luke 20:26).

11:54 "to catch Him in something He might say" This word literally means "to hunt wild animals." Jesus had become a serious theological problem. They must eliminate Him (cf. Luke 20:20) to maintain their leadership.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. Why is the Lord's Prayer, as recorded in Matthew and Luke, different?

2. How do we reconcile Luke 11:4 and James. 1:13?

3. Is God reluctant to hear our prayers and we must continue asking over and over?

4. Why is it so significant that they were calling Jesus Beelzebul?

5. Why was Jesus so angry with the religious leaders of first century Judaism?

Copyright © 2013 Bible Lessons International

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (from "A Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 13:1-5
 ¹Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. ²And Jesus said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? ³I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. ⁴Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? ⁵I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

13:1 "there were some present" This phrase (an imperfect indicative) can mean

1. they were always in the crowd

2. they had just arrived

▣ "the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices" We do not have any other historical reference of this account, but because of the tendency of the Galileans to be rabble rousers and the personality of Pilate, it is surely factual. Why mention it except to establish a historical point of reference?

Apparently these Galilean Jews came to Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice at the temple, and something went terribly wrong that involved the Roman government, not just temple police (i.e., special Levites). Most commentators assume they were involved in the "zealot" movement (free Palestine from Rome at any cost).

13:2 "And He answered and said to them, 'Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate’" Old Testament theology tended to relate the problems in life to personal sin (cf. Deut. 27-28), however, the Book of Job, Psalm 73, and Jesus in this passage (see also John 9) assert that is not always the case.

It is hard theologically to know the reason for problems or persecutions in this world.

1. It could be punishment for personal sin and rebellion.

2. It could be the activity of personal evil.

3. It could be the results of living in a fallen world (statistical evil).

4. It could be an opportunity for spiritual growth.

Jesus is asking questions the Jewish hearers would relate to #1 and the traditional theology of the rabbis (cf. The three friends of Job). The presence of problems, persecutions, and hard times is not a sign of God's wrath. However, the crucial issues relate to the lack of repentance from sin and faith in Jesus! Bad things happen! Two good books that have helped me in this area are Hannah Whithall Smith's The Christian's Secret of A Happy Life and John Wenham, The Goodness of God.

An added thought, these Galileans were in the temple area, but the temple (the great Jewish hope) could not save them.

13:3 "but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" This is a third class conditional sentence. It is a Present active subjunctive followed by a Future middle indicative. This is emphasizing the need for personal repentance (cf. Luke 13:3,5; 15:7,10; 17:3,4; Mark 1:15; Acts 3:19; 20:21). Repentance is the turning from sin and self, while faith is turning to God. The term "repent" in Hebrew means "a change of action." The term repent in Greek means "change of mind." Both are required. Notice that both are initial and ongoing (see note at Luke 13:5). See SPECIAL TOPIC: REPENTANCE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT at Luke 3:3.

13:4 Here is another local historical incident that Jesus' hearers knew about personally. Jesus intensifies His truth statements by these historical illustrations of personal (intentional, Luke 13:1-2) and natural (unintentional, Luke 13:4) contemporary events.

NASB"culprits"
NKJV"sinners"
NRSV"offenders"
TEV, NJB–omit–

This is literally the term "debts" as in Matt. 6:12, which was a Jewish idiom for sin or sinners. Luke does not use the term in his version of the Lord's Prayer (cf. Luke 11:2-4) because his Gentile readers would not normally comprehend this idiom.

13:5 This verse is parallel to Luke 13:3. Verse 3 has a present subjunctive, while Luke 13:5 has an aorist subjunctive. This seems to refer to a decisive act of repentance (and faith) versus the ongoing need for repentance in Luke 13:3. Both are necessary.

▣ "perish" This is the future middle indicative form of the term apollumi. See Special Topic at Luke 19:10.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 13:6-8
 ⁶And He began telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. ⁷And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?' ⁸And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; ⁹and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'"

13:6 "A man" The NASB 1970 has "a certain man" (tis). This is a literary marker for Luke's introducing a parable of Jesus (cf. Luke 10:30; 12:16; 13:6; 14:16; 15:4; 16:1,19; 19:12).

▣ "had a fig tree" The fig tree was often used as a symbol of Israel (cf. Hos. 9:10; Joel 1:7). However, in the account in Matt. 21:19ff, the fig tree is a symbol of Israel's leaders only. In the OT allusion from Isaiah 5, the bad fruit came from God's special vineyard. This context seems to refer to national Israel as a whole, whose spiritual life and priorities were characterized in her leaders.

13:7 "for three years" It takes several years for a fruit tree of any kind to start producing fruit. That time had passed by three years. God was patient, but there is a limit to His longsuffering.

13:8-9 This symbolizes the patience and mercy of God, however, Luke 13:9 shows the reality of judgment. God wants a righteous people who reflect His character. This passage, like John 15:2-6, is a warning against unfruitful lives in His people! God takes obedience seriously (cf. Luke 6:46). This is not works-righteousness, but true salvation evidenced by godly living (cf. Eph. 2:8-10). Salvation is not a product, a ticket to heaven, or a fire insurance policy, but a changed and changing life of godliness! Eternal life has observable characteristics (cf. Matthew 7).

13:9 "and if" This is the Greek compound kai ean, which makes this a partial third class conditional sentence (potential action). Its being incomplete was a way of making the supposed conclusion stand out.

▣ "but if not" This is a first class conditional sentence (ei de mē ge), which assumes it will not bear fruit even with further special care (cf. Luke 3:9).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 13:10-17
 ¹⁰And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. ¹¹And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. ¹²When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your sickness." ¹³And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God. ¹⁴But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, "There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day." ¹⁵But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? ¹⁶"And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?" ¹⁷As He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.

13:10 Many of Jesus' teachings and miracles were done in synagogues on the Sabbath for two unrelated reasons:

1. Jesus fulfilled all Jewish requirements. Sabbath worship was surely one of these (cf. Gen. 2:2-3; Exod. 20:8-11).

2. He acted on the Sabbath to instigate dialog with the religious leaders who cherished their rules and traditions over people.

13:11 "a woman" Luke uniquely records Jesus' ministry to women. This was shocking to Jewish sensibilities! See Special Topic: Women in the Bible at Luke 2:36.

▣ "a sickness caused by a spirit" Obviously this was a case of demon possession. The NT makes a distinction between someone being demonized and someone being diseased, although demons often do cause disease. See Special Topic at Luke 4:33.

▣ "bent double" This is a Greek medical term for "a bent spine." Luke was a Gentile physician (cf. Col. 4:14) or at least a highly educated man.

13:12 "When Jesus saw her" Jesus does this (1) out of compassion for this lady and/or (2) to engage the religious leaders in theological dialog. She does not expect or ask Him to act on her behalf.

▣ "Woman, you are freed from your sickness" This is a perfect passive indicative. Jesus usually never lays hands on people for exorcism. Apparently at His word the demon fled, but Jesus laid hands on her to increase her faith and to enable her to stand erect (cf. Luke 13:13).

13:13 "and He laid His hands on her" See SPECIAL TOPIC: LAYING ON OF HANDS in the Bible at Luke 4:40.

13:14 "But the synagogue official, indignant" This man asserts that there are six other days of the week on which this could have legally occurred (according to rabbinical Oral Traditions' interpretation of Exod. 20:9 and Deut. 5:13), but this lady had been attending synagogue services weekly for eighteen years in her pitiful condition and had not been helped by Jewish rules, Jewish healers (scribes), or synagogue worship! See SPECIAL TOPIC: SABBATH at Luke 6:1.

13:15-16 Jesus exposed this man and all who think like him (plural, hypocrites). The rabbis had great compassion in their oral traditions for the human treatment of animals on the Sabbath (cf. Luke 14:5), but were restrictive in their treatment of humans. Jesus illustrates the fallacy of the rabbinical system's legalism without compassion for people. We must be careful of our rules. They often become more important then people. People are priority with God. Only people are eternal. God made creation for fellowship with people! Our rules often say more about us than about God!

13:15 "hypocrites" See Special Topic at Luke 6:42.

13:16 This verse obviously links the demonic and Satan (see Special Topic at Luke 4:2). He is the chief demon (cf. Luke 11:15,18). This woman was bound in a worse way than any oxen (cf. Luke 13:15). Verse 16 expects a "yes" answer.

13:17 "all His opponents were being humiliated" This shows the presence of many religious leaders in the synagogue. This one "ruler of the synagogue" spoke on behalf of many who were present.

The word "ashamed" (imperfect passive indicative) is used only here in the Gospels, but is used nine times by Paul (i.e., Romans, I and 2 Corinthians). Luke must have heard it often in Paul's sermons. It was used often in the Septuagint (esp. Isa. 45:16). Luke knew this Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible well. He was influenced by its terminology and idioms.

▣ "the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things done by Him" What a contrast: religious leaders embarrassed, but the common people (people of the land) rejoicing over Jesus' words and deeds (cf. Luke 9:43; 13:17; 18:43; 19:37)! Again, the hearts of the hearers determines the response (e.g., the parable of the soils, cf. Luke 8:4-15).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 13:18-21
 ¹⁸So He was saying, "What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it? ¹⁹It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches." ²⁰And again He said, "To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? ²¹It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened."

13:18 "What is the kingdom of God like" Here are two parables that imply the smallness and insignificance of the kingdom then, but, one day, its pervasiveness and power.

13:19 "the birds of the air nested in its branches" A mustard seed grew to about ten feet tall. This OT quote is a symbol of the pervasiveness, protection, and provision of the kingdom of God (cf. Ezek. 17:23; 31:6; Dan. 4:12,21).

13:21 "leaven" This is not a symbol of evil in this context, but a sign of pervasiveness. See SPECIAL TOPIC: LEAVEN at Luke 12:1.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 13:22-30
 ²²And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. ²³And someone said to Him, "Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?" And He said to them, ²⁴"Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. ²⁵Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open up to us!' then He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know where you are from.' ²⁶Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets'; ²⁷and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers.' ²⁸In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out. ²⁹And they will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. ³⁰And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last."

13:22 Here again is Luke's emphasis on Jesus traveling on His way to Jerusalem to His divine appointment (cf. Luke 9:51; 13:22; 17:11; 18:31; 19:11,28; Acts 2:23; 3:18; 4:28; 13:29).

13:23 "Lord, are there just a few who are being saved" This was a highly discussed issue among the rabbis (cf. Matt. 7:13-14). They argued whether all the Jews would be saved from God's wrath on Judgment Day or just certain sects within Judaism (their own). This question may also relate to the OT concept of "remnant" (cf. Isa. 10:20-23; 16:14; Micah 2:17; 4:6-8; 5:7-9; 7:18-20). The tragedy of ancient Israel was that although they were the special chosen nation of YHWH, most never had a personal faith relationship with Him. Israel's history is one of judgment, restoration, and judgment again. The prophets only saw a faithful remnant (sh’r) returning from Assyrian and Babylonian exile.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE REMNANT, THREE SENSES

13:24 "Strive to enter through the narrow door" This is a Present middle (deponent) imperative - plural. The term "strive" means "to enter an athletic contest." We get the English word "agony" from this Greek term (cf. Luke 22:44). This is not emphasizing works righteousness, but that following Jesus costs. Jesus, not Jewish legalism, is the door to salvation (cf. Luke 13:25-26; John 10:1-3,7; Galatians). In Matt. 7:13 it is a narrow gate that leads to a path, but here it is a narrow door that enters the house.

▣ "for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able" This asserts that many of those who thought they were certain of entrance into the kingdom will be surprised (cf. Luke 13:28; Matt. 8:12). This is a shocking verse for legalists of all ages and cultures. Salvation is not human effort, but a response of personal faith to God's gift and provision—Jesus (cf. John 10:1-18; 14:6). The picture here may be of many people wailing outside a small door and trying to enter all at once. At the moment of the Parousia there will be no time to prepare or act (cf. Matt. 15:1-13).

13:25 This is very similar to the eschatological parable of preparation and persistence found in Matt. 15:1-13. Whenever one encounters Jesus, that is the time of salvation. People must not put off the spiritual decision that needs to be made today. In this parable, when the host of the feast recognizes that the time for the meal has come, He locks the door so that no more guests may come in.

Humans do not initiate spiritual decisions. They can only respond to God's initiation (cf. John 6:44,65). God has spoken through Christ. They must respond now or be locked out of the Messianic banquet.

13:26 "we ate and drank in Your presence" Often Jews trusted in their racial ancestry (cf. Luke 3:8; John 8:31-59) or religious performance (cf. Matt. 7:21-23). Knowing Jesus in the flesh or simply calling on His name (liturgically or flippantly) is not equivalent to a personal faith relationship (cf. John 1:12; 3:16; Rom. 10:9-13).

13:27

NASB"I do not know where you are from"
NKJV"I do not know you, where are you from"
NRSV, NJB"I do not know where you came from"
TEV"I don't know where you came from"

Verses 25 and 27 are parallel, but Luke 13:27 seems to have dropped the pronoun "you" (humas) in the ancient Greek manuscripts P⁷⁵ (early third century), B (fourth century), L (eighth century), and 070 (sixth century). The question comes, "Was it originally an exact parallel?" Many other ancient texts have it (cf. MSS א, A, W, and most early versions). Jesus' words to these hearers paralleled His words to the religionists of Matt. 7:21-23! Religious rules, actions, and liturgy, without personal faith, were a horrible tragedy to national Israel and a modern tragedy to legalists!

M. R. Vincent, Word Studies, p. 192, asserts that the phrase ("where are you from") relates to the speaker's birthplace or family. If so, this may refer to the Jewish preoccupation with Abraham as their ancestor (cf. Matt. 3:9; John 8:33,37,39). The two Jewish hopes were (1) their racial ancestry and (2) their Mosaic temple (cultus). Jesus depreciates both and replaces them with personal faith in Himself as the only way to be right with God.

▣ "all you evildoers" This seems to be a quote of Ps. 6:8 (cf. Matt. 7:23).

13:28 "there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" This is used for eschatological rejection (cf. Matt. 8:12; 13:42,50; 22:13; 24:15; 25:30; Rev. 18:19). These Jews are grieving (see Special Topic at Luke 10:13) because

1. Abraham and the Patriarchs will be with Jesus

2. these Jewish leaders will not be with Jesus

3. Gentiles from all over the world will be with Jesus

NASB"but yourselves being thrown out"
NKJV"and yourselves thrust out"
NRSV"and you yourselves thrown out"
TEV"while you are thrown out"
NJB"and yourselves thrown out"

The imagery of a locked entrance (cf. Luke 13:24-25) is changed and intensified to an extraction. Some who thought they were in will be cast out. The image has switched from a house owner to the Kingdom of God.

13:29 "recline at the table in the kingdom of God" This refers to the imagery of the Messianic banquet (cf. Isa. 25:6-8; 55:1-2; 65:13-14), often referred to in the book of Revelation as the Wedding Feast of the Lamb (cf. Rev. 3:20; 19:9). This is an inaugural event of the beginning of the consummated Kingdom of God (cf. Luke 14:15; 22:16,30).

13:30 Verses 25-27 refer to Jesus' hearers. Some respond to Him, some think they have responded to Him, and many openly reject Him. The eschatological consequences for rejecting Him are severe.

Verse 30 relates to the evaluation of believers within the Kingdom. Those who seemed so prominent here will not be in heaven (cf. Matt. 19:30; 20:16; Mark 10:31). God's ways of evaluation are different from human ways (cf. Isa. 55:8-11). Motives and attitudes will one day be known and rewarded.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 13:31-35
 ³¹Just at that time some Pharisees approached, saying to Him, "Go away, leave here, for Herod wants to kill You." ³²And He said to them, "Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I reach My goal.' ³³Nevertheless I must journey on today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem. ³⁴O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it! ³⁵Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'"

13:31 Was this an act of kindness or a way to get Jesus out of town so that He could not condemn them and increase His disciples?

▣ "Go away, leave here" This is an aorist active imperative followed by a present middle (deponent) imperative.

▣ "Herod" See note at Luke 9:7.

▣ "wants to kill you" This is ironic because, in reality, the Pharisees (see Special Topic at Luke 5:17) and Sadducees (see Special Topic at Luke 20:27) also wanted Jesus dead. Perhaps the Pharisees were hoping Herod would kill Him and save them the trouble and blame.

13:32 "Go and tell" This is an aorist passive (deponent) participle used in the sense of an imperative plus an Aorist active imperative. However, this is a good example of an imperative used as a literary device (not literally). Jesus is not asking these Pharisees to serve as His messenger to Herod.

▣ "I cast out demons and perform cures" This may relate to 9:7. Herod knew of Jesus and wanted to question Him.

▣ "today and tomorrow, and the third day I reach My goal" This phrase clearly shows that Jesus knew that it was God's will for Him to die in Jerusalem (cf. Luke 13:33; John 5:36; 17:23; 19:28) and no one (Herod) could stop God's redemptive plan. Luke's Gospel has been emphasizing Jesus' determined travel to Jerusalem since 9:51.

It is possible that this phrase is an apocalyptic idiom of Luke 3:5, which refers to a period of persecution (cf. Dan. 7:25; 8:14; 12:12; and possibly Luke 4:25).

13:34 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem" The doubling is a Semitic way of showing intensity (cf. Gen. 22:11 and LXX Gen. 22:1). However, in most NT examples it shows mild reproach.

▣ "the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her" This is another expression of God's repeated attempt to call His people to repentance (cf. Hos. 11:2). The Jewish people killed these "sent" messengers by stoning, which was the Mosaic punishment for blasphemy (they were thought to bring a false message). Now the city will kill "the Son" (cf. Luke 20:9-18).

▣ "How often I wanted to gather your children together" This is another phrase which shows God's repeated attempts at communication and fellowship. Notice that Jesus expresses Himself as YHWH.

▣ "as a hen gathers her brood under her wings" This is a feminine metaphor used by Jesus for Himself. Deity is neither male or female (cf. Gen. 1:2; Exod. 19:4; Deut. 32:11; Ps. 17:8; 36:7; Isa. 49:15; 16:9-13; and Hos. 11:1-4). God is an eternal, omnipresent Spirit. He made both males and females and incorporated the best in Himself. Humans call God "He" because of His personality and the ancient tradition from the Jewish patriarchal culture.

SPECIAL TOPIC: SHADOW AS METAPHOR FOR PROTECTION AND CARE

13:35 "your house is left to you desolate" The metaphor of "your house" is reminiscent of Luke 11:21-26. This verse is not directed to Jewish leadership only, but the inhabitants of Jerusalem who represented all of Israel. God's repeated overtures of love had been repeatedly and violently rejected. Now come the consequences.

But, please remember that the consequences of their sin, and our sin, were paid for through Christ's death on our behalf in this very city just condemned. Jesus is God's open door of forgiveness for whosoever will (cf. John 1:12; 3:16). That door is open as long as life remains and time remains!

▣ "desolate" This term is not found in the ancient Greek manuscripts P^45,75, א, A, B, L, W, or the Greek texts used by Epaphanus and Augustine. This same textual problem occurs in Matt. 23:38. The UBS⁴ rates the addition of "desolate" in Matt. 23:38 as "B" (almost certain) but its omission here as "B" (almost certain). It seems to have been added later (MS D) to clarify the meaning of the Greek phrase, or possibly as an allusion to Jer. 22:5. For many it is a prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70 (cf. Luke 21), which foreshadows the destruction preceding the Second Coming. Jerusalem's destruction in the lifetime of these hearers was a powerful witness of the trustworthiness of Jesus' words.

▣ "you shall not see Me until the time when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord’" This is an allusion to Ps. 118:26 in the Septuagint.

This has a double reference: (1) it refers to Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem (cf. Luke 19:38) and (2) it refers to the Second Coming. Notice that Jesus comes as the prophets came "in the name of the Lord," which means YHWH's representative. This judgment pronouncement was not permanent, but conditional. God's heart breaks for His rebellious people (cf. Hos. 11:8-9; Rom. 9-11; Zech. 12:10).

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. Are illnesses and problem in life a sign of God's displeasure?

2. Is Israel still the major thrust of God's redemption of all the earth?

3. Why was Jesus in such controversy with the Pharisees over the oral law?

4. How many people will be saved?

5. Is God masculine or feminine?

Copyright © 2013 Bible Lessons International

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (from "A Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. Luke 14:25-35 sets the stage that many in the crowd, on hearing the cost of discipleship, ceased to follow Jesus. Luke 15 shows that the religious and social outcasts continued to come to Him.

B. These three parables have four foci:

1. the lostness of man

2. God's active love for all men (cf. 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9)

3. the Savior's mission of seeking and saving (cf. Mark 10:45)

4. the self-righteous reaction of the religious leaders (cf. Luke 15:2, typified in the older brother, 25-32)

C. Notice the main characters in the parables were people who were looked down on by the religious authorities: shepherds, women, and rebellious children.

D. Three parables, which are unique to Luke (Matt. 18:12-14 uses the "lost sheep," but in a context referring to disciples, not Pharisees), disclose Jesus' understanding of God's seeking and saving character and purpose (the restoration of all fallen, sinful humanity to full fellowship with Himself, cf. John 4:23; Luke 19:10).

E. Luke 15 and 16 have a series of five parables. Remember chapter divisions are not inspired.

F. There is one resource I have found especially helpful in the interpretation of the parables in Luke: Kenneth E. Bailey, Poet and Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes, Eerdmans, 1983. It is not so much the author's supposed chiasms as his knowledge of Near Eastern society and customs that has brought such insight to this eastern genre.

PRINCIPLES FOR INTERPRETING PARABLES

(for a full discussion, see Introduction to Chapter 8)

A. Look to the context that precedes and follows to determine the purpose of the parable.

B. Determine the major theme (occasionally themes).

C. Do not press minor details into theological interpretations.

D. Avoid allegorizing and spiritualizing unless something in the text demands it.

E. Do not build doctrine on parables.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 15:1-2
 ¹Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. ²Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."

15:1 "all" Luke often uses hyperbole (i.e., use of "all" in Luke 3:16; 4:15; 9:1) to accentuate the impact that Jesus had on the outcasts of Palestine. Surely not every outcast and sinner approached Jesus, but many did (cf. Luke 1:65,66; 2:1,38,47; 3:15,20; 4:5,15; 6:26; 7:16,17,29; etc.).

▣ "tax collectors" These Jews worked for the Romans (or Herod) and their salary usually came from over-taxing their countrymen. They were hated and ostracized by the local people. Jesus even called one of them to be an Apostle, Levi ( cf. Matt. 9:9-10).

▣ "sinners" This refers to either

1. openly immoral persons

2. persons who were outcasts because of their occupation

3. common villagers who did not completely follow the Oral Traditions

It was very difficult for common people to fully observe all the rabbinical rules.

These two groups characterized all those rejected by the religious elite of Jesus' day (cf. Luke 5:30; Mark 2:16). The sects (Pharisees, Sadducees, zealots, Essenes) of Judaism even excluded each other as acceptable to God. Religion had become a status based on performance or exclusive party affiliation.

▣ "were coming near Him" This PERIPHRASTIC IMPERFECT implies this was a normal occurrence. They found acceptance with Jesus, which they never found with the other religious leaders. It is interesting that this same Greek VERB is used for approaching God in Heb. 7:19 and James 4:8. These people were seeking God (cf. 2 Chr. 15:2); the Pharisees were claiming to seek Him, but in reality, they were clinging to their traditions (cf. Isa. 29:13) and leading people away from God (cf. Matt. 23:16,24; Rom. 2:19).

▣ "to listen to Him" This is a present infinitive. These outcasts wanted to hear Jesus' teachings.

15:2 "the Pharisees and the scribes" This is the same order as Luke 5:30; usually the order is reversed i.e., Luke 5:17,21). They were probably part of an official delegation sent from Jerusalem to spy on Jesus. They were hoping to find something to officially charge Him with in court. In Jesus' day most scribes (Mosaic lawyers) were Pharisees. See Special Topics: Pharisees at Luke 5:17 and Scribes at Luke 5:21.

▣ "began to grumble" This is an imperfect active indicative, which denotes repeated action in past time (cf. Luke 5:30).

This is a compound (dia + gogguzō) used only here and in Luke 19:7. Both involve the grumbling of the religious elite. In the Septuagint this compound was used of the Israelites who grumbled at Moses and even YHWH during the Wilderness Wandering period (cf. Exod. 15:24; 16:2,7,8; Num. 14:2).

▣ "This man" This is often used in the Gospels in a derogatory sense as a way to not use the person's name (cf. Mark 14:71).

▣ "receives sinners" This present middle (deponent) indicative means Jesus continuously made the choice to include these people. He may have sponsored this meal and specifically invited them. This same criticism is seen in Luke 5:27-32 (cf. Luke 7:34).

Jesus' reception of the outcast, needy, and sick is one of the OT Messianic signs these religious leaders should have recognized (see note at Luke 14:13). The surprising aspect of these three parables is not only the type of people addressed (shepherds, women, rebellious children), but also the implication that Jesus receives and forgives sinners. This is the unique domain of God (cf. Mark 2:1-12)! This is a powerful evidence of Jesus' self-understanding (i.e., Incarnated Deity).

▣ "and eats with them" This is a present active indicative. Often wealthy Jews fed the poor of their community by giving alms to the local synagogue (see Special Topic at Luke 11:41). However, they never ate with them. To eat with someone in this culture showed full acceptance and fellowship. Jesus loved/loves sinners and tried/tries to reach them for God, which changes them from being sinners to guests and friends. In a sense these eating events foreshadow the Messianic banquet. Some who think they will be there, will not.

This is the theological setting of all three parables in Luke 15. The parallel in Matt. 18:12-13 also shows the heart of God.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 15:3-7
 ³So He told them this parable, saying, ⁴"What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? ⁵When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' ⁷I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."

15:4 "What man among you" Jesus is referring to herdsmen. These were some of the vocations ostracized by the Pharisees because their jobs prevented them from observing all the rules and regulations of the Oral Traditions. Those rejected by the religious leaders were welcomed by Jesus. As a matter of fact, it was to shepherds that the first announcement of the birth of the Messiah was made (cf. Luke 2).

▣ "leave the ninety-nine" This is a very specific number. The shepherd would count the sheep as he put them in an enclosure for the night. Every sheep was important to the shepherd. A flock of one hundred sheep was considered a medium sized flock. The ninety nine were not left alone, but with other shepherds or still in the enclosure. The metaphor of God as Shepherd is common in the OT (cf. Psalm 23; 80:1; Isa. 40:10,11). It is also used of false leaders (cf. Ezek. 34:1ff; Isa. 56:9-12). There is even a wounded Messianic shepherd in Zechariah 13. Jesus calls Himself "the Good Shepherd" in John 10.

▣ "in the open pasture" This term means uninhabited pasture land.

▣ "the one which is lost" This may be an allusion to Isa. 53:6. Sinful Jews are identified as lost sheep (cf. Jer. 50:6; Matt. 9:36; 10:6).

15:5 "lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing" One of the beautiful works of art depicting Jesus is of a shepherd with a lamb on His shoulders. This shows the loving care of the shepherd.

15:6 "Rejoice with Me" This aorist passive (deponent) Imperative is repeated in Luke 15:9 and is paralleled in Luke 15:23 (literally as "be merry," aorist passive subjunctive). This command reflects the desire of God who wants to accept and rejoice over all who return to Him through a repentant faith response to His Messiah, His Son.

15:7 "repents" This is a present active participle denoting ongoing action. The Greek term metanoeō means "a change of mind." The matching Hebrew term means a "change of action." Both are involved in repentance. It is interesting that Matthew and Luke mention "repentance" so much more than Mark and John, who do not mention the word at all. See Special Topic at Luke 3:3.

The gospel can be summarized as (1) repent and (2) believe/faith/trust (i.e., Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21). Luke mentions the need to repent often (cf. Luke 5:32; 10:13; 11:32; 13:3,5; 15:7,10; 16:30; also notice Acts 2:38; 3:19; 8:22; 17:30; 20:21; 24:47; 26:20).

▣ "joy in heaven over one sinner" This shows God's heart and the priority of people being saved. In the three parables of this chapter the gospel's purpose is clearly revealed (the restoration of the image of God in humanity, cf. Gen. 1:26-27, and humanity's restored fellowship with God, cf. Gen. 3:8).

▣ "who need no repentance" This is irony, not doctrine, like Luke 5:31-32; Matt. 9:12-13 and Mark 2:17. Those who knew they were in spiritual need readily came to Jesus, but the religious elite felt no such need. Jesus eats, fellowships with, and forgives those who came (and come) to Him in faith and repentance.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 15:8-10
 ⁸"Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!' ¹⁰In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

15:8 "if" This is a third class conditional sentence, which means potential action.

▣ "ten silver coins" This Greek word drachma, is used only here in the NT. It was a day's wage for a soldier or laborer (similar to a dēnarius). These were this woman's status symbol and possibly her dowry. Near Eastern custom informs us that this may have been a headdress.

SPECIAL TOPIC: COINS IN USE IN PALESTINE IN JESUS' DAY

▣ "and search carefully until she finds it" This is not meant to denote a universalism (in the end all will be saved). The details of a parable cannot be forced into theological doctrine. As Rom. 5:18 must be interpreted in the context of Romans 1-8, so too, small phrases cannot be used to teach truths that are clearly denied in the immediate context (cf. "sinner who repents," Luke 15:7, 10). If all exercised repentance and faith, all could be saved, but the mystery of evil is that even in the presence of great light, many will not respond (i.e., the Pharisees). See SPECIAL TOPIC: THE UNPARDONABLE SIN at Luke 11:19.

I believe that Jesus' death covers all sin, but the gospel demands an initial and continuing faith response.

▣ "light a lamp" The poorer homes of this time had no windows and thus no natural light.

15:9 This repeats the theological emphasis of Luke 15:6-7.

15:10 "the angels of God" This is a rabbinical way of referring to God (as is "joy in heaven" in Luke 15:7). Matthew has many of these phrases that refer to God without mentioning His name (circumlocutions).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 15:11-24
 ¹¹And He said, "A man had two sons. ¹²The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.' So he divided his wealth between them. ¹³And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. ¹⁴Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. ¹⁵So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. ¹⁶And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. ¹⁷But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! ¹⁸I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men."' ²⁰So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. ²¹And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' ²²But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; ²³and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; ²⁴for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate."

15:11 "two sons" These will typify the Jews who heard Jesus: (1) the common people and (2) the religious leaders. Their response to the lostness of all humans (in this context, Israelites) before God will be very different. One group rejoices in the potential salvation of all humans, but the other is offended by God's love for all humans.

15:12 "give me the share of the estate that falls to me" This did not belong to him until his father's death. It would involve one-third of the estate with two thirds going to the oldest son (cf. Deut. 21:17). This shows a rebellious, unloving, independent spirit. This very question would have been unheard of in eastern culture. This implies a desire for the father's death (cf. Kenneth E. Bailey, Poet and Peasant, pp. 142-206).

▣ "So he divided his wealth between them" There are several cultural and legal reasons for an early inheritance to be given, but not at the request of a son! The father's actions in allowing this inappropriate and culturally unheard of request does not denote God's character, but is a literary device to accentuate God's undeserved and overwhelming love and forgiveness later in the parable.

As for the older son, his silence at both the brother's request and the father's action would be unforgivable in eastern culture. He should have vigorously protested. He also will be singled out for censure at the conclusion of the parable. As a matter of fact, he represents the attitudes of the Pharisees. (Will they accept sinners like God does, or will he reject his brother?)

15:13 "gathered everything together" To transfer the farm assets into cash meant to (1) disrupt the farm and even jeopardize its future existence and (2) sell them at a very reduced price.

If land was involved, the buyer did not take possession until after the father's death. The father would have use of it until then.

▣ "and went on a journey" This represents the younger son's seeking independence from the family. He will do it his way!

NASB"there he squandered his estate with loose living"
NKJV"there he wasted his possession with prodigal living"
NRSV"there he squandered his property in dissolute living"
TEV"where he wasted his money in reckless living"
NJB"where he squandered his money on a life of debauchery"
PESHITTA
(Syriac)"there he wasted his wealth in extravagant living"

This is from the verb sōzō (save) with the alpha privative (one who cannot save). All English translations translate asōtōs, an adverb which occurs only here in the NT, as immoral, godless, riotous living (cf. Luke 15:3 and the LXX of Pro. 7:11; 28:7). However, the fifth century Syriac (Aramaic) version denotes one who is careless or thoughtless with his resources (German Bible Society's Greek - English Lexicon of the Septuagint, lists "wastefulness" as a translation option for asōtia, p. 69), but not necessarily immoral (cf. Kittel, vol. 1, p. 507 and Louw and Nida, vol. 1, p. 753).

15:15 "he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country" The key interpretive issue is the word "hired" (kollaō). It is used predominately by Luke and Paul. It can mean "associate with" (cf. Acts 5:13; 9:26; 10:28), "cleave to" (cf. Matt. 19:5; Luke 10:11), or "join" (cf. Acts 8:29; 17:74). It originally meant "to glue." Did this young foolish Jew hire himself out for wages or did he cling desperately to a local, non-Jewish farmer for life? The question is one of desperation. How desperate was the young man? How much in need?

Possibly "the citizen" was trying to get rid of the Jewish young man by asking him to feed pigs! Perhaps he was so hungry, so desperate, so in need, that he would do anything just to survive.

15:16

NASB, NKJV"he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods"
NRSV"he would have gladly filled himself with the pods"
TEV"he wished he could fill himself with the bean pods"
NJB"he would willingly have filled himself with the husks"

The first two translations follow the ancient Greek manuscripts P⁷⁵, א, B, D, L, and Augustine's Greek text, which has the verb gemizō and the word "stomach." However, the last three follow the ancient Greek manuscript A and the Old Latin Vulgate and Syriac versions, which have the verb chortazō and excludes the word "stomach." Usually when א and B agree over A, modern textual critics follow the former manuscripts. However, the UBS⁴ gives the second option a "B" (almost certain) rating. It is somewhat surprising that the NASB (1995) follows KJV.

As usual, this variant does not affect the meaning of the passage.

▣ "the pods" There were apparently two types of this carob bean (cf. Bailey, Poet and Peasant, pp. 171-172). One is found in Syria, which is sweet and eaten by the general population. The other is a wild carob which is a short plant with black, sour berries. It does not provide enough sustenance for life. It is these wild berries that the young man wanted to eat, but he knew they would not help his hunger.

▣ "and no one was giving anything to him" In context this may mean that other servants would not let him eat the pigs' food. Here is the problem of a cruel world. This is a situation that this young man did not plan for, now he was in life-threatening need (cf. Luke 15:17).

15:17

NASB, TEV,
NJB"he came to his senses"
NKJV, NRSV,
PESHITTA"he came to himself"

This is a Hebraic idiom of (1) acceptance of responsibility and repentance or (2) a person's internal thought process, an epiphany (cf. Luke 18:4, the exact Greek phrase). Verses 18-19 imply meaning #1.

▣ "hired men" There were several levels of servants in rural village life of the Near East (cf. Bailey, Poet and Peasant, p. 176):

1. doulos, a domestic servant who lived with the master

2. paides, slaves who performed menial tasks but lived on the farm

3. misthos, temporary, hired workers who did not live on the farm

In context #2 fits best as the desire of the son.

15:18 "against heaven" This is another circumlocution which refers to God. See note at Luke 15:10.

15:20 "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him. . .and ran. . .and embraced him and kissed him" The father's expectancy and unusual actions reflect the intensity of his love.

The last two actions, "embraced him" and "kissed him," may reflect the Septuagint of Gen. 33:4; 45:14-15, which denotes reunion. The last action, "kissed him," could be a sign of forgiveness from 2 Sam. 14:33. This compound term, kata + phileō, implies fervent affection (cf. Luke 7:38; Acts 20:37).

When interpreting parables one must look for the central truth (usually in what would be culturally shocking or unexpected) and not push (allegorize) all the details. The father's actions in allowing the young man's initial request which jeopardized the whole family, was morally and culturally inappropriate. They must not be attributed as characteristics of God. God will not give us what would destroy us! He does, however, give us the freedom to destroy ourselves! However, the father's unconditional forgiveness and gracious restoration of such an undeserving person is surely a characteristic of God. Remember the parable's larger context is the unforgiving and non-accepting attitude of the Pharisees (i.e., the older brother, Luke 15:25-32, especially Luke 15:28).

15:21 There is a Greek manuscript variant in the verse. Some ancient texts at the end of the sentence have "your son," but others add the remaining phrase from Luke 15:19 ("make me as one of your hired men"). Scribes tended to fill out phrases, therefore, UBS⁴ gives the shorter text an "A" rating (certain).

15:22 The intensity of the moment is carried by the three aorist active imperatives. The slaves are commanded to do these things immediately!

▣ "best robe" This was a sign of position in the family.

▣ "a ring" This was a sign of his restored family position and authority.

▣ "sandals" This was a sign of a son of the owner, not a hired servant.

15:23 "the fattened calf" The Jews ate red meat only at very special occasions. This was the most valuable meat available.

Kenneth E. Bailey, Poet and Peasant/Through Peasant Eyes, makes the comment that by implication the killing of the fatted calf involved the whole community. There would be too much meat just for the estate. If so, this implies that the father solves the problem of the young son's acceptance back into the community by this feast (cf. pp. 181-187).

Also notice that this lavish banquet for the rebellious son is the unexpected element of the parable. Table fellowship was a Jewish metaphor for heaven (eschatological banquet). The shock is that the younger son (symbolizing the tax collectors and sinners) is the object of the feast, while the older son (symbolizing the religious leaders) refuses to attend and makes the point that there is no feast for him. This role reversal is typical of Jesus' teachings.

15:24 This parallels Luke 15:6-7 and 9-10. Heaven rejoices at the restoration of sinners!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 15:25-32
 ²⁵"Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. ²⁷And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.' ²⁸But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began imploring him. ²⁹But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; ³⁰but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.' ³¹And he said to him, 'Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³²'But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.'"

15:25 "older son" If the prodigal represents lost and fallen humanity, then the older son represents the self-righteous attitude of religious leaders.

This parable has two main truths:

1. God's joy over one who repents

2. God's pain when part of His spiritual family will not forgive and accept other parts of the sinful family

In many ways nothing has changed. Sin and unforgiveness still live in the church building! There are two types of estrangement:

1. open rebellion

2. hidden superiority and jealousy

Each of these sons, for opposite reasons, was out of fellowship with the father.

15:28 God loves Pharisees also!

15:29 "I have been serving you" This shows the son's pent-up anger and resentment, possibly even jealousy and envy. The older son feels he deserves the father's love because of his obedience and continuance (i.e., self-righteous legalism, cf. parable at Matt. 20:1-16).

▣ "never given me a young goat" This was a less expensive animal than the fattened calf. He feels neglected.

15:30 "this son of yours" This phrase shows the depth of the older sons anger and continued rejection of his brother.

▣ "with prostitutes" This was only speculation on the elder son's part.

15:31 "all that is mine is yours" The remaining inheritance belonged completely to this son. The life and livelihood of the younger son was, in reality, in the hands of the older brother. The younger son was completely at the older brother's mercy once the father died.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. What is the major thrust of these three parables?

2. Which son represents you?

3. Why is there no conclusion to the last parable?

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