Luk 6:10-8:18 | TNotes

6:12 ^a he prayed to God all night: See study note on 3:21. Jesus prayed before important events and decisions such as choosing the Twelve, who would carry on his ministry after him.
6:13 ^b Disciples were students and followers; apostles were specially commissioned representatives.

• The number twelve symbolically represents the twelve tribes of Israel. The apostles represented the restored people of God.
6:14 ^c Simon (whom he named Peter): Peter means “rock” or “stone” (see Matt 16:18 ^d).
6:15 ^e The diversity of Jesus’ apostles is striking.

• Matthew, also called Levi, was the tax collector for the Romans (see 5:27 ^f; Matt 9:9 ^g; 10:3 ^h).

• Simon (who was called the zealot): Zealot probably meant that he had joined the Zealot movement, a group of Jews actively seeking to overthrow the Roman government.
6:16 ⁱ Judas (son of James) was probably also called Thaddaeus (Matt 10:3 ^j; Mark 3:18 ^k). He was a different man than Judas Iscariot or Jude the half brother of Jesus (who wrote the New Testament book of Jude).

• Judas Iscariot: Iscariot probably means “from Kerioth,” a village twelve miles south of Hebron.
Summary for Luke 6:17-49: 6:17-49 ^l The central theme of Jesus’ great sermon is that an authentic life of righteousness accompanies repentance and acceptance into God’s Kingdom. 6:17 ^m all over Judea ... Tyre and Sidon: Tyre and Sidon were coastal cities on the Mediterranean Sea northwest of Galilee. Jesus was gaining wide popularity.
Summary for Luke 6:20-23: 6:20-23 ⁿ God blesses those who acknowledge their inadequacy and weakness and turn to God for strength. The value system of God’s Kingdom is radically different from the world’s value system, in which power and strength represent success.
Summary for Luke 6:20-21: 6:20-21 ^o poor ... hungry: Cp. Matt 5:3 ^p, 6 ^q. This statement likely included physical and spiritual poverty. Poverty and suffering tend to make us more dependent on God. The Old Testament includes many promises that God will feed and comfort his people (Pss 22:26 ^r; 107:36-41 ^s; 126:1-6 ^t; Isa 49:10-13 ^u; 51:3 ^v; 65:13 ^w).
6:23 ^x treated the ancient prophets that same way: See thematic note for The Suffering Prophet at end of chapter.
Summary for Luke 6:24-26: 6:24-26 ^y Promises of blessing for the poor and oppressed are balanced in Luke with predictions of sorrow for the rich and powerful. Those who trust in themselves will be humbled, while those who depend on God will be blessed. The Old Testament prophets often pronounced woes against nations and rulers who oppressed God’s people and rejected his sovereignty (e.g., Isa 3:11 ^z; 5:8 ^aa; Jer 50:27 ^ab; Zech 11:17 ^ac).
6:27 ^ad love your enemies! People were commonly taught in the ancient world to love their family and friends and hate their enemies. Jesus announced a radical new ethic of loving even one’s enemies and overcoming evil through self-sacrificial love for others, not through violence and hatred (cp. Rom 12:14-21 ^ae).
6:30 ^af when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back: Jesus’ point is that the cycle of hatred and violence that characterizes human nature can only be broken by responding with good, not evil (Rom 12:17 ^ag). We win the world through self-sacrificial love. Jesus was not promoting injustice, as though believers should let criminals take advantage of the weak. God established governments to punish evildoers (Rom 13:1-5 ^ah).
6:31 ^ai Do to others as you would like them to do to you: While the Golden Rule appears in some form in various religious and philosophical traditions, only in Jesus’ teaching is love for all people, including enemies, the fundamental ethic that governs all behavior.
Summary for Luke 6:34-36: 6:34-36 ^aj The law of Moses prohibited charging interest on loans to other Israelites in order to prevent exploitation of the poor (Exod 22:25 ^ak; Lev 25:35-37 ^al; Deut 23:20 ^am). Jesus further instructed his followers to lend ... without expecting to be repaid. By doing good even to those who do evil, we act as children of the Most High and imitate our Father in heaven, who is kind to all people (cp. Rom 5:8 ^an).
Summary for Luke 6:37-42: 6:37-42 ^ao Do not judge others: Jesus condemned hypocritical judgment that denigrated another person. Those who condemn others will be judged by that same standard. God requires his people to love others by warning them of the dangers of sin (Gal 6:1 ^ap; Heb 3:13 ^aq). Exhortation is an act of love; judgment is an act of pride.
6:38 ^ar pressed down, shaken together: A generous grain merchant would top off the buyer’s container, press it down, shake it to make more room, and then pour until the grain overflowed into the buyer’s lap.
6:41 ^as a log in your own: Jesus did not say that the speck in our friend’s eye is not our business, but that we must first correct our own faults so that we can see clearly enough to remove the speck. Jesus condemned hypocritical judgment; lovingly holding one another accountable regarding sin is desirable.
6:45 ^at What people take in and treasure determines what will emerge in their lives.
6:49 ^au anyone who hears and doesn’t obey: See Ezek 33:31-33 ^av.

Thematic note: The Suffering Prophet
Jesus is described by many titles in the Gospels, including Messiah, Son of David, Son of Man, Son of God, and Lord. In Luke, a key title is “Prophet.” Jesus was the prophet that Moses predicted in Deut 18:15 ^aw.
As a prophet, Jesus preached God’s word and performed miracles like those of the great Old Testament prophets. When Jesus raised a widow’s son, the people cried out, “A mighty prophet has risen among us” (Luke 7:16 ^ax). The disiples reported to Jesus that people were identifying him as a prophet (Matt 16:13-14 ^ay). And the disciples on the Emmaus road identified him as “a prophet who did powerful miracles” and “a mighty teacher” (Luke 24:19 ^az).
Like other prophets, Jesus suffered for his testimony (cp. 1 Kgs 19:1-18 ^ba; Jer 11:18-19 ^bb; 18:18 ^bc; 20:1-2 ^bd, 7-18 ^be; 26:7-11 ^bf, 20-23 ^bg; 38:1-6 ^bh). While the people linked Jesus’ prophetic office to his miracles and teaching, Jesus connected it especially to his suffering. At Nazareth, he affirmed that “no prophet is accepted in his own hometown” (Luke 4:24 ^bi), and he later accused Israel’s leaders of murdering their prophets (11:47-51 ^bj). As he journeyed to Jerusalem, he exclaimed, “It wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem!” (13:33 ^bk).
In the Old Testament, when Israel did not heed God’s prophets, divine judgment followed. Similarly, God’s people would face judgment if they did not listen to Jesus (see Acts 3:22-23 ^bl).
Just as the revelation that Jesus is the Messiah confirms that he is the Savior for all people, so his role as prophet confirms that his message comes from God, and his words are the authentic word of God, which must be heard and obeyed.

Passages for Further Study
Deut 18:15 ^bm; Matt 5:12 ^bn; 23:34-37 ^bo; Luke 4:22-24 ^bp; 6:23 ^bq, 26 ^br; 7:16 ^bs; 11:47-52 ^bt; 13:33-34 ^bu; 24:17-21 ^bv; Acts 3:22-23 ^bw; 7:37 ^bx, 52 ^by

‏ Luke 7

Summary for Luke 7:1-10: 7:1-10 ^bz This episode shows God’s message of salvation is for Gentiles as well as Jews.
7:2 ^ca a Roman officer (literally a centurion): A centurion was in charge of a “century,” approximately 100 soldiers. There were 60 centuries, or 6,000 soldiers, in a Roman legion.
7:3 ^cb Jewish elders were leaders in the Jewish community. With his tendency to abbreviate accounts, Matthew has the centurion approaching Jesus (Matt 8:5-13 ^cc). Luke tells the full story in which Jewish elders, and later the centurion’s friends, act as intermediaries.
7:5 ^cd he loves the Jewish people and even built a synagogue for us: Such patronage by wealthy Gentiles was common in Jewish communities throughout the Roman Empire. It suggests that the centurion might have been a “God-fearer” like Cornelius (Acts 10:2 ^ce), a Gentile who worshiped the God of Israel but had not fully converted to Judaism.
7:6 ^cf I am not worthy of such an honor: The man was probably showing sensitivity to Jewish concerns; pious Jews would not enter the home of a Gentile, since it would make them ceremonially unclean (see Acts 10:28 ^cg; 11:12 ^ch). The centurion might also have been acknowledging Jesus’ superior status.
7:8 ^ci the authority of my superior officers: The Roman army was renowned for its organization and discipline. The centurion recognized authority when he saw it in Jesus’ words and actions.
7:9 ^cj I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! While many in Israel were unresponsive to the good news of salvation, some Gentiles believed and found salvation.
Summary for Luke 7:11-17: 7:11-17 ^ck Jesus raised three people from the dead; the others were Jairus’s daughter (8:40-56 ^cl) and Lazarus (John 11:38-44 ^cm). Jesus has authority over life and death (cp. 1 Kgs 17:17-24 ^cn; 2 Kgs 4:18-37 ^co). 7:11 ^cp The location of the village of Nain is uncertain; it might be the modern town of Nein, six miles southeast of Nazareth.
7:12 ^cq A funeral procession: In Judaism, a large crowd of mourners and intense wailing signified great love for the deceased. Mourners were hired in some cases.

• Widows were the most vulnerable members of society, and God had special concern for them (Exod 22:22 ^cr; Deut 10:18 ^cs; 27:19 ^ct). This widow’s only son was her means of support and hope for the future; his death was a terrible loss (see Jer 6:26 ^cu; Amos 8:10 ^cv; Zech 12:10 ^cw).
Summary for Luke 7:13-14: 7:13-14 ^cx The word translated coffin may refer to a casket or a funeral bier. A Jew was rendered unclean by touching a dead body or the coffin or bier (Lev 21:1 ^cy, 11-12 ^cz). As when he touched the man with leprosy (Luke 5:13 ^da), however, Jesus was not defiled. He replaced disease and death with cleansing and life.
7:16 ^db A mighty prophet: Jesus was like Elijah and Elisha.
Summary for Luke 7:18-23: 7:18-23 ^dc The disciples of John the Baptist: See study note on 5:33. John was now in prison (3:19-20 ^dd), wondering whether Jesus was truly the Messiah, since he did not act like a powerful warrior–king who would overthrow the Romans. In response, Jesus defined his messianic role.
7:22 ^de the blind see, the lame walk: A series of allusions to Isaiah (Isa 26:19 ^df; 29:18-19 ^dg; 35:5-6 ^dh; 61:1-2 ^di) defines God’s salvation as the restoration of fallen creation. Jesus did not come to overthrow Roman rule over Judea (so he omits “captives ... will be freed” from his quotation of Isa 61:2 ^dj); he came for the greater purpose of reversing the effects of sin and death.
7:23 ^dk God blesses those who do not fall away because of me: The blessing is for those who are able to put aside their personal agendas and preconceived ideas about the Messiah and accept Jesus’ path of suffering.
7:27 ^dl The quotation is from Mal 3:1 ^dm. In Mal 4:5-6 ^dn, this messenger is identified with the prophet Elijah. Though John denied that he was Elijah (John 1:21-23 ^do), he came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17 ^dp) to prepare the way for the Messiah (see 3:4-6 ^dq).
7:28 ^dr Jesus praised John as the greatest person who ever lived under the old covenant. But even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than John. The blessings of the new covenant—free and complete forgiveness of sins, the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, and intimate knowledge of God—give believers in Jesus a new and greater position than even John enjoyed.
Summary for Luke 7:31-35: 7:31-35 ^ds To what can I compare the people of this generation? Jesus compares Israel to fickle children in the marketplace who play games of make-believe. They called John the Baptist to dance (a wedding game), but the solemn prophet refused, calling them instead to mourning and repentance for their sins. Then they called on Jesus to mourn (a funeral game), but he was the bridegroom who announced the joyful celebration banquet of the Kingdom of God, so it would not have been fitting for him to mourn (cp. Mark 2:19-20 ^dt).
7:33 ^du John the Baptist didn’t spend his time eating bread or drinking wine: John lived an ascetic’s life of self-denial, appropriate to his prophetic role of announcing God’s Kingdom, the coming judgment, and the need for repentance and cleansing.
7:35 ^dv But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it (or But wisdom is justified by all her children): In Proverbs, Wisdom is personified as a woman who calls God’s people to a life of godliness and obedience to God’s commands (Prov 1:20-33 ^dw; 8:1–9:6 ^dx). Wisdom’s children are those who live righteously, as God’s word instructs.
Summary for Luke 7:36-50: 7:36-50 ^dy Jesus’ comment in 7:35 ^dz is now illustrated by one of “wisdom’s children” (see study note on 7:35), a repentant sinner who shows gratitude for the forgiveness she has received. 7:36 ^ea One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him: Jesus has more positive contact with the Pharisees in Luke than in the other Gospels. He was a respected teacher and healer, so it is not surprising that this Pharisee invited him to dinner. Not all Pharisees were antagonistic—some were interested in his teaching or merely curious.
7:37 ^eb a certain immoral woman: The implication is that she was a prostitute.

• Alabaster is a soft marble—white, yellow, or red—that was often used to make expensive containers like this beautiful ... jar.
7:38 ^ec she knelt behind him at his feet: At a banquet, guests reclined around a low table with their feet extended outward. The woman could not reach Jesus’ head to anoint him, so she poured the perfume on his feet.

• wiped them off with her hair: Letting down her hair in public was scandalous and could have constituted grounds for her husband to divorce her; kissing his feet connoted reverence. She discarded propriety due to her gratitude.
7:40 ^ed Then Jesus answered his thoughts: See study note on 5:22.
7:41 ^ee 500 pieces of silver (denarii) was almost two years’ wages for a day laborer. The poor were often heavily indebted to the wealthy in first-century Galilee.
7:43 ^ef the one for whom he canceled the larger debt: Those who had been forgiven the most responded with greater gratitude and love. The woman did her extraordinary act of sacrificial love because Jesus had forgiven her sins.
Summary for Luke 7:44-46: 7:44-46 ^eg Simon had neglected to show Jesus the common courtesies of hospitality. Since roads were dusty, a servant would wash the dust from a guest’s feet. Greeting a guest with a kiss on both cheeks is normal in the Middle East even today. Anointing the head with olive oil was a way to honor a respected guest.
7:47 ^eh so she has shown me much love: This is a better translation than the traditional “because she loved much.” It was not that her great love for Jesus caused him to forgive her, but that the forgiveness she had already received from Jesus prompted her love.

‏ Luke 8:1-18

Summary for Luke 8:2-3: 8:2-3 ^ei along with some women: Rabbis of Jesus’ day did not have women disciples, so this was unusual. Some of these women, like Joanna, were from wealthy families and contributed financially to Jesus’ ministry. 8:2 ^ej Magdalene means “from Magdala,” a village north of Tiberias on the western side of the Sea of Galilee. Mary figures prominently in the burial and resurrection accounts (24:10 ^ek; Mark 15:40 ^el, 47 ^em; John 19:25 ^en; 20:1 ^eo, 18 ^ep). Some have said that Mary Magdalene was the woman of Luke 7:36-38 ^eq, leading to the belief that she was a former prostitute. There is no basis for this speculation.
Summary for Luke 8:4-15: 8:4-15 ^er The parable of the farmer scattering seed depicts people’s varied responses to Jesus’ ministry of proclaiming God’s Kingdom.
8:5 ^es The custom in planting was first to scatter seed and then to plow it into the soil.

• The seed that fell on a footpath running through the fields would not be plowed in, so it was stepped on and eaten by birds.
8:6 ^et fell among rocks: Often there was a limestone layer nine to twelve inches under the soil, so that the rain was trapped and seed sprouted quickly in the moist soil. But when the rain stopped, the sun evaporated the trapped moisture and the plant died.
8:7 ^eu fell among thorns: One type of weed looked very much like wheat as it grew, but it had larger roots and took away the moisture and nutrients that the wheat needed.
8:8 ^ev Anyone with ears to hear meant everyone who was willing to listen.
8:10 ^ew the secrets of the Kingdom of God: What was hidden in the past about God’s reign was now revealed through Jesus’ words and actions.

• When they look ... they won’t understand: This quote is from Isa 6:9 ^ex (Greek version), a passage repeatedly used in the New Testament to explain Israel’s rejection of the gospel (see also Matt 13:14-15 ^ey; Mark 4:12 ^ez; John 12:40 ^fa; Acts 28:26-27 ^fb). In its original context, the passage refers to God’s certain judgment of Israel at the hands of the Assyrians. Israel’s sin and rebelliousness had taken them beyond the point of no return, so God blinded them in preparation for judgment. Those who rejected Jesus’ message were blind to the truth.
8:11 ^fc The seed is God’s word: This refers to Jesus’ preaching of the Good News of the Kingdom.
8:12 ^fd to have the devil come and take it away: Satan seeks to prevent unbelievers from seeing the truth.
8:13 ^fe Deep roots indicate spiritual depth and maturity. The Greek word translated temptation can also mean “testing” or “trials.”
Summary for Luke 8:16-17: 8:16-17 ^ff A small clay lamp was filled with olive oil and set in a wall alcove. Jesus’ message provides light for those who listen, and it reveals their heart attitudes.
8:18 ^fg those who listen: Cp. Prov 9:9 ^fh.