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Mark 10:16-20

Home > The New Testament > Mark > Chapters 8b-10
Previous page: Mark 7                      Next page: Chapters 11-13


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Mark 8b-10: Major themes: Jesus as the Christ, and the reader as a disciple[edit]

  • In Mark's account of Christ's ministry up to this point, little has happened that could not also be true of a great prophet (excepting the confessions of the unclean spirits that Jesus commands to be silent). Jesus has taught and has performed miracles. But great prophets such as Moses and Elijah also did these things. Here in this transition section of Chapters 8b-10, Mark tells us in clear terms that Jesus is not just a great prophet, but is in fact the "Christ," THE anointed one.
Also in Mark's account of Christ's ministry up to this point, Jesus's teachings have focused on eliminating the many rules that the scribes had imposed upon the people that missed the spirit of the Law of Moses, such as forbidding healing on the Sabbath. But here in this group of chapters Jesus makes several clear statements about the cost of discipleship. This begins with the statement to take up one's cross, and continues with teachings about persecution, wealth, humility and service.
Mark's emphasis on these two themes in Chapters 8b-10, absent from earlier chapters, sets this section apart from what has gone before and serves as a transition that prepares the reader to understand and appreciate what will follow during Passion Week.
This group of chapters both begins and ends with the blind receiving their sight. In Mark, people routinely fail to understand what they see. But in this group of chapters Mark will make it so clear that his readers cannot fail to see.
Next comes Peter's confession. Jesus asks "Who do men say that I am?" The answer is that people think Jesus is one or another of the great prophets. But Jesus than asks "But whom do YE say that I am?" and Peter responds with the answer "Thou art the Christ."
Mark then relates three separate occasion on which Jesus explained to his disciples what it meant for him to the Christ. First, it meant that he would need to go to Jerusalem and die. Second, it meant that he was not a great hero who was to be served, but was in fact a humble servant of all.
Mark also explains, for the first time in these chapters, that there is a cost associated with being a true disciple of Jesus Christ. The rich young man was required to sacrifice his wealth. James and John were required to sacrifice their ambition. And Jesus would sacrifice his life.
Once we reach the end of this section, we are ready to under the events of Passion Week, in which the Jews will destroyed for rejecting not merely a great prophet, but the son of God, and in which Jesus will do things that are beyond the ability of a mere prophet and can only be accomplished by the Christ, namely the atonement and resurrection. Those events of Passion Week make much less sense, or none at all, if the reader skips from the middle of Chapter 8 directly the triumphal entry in Chapter 11.

Mark 8:22-26: Healing a blind man in Bethsaida[edit]

Mark 8:27-30: Peter's confession[edit]

  • Mark 8:29: Christ. In verse 30 (and elsewhere in the New Testament), the Greek word for "Christ" (christos) means "messiah" or "anointed one."
The word 'Christ' is used to refer to Jesus only five times in the gospel of Mark. So use of the term here is significant. The word appears in the opening verse of the gospel, but then does not appear again until here with Peter's confession in Verse 8:29. Jesus affirms this identity here in these chapters in Verse 9:41 with his explanation "... because ye belong to Christ." The term 'Christ' is then again used to specifically refer to Jesus twice more in his trial before the high priest (14:61) and while he is on the cross (15:32). (The term also appears four times in a non-specific manner in [Verse 12:35 and in the Olivet Discourse in [Verse 13:6, 21-22).
A major theme in Mark is the failure to understand who Jesus is. This is the verse in which Mark sets aside any misunderstanding about whether Jesus is the Christ. And this verse appears at the beginning of Chapters 8b-10 in which mark also explains what it means for Jesus to be the Christ, and what it means for us to be disciples of Jesus Christ.

Mark 8:31-9:1: Jesus foretells his death #1; discipleship is sacrifice[edit]

  • Mark 8:34: Deny. The Greek word translated as "deny" (aparneomai) in verse 34 may be stronger than the translation suggests. It is the same word used in places such as Mark 14:30ff, where Peter acts as if he doesn't even know about Jesus.
  • Mark 8:36: Man. The word translated as "man" in verse 36 is anthropos, which includes females.

Mark 9:2-13: Mount of Transfiguration[edit]

  • Mark 9:2: Transfigured. The Greek word translated as "transfigured" is metamorphoo (a cousin of the English word "metamorphosis"), which means to change to another form. The word is rare in the New Testament.
  • Mark 9:3: White. The phrase "so as no fuller on earth can white them" is given in modern translations as "whiter than any bleach on earth could make them" or something similar.
  • Mark 9:4: JST. Verse 4 appears in the Joseph Translation thusly: "And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses, or in other words, John the Baptist and Moses; and they were talking with Jesus."
  • Mark 9:4: Elijah. Elias is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Elijah.
  • Mark 9:13. Verse 13 is given in the Joseph Smith Translation thusly: "Again I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, but they have done unto him whatsoever they listed; and even as it is written of him; and he bore record of me, and they received him not. Verily this was Elias."

Mark 9:14-29: Casting out an unclean spirit[edit]

  • Mark 9:19. Jesus in verse 19 is growing increasingly frustrated. He has performed miracle after miracle, and yet people still don't believe.
  • Mark 9:23: Faith and healing. The theme that healing can come for those who believe has been dominant throughout much of the gospel of Mark to this point. In verse 23, Jesus makes the principle explicit: "all things" are possible for those who believe.
  • Mark 9:28. Verse 9:28 suggests that the disciples, not just Jesus, have been healing people. Their inability to heal the boy in this case apparently wasn't a matter of lack of faith, but a lack of prayer.
  • Mark 9:29: Fasting. Not all Greek manuscripts include the phrase for "and fasting" in verse 29.

Mark 9:30-37: Jesus fortells his death #2; discipleship is humble service[edit]

  • Mark 9:34. The disciples' silence in verse 34 suggests that they knew Jesus wouldn't approve of them arguing over who would be the greatest.

Mark 9:38-41: He that is not against us is for us[edit]

  • Mark 9:40: Choosing sides. Verse 40 (which says, in essence, that those not against Jesus are on his side) and Matthew 12:30 (which says that those who are not for Jesus are against him) seem like they may be contradictory. But an examination of the context of these two verses indicates that they may be complementary.
One reason we may tend to see the verses as contradictory is because when we say someone is "not for" or "not against" us, we tend to think of people who are more or less neutral. But Jesus in neither case appears to be talking about people who are neutral. In Matthew, the verse comes just before verses where Jesus is talking about blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, and just after verses where people were attributing Jesus' miracles to Beelzebub. These people weren't just "not for" Jesus; they were antagonistic to his ministry.
In the story in Mark, however, the people being discussed aren't opposing Jesus. They're healing people in his name, apparently without being given authority to do so. There is no indication in Mark that they are doing this in order to harm Jesus' ministry. In fact, it is possible that they were sincere and may have even believed they were doing the work that Jesus wanted them to do. At the very least, according to Jesus' words, they were people that were doing good things and would soon be unable to speak against Jesus. Again, these people in being "not against" Jesus weren't neutral; at the very least, they were leaning toward Jesus and thus could be counted on his side.
For modern Latter-day saints, this passage can serve as a lesson that we shouldn't reject out of hand other Christians who do good things, even heal people, even though they haven't been given direct authority. It is clear from this passage that there are people outside of the church who nevertheless help the mission of Christ and will receive their reward for doing so.

Mark 9:42: Offending little ones[edit]

Mark 9:43-50: Cost of discipleship[edit]

  • Mark 9:43, 45, 47: Hell. The Greek word for "hell" in verses 43, 45 and 47 is gehenna. The word originally referred to a valley where garbage was burned.
  • Mark 9:48. Not all the Greek manuscripts include verse 48.

Mark 10:1-12: Marriage and divorce[edit]

  • Mark 10:2. The Greek verb translated as "tempting" (peirazo) in verse 2 refers not to tempting someone to do evil, but to testing someone, in this case to see if he will give the right answer.

Mark 10:13-16: Receiving heaven as a little child[edit]

Mark 10:17-31: The rich young man and wealth[edit]

  • Mark 10:25: Pluck out thine eye. Over the centuries, some people have attempted to soften the words of Jesus in verse 25. Some have said that the reference is to the Needle's Eye, an especially tight passageway in Jerusalem; however, there is no evidence that such a passageway existed at the time of Jesus. Furthermore, the disciples' response to Jesus indicates that they understood Jesus to mean exactly what he was saying, and Jesus himself said in verse 27 that for people getting saved is indeed impossible. The point here is that salvation is possible only through God.
  • Mark 10:27: Men. The Greek word translated as "men" in verse 27 is anthropos, which includes women.
  • Mark 10:27: JST. Verse 27 in rendered in the Joseph Smith Translation thusly: "And Jesus, looking upon them, said, With men that trust in riches, it is impossible; but not impossible with men who trust in God and leave all for my sake, for with such all these things are possible."

Mark 10:32-45: Jesus foretells his death #3; discipleship is humble service[edit]

  • Mark 10:44: Servant. The Greek word doulos, translated as "servant" in verse 44, is given in some modern translations as "slave," "bondman" or "bondservant." It suggests someone who is totally subject to the wishes of another.
  • Mark 10:45: Ransom. The Greek word lutron, translated in verse 45 as "ransom," appears in the New Testament only here and in a parallel passage in Matthew 20:28. It refers to the price paid to redeem a slave or someone held captive.

Mark 10:46-52: Healing blind Bartimaeus[edit]

  • Mark 10:52: Faith and healings. As in previous healings in the gospel of Mark, Jesus connects the healing of the blind man directly with the faith he has shown.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Mark 8:22-26. Why does it take two steps to completely restore the man's sight?
  • Mark 8:33. Why does Jesus use such strong language to rebuke Peter?
  • Mark 9:2-13. If Elias here is understood to refer to John the Baptists per the Joseph Smith Translation and this is not an improper use of the term "Elias", then what strong reasons do we have to presume that other accounts of this event are using the word Elias to refer to Elijah? What strong reasons do we have to presume that Elijah was even here?
  • Mark 9:13. When Jesus says (verse 13) that Elias already has come, what is he referring to? The Transfiguration? John the Baptist?
  • Mark 9:13. What connection does this selection have to do, if anything, with D&C 110, where Elijah and Elias are presented as separate people?
  • Mark 10:9. According to this passage, when is divorce wrong?
  • Mark 10:13-16. What does it mean to receive the kingdom of God "as a little child"?
  • Mark 10:17. The rich man asked what he could do to inherit eternal life. In his answer, Jesus told him what he could do to have treasure in heaven (verse 21). Are these the same thing?
  • Mark 10:21. When Christ says take up the cross, what does that phrase mean to this young man when the Savior had not yet been crucified?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Mark 9:28: Prayer and fasting. See this post at the FPR blog for some discussion of this verse (why Jesus says prayer and fasting is required, but doesn't pray or fast himself).
  • Mark 10:34-35: Secret Gospel of Mark insertion. See this article for an insertion between these verses from the so-called "Secret Gospel of Mark."

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Mark 7                      Next page: Chapters 11-13

Mark 10:21-25

Home > The New Testament > Mark > Chapters 8b-10
Previous page: Mark 7                      Next page: Chapters 11-13


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Mark 8b-10: Major themes: Jesus as the Christ, and the reader as a disciple[edit]

  • In Mark's account of Christ's ministry up to this point, little has happened that could not also be true of a great prophet (excepting the confessions of the unclean spirits that Jesus commands to be silent). Jesus has taught and has performed miracles. But great prophets such as Moses and Elijah also did these things. Here in this transition section of Chapters 8b-10, Mark tells us in clear terms that Jesus is not just a great prophet, but is in fact the "Christ," THE anointed one.
Also in Mark's account of Christ's ministry up to this point, Jesus's teachings have focused on eliminating the many rules that the scribes had imposed upon the people that missed the spirit of the Law of Moses, such as forbidding healing on the Sabbath. But here in this group of chapters Jesus makes several clear statements about the cost of discipleship. This begins with the statement to take up one's cross, and continues with teachings about persecution, wealth, humility and service.
Mark's emphasis on these two themes in Chapters 8b-10, absent from earlier chapters, sets this section apart from what has gone before and serves as a transition that prepares the reader to understand and appreciate what will follow during Passion Week.
This group of chapters both begins and ends with the blind receiving their sight. In Mark, people routinely fail to understand what they see. But in this group of chapters Mark will make it so clear that his readers cannot fail to see.
Next comes Peter's confession. Jesus asks "Who do men say that I am?" The answer is that people think Jesus is one or another of the great prophets. But Jesus than asks "But whom do YE say that I am?" and Peter responds with the answer "Thou art the Christ."
Mark then relates three separate occasion on which Jesus explained to his disciples what it meant for him to the Christ. First, it meant that he would need to go to Jerusalem and die. Second, it meant that he was not a great hero who was to be served, but was in fact a humble servant of all.
Mark also explains, for the first time in these chapters, that there is a cost associated with being a true disciple of Jesus Christ. The rich young man was required to sacrifice his wealth. James and John were required to sacrifice their ambition. And Jesus would sacrifice his life.
Once we reach the end of this section, we are ready to under the events of Passion Week, in which the Jews will destroyed for rejecting not merely a great prophet, but the son of God, and in which Jesus will do things that are beyond the ability of a mere prophet and can only be accomplished by the Christ, namely the atonement and resurrection. Those events of Passion Week make much less sense, or none at all, if the reader skips from the middle of Chapter 8 directly the triumphal entry in Chapter 11.

Mark 8:22-26: Healing a blind man in Bethsaida[edit]

Mark 8:27-30: Peter's confession[edit]

  • Mark 8:29: Christ. In verse 30 (and elsewhere in the New Testament), the Greek word for "Christ" (christos) means "messiah" or "anointed one."
The word 'Christ' is used to refer to Jesus only five times in the gospel of Mark. So use of the term here is significant. The word appears in the opening verse of the gospel, but then does not appear again until here with Peter's confession in Verse 8:29. Jesus affirms this identity here in these chapters in Verse 9:41 with his explanation "... because ye belong to Christ." The term 'Christ' is then again used to specifically refer to Jesus twice more in his trial before the high priest (14:61) and while he is on the cross (15:32). (The term also appears four times in a non-specific manner in [Verse 12:35 and in the Olivet Discourse in [Verse 13:6, 21-22).
A major theme in Mark is the failure to understand who Jesus is. This is the verse in which Mark sets aside any misunderstanding about whether Jesus is the Christ. And this verse appears at the beginning of Chapters 8b-10 in which mark also explains what it means for Jesus to be the Christ, and what it means for us to be disciples of Jesus Christ.

Mark 8:31-9:1: Jesus foretells his death #1; discipleship is sacrifice[edit]

  • Mark 8:34: Deny. The Greek word translated as "deny" (aparneomai) in verse 34 may be stronger than the translation suggests. It is the same word used in places such as Mark 14:30ff, where Peter acts as if he doesn't even know about Jesus.
  • Mark 8:36: Man. The word translated as "man" in verse 36 is anthropos, which includes females.

Mark 9:2-13: Mount of Transfiguration[edit]

  • Mark 9:2: Transfigured. The Greek word translated as "transfigured" is metamorphoo (a cousin of the English word "metamorphosis"), which means to change to another form. The word is rare in the New Testament.
  • Mark 9:3: White. The phrase "so as no fuller on earth can white them" is given in modern translations as "whiter than any bleach on earth could make them" or something similar.
  • Mark 9:4: JST. Verse 4 appears in the Joseph Translation thusly: "And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses, or in other words, John the Baptist and Moses; and they were talking with Jesus."
  • Mark 9:4: Elijah. Elias is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Elijah.
  • Mark 9:13. Verse 13 is given in the Joseph Smith Translation thusly: "Again I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, but they have done unto him whatsoever they listed; and even as it is written of him; and he bore record of me, and they received him not. Verily this was Elias."

Mark 9:14-29: Casting out an unclean spirit[edit]

  • Mark 9:19. Jesus in verse 19 is growing increasingly frustrated. He has performed miracle after miracle, and yet people still don't believe.
  • Mark 9:23: Faith and healing. The theme that healing can come for those who believe has been dominant throughout much of the gospel of Mark to this point. In verse 23, Jesus makes the principle explicit: "all things" are possible for those who believe.
  • Mark 9:28. Verse 9:28 suggests that the disciples, not just Jesus, have been healing people. Their inability to heal the boy in this case apparently wasn't a matter of lack of faith, but a lack of prayer.
  • Mark 9:29: Fasting. Not all Greek manuscripts include the phrase for "and fasting" in verse 29.

Mark 9:30-37: Jesus fortells his death #2; discipleship is humble service[edit]

  • Mark 9:34. The disciples' silence in verse 34 suggests that they knew Jesus wouldn't approve of them arguing over who would be the greatest.

Mark 9:38-41: He that is not against us is for us[edit]

  • Mark 9:40: Choosing sides. Verse 40 (which says, in essence, that those not against Jesus are on his side) and Matthew 12:30 (which says that those who are not for Jesus are against him) seem like they may be contradictory. But an examination of the context of these two verses indicates that they may be complementary.
One reason we may tend to see the verses as contradictory is because when we say someone is "not for" or "not against" us, we tend to think of people who are more or less neutral. But Jesus in neither case appears to be talking about people who are neutral. In Matthew, the verse comes just before verses where Jesus is talking about blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, and just after verses where people were attributing Jesus' miracles to Beelzebub. These people weren't just "not for" Jesus; they were antagonistic to his ministry.
In the story in Mark, however, the people being discussed aren't opposing Jesus. They're healing people in his name, apparently without being given authority to do so. There is no indication in Mark that they are doing this in order to harm Jesus' ministry. In fact, it is possible that they were sincere and may have even believed they were doing the work that Jesus wanted them to do. At the very least, according to Jesus' words, they were people that were doing good things and would soon be unable to speak against Jesus. Again, these people in being "not against" Jesus weren't neutral; at the very least, they were leaning toward Jesus and thus could be counted on his side.
For modern Latter-day saints, this passage can serve as a lesson that we shouldn't reject out of hand other Christians who do good things, even heal people, even though they haven't been given direct authority. It is clear from this passage that there are people outside of the church who nevertheless help the mission of Christ and will receive their reward for doing so.

Mark 9:42: Offending little ones[edit]

Mark 9:43-50: Cost of discipleship[edit]

  • Mark 9:43, 45, 47: Hell. The Greek word for "hell" in verses 43, 45 and 47 is gehenna. The word originally referred to a valley where garbage was burned.
  • Mark 9:48. Not all the Greek manuscripts include verse 48.

Mark 10:1-12: Marriage and divorce[edit]

  • Mark 10:2. The Greek verb translated as "tempting" (peirazo) in verse 2 refers not to tempting someone to do evil, but to testing someone, in this case to see if he will give the right answer.

Mark 10:13-16: Receiving heaven as a little child[edit]

Mark 10:17-31: The rich young man and wealth[edit]

  • Mark 10:25: Pluck out thine eye. Over the centuries, some people have attempted to soften the words of Jesus in verse 25. Some have said that the reference is to the Needle's Eye, an especially tight passageway in Jerusalem; however, there is no evidence that such a passageway existed at the time of Jesus. Furthermore, the disciples' response to Jesus indicates that they understood Jesus to mean exactly what he was saying, and Jesus himself said in verse 27 that for people getting saved is indeed impossible. The point here is that salvation is possible only through God.
  • Mark 10:27: Men. The Greek word translated as "men" in verse 27 is anthropos, which includes women.
  • Mark 10:27: JST. Verse 27 in rendered in the Joseph Smith Translation thusly: "And Jesus, looking upon them, said, With men that trust in riches, it is impossible; but not impossible with men who trust in God and leave all for my sake, for with such all these things are possible."

Mark 10:32-45: Jesus foretells his death #3; discipleship is humble service[edit]

  • Mark 10:44: Servant. The Greek word doulos, translated as "servant" in verse 44, is given in some modern translations as "slave," "bondman" or "bondservant." It suggests someone who is totally subject to the wishes of another.
  • Mark 10:45: Ransom. The Greek word lutron, translated in verse 45 as "ransom," appears in the New Testament only here and in a parallel passage in Matthew 20:28. It refers to the price paid to redeem a slave or someone held captive.

Mark 10:46-52: Healing blind Bartimaeus[edit]

  • Mark 10:52: Faith and healings. As in previous healings in the gospel of Mark, Jesus connects the healing of the blind man directly with the faith he has shown.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Mark 8:22-26. Why does it take two steps to completely restore the man's sight?
  • Mark 8:33. Why does Jesus use such strong language to rebuke Peter?
  • Mark 9:2-13. If Elias here is understood to refer to John the Baptists per the Joseph Smith Translation and this is not an improper use of the term "Elias", then what strong reasons do we have to presume that other accounts of this event are using the word Elias to refer to Elijah? What strong reasons do we have to presume that Elijah was even here?
  • Mark 9:13. When Jesus says (verse 13) that Elias already has come, what is he referring to? The Transfiguration? John the Baptist?
  • Mark 9:13. What connection does this selection have to do, if anything, with D&C 110, where Elijah and Elias are presented as separate people?
  • Mark 10:9. According to this passage, when is divorce wrong?
  • Mark 10:13-16. What does it mean to receive the kingdom of God "as a little child"?
  • Mark 10:17. The rich man asked what he could do to inherit eternal life. In his answer, Jesus told him what he could do to have treasure in heaven (verse 21). Are these the same thing?
  • Mark 10:21. When Christ says take up the cross, what does that phrase mean to this young man when the Savior had not yet been crucified?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Mark 9:28: Prayer and fasting. See this post at the FPR blog for some discussion of this verse (why Jesus says prayer and fasting is required, but doesn't pray or fast himself).
  • Mark 10:34-35: Secret Gospel of Mark insertion. See this article for an insertion between these verses from the so-called "Secret Gospel of Mark."

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Mark 7                      Next page: Chapters 11-13

Mark 10:26-30

Home > The New Testament > Mark > Chapters 8b-10
Previous page: Mark 7                      Next page: Chapters 11-13


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Mark 8b-10: Major themes: Jesus as the Christ, and the reader as a disciple[edit]

  • In Mark's account of Christ's ministry up to this point, little has happened that could not also be true of a great prophet (excepting the confessions of the unclean spirits that Jesus commands to be silent). Jesus has taught and has performed miracles. But great prophets such as Moses and Elijah also did these things. Here in this transition section of Chapters 8b-10, Mark tells us in clear terms that Jesus is not just a great prophet, but is in fact the "Christ," THE anointed one.
Also in Mark's account of Christ's ministry up to this point, Jesus's teachings have focused on eliminating the many rules that the scribes had imposed upon the people that missed the spirit of the Law of Moses, such as forbidding healing on the Sabbath. But here in this group of chapters Jesus makes several clear statements about the cost of discipleship. This begins with the statement to take up one's cross, and continues with teachings about persecution, wealth, humility and service.
Mark's emphasis on these two themes in Chapters 8b-10, absent from earlier chapters, sets this section apart from what has gone before and serves as a transition that prepares the reader to understand and appreciate what will follow during Passion Week.
This group of chapters both begins and ends with the blind receiving their sight. In Mark, people routinely fail to understand what they see. But in this group of chapters Mark will make it so clear that his readers cannot fail to see.
Next comes Peter's confession. Jesus asks "Who do men say that I am?" The answer is that people think Jesus is one or another of the great prophets. But Jesus than asks "But whom do YE say that I am?" and Peter responds with the answer "Thou art the Christ."
Mark then relates three separate occasion on which Jesus explained to his disciples what it meant for him to the Christ. First, it meant that he would need to go to Jerusalem and die. Second, it meant that he was not a great hero who was to be served, but was in fact a humble servant of all.
Mark also explains, for the first time in these chapters, that there is a cost associated with being a true disciple of Jesus Christ. The rich young man was required to sacrifice his wealth. James and John were required to sacrifice their ambition. And Jesus would sacrifice his life.
Once we reach the end of this section, we are ready to under the events of Passion Week, in which the Jews will destroyed for rejecting not merely a great prophet, but the son of God, and in which Jesus will do things that are beyond the ability of a mere prophet and can only be accomplished by the Christ, namely the atonement and resurrection. Those events of Passion Week make much less sense, or none at all, if the reader skips from the middle of Chapter 8 directly the triumphal entry in Chapter 11.

Mark 8:22-26: Healing a blind man in Bethsaida[edit]

Mark 8:27-30: Peter's confession[edit]

  • Mark 8:29: Christ. In verse 30 (and elsewhere in the New Testament), the Greek word for "Christ" (christos) means "messiah" or "anointed one."
The word 'Christ' is used to refer to Jesus only five times in the gospel of Mark. So use of the term here is significant. The word appears in the opening verse of the gospel, but then does not appear again until here with Peter's confession in Verse 8:29. Jesus affirms this identity here in these chapters in Verse 9:41 with his explanation "... because ye belong to Christ." The term 'Christ' is then again used to specifically refer to Jesus twice more in his trial before the high priest (14:61) and while he is on the cross (15:32). (The term also appears four times in a non-specific manner in [Verse 12:35 and in the Olivet Discourse in [Verse 13:6, 21-22).
A major theme in Mark is the failure to understand who Jesus is. This is the verse in which Mark sets aside any misunderstanding about whether Jesus is the Christ. And this verse appears at the beginning of Chapters 8b-10 in which mark also explains what it means for Jesus to be the Christ, and what it means for us to be disciples of Jesus Christ.

Mark 8:31-9:1: Jesus foretells his death #1; discipleship is sacrifice[edit]

  • Mark 8:34: Deny. The Greek word translated as "deny" (aparneomai) in verse 34 may be stronger than the translation suggests. It is the same word used in places such as Mark 14:30ff, where Peter acts as if he doesn't even know about Jesus.
  • Mark 8:36: Man. The word translated as "man" in verse 36 is anthropos, which includes females.

Mark 9:2-13: Mount of Transfiguration[edit]

  • Mark 9:2: Transfigured. The Greek word translated as "transfigured" is metamorphoo (a cousin of the English word "metamorphosis"), which means to change to another form. The word is rare in the New Testament.
  • Mark 9:3: White. The phrase "so as no fuller on earth can white them" is given in modern translations as "whiter than any bleach on earth could make them" or something similar.
  • Mark 9:4: JST. Verse 4 appears in the Joseph Translation thusly: "And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses, or in other words, John the Baptist and Moses; and they were talking with Jesus."
  • Mark 9:4: Elijah. Elias is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Elijah.
  • Mark 9:13. Verse 13 is given in the Joseph Smith Translation thusly: "Again I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, but they have done unto him whatsoever they listed; and even as it is written of him; and he bore record of me, and they received him not. Verily this was Elias."

Mark 9:14-29: Casting out an unclean spirit[edit]

  • Mark 9:19. Jesus in verse 19 is growing increasingly frustrated. He has performed miracle after miracle, and yet people still don't believe.
  • Mark 9:23: Faith and healing. The theme that healing can come for those who believe has been dominant throughout much of the gospel of Mark to this point. In verse 23, Jesus makes the principle explicit: "all things" are possible for those who believe.
  • Mark 9:28. Verse 9:28 suggests that the disciples, not just Jesus, have been healing people. Their inability to heal the boy in this case apparently wasn't a matter of lack of faith, but a lack of prayer.
  • Mark 9:29: Fasting. Not all Greek manuscripts include the phrase for "and fasting" in verse 29.

Mark 9:30-37: Jesus fortells his death #2; discipleship is humble service[edit]

  • Mark 9:34. The disciples' silence in verse 34 suggests that they knew Jesus wouldn't approve of them arguing over who would be the greatest.

Mark 9:38-41: He that is not against us is for us[edit]

  • Mark 9:40: Choosing sides. Verse 40 (which says, in essence, that those not against Jesus are on his side) and Matthew 12:30 (which says that those who are not for Jesus are against him) seem like they may be contradictory. But an examination of the context of these two verses indicates that they may be complementary.
One reason we may tend to see the verses as contradictory is because when we say someone is "not for" or "not against" us, we tend to think of people who are more or less neutral. But Jesus in neither case appears to be talking about people who are neutral. In Matthew, the verse comes just before verses where Jesus is talking about blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, and just after verses where people were attributing Jesus' miracles to Beelzebub. These people weren't just "not for" Jesus; they were antagonistic to his ministry.
In the story in Mark, however, the people being discussed aren't opposing Jesus. They're healing people in his name, apparently without being given authority to do so. There is no indication in Mark that they are doing this in order to harm Jesus' ministry. In fact, it is possible that they were sincere and may have even believed they were doing the work that Jesus wanted them to do. At the very least, according to Jesus' words, they were people that were doing good things and would soon be unable to speak against Jesus. Again, these people in being "not against" Jesus weren't neutral; at the very least, they were leaning toward Jesus and thus could be counted on his side.
For modern Latter-day saints, this passage can serve as a lesson that we shouldn't reject out of hand other Christians who do good things, even heal people, even though they haven't been given direct authority. It is clear from this passage that there are people outside of the church who nevertheless help the mission of Christ and will receive their reward for doing so.

Mark 9:42: Offending little ones[edit]

Mark 9:43-50: Cost of discipleship[edit]

  • Mark 9:43, 45, 47: Hell. The Greek word for "hell" in verses 43, 45 and 47 is gehenna. The word originally referred to a valley where garbage was burned.
  • Mark 9:48. Not all the Greek manuscripts include verse 48.

Mark 10:1-12: Marriage and divorce[edit]

  • Mark 10:2. The Greek verb translated as "tempting" (peirazo) in verse 2 refers not to tempting someone to do evil, but to testing someone, in this case to see if he will give the right answer.

Mark 10:13-16: Receiving heaven as a little child[edit]

Mark 10:17-31: The rich young man and wealth[edit]

  • Mark 10:25: Pluck out thine eye. Over the centuries, some people have attempted to soften the words of Jesus in verse 25. Some have said that the reference is to the Needle's Eye, an especially tight passageway in Jerusalem; however, there is no evidence that such a passageway existed at the time of Jesus. Furthermore, the disciples' response to Jesus indicates that they understood Jesus to mean exactly what he was saying, and Jesus himself said in verse 27 that for people getting saved is indeed impossible. The point here is that salvation is possible only through God.
  • Mark 10:27: Men. The Greek word translated as "men" in verse 27 is anthropos, which includes women.
  • Mark 10:27: JST. Verse 27 in rendered in the Joseph Smith Translation thusly: "And Jesus, looking upon them, said, With men that trust in riches, it is impossible; but not impossible with men who trust in God and leave all for my sake, for with such all these things are possible."

Mark 10:32-45: Jesus foretells his death #3; discipleship is humble service[edit]

  • Mark 10:44: Servant. The Greek word doulos, translated as "servant" in verse 44, is given in some modern translations as "slave," "bondman" or "bondservant." It suggests someone who is totally subject to the wishes of another.
  • Mark 10:45: Ransom. The Greek word lutron, translated in verse 45 as "ransom," appears in the New Testament only here and in a parallel passage in Matthew 20:28. It refers to the price paid to redeem a slave or someone held captive.

Mark 10:46-52: Healing blind Bartimaeus[edit]

  • Mark 10:52: Faith and healings. As in previous healings in the gospel of Mark, Jesus connects the healing of the blind man directly with the faith he has shown.

Unanswered questions[edit]

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Prompts for life application[edit]

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Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Mark 8:22-26. Why does it take two steps to completely restore the man's sight?
  • Mark 8:33. Why does Jesus use such strong language to rebuke Peter?
  • Mark 9:2-13. If Elias here is understood to refer to John the Baptists per the Joseph Smith Translation and this is not an improper use of the term "Elias", then what strong reasons do we have to presume that other accounts of this event are using the word Elias to refer to Elijah? What strong reasons do we have to presume that Elijah was even here?
  • Mark 9:13. When Jesus says (verse 13) that Elias already has come, what is he referring to? The Transfiguration? John the Baptist?
  • Mark 9:13. What connection does this selection have to do, if anything, with D&C 110, where Elijah and Elias are presented as separate people?
  • Mark 10:9. According to this passage, when is divorce wrong?
  • Mark 10:13-16. What does it mean to receive the kingdom of God "as a little child"?
  • Mark 10:17. The rich man asked what he could do to inherit eternal life. In his answer, Jesus told him what he could do to have treasure in heaven (verse 21). Are these the same thing?
  • Mark 10:21. When Christ says take up the cross, what does that phrase mean to this young man when the Savior had not yet been crucified?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Mark 9:28: Prayer and fasting. See this post at the FPR blog for some discussion of this verse (why Jesus says prayer and fasting is required, but doesn't pray or fast himself).
  • Mark 10:34-35: Secret Gospel of Mark insertion. See this article for an insertion between these verses from the so-called "Secret Gospel of Mark."

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



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Mark 12:41-44

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Summary[edit]

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Discussion[edit]

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  • Mark 11:2-6: Borrowing livestock. When Jesus asked the disciples to obtain the colt, he wasn't asking them to steal. According to the custom at the time, known as angaria, an important religious or political person could request the use of livestock if needed. See this Commentary that mentions the custom of angaria
  • Mark 11:9-10: Hosanna. Hosanna is a word of Hebrew origin that means roughly "save us" or "deliver us." The word appears in the New Testament only in accounts of the last days of Jesus and could have been understood to have messianic overtones.
  • Mark 11:26. Verse 26 is not included in many of the Greek manuscripts. Its essence, however, is implied by verse 25, and the same saying is present in Matthew 6:15.
  • Mark 11:28: Authority. The Greek word (exousia) translated as "authority" in verse 28 is more often translated in the King James Version as "power." It can mean "authority" in the sense of having permission or jurisdiction, but it can also mean simply to have the strength or capability. The intepretation of exousia as referring to the first meaning is reasonable, especially considering that those asking the question were those who were responsible for granting religious authority.
  • Mark 11:33: Authority. The Greek word (exousia) translated as "authority" in verse 33 is more often translated in the King James Version as "power." It can mean "authority" in the sense of having permission or jurisdiction, but it can also mean simply to have the strength or capability. The intepretation of exousia as referring to the first meaning is reasonable, especially considering that those asking the question were those who were responsible for granting religious authority.
  • Mark 12:9. Verse 9 is likely an allusion to the doctrine that the Gospel is available for all people, not just the Jews. And while Jesus doesn't state so directly, it is also possible that the destruction promised in verse 9 refers to the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70.
  • Mark 12:15: Penny. The coin translated in verse 15 as "penny" is a denarius, a silver coin worth about one day's pay for a common laborer. It had a picture of Caesar on it.
  • Mark 12:25: Marriage after resurrection. In verse 25, Jesus does not say that people are not married after the resurrection. He affirms only that they do not become married after the resurrection.
  • Mark 12:26-27: Scriptural knowledge. In much of Mark, Jesus' critics are fond of using scriptures to suggest that Jesus doesn't know what he's talking about. In verses 26-27, Jesus does the same for those who claimed that life ends at the grave.
  • Mark 12:30: Love. The Greek word translated as "love" in verse 30, agapao, is the verb form of agape, which is often translated as "charity" in the King James Version. Verse 30 tells us that we should love God with the same type and extent of love that He has shown us.
  • Mark 12:34: Discreetly. The Greek word translated as "discreetly" in verse 34, nounechos, means wisely, intelligently or thoughtfully.
  • Mark 12:34: JST. The last sentence in verse 34 says this in the Joseph Smith Translation: "And no man after that durst ask him, saying, Who art thou?"
  • Mark 12:40: Damnation. The Greek word translated as "damnation" in verse 40 is krima (a distant cousin of the English word "crime"). It is most often translated as "judgment" in the King James Version and can also mean "punishment." The word itself does not necessarily refer to eternal punishment.
  • Mark 12:41, 43: Treasury. The word translated as "treasury" (gazofulakion) in verses 41 and 43 probably refers to a receptacle where monetary donations were received.
  • Mark 12:42: Mite. The "mite" of verse 32 is a lepton, the least valuable coin in circulation at the time. It was made of bronze and was worth 1/128 of a denarius.
  • Mark 13:2. Jesus' comments in verse 2 are possibly a prophecy of the destruction of the temple, which occurred in A.D. 70. However, Jesus' predictions in later verses do not make clear what time period he is talking about.
  • Mark 13:2. Perhaps Jesus was referring in verse 2 to the final procedure for cleansing a leprous house, Lev 14:44-45.
  • Mark 13:8: Sorrows. The Greek word translated as "sorrows" in verse 8, odin, refers to the pain of childbirth and in a broader sense refers to extreme anguish.
  • Mark 13:13: Endure. The verb translated as "endure" in verse 13, hupomeno, has the primary meaning of staying behind or remaining, that is, not fleeing.
  • Mark 13:33: Watch. The Greek verb translated as "watch," gregoreuo, suggests more action than the English verb might. Other possible translations include "actively watch," "be alert" and "pay attention."

Unanswered questions[edit]

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Prompts for life application[edit]

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  • Mark 12:17. What belongs to Caesar, and what belongs to God?

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Mark 11:23-24: Asking of God. How literally should verses 23 and 24 be understood? Is what Jesus said meant to apply only to those he was speaking to at the time, or does it apply to us today? If we fully believe, can we really have anything we ask for?
  • Mark 13:30: This generation. What does Jesus mean by "this generation" in verse 30?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.



Previous page: Chapters 8b-10                      Next page: Chapters 14-16

Luke 12:11-15

Home > The New Testament > Luke > Chapters 9b-19 > Chapters 9b-13 / Verses 9:51-13:35
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Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 10:29: Neighbor. is the English translation of the Greek plesion, the neuter of a derivative of pelas (near).
  • Luke 10:25-37. This is the Good Samaritan story. It is well known as a story of the brotherhood of all mankind and doing good even to someone outside our own sphere.
The early Christians saw this as an allegory of the Plan of Salvation. See the article The Good Samaritan and Eternal Life by John W. Welch in the related links sections.
  • Luke 11:11: Stone. Most modern translations take this "stone" in this verse as a superfluous word due to transcription error. See here for details and various translations. (Cf. Matt 7:9.)
  • Luke 11:12: Egg and scorpion. A possible similarity between an egg and a scorpion being alluded to here is how a scorpion can roll up into a ball that looks like an egg. The pairings in this passage (and in Matt 7:9ff) suggest similar objects where one gives sustenance and the other does not.

Unanswered questions[edit]

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Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 11:9. Many times it seems people pray to be relieved of tribuations and yet tribulations continue. How can this empirical observation be reconciled with this verse?

Resources[edit]

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  • Luke 10:25-37. John W. Welch, "The Good Samaritan and Eternal Life," BYU Magazine, Spring 2002. In this article, Welch reviews the writings of early Christian writers such as Origen, who lived in the first half of the the 3rd century. Origen understands the allegory like this:
The man who was going down is Adam. Jerusalem is paradise, and Jericho is the world. The robbers are hostile powers. The priest is the Law, the Levite is the prophets, and the Samaritan is Christ. The wounds are disobedience, the beast is the Lord's body, the pandochium (that is, the stable [inn]), which accepts all [pan-] who wish to enter, is the Church. And further, the two denarii mean the Father and the Son. The manager of the stable is the head of the Church, to whom its care has been entrusted. And the fact that the Samaritan promises he will return represents the Savior's second coming.
See a similar article by Welch in the Ensign: "The Good Samaritan: Forgotten Symbols," Feb 2007, pp. 40–47.
  • Luke 12:23. James E. Faust, "Spiritual Nutrients," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 53–55. Elder Faust said: "Human beings...need to be replenished spiritually. The human spirit needs love. It also needs to be 'nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine' (1 Tim 4:6)."

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.




Previous page: Chapters 9b-19                      Chapters 14-19

Luke 12:16-20

Home > The New Testament > Luke > Chapters 9b-19 > Chapters 9b-13 / Verses 9:51-13:35
Previous page: Chapters 9b-19                      Chapters 14-19


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Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 10:29: Neighbor. is the English translation of the Greek plesion, the neuter of a derivative of pelas (near).
  • Luke 10:25-37. This is the Good Samaritan story. It is well known as a story of the brotherhood of all mankind and doing good even to someone outside our own sphere.
The early Christians saw this as an allegory of the Plan of Salvation. See the article The Good Samaritan and Eternal Life by John W. Welch in the related links sections.
  • Luke 11:11: Stone. Most modern translations take this "stone" in this verse as a superfluous word due to transcription error. See here for details and various translations. (Cf. Matt 7:9.)
  • Luke 11:12: Egg and scorpion. A possible similarity between an egg and a scorpion being alluded to here is how a scorpion can roll up into a ball that looks like an egg. The pairings in this passage (and in Matt 7:9ff) suggest similar objects where one gives sustenance and the other does not.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 11:9. Many times it seems people pray to be relieved of tribuations and yet tribulations continue. How can this empirical observation be reconciled with this verse?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 10:25-37. John W. Welch, "The Good Samaritan and Eternal Life," BYU Magazine, Spring 2002. In this article, Welch reviews the writings of early Christian writers such as Origen, who lived in the first half of the the 3rd century. Origen understands the allegory like this:
The man who was going down is Adam. Jerusalem is paradise, and Jericho is the world. The robbers are hostile powers. The priest is the Law, the Levite is the prophets, and the Samaritan is Christ. The wounds are disobedience, the beast is the Lord's body, the pandochium (that is, the stable [inn]), which accepts all [pan-] who wish to enter, is the Church. And further, the two denarii mean the Father and the Son. The manager of the stable is the head of the Church, to whom its care has been entrusted. And the fact that the Samaritan promises he will return represents the Savior's second coming.
See a similar article by Welch in the Ensign: "The Good Samaritan: Forgotten Symbols," Feb 2007, pp. 40–47.
  • Luke 12:23. James E. Faust, "Spiritual Nutrients," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 53–55. Elder Faust said: "Human beings...need to be replenished spiritually. The human spirit needs love. It also needs to be 'nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine' (1 Tim 4:6)."

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.




Previous page: Chapters 9b-19                      Chapters 14-19

Luke 12:21-25

Home > The New Testament > Luke > Chapters 9b-19 > Chapters 9b-13 / Verses 9:51-13:35
Previous page: Chapters 9b-19                      Chapters 14-19


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Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 10:29: Neighbor. is the English translation of the Greek plesion, the neuter of a derivative of pelas (near).
  • Luke 10:25-37. This is the Good Samaritan story. It is well known as a story of the brotherhood of all mankind and doing good even to someone outside our own sphere.
The early Christians saw this as an allegory of the Plan of Salvation. See the article The Good Samaritan and Eternal Life by John W. Welch in the related links sections.
  • Luke 11:11: Stone. Most modern translations take this "stone" in this verse as a superfluous word due to transcription error. See here for details and various translations. (Cf. Matt 7:9.)
  • Luke 11:12: Egg and scorpion. A possible similarity between an egg and a scorpion being alluded to here is how a scorpion can roll up into a ball that looks like an egg. The pairings in this passage (and in Matt 7:9ff) suggest similar objects where one gives sustenance and the other does not.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 11:9. Many times it seems people pray to be relieved of tribuations and yet tribulations continue. How can this empirical observation be reconciled with this verse?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 10:25-37. John W. Welch, "The Good Samaritan and Eternal Life," BYU Magazine, Spring 2002. In this article, Welch reviews the writings of early Christian writers such as Origen, who lived in the first half of the the 3rd century. Origen understands the allegory like this:
The man who was going down is Adam. Jerusalem is paradise, and Jericho is the world. The robbers are hostile powers. The priest is the Law, the Levite is the prophets, and the Samaritan is Christ. The wounds are disobedience, the beast is the Lord's body, the pandochium (that is, the stable [inn]), which accepts all [pan-] who wish to enter, is the Church. And further, the two denarii mean the Father and the Son. The manager of the stable is the head of the Church, to whom its care has been entrusted. And the fact that the Samaritan promises he will return represents the Savior's second coming.
See a similar article by Welch in the Ensign: "The Good Samaritan: Forgotten Symbols," Feb 2007, pp. 40–47.
  • Luke 12:23. James E. Faust, "Spiritual Nutrients," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 53–55. Elder Faust said: "Human beings...need to be replenished spiritually. The human spirit needs love. It also needs to be 'nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine' (1 Tim 4:6)."

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.




Previous page: Chapters 9b-19                      Chapters 14-19

Luke 14:1-5

Home > The New Testament > Luke > Chapters 9b-19 > Chapters 14-19
Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 15:20: Fell on his neck. This is a Greek idiom that means "to hug." See the textual note in the NET here.
  • Luke 17:11-19: Ten lepers and atonement. When considering the story of the ten lepers it is interesting to see how this compares to the Atonement. Jesus knew even before he cleansed the lepers that only one of the ten would return to give thanks to Him, yet He healed each one of them still. In a similar manner, Jesus knows how many of our Father's sons and daughters will fully accept His Atonement, yet He suffered for each one of us still. Only One possessing true Charity such as Himself would be willing to do such a thing.
  • Luke 17:21: Within you. The Greek entos can mean either "in" or "among/in the midst of." Although traditionally this has traditionally understood more in the sense of "within," as the KJV renders this, more recent scholarship tends to favor the "among" meaning (see for example these translations). As variations of the "among" reading, this could be referring either to the ministry of Jesus, or this could mean that the kingdom is "within one's grasp, or this could mean that the kingdom of God is coming soon and suddenly/unexpectedly (Bultmann, for example, takes this view).
  • Luke 18:18-30. It is often assumed that the certain ruler who is told to sell all that he has in these verses and follow Jesus failed this test. He may very well have; but the assumption that he does not misses the most important point of these verses.
The scriptures here do clearly tell us that the ruler was sorrowful to be asked to sell all that he had. This sorrow isn't right of course. We should be happy to sacrifice for God versus be sorrowful. See, for example Matt 5:10. To feel such sorrow shows we are unworthy of the kingdom of God (see Luke 9:62).
But though the story of this ruler ends with his sorrow, the real story doesn't end here. Jesus continues, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (v 24), even seemlingly impossible (v25). Nevertheless, Jesus also says that it is possible for such a person to enter the kingdom of God (v 27).
The rich man here does not represent those of us who won't make it to the kingdom of God, he represents all of us. For we all at times have riches which we are sorry to have to be asked to sacrifice. And in such times we all unfit for the kingdom of God. And yet...we are, even so, told it is possible "with God" to enter into His kingdom (again v 27).
How is it possible? Matt 21:28-31 shows us that though this initial sorrow, hesitancy or even outright rejection is certainly wrong, it doesn't disqualify us from the kingdom of heaven. What matters more than whether the ruler was sorrowful is whether he, like the better son in the parable, actually goes on to do what Jesus asks--something we don't find out in this story.
The monetary unit given as "pound" in verse 13 is the Greek mina, worth 100 denarii, or the pay for 100 days of work for a common laborer.
The Greek word translated in verse 23 as "usury," tokos, means "interest." The Greek word doesn't necessarily refer to an illegally high rate of interest.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 19:39-40. Stones crying out? Why stones? This may not be as deep as I'm making it in my head, but can someone comment on the context of this verse? This phrase has always just seemed so odd to me.

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:7-11. To what extent can this parable be said to articulate a kind of economics of public praise? Does the logic of the parable compromise the profound un-logic of the concluding statement (in verse 11)?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Does verse 7 mean that Jesus is speaking specifically (and quite suddenly!) to a number of the ambitious at an actual wedding feast? How can this passage still be called (as it is in the very passage) a parable, if it is explicitly existential? What should be made of this sudden disruption of context? What connection does this have with the passages immediately preceding?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What kind of economy obtains between this parable and the following parable, where Jesus addresses the giver of the feast? Does the fact that He can address the giver of the feast as much as the ambitious attendants change the way one reads this parable? What kind of a wedding is Jesus attending that He can have so much facility with all involved?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is it significant that nothing is said of where Jesus is sitting?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Should any theological weight be given to the word "bidden," especially in light of the Greek (which might more literally be translated "called")? And what theological weight should be given to the fact that it is a wedding that is in question? Is there a structure of the call, or a structure of the wedding, that is being overturned in the actions of the ambitious?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is there an element of risk involved in Jesus' admonition? What connection is there between this risk and the risk of, say, Abraham with Isaac on Mount Moriah? What relation does risk have to economy? How is risk connected with the structure of the call?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What might be read into the fact that the self-humbled is called ("bidden") twice, while the self-exalted is only called ("bidden") once?
  • Luke 14:7-11. How might one "sit down in the lowest room" and yet still exalt oneself? What might such a situation imply about the questions of economy that can be raised in relation to this verse?
  • Luke 15. Does the overall meaning of the parables in this chapter change if we read the parables one after another, as those to whom Christ spoke heard them, rather than as individual and separate parables?
  • Luke 15. If we read the parables as parts of a whole teaching moment, what does the culmination of those parables in the final, longest parable teach us?
  • Luke 15. Who was Jesus' audience in these parables? How do you think they responded to each?
  • Luke 15:11-32. Jesus begins this parable by telling us that it is about two sons. Why do we refer to it as "the parable of the prodigal son"? Does looking at it as a story about two sons rather than one change our understanding?
  • Luke 17:7-10. What is the purpose of the story in vs. 7-10? How is it related to the example of faith given in v. 6? Are both the example and the story a response to the apostles's request for more faith?
  • Luke 17:7-10. To what degree is it appropriate to think of ourselves as servants of the LORD? What does it mean to be a servant?
  • Luke 18:7. In verse 7 what does the phrase "though he bear long with them" mean?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:27. James E. Faust, "Discipleship," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 20–23. Elder Faust taught: "To carry the cross means to follow His commandments and to build up His Church on the earth. It also means self-mastery."
  • Luke 14:27. Larry W. Gibbons, "Wherefore, Settle This in Your Hearts," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 102–4. Elder Gibbons said: "Brothers and sisters, let's sell that summer cottage in Babylon. Let us be not almost but altogether Latter-day Saints... In Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 14:28 the Lord says: 'Wherefore, settle this in your hearts...' Brothers and sisters, I pray that we are 'settled.' There are precious blessings that come only from the complete yielding of one's heart to God."
  • Luke 15. Jeffrey R. Holland, "Prophets in the Land Again," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 104–7. Elder Holland said: "[T]he needy are still out there—the poor and the weary, the discouraged and downhearted... don't worry about asking, "Where are they?" They are everywhere, on our right hand and on our left, in our neighborhoods and in the workplace, in every community and county and nation of this world. Take your team and wagon; load it with your love, your testimony, and a spiritual sack of flour; then drive in any direction... In doing so we honor the Master's repeated plea on behalf of lost sheep and lost coins and lost souls."
  • Luke 16:19-26. Gordon B. Hinckley, "Blessed Are the Merciful," Ensign, May 1990, 68. "How godlike a quality is mercy. It cannot be legislated. It must come from the heart. It must be stirred up from within. It is part of the endowment each of us receives as a son or daughter of God and partaker of a divine birthright. I plead for an effort among all of us to give greater expression and wider latitude to this instinct which lies within us. I am convinced that there comes a time, possibly many times, within our lives when we might cry out for mercy on the part of others. How can we expect it unless we have been merciful ourselves?"

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.




Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24

Luke 14:6-10

Home > The New Testament > Luke > Chapters 9b-19 > Chapters 14-19
Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 15:20: Fell on his neck. This is a Greek idiom that means "to hug." See the textual note in the NET here.
  • Luke 17:11-19: Ten lepers and atonement. When considering the story of the ten lepers it is interesting to see how this compares to the Atonement. Jesus knew even before he cleansed the lepers that only one of the ten would return to give thanks to Him, yet He healed each one of them still. In a similar manner, Jesus knows how many of our Father's sons and daughters will fully accept His Atonement, yet He suffered for each one of us still. Only One possessing true Charity such as Himself would be willing to do such a thing.
  • Luke 17:21: Within you. The Greek entos can mean either "in" or "among/in the midst of." Although traditionally this has traditionally understood more in the sense of "within," as the KJV renders this, more recent scholarship tends to favor the "among" meaning (see for example these translations). As variations of the "among" reading, this could be referring either to the ministry of Jesus, or this could mean that the kingdom is "within one's grasp, or this could mean that the kingdom of God is coming soon and suddenly/unexpectedly (Bultmann, for example, takes this view).
  • Luke 18:18-30. It is often assumed that the certain ruler who is told to sell all that he has in these verses and follow Jesus failed this test. He may very well have; but the assumption that he does not misses the most important point of these verses.
The scriptures here do clearly tell us that the ruler was sorrowful to be asked to sell all that he had. This sorrow isn't right of course. We should be happy to sacrifice for God versus be sorrowful. See, for example Matt 5:10. To feel such sorrow shows we are unworthy of the kingdom of God (see Luke 9:62).
But though the story of this ruler ends with his sorrow, the real story doesn't end here. Jesus continues, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (v 24), even seemlingly impossible (v25). Nevertheless, Jesus also says that it is possible for such a person to enter the kingdom of God (v 27).
The rich man here does not represent those of us who won't make it to the kingdom of God, he represents all of us. For we all at times have riches which we are sorry to have to be asked to sacrifice. And in such times we all unfit for the kingdom of God. And yet...we are, even so, told it is possible "with God" to enter into His kingdom (again v 27).
How is it possible? Matt 21:28-31 shows us that though this initial sorrow, hesitancy or even outright rejection is certainly wrong, it doesn't disqualify us from the kingdom of heaven. What matters more than whether the ruler was sorrowful is whether he, like the better son in the parable, actually goes on to do what Jesus asks--something we don't find out in this story.
The monetary unit given as "pound" in verse 13 is the Greek mina, worth 100 denarii, or the pay for 100 days of work for a common laborer.
The Greek word translated in verse 23 as "usury," tokos, means "interest." The Greek word doesn't necessarily refer to an illegally high rate of interest.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 19:39-40. Stones crying out? Why stones? This may not be as deep as I'm making it in my head, but can someone comment on the context of this verse? This phrase has always just seemed so odd to me.

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:7-11. To what extent can this parable be said to articulate a kind of economics of public praise? Does the logic of the parable compromise the profound un-logic of the concluding statement (in verse 11)?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Does verse 7 mean that Jesus is speaking specifically (and quite suddenly!) to a number of the ambitious at an actual wedding feast? How can this passage still be called (as it is in the very passage) a parable, if it is explicitly existential? What should be made of this sudden disruption of context? What connection does this have with the passages immediately preceding?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What kind of economy obtains between this parable and the following parable, where Jesus addresses the giver of the feast? Does the fact that He can address the giver of the feast as much as the ambitious attendants change the way one reads this parable? What kind of a wedding is Jesus attending that He can have so much facility with all involved?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is it significant that nothing is said of where Jesus is sitting?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Should any theological weight be given to the word "bidden," especially in light of the Greek (which might more literally be translated "called")? And what theological weight should be given to the fact that it is a wedding that is in question? Is there a structure of the call, or a structure of the wedding, that is being overturned in the actions of the ambitious?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is there an element of risk involved in Jesus' admonition? What connection is there between this risk and the risk of, say, Abraham with Isaac on Mount Moriah? What relation does risk have to economy? How is risk connected with the structure of the call?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What might be read into the fact that the self-humbled is called ("bidden") twice, while the self-exalted is only called ("bidden") once?
  • Luke 14:7-11. How might one "sit down in the lowest room" and yet still exalt oneself? What might such a situation imply about the questions of economy that can be raised in relation to this verse?
  • Luke 15. Does the overall meaning of the parables in this chapter change if we read the parables one after another, as those to whom Christ spoke heard them, rather than as individual and separate parables?
  • Luke 15. If we read the parables as parts of a whole teaching moment, what does the culmination of those parables in the final, longest parable teach us?
  • Luke 15. Who was Jesus' audience in these parables? How do you think they responded to each?
  • Luke 15:11-32. Jesus begins this parable by telling us that it is about two sons. Why do we refer to it as "the parable of the prodigal son"? Does looking at it as a story about two sons rather than one change our understanding?
  • Luke 17:7-10. What is the purpose of the story in vs. 7-10? How is it related to the example of faith given in v. 6? Are both the example and the story a response to the apostles's request for more faith?
  • Luke 17:7-10. To what degree is it appropriate to think of ourselves as servants of the LORD? What does it mean to be a servant?
  • Luke 18:7. In verse 7 what does the phrase "though he bear long with them" mean?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:27. James E. Faust, "Discipleship," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 20–23. Elder Faust taught: "To carry the cross means to follow His commandments and to build up His Church on the earth. It also means self-mastery."
  • Luke 14:27. Larry W. Gibbons, "Wherefore, Settle This in Your Hearts," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 102–4. Elder Gibbons said: "Brothers and sisters, let's sell that summer cottage in Babylon. Let us be not almost but altogether Latter-day Saints... In Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 14:28 the Lord says: 'Wherefore, settle this in your hearts...' Brothers and sisters, I pray that we are 'settled.' There are precious blessings that come only from the complete yielding of one's heart to God."
  • Luke 15. Jeffrey R. Holland, "Prophets in the Land Again," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 104–7. Elder Holland said: "[T]he needy are still out there—the poor and the weary, the discouraged and downhearted... don't worry about asking, "Where are they?" They are everywhere, on our right hand and on our left, in our neighborhoods and in the workplace, in every community and county and nation of this world. Take your team and wagon; load it with your love, your testimony, and a spiritual sack of flour; then drive in any direction... In doing so we honor the Master's repeated plea on behalf of lost sheep and lost coins and lost souls."
  • Luke 16:19-26. Gordon B. Hinckley, "Blessed Are the Merciful," Ensign, May 1990, 68. "How godlike a quality is mercy. It cannot be legislated. It must come from the heart. It must be stirred up from within. It is part of the endowment each of us receives as a son or daughter of God and partaker of a divine birthright. I plead for an effort among all of us to give greater expression and wider latitude to this instinct which lies within us. I am convinced that there comes a time, possibly many times, within our lives when we might cry out for mercy on the part of others. How can we expect it unless we have been merciful ourselves?"

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.




Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24

Luke 14:11-15

Home > The New Testament > Luke > Chapters 9b-19 > Chapters 14-19
Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 15:20: Fell on his neck. This is a Greek idiom that means "to hug." See the textual note in the NET here.
  • Luke 17:11-19: Ten lepers and atonement. When considering the story of the ten lepers it is interesting to see how this compares to the Atonement. Jesus knew even before he cleansed the lepers that only one of the ten would return to give thanks to Him, yet He healed each one of them still. In a similar manner, Jesus knows how many of our Father's sons and daughters will fully accept His Atonement, yet He suffered for each one of us still. Only One possessing true Charity such as Himself would be willing to do such a thing.
  • Luke 17:21: Within you. The Greek entos can mean either "in" or "among/in the midst of." Although traditionally this has traditionally understood more in the sense of "within," as the KJV renders this, more recent scholarship tends to favor the "among" meaning (see for example these translations). As variations of the "among" reading, this could be referring either to the ministry of Jesus, or this could mean that the kingdom is "within one's grasp, or this could mean that the kingdom of God is coming soon and suddenly/unexpectedly (Bultmann, for example, takes this view).
  • Luke 18:18-30. It is often assumed that the certain ruler who is told to sell all that he has in these verses and follow Jesus failed this test. He may very well have; but the assumption that he does not misses the most important point of these verses.
The scriptures here do clearly tell us that the ruler was sorrowful to be asked to sell all that he had. This sorrow isn't right of course. We should be happy to sacrifice for God versus be sorrowful. See, for example Matt 5:10. To feel such sorrow shows we are unworthy of the kingdom of God (see Luke 9:62).
But though the story of this ruler ends with his sorrow, the real story doesn't end here. Jesus continues, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (v 24), even seemlingly impossible (v25). Nevertheless, Jesus also says that it is possible for such a person to enter the kingdom of God (v 27).
The rich man here does not represent those of us who won't make it to the kingdom of God, he represents all of us. For we all at times have riches which we are sorry to have to be asked to sacrifice. And in such times we all unfit for the kingdom of God. And yet...we are, even so, told it is possible "with God" to enter into His kingdom (again v 27).
How is it possible? Matt 21:28-31 shows us that though this initial sorrow, hesitancy or even outright rejection is certainly wrong, it doesn't disqualify us from the kingdom of heaven. What matters more than whether the ruler was sorrowful is whether he, like the better son in the parable, actually goes on to do what Jesus asks--something we don't find out in this story.
The monetary unit given as "pound" in verse 13 is the Greek mina, worth 100 denarii, or the pay for 100 days of work for a common laborer.
The Greek word translated in verse 23 as "usury," tokos, means "interest." The Greek word doesn't necessarily refer to an illegally high rate of interest.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 19:39-40. Stones crying out? Why stones? This may not be as deep as I'm making it in my head, but can someone comment on the context of this verse? This phrase has always just seemed so odd to me.

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:7-11. To what extent can this parable be said to articulate a kind of economics of public praise? Does the logic of the parable compromise the profound un-logic of the concluding statement (in verse 11)?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Does verse 7 mean that Jesus is speaking specifically (and quite suddenly!) to a number of the ambitious at an actual wedding feast? How can this passage still be called (as it is in the very passage) a parable, if it is explicitly existential? What should be made of this sudden disruption of context? What connection does this have with the passages immediately preceding?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What kind of economy obtains between this parable and the following parable, where Jesus addresses the giver of the feast? Does the fact that He can address the giver of the feast as much as the ambitious attendants change the way one reads this parable? What kind of a wedding is Jesus attending that He can have so much facility with all involved?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is it significant that nothing is said of where Jesus is sitting?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Should any theological weight be given to the word "bidden," especially in light of the Greek (which might more literally be translated "called")? And what theological weight should be given to the fact that it is a wedding that is in question? Is there a structure of the call, or a structure of the wedding, that is being overturned in the actions of the ambitious?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is there an element of risk involved in Jesus' admonition? What connection is there between this risk and the risk of, say, Abraham with Isaac on Mount Moriah? What relation does risk have to economy? How is risk connected with the structure of the call?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What might be read into the fact that the self-humbled is called ("bidden") twice, while the self-exalted is only called ("bidden") once?
  • Luke 14:7-11. How might one "sit down in the lowest room" and yet still exalt oneself? What might such a situation imply about the questions of economy that can be raised in relation to this verse?
  • Luke 15. Does the overall meaning of the parables in this chapter change if we read the parables one after another, as those to whom Christ spoke heard them, rather than as individual and separate parables?
  • Luke 15. If we read the parables as parts of a whole teaching moment, what does the culmination of those parables in the final, longest parable teach us?
  • Luke 15. Who was Jesus' audience in these parables? How do you think they responded to each?
  • Luke 15:11-32. Jesus begins this parable by telling us that it is about two sons. Why do we refer to it as "the parable of the prodigal son"? Does looking at it as a story about two sons rather than one change our understanding?
  • Luke 17:7-10. What is the purpose of the story in vs. 7-10? How is it related to the example of faith given in v. 6? Are both the example and the story a response to the apostles's request for more faith?
  • Luke 17:7-10. To what degree is it appropriate to think of ourselves as servants of the LORD? What does it mean to be a servant?
  • Luke 18:7. In verse 7 what does the phrase "though he bear long with them" mean?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:27. James E. Faust, "Discipleship," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 20–23. Elder Faust taught: "To carry the cross means to follow His commandments and to build up His Church on the earth. It also means self-mastery."
  • Luke 14:27. Larry W. Gibbons, "Wherefore, Settle This in Your Hearts," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 102–4. Elder Gibbons said: "Brothers and sisters, let's sell that summer cottage in Babylon. Let us be not almost but altogether Latter-day Saints... In Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 14:28 the Lord says: 'Wherefore, settle this in your hearts...' Brothers and sisters, I pray that we are 'settled.' There are precious blessings that come only from the complete yielding of one's heart to God."
  • Luke 15. Jeffrey R. Holland, "Prophets in the Land Again," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 104–7. Elder Holland said: "[T]he needy are still out there—the poor and the weary, the discouraged and downhearted... don't worry about asking, "Where are they?" They are everywhere, on our right hand and on our left, in our neighborhoods and in the workplace, in every community and county and nation of this world. Take your team and wagon; load it with your love, your testimony, and a spiritual sack of flour; then drive in any direction... In doing so we honor the Master's repeated plea on behalf of lost sheep and lost coins and lost souls."
  • Luke 16:19-26. Gordon B. Hinckley, "Blessed Are the Merciful," Ensign, May 1990, 68. "How godlike a quality is mercy. It cannot be legislated. It must come from the heart. It must be stirred up from within. It is part of the endowment each of us receives as a son or daughter of God and partaker of a divine birthright. I plead for an effort among all of us to give greater expression and wider latitude to this instinct which lies within us. I am convinced that there comes a time, possibly many times, within our lives when we might cry out for mercy on the part of others. How can we expect it unless we have been merciful ourselves?"

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.




Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24

Luke 14:16-20

Home > The New Testament > Luke > Chapters 9b-19 > Chapters 14-19
Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 15:20: Fell on his neck. This is a Greek idiom that means "to hug." See the textual note in the NET here.
  • Luke 17:11-19: Ten lepers and atonement. When considering the story of the ten lepers it is interesting to see how this compares to the Atonement. Jesus knew even before he cleansed the lepers that only one of the ten would return to give thanks to Him, yet He healed each one of them still. In a similar manner, Jesus knows how many of our Father's sons and daughters will fully accept His Atonement, yet He suffered for each one of us still. Only One possessing true Charity such as Himself would be willing to do such a thing.
  • Luke 17:21: Within you. The Greek entos can mean either "in" or "among/in the midst of." Although traditionally this has traditionally understood more in the sense of "within," as the KJV renders this, more recent scholarship tends to favor the "among" meaning (see for example these translations). As variations of the "among" reading, this could be referring either to the ministry of Jesus, or this could mean that the kingdom is "within one's grasp, or this could mean that the kingdom of God is coming soon and suddenly/unexpectedly (Bultmann, for example, takes this view).
  • Luke 18:18-30. It is often assumed that the certain ruler who is told to sell all that he has in these verses and follow Jesus failed this test. He may very well have; but the assumption that he does not misses the most important point of these verses.
The scriptures here do clearly tell us that the ruler was sorrowful to be asked to sell all that he had. This sorrow isn't right of course. We should be happy to sacrifice for God versus be sorrowful. See, for example Matt 5:10. To feel such sorrow shows we are unworthy of the kingdom of God (see Luke 9:62).
But though the story of this ruler ends with his sorrow, the real story doesn't end here. Jesus continues, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (v 24), even seemlingly impossible (v25). Nevertheless, Jesus also says that it is possible for such a person to enter the kingdom of God (v 27).
The rich man here does not represent those of us who won't make it to the kingdom of God, he represents all of us. For we all at times have riches which we are sorry to have to be asked to sacrifice. And in such times we all unfit for the kingdom of God. And yet...we are, even so, told it is possible "with God" to enter into His kingdom (again v 27).
How is it possible? Matt 21:28-31 shows us that though this initial sorrow, hesitancy or even outright rejection is certainly wrong, it doesn't disqualify us from the kingdom of heaven. What matters more than whether the ruler was sorrowful is whether he, like the better son in the parable, actually goes on to do what Jesus asks--something we don't find out in this story.
The monetary unit given as "pound" in verse 13 is the Greek mina, worth 100 denarii, or the pay for 100 days of work for a common laborer.
The Greek word translated in verse 23 as "usury," tokos, means "interest." The Greek word doesn't necessarily refer to an illegally high rate of interest.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 19:39-40. Stones crying out? Why stones? This may not be as deep as I'm making it in my head, but can someone comment on the context of this verse? This phrase has always just seemed so odd to me.

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:7-11. To what extent can this parable be said to articulate a kind of economics of public praise? Does the logic of the parable compromise the profound un-logic of the concluding statement (in verse 11)?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Does verse 7 mean that Jesus is speaking specifically (and quite suddenly!) to a number of the ambitious at an actual wedding feast? How can this passage still be called (as it is in the very passage) a parable, if it is explicitly existential? What should be made of this sudden disruption of context? What connection does this have with the passages immediately preceding?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What kind of economy obtains between this parable and the following parable, where Jesus addresses the giver of the feast? Does the fact that He can address the giver of the feast as much as the ambitious attendants change the way one reads this parable? What kind of a wedding is Jesus attending that He can have so much facility with all involved?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is it significant that nothing is said of where Jesus is sitting?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Should any theological weight be given to the word "bidden," especially in light of the Greek (which might more literally be translated "called")? And what theological weight should be given to the fact that it is a wedding that is in question? Is there a structure of the call, or a structure of the wedding, that is being overturned in the actions of the ambitious?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is there an element of risk involved in Jesus' admonition? What connection is there between this risk and the risk of, say, Abraham with Isaac on Mount Moriah? What relation does risk have to economy? How is risk connected with the structure of the call?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What might be read into the fact that the self-humbled is called ("bidden") twice, while the self-exalted is only called ("bidden") once?
  • Luke 14:7-11. How might one "sit down in the lowest room" and yet still exalt oneself? What might such a situation imply about the questions of economy that can be raised in relation to this verse?
  • Luke 15. Does the overall meaning of the parables in this chapter change if we read the parables one after another, as those to whom Christ spoke heard them, rather than as individual and separate parables?
  • Luke 15. If we read the parables as parts of a whole teaching moment, what does the culmination of those parables in the final, longest parable teach us?
  • Luke 15. Who was Jesus' audience in these parables? How do you think they responded to each?
  • Luke 15:11-32. Jesus begins this parable by telling us that it is about two sons. Why do we refer to it as "the parable of the prodigal son"? Does looking at it as a story about two sons rather than one change our understanding?
  • Luke 17:7-10. What is the purpose of the story in vs. 7-10? How is it related to the example of faith given in v. 6? Are both the example and the story a response to the apostles's request for more faith?
  • Luke 17:7-10. To what degree is it appropriate to think of ourselves as servants of the LORD? What does it mean to be a servant?
  • Luke 18:7. In verse 7 what does the phrase "though he bear long with them" mean?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:27. James E. Faust, "Discipleship," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 20–23. Elder Faust taught: "To carry the cross means to follow His commandments and to build up His Church on the earth. It also means self-mastery."
  • Luke 14:27. Larry W. Gibbons, "Wherefore, Settle This in Your Hearts," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 102–4. Elder Gibbons said: "Brothers and sisters, let's sell that summer cottage in Babylon. Let us be not almost but altogether Latter-day Saints... In Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 14:28 the Lord says: 'Wherefore, settle this in your hearts...' Brothers and sisters, I pray that we are 'settled.' There are precious blessings that come only from the complete yielding of one's heart to God."
  • Luke 15. Jeffrey R. Holland, "Prophets in the Land Again," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 104–7. Elder Holland said: "[T]he needy are still out there—the poor and the weary, the discouraged and downhearted... don't worry about asking, "Where are they?" They are everywhere, on our right hand and on our left, in our neighborhoods and in the workplace, in every community and county and nation of this world. Take your team and wagon; load it with your love, your testimony, and a spiritual sack of flour; then drive in any direction... In doing so we honor the Master's repeated plea on behalf of lost sheep and lost coins and lost souls."
  • Luke 16:19-26. Gordon B. Hinckley, "Blessed Are the Merciful," Ensign, May 1990, 68. "How godlike a quality is mercy. It cannot be legislated. It must come from the heart. It must be stirred up from within. It is part of the endowment each of us receives as a son or daughter of God and partaker of a divine birthright. I plead for an effort among all of us to give greater expression and wider latitude to this instinct which lies within us. I am convinced that there comes a time, possibly many times, within our lives when we might cry out for mercy on the part of others. How can we expect it unless we have been merciful ourselves?"

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.




Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24

Luke 14:21-25

Home > The New Testament > Luke > Chapters 9b-19 > Chapters 14-19
Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 15:20: Fell on his neck. This is a Greek idiom that means "to hug." See the textual note in the NET here.
  • Luke 17:11-19: Ten lepers and atonement. When considering the story of the ten lepers it is interesting to see how this compares to the Atonement. Jesus knew even before he cleansed the lepers that only one of the ten would return to give thanks to Him, yet He healed each one of them still. In a similar manner, Jesus knows how many of our Father's sons and daughters will fully accept His Atonement, yet He suffered for each one of us still. Only One possessing true Charity such as Himself would be willing to do such a thing.
  • Luke 17:21: Within you. The Greek entos can mean either "in" or "among/in the midst of." Although traditionally this has traditionally understood more in the sense of "within," as the KJV renders this, more recent scholarship tends to favor the "among" meaning (see for example these translations). As variations of the "among" reading, this could be referring either to the ministry of Jesus, or this could mean that the kingdom is "within one's grasp, or this could mean that the kingdom of God is coming soon and suddenly/unexpectedly (Bultmann, for example, takes this view).
  • Luke 18:18-30. It is often assumed that the certain ruler who is told to sell all that he has in these verses and follow Jesus failed this test. He may very well have; but the assumption that he does not misses the most important point of these verses.
The scriptures here do clearly tell us that the ruler was sorrowful to be asked to sell all that he had. This sorrow isn't right of course. We should be happy to sacrifice for God versus be sorrowful. See, for example Matt 5:10. To feel such sorrow shows we are unworthy of the kingdom of God (see Luke 9:62).
But though the story of this ruler ends with his sorrow, the real story doesn't end here. Jesus continues, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (v 24), even seemlingly impossible (v25). Nevertheless, Jesus also says that it is possible for such a person to enter the kingdom of God (v 27).
The rich man here does not represent those of us who won't make it to the kingdom of God, he represents all of us. For we all at times have riches which we are sorry to have to be asked to sacrifice. And in such times we all unfit for the kingdom of God. And yet...we are, even so, told it is possible "with God" to enter into His kingdom (again v 27).
How is it possible? Matt 21:28-31 shows us that though this initial sorrow, hesitancy or even outright rejection is certainly wrong, it doesn't disqualify us from the kingdom of heaven. What matters more than whether the ruler was sorrowful is whether he, like the better son in the parable, actually goes on to do what Jesus asks--something we don't find out in this story.
The monetary unit given as "pound" in verse 13 is the Greek mina, worth 100 denarii, or the pay for 100 days of work for a common laborer.
The Greek word translated in verse 23 as "usury," tokos, means "interest." The Greek word doesn't necessarily refer to an illegally high rate of interest.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 19:39-40. Stones crying out? Why stones? This may not be as deep as I'm making it in my head, but can someone comment on the context of this verse? This phrase has always just seemed so odd to me.

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:7-11. To what extent can this parable be said to articulate a kind of economics of public praise? Does the logic of the parable compromise the profound un-logic of the concluding statement (in verse 11)?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Does verse 7 mean that Jesus is speaking specifically (and quite suddenly!) to a number of the ambitious at an actual wedding feast? How can this passage still be called (as it is in the very passage) a parable, if it is explicitly existential? What should be made of this sudden disruption of context? What connection does this have with the passages immediately preceding?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What kind of economy obtains between this parable and the following parable, where Jesus addresses the giver of the feast? Does the fact that He can address the giver of the feast as much as the ambitious attendants change the way one reads this parable? What kind of a wedding is Jesus attending that He can have so much facility with all involved?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is it significant that nothing is said of where Jesus is sitting?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Should any theological weight be given to the word "bidden," especially in light of the Greek (which might more literally be translated "called")? And what theological weight should be given to the fact that it is a wedding that is in question? Is there a structure of the call, or a structure of the wedding, that is being overturned in the actions of the ambitious?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is there an element of risk involved in Jesus' admonition? What connection is there between this risk and the risk of, say, Abraham with Isaac on Mount Moriah? What relation does risk have to economy? How is risk connected with the structure of the call?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What might be read into the fact that the self-humbled is called ("bidden") twice, while the self-exalted is only called ("bidden") once?
  • Luke 14:7-11. How might one "sit down in the lowest room" and yet still exalt oneself? What might such a situation imply about the questions of economy that can be raised in relation to this verse?
  • Luke 15. Does the overall meaning of the parables in this chapter change if we read the parables one after another, as those to whom Christ spoke heard them, rather than as individual and separate parables?
  • Luke 15. If we read the parables as parts of a whole teaching moment, what does the culmination of those parables in the final, longest parable teach us?
  • Luke 15. Who was Jesus' audience in these parables? How do you think they responded to each?
  • Luke 15:11-32. Jesus begins this parable by telling us that it is about two sons. Why do we refer to it as "the parable of the prodigal son"? Does looking at it as a story about two sons rather than one change our understanding?
  • Luke 17:7-10. What is the purpose of the story in vs. 7-10? How is it related to the example of faith given in v. 6? Are both the example and the story a response to the apostles's request for more faith?
  • Luke 17:7-10. To what degree is it appropriate to think of ourselves as servants of the LORD? What does it mean to be a servant?
  • Luke 18:7. In verse 7 what does the phrase "though he bear long with them" mean?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:27. James E. Faust, "Discipleship," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 20–23. Elder Faust taught: "To carry the cross means to follow His commandments and to build up His Church on the earth. It also means self-mastery."
  • Luke 14:27. Larry W. Gibbons, "Wherefore, Settle This in Your Hearts," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 102–4. Elder Gibbons said: "Brothers and sisters, let's sell that summer cottage in Babylon. Let us be not almost but altogether Latter-day Saints... In Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 14:28 the Lord says: 'Wherefore, settle this in your hearts...' Brothers and sisters, I pray that we are 'settled.' There are precious blessings that come only from the complete yielding of one's heart to God."
  • Luke 15. Jeffrey R. Holland, "Prophets in the Land Again," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 104–7. Elder Holland said: "[T]he needy are still out there—the poor and the weary, the discouraged and downhearted... don't worry about asking, "Where are they?" They are everywhere, on our right hand and on our left, in our neighborhoods and in the workplace, in every community and county and nation of this world. Take your team and wagon; load it with your love, your testimony, and a spiritual sack of flour; then drive in any direction... In doing so we honor the Master's repeated plea on behalf of lost sheep and lost coins and lost souls."
  • Luke 16:19-26. Gordon B. Hinckley, "Blessed Are the Merciful," Ensign, May 1990, 68. "How godlike a quality is mercy. It cannot be legislated. It must come from the heart. It must be stirred up from within. It is part of the endowment each of us receives as a son or daughter of God and partaker of a divine birthright. I plead for an effort among all of us to give greater expression and wider latitude to this instinct which lies within us. I am convinced that there comes a time, possibly many times, within our lives when we might cry out for mercy on the part of others. How can we expect it unless we have been merciful ourselves?"

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.




Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24

Luke 14:26-30

Home > The New Testament > Luke > Chapters 9b-19 > Chapters 14-19
Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 15:20: Fell on his neck. This is a Greek idiom that means "to hug." See the textual note in the NET here.
  • Luke 17:11-19: Ten lepers and atonement. When considering the story of the ten lepers it is interesting to see how this compares to the Atonement. Jesus knew even before he cleansed the lepers that only one of the ten would return to give thanks to Him, yet He healed each one of them still. In a similar manner, Jesus knows how many of our Father's sons and daughters will fully accept His Atonement, yet He suffered for each one of us still. Only One possessing true Charity such as Himself would be willing to do such a thing.
  • Luke 17:21: Within you. The Greek entos can mean either "in" or "among/in the midst of." Although traditionally this has traditionally understood more in the sense of "within," as the KJV renders this, more recent scholarship tends to favor the "among" meaning (see for example these translations). As variations of the "among" reading, this could be referring either to the ministry of Jesus, or this could mean that the kingdom is "within one's grasp, or this could mean that the kingdom of God is coming soon and suddenly/unexpectedly (Bultmann, for example, takes this view).
  • Luke 18:18-30. It is often assumed that the certain ruler who is told to sell all that he has in these verses and follow Jesus failed this test. He may very well have; but the assumption that he does not misses the most important point of these verses.
The scriptures here do clearly tell us that the ruler was sorrowful to be asked to sell all that he had. This sorrow isn't right of course. We should be happy to sacrifice for God versus be sorrowful. See, for example Matt 5:10. To feel such sorrow shows we are unworthy of the kingdom of God (see Luke 9:62).
But though the story of this ruler ends with his sorrow, the real story doesn't end here. Jesus continues, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (v 24), even seemlingly impossible (v25). Nevertheless, Jesus also says that it is possible for such a person to enter the kingdom of God (v 27).
The rich man here does not represent those of us who won't make it to the kingdom of God, he represents all of us. For we all at times have riches which we are sorry to have to be asked to sacrifice. And in such times we all unfit for the kingdom of God. And yet...we are, even so, told it is possible "with God" to enter into His kingdom (again v 27).
How is it possible? Matt 21:28-31 shows us that though this initial sorrow, hesitancy or even outright rejection is certainly wrong, it doesn't disqualify us from the kingdom of heaven. What matters more than whether the ruler was sorrowful is whether he, like the better son in the parable, actually goes on to do what Jesus asks--something we don't find out in this story.
The monetary unit given as "pound" in verse 13 is the Greek mina, worth 100 denarii, or the pay for 100 days of work for a common laborer.
The Greek word translated in verse 23 as "usury," tokos, means "interest." The Greek word doesn't necessarily refer to an illegally high rate of interest.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 19:39-40. Stones crying out? Why stones? This may not be as deep as I'm making it in my head, but can someone comment on the context of this verse? This phrase has always just seemed so odd to me.

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:7-11. To what extent can this parable be said to articulate a kind of economics of public praise? Does the logic of the parable compromise the profound un-logic of the concluding statement (in verse 11)?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Does verse 7 mean that Jesus is speaking specifically (and quite suddenly!) to a number of the ambitious at an actual wedding feast? How can this passage still be called (as it is in the very passage) a parable, if it is explicitly existential? What should be made of this sudden disruption of context? What connection does this have with the passages immediately preceding?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What kind of economy obtains between this parable and the following parable, where Jesus addresses the giver of the feast? Does the fact that He can address the giver of the feast as much as the ambitious attendants change the way one reads this parable? What kind of a wedding is Jesus attending that He can have so much facility with all involved?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is it significant that nothing is said of where Jesus is sitting?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Should any theological weight be given to the word "bidden," especially in light of the Greek (which might more literally be translated "called")? And what theological weight should be given to the fact that it is a wedding that is in question? Is there a structure of the call, or a structure of the wedding, that is being overturned in the actions of the ambitious?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is there an element of risk involved in Jesus' admonition? What connection is there between this risk and the risk of, say, Abraham with Isaac on Mount Moriah? What relation does risk have to economy? How is risk connected with the structure of the call?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What might be read into the fact that the self-humbled is called ("bidden") twice, while the self-exalted is only called ("bidden") once?
  • Luke 14:7-11. How might one "sit down in the lowest room" and yet still exalt oneself? What might such a situation imply about the questions of economy that can be raised in relation to this verse?
  • Luke 15. Does the overall meaning of the parables in this chapter change if we read the parables one after another, as those to whom Christ spoke heard them, rather than as individual and separate parables?
  • Luke 15. If we read the parables as parts of a whole teaching moment, what does the culmination of those parables in the final, longest parable teach us?
  • Luke 15. Who was Jesus' audience in these parables? How do you think they responded to each?
  • Luke 15:11-32. Jesus begins this parable by telling us that it is about two sons. Why do we refer to it as "the parable of the prodigal son"? Does looking at it as a story about two sons rather than one change our understanding?
  • Luke 17:7-10. What is the purpose of the story in vs. 7-10? How is it related to the example of faith given in v. 6? Are both the example and the story a response to the apostles's request for more faith?
  • Luke 17:7-10. To what degree is it appropriate to think of ourselves as servants of the LORD? What does it mean to be a servant?
  • Luke 18:7. In verse 7 what does the phrase "though he bear long with them" mean?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:27. James E. Faust, "Discipleship," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 20–23. Elder Faust taught: "To carry the cross means to follow His commandments and to build up His Church on the earth. It also means self-mastery."
  • Luke 14:27. Larry W. Gibbons, "Wherefore, Settle This in Your Hearts," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 102–4. Elder Gibbons said: "Brothers and sisters, let's sell that summer cottage in Babylon. Let us be not almost but altogether Latter-day Saints... In Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 14:28 the Lord says: 'Wherefore, settle this in your hearts...' Brothers and sisters, I pray that we are 'settled.' There are precious blessings that come only from the complete yielding of one's heart to God."
  • Luke 15. Jeffrey R. Holland, "Prophets in the Land Again," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 104–7. Elder Holland said: "[T]he needy are still out there—the poor and the weary, the discouraged and downhearted... don't worry about asking, "Where are they?" They are everywhere, on our right hand and on our left, in our neighborhoods and in the workplace, in every community and county and nation of this world. Take your team and wagon; load it with your love, your testimony, and a spiritual sack of flour; then drive in any direction... In doing so we honor the Master's repeated plea on behalf of lost sheep and lost coins and lost souls."
  • Luke 16:19-26. Gordon B. Hinckley, "Blessed Are the Merciful," Ensign, May 1990, 68. "How godlike a quality is mercy. It cannot be legislated. It must come from the heart. It must be stirred up from within. It is part of the endowment each of us receives as a son or daughter of God and partaker of a divine birthright. I plead for an effort among all of us to give greater expression and wider latitude to this instinct which lies within us. I am convinced that there comes a time, possibly many times, within our lives when we might cry out for mercy on the part of others. How can we expect it unless we have been merciful ourselves?"

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.




Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24

Luke 14:31-35

Home > The New Testament > Luke > Chapters 9b-19 > Chapters 14-19
Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 15:20: Fell on his neck. This is a Greek idiom that means "to hug." See the textual note in the NET here.
  • Luke 17:11-19: Ten lepers and atonement. When considering the story of the ten lepers it is interesting to see how this compares to the Atonement. Jesus knew even before he cleansed the lepers that only one of the ten would return to give thanks to Him, yet He healed each one of them still. In a similar manner, Jesus knows how many of our Father's sons and daughters will fully accept His Atonement, yet He suffered for each one of us still. Only One possessing true Charity such as Himself would be willing to do such a thing.
  • Luke 17:21: Within you. The Greek entos can mean either "in" or "among/in the midst of." Although traditionally this has traditionally understood more in the sense of "within," as the KJV renders this, more recent scholarship tends to favor the "among" meaning (see for example these translations). As variations of the "among" reading, this could be referring either to the ministry of Jesus, or this could mean that the kingdom is "within one's grasp, or this could mean that the kingdom of God is coming soon and suddenly/unexpectedly (Bultmann, for example, takes this view).
  • Luke 18:18-30. It is often assumed that the certain ruler who is told to sell all that he has in these verses and follow Jesus failed this test. He may very well have; but the assumption that he does not misses the most important point of these verses.
The scriptures here do clearly tell us that the ruler was sorrowful to be asked to sell all that he had. This sorrow isn't right of course. We should be happy to sacrifice for God versus be sorrowful. See, for example Matt 5:10. To feel such sorrow shows we are unworthy of the kingdom of God (see Luke 9:62).
But though the story of this ruler ends with his sorrow, the real story doesn't end here. Jesus continues, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (v 24), even seemlingly impossible (v25). Nevertheless, Jesus also says that it is possible for such a person to enter the kingdom of God (v 27).
The rich man here does not represent those of us who won't make it to the kingdom of God, he represents all of us. For we all at times have riches which we are sorry to have to be asked to sacrifice. And in such times we all unfit for the kingdom of God. And yet...we are, even so, told it is possible "with God" to enter into His kingdom (again v 27).
How is it possible? Matt 21:28-31 shows us that though this initial sorrow, hesitancy or even outright rejection is certainly wrong, it doesn't disqualify us from the kingdom of heaven. What matters more than whether the ruler was sorrowful is whether he, like the better son in the parable, actually goes on to do what Jesus asks--something we don't find out in this story.
The monetary unit given as "pound" in verse 13 is the Greek mina, worth 100 denarii, or the pay for 100 days of work for a common laborer.
The Greek word translated in verse 23 as "usury," tokos, means "interest." The Greek word doesn't necessarily refer to an illegally high rate of interest.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 19:39-40. Stones crying out? Why stones? This may not be as deep as I'm making it in my head, but can someone comment on the context of this verse? This phrase has always just seemed so odd to me.

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:7-11. To what extent can this parable be said to articulate a kind of economics of public praise? Does the logic of the parable compromise the profound un-logic of the concluding statement (in verse 11)?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Does verse 7 mean that Jesus is speaking specifically (and quite suddenly!) to a number of the ambitious at an actual wedding feast? How can this passage still be called (as it is in the very passage) a parable, if it is explicitly existential? What should be made of this sudden disruption of context? What connection does this have with the passages immediately preceding?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What kind of economy obtains between this parable and the following parable, where Jesus addresses the giver of the feast? Does the fact that He can address the giver of the feast as much as the ambitious attendants change the way one reads this parable? What kind of a wedding is Jesus attending that He can have so much facility with all involved?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is it significant that nothing is said of where Jesus is sitting?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Should any theological weight be given to the word "bidden," especially in light of the Greek (which might more literally be translated "called")? And what theological weight should be given to the fact that it is a wedding that is in question? Is there a structure of the call, or a structure of the wedding, that is being overturned in the actions of the ambitious?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is there an element of risk involved in Jesus' admonition? What connection is there between this risk and the risk of, say, Abraham with Isaac on Mount Moriah? What relation does risk have to economy? How is risk connected with the structure of the call?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What might be read into the fact that the self-humbled is called ("bidden") twice, while the self-exalted is only called ("bidden") once?
  • Luke 14:7-11. How might one "sit down in the lowest room" and yet still exalt oneself? What might such a situation imply about the questions of economy that can be raised in relation to this verse?
  • Luke 15. Does the overall meaning of the parables in this chapter change if we read the parables one after another, as those to whom Christ spoke heard them, rather than as individual and separate parables?
  • Luke 15. If we read the parables as parts of a whole teaching moment, what does the culmination of those parables in the final, longest parable teach us?
  • Luke 15. Who was Jesus' audience in these parables? How do you think they responded to each?
  • Luke 15:11-32. Jesus begins this parable by telling us that it is about two sons. Why do we refer to it as "the parable of the prodigal son"? Does looking at it as a story about two sons rather than one change our understanding?
  • Luke 17:7-10. What is the purpose of the story in vs. 7-10? How is it related to the example of faith given in v. 6? Are both the example and the story a response to the apostles's request for more faith?
  • Luke 17:7-10. To what degree is it appropriate to think of ourselves as servants of the LORD? What does it mean to be a servant?
  • Luke 18:7. In verse 7 what does the phrase "though he bear long with them" mean?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:27. James E. Faust, "Discipleship," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 20–23. Elder Faust taught: "To carry the cross means to follow His commandments and to build up His Church on the earth. It also means self-mastery."
  • Luke 14:27. Larry W. Gibbons, "Wherefore, Settle This in Your Hearts," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 102–4. Elder Gibbons said: "Brothers and sisters, let's sell that summer cottage in Babylon. Let us be not almost but altogether Latter-day Saints... In Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 14:28 the Lord says: 'Wherefore, settle this in your hearts...' Brothers and sisters, I pray that we are 'settled.' There are precious blessings that come only from the complete yielding of one's heart to God."
  • Luke 15. Jeffrey R. Holland, "Prophets in the Land Again," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 104–7. Elder Holland said: "[T]he needy are still out there—the poor and the weary, the discouraged and downhearted... don't worry about asking, "Where are they?" They are everywhere, on our right hand and on our left, in our neighborhoods and in the workplace, in every community and county and nation of this world. Take your team and wagon; load it with your love, your testimony, and a spiritual sack of flour; then drive in any direction... In doing so we honor the Master's repeated plea on behalf of lost sheep and lost coins and lost souls."
  • Luke 16:19-26. Gordon B. Hinckley, "Blessed Are the Merciful," Ensign, May 1990, 68. "How godlike a quality is mercy. It cannot be legislated. It must come from the heart. It must be stirred up from within. It is part of the endowment each of us receives as a son or daughter of God and partaker of a divine birthright. I plead for an effort among all of us to give greater expression and wider latitude to this instinct which lies within us. I am convinced that there comes a time, possibly many times, within our lives when we might cry out for mercy on the part of others. How can we expect it unless we have been merciful ourselves?"

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.




Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24

Luke 16:1-5

Home > The New Testament > Luke > Chapters 9b-19 > Chapters 14-19
Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 15:20: Fell on his neck. This is a Greek idiom that means "to hug." See the textual note in the NET here.
  • Luke 17:11-19: Ten lepers and atonement. When considering the story of the ten lepers it is interesting to see how this compares to the Atonement. Jesus knew even before he cleansed the lepers that only one of the ten would return to give thanks to Him, yet He healed each one of them still. In a similar manner, Jesus knows how many of our Father's sons and daughters will fully accept His Atonement, yet He suffered for each one of us still. Only One possessing true Charity such as Himself would be willing to do such a thing.
  • Luke 17:21: Within you. The Greek entos can mean either "in" or "among/in the midst of." Although traditionally this has traditionally understood more in the sense of "within," as the KJV renders this, more recent scholarship tends to favor the "among" meaning (see for example these translations). As variations of the "among" reading, this could be referring either to the ministry of Jesus, or this could mean that the kingdom is "within one's grasp, or this could mean that the kingdom of God is coming soon and suddenly/unexpectedly (Bultmann, for example, takes this view).
  • Luke 18:18-30. It is often assumed that the certain ruler who is told to sell all that he has in these verses and follow Jesus failed this test. He may very well have; but the assumption that he does not misses the most important point of these verses.
The scriptures here do clearly tell us that the ruler was sorrowful to be asked to sell all that he had. This sorrow isn't right of course. We should be happy to sacrifice for God versus be sorrowful. See, for example Matt 5:10. To feel such sorrow shows we are unworthy of the kingdom of God (see Luke 9:62).
But though the story of this ruler ends with his sorrow, the real story doesn't end here. Jesus continues, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (v 24), even seemlingly impossible (v25). Nevertheless, Jesus also says that it is possible for such a person to enter the kingdom of God (v 27).
The rich man here does not represent those of us who won't make it to the kingdom of God, he represents all of us. For we all at times have riches which we are sorry to have to be asked to sacrifice. And in such times we all unfit for the kingdom of God. And yet...we are, even so, told it is possible "with God" to enter into His kingdom (again v 27).
How is it possible? Matt 21:28-31 shows us that though this initial sorrow, hesitancy or even outright rejection is certainly wrong, it doesn't disqualify us from the kingdom of heaven. What matters more than whether the ruler was sorrowful is whether he, like the better son in the parable, actually goes on to do what Jesus asks--something we don't find out in this story.
The monetary unit given as "pound" in verse 13 is the Greek mina, worth 100 denarii, or the pay for 100 days of work for a common laborer.
The Greek word translated in verse 23 as "usury," tokos, means "interest." The Greek word doesn't necessarily refer to an illegally high rate of interest.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 19:39-40. Stones crying out? Why stones? This may not be as deep as I'm making it in my head, but can someone comment on the context of this verse? This phrase has always just seemed so odd to me.

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:7-11. To what extent can this parable be said to articulate a kind of economics of public praise? Does the logic of the parable compromise the profound un-logic of the concluding statement (in verse 11)?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Does verse 7 mean that Jesus is speaking specifically (and quite suddenly!) to a number of the ambitious at an actual wedding feast? How can this passage still be called (as it is in the very passage) a parable, if it is explicitly existential? What should be made of this sudden disruption of context? What connection does this have with the passages immediately preceding?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What kind of economy obtains between this parable and the following parable, where Jesus addresses the giver of the feast? Does the fact that He can address the giver of the feast as much as the ambitious attendants change the way one reads this parable? What kind of a wedding is Jesus attending that He can have so much facility with all involved?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is it significant that nothing is said of where Jesus is sitting?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Should any theological weight be given to the word "bidden," especially in light of the Greek (which might more literally be translated "called")? And what theological weight should be given to the fact that it is a wedding that is in question? Is there a structure of the call, or a structure of the wedding, that is being overturned in the actions of the ambitious?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is there an element of risk involved in Jesus' admonition? What connection is there between this risk and the risk of, say, Abraham with Isaac on Mount Moriah? What relation does risk have to economy? How is risk connected with the structure of the call?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What might be read into the fact that the self-humbled is called ("bidden") twice, while the self-exalted is only called ("bidden") once?
  • Luke 14:7-11. How might one "sit down in the lowest room" and yet still exalt oneself? What might such a situation imply about the questions of economy that can be raised in relation to this verse?
  • Luke 15. Does the overall meaning of the parables in this chapter change if we read the parables one after another, as those to whom Christ spoke heard them, rather than as individual and separate parables?
  • Luke 15. If we read the parables as parts of a whole teaching moment, what does the culmination of those parables in the final, longest parable teach us?
  • Luke 15. Who was Jesus' audience in these parables? How do you think they responded to each?
  • Luke 15:11-32. Jesus begins this parable by telling us that it is about two sons. Why do we refer to it as "the parable of the prodigal son"? Does looking at it as a story about two sons rather than one change our understanding?
  • Luke 17:7-10. What is the purpose of the story in vs. 7-10? How is it related to the example of faith given in v. 6? Are both the example and the story a response to the apostles's request for more faith?
  • Luke 17:7-10. To what degree is it appropriate to think of ourselves as servants of the LORD? What does it mean to be a servant?
  • Luke 18:7. In verse 7 what does the phrase "though he bear long with them" mean?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:27. James E. Faust, "Discipleship," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 20–23. Elder Faust taught: "To carry the cross means to follow His commandments and to build up His Church on the earth. It also means self-mastery."
  • Luke 14:27. Larry W. Gibbons, "Wherefore, Settle This in Your Hearts," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 102–4. Elder Gibbons said: "Brothers and sisters, let's sell that summer cottage in Babylon. Let us be not almost but altogether Latter-day Saints... In Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 14:28 the Lord says: 'Wherefore, settle this in your hearts...' Brothers and sisters, I pray that we are 'settled.' There are precious blessings that come only from the complete yielding of one's heart to God."
  • Luke 15. Jeffrey R. Holland, "Prophets in the Land Again," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 104–7. Elder Holland said: "[T]he needy are still out there—the poor and the weary, the discouraged and downhearted... don't worry about asking, "Where are they?" They are everywhere, on our right hand and on our left, in our neighborhoods and in the workplace, in every community and county and nation of this world. Take your team and wagon; load it with your love, your testimony, and a spiritual sack of flour; then drive in any direction... In doing so we honor the Master's repeated plea on behalf of lost sheep and lost coins and lost souls."
  • Luke 16:19-26. Gordon B. Hinckley, "Blessed Are the Merciful," Ensign, May 1990, 68. "How godlike a quality is mercy. It cannot be legislated. It must come from the heart. It must be stirred up from within. It is part of the endowment each of us receives as a son or daughter of God and partaker of a divine birthright. I plead for an effort among all of us to give greater expression and wider latitude to this instinct which lies within us. I am convinced that there comes a time, possibly many times, within our lives when we might cry out for mercy on the part of others. How can we expect it unless we have been merciful ourselves?"

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.




Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24

Luke 16:6-10

Home > The New Testament > Luke > Chapters 9b-19 > Chapters 14-19
Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 15:20: Fell on his neck. This is a Greek idiom that means "to hug." See the textual note in the NET here.
  • Luke 17:11-19: Ten lepers and atonement. When considering the story of the ten lepers it is interesting to see how this compares to the Atonement. Jesus knew even before he cleansed the lepers that only one of the ten would return to give thanks to Him, yet He healed each one of them still. In a similar manner, Jesus knows how many of our Father's sons and daughters will fully accept His Atonement, yet He suffered for each one of us still. Only One possessing true Charity such as Himself would be willing to do such a thing.
  • Luke 17:21: Within you. The Greek entos can mean either "in" or "among/in the midst of." Although traditionally this has traditionally understood more in the sense of "within," as the KJV renders this, more recent scholarship tends to favor the "among" meaning (see for example these translations). As variations of the "among" reading, this could be referring either to the ministry of Jesus, or this could mean that the kingdom is "within one's grasp, or this could mean that the kingdom of God is coming soon and suddenly/unexpectedly (Bultmann, for example, takes this view).
  • Luke 18:18-30. It is often assumed that the certain ruler who is told to sell all that he has in these verses and follow Jesus failed this test. He may very well have; but the assumption that he does not misses the most important point of these verses.
The scriptures here do clearly tell us that the ruler was sorrowful to be asked to sell all that he had. This sorrow isn't right of course. We should be happy to sacrifice for God versus be sorrowful. See, for example Matt 5:10. To feel such sorrow shows we are unworthy of the kingdom of God (see Luke 9:62).
But though the story of this ruler ends with his sorrow, the real story doesn't end here. Jesus continues, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (v 24), even seemlingly impossible (v25). Nevertheless, Jesus also says that it is possible for such a person to enter the kingdom of God (v 27).
The rich man here does not represent those of us who won't make it to the kingdom of God, he represents all of us. For we all at times have riches which we are sorry to have to be asked to sacrifice. And in such times we all unfit for the kingdom of God. And yet...we are, even so, told it is possible "with God" to enter into His kingdom (again v 27).
How is it possible? Matt 21:28-31 shows us that though this initial sorrow, hesitancy or even outright rejection is certainly wrong, it doesn't disqualify us from the kingdom of heaven. What matters more than whether the ruler was sorrowful is whether he, like the better son in the parable, actually goes on to do what Jesus asks--something we don't find out in this story.
The monetary unit given as "pound" in verse 13 is the Greek mina, worth 100 denarii, or the pay for 100 days of work for a common laborer.
The Greek word translated in verse 23 as "usury," tokos, means "interest." The Greek word doesn't necessarily refer to an illegally high rate of interest.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 19:39-40. Stones crying out? Why stones? This may not be as deep as I'm making it in my head, but can someone comment on the context of this verse? This phrase has always just seemed so odd to me.

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:7-11. To what extent can this parable be said to articulate a kind of economics of public praise? Does the logic of the parable compromise the profound un-logic of the concluding statement (in verse 11)?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Does verse 7 mean that Jesus is speaking specifically (and quite suddenly!) to a number of the ambitious at an actual wedding feast? How can this passage still be called (as it is in the very passage) a parable, if it is explicitly existential? What should be made of this sudden disruption of context? What connection does this have with the passages immediately preceding?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What kind of economy obtains between this parable and the following parable, where Jesus addresses the giver of the feast? Does the fact that He can address the giver of the feast as much as the ambitious attendants change the way one reads this parable? What kind of a wedding is Jesus attending that He can have so much facility with all involved?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is it significant that nothing is said of where Jesus is sitting?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Should any theological weight be given to the word "bidden," especially in light of the Greek (which might more literally be translated "called")? And what theological weight should be given to the fact that it is a wedding that is in question? Is there a structure of the call, or a structure of the wedding, that is being overturned in the actions of the ambitious?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is there an element of risk involved in Jesus' admonition? What connection is there between this risk and the risk of, say, Abraham with Isaac on Mount Moriah? What relation does risk have to economy? How is risk connected with the structure of the call?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What might be read into the fact that the self-humbled is called ("bidden") twice, while the self-exalted is only called ("bidden") once?
  • Luke 14:7-11. How might one "sit down in the lowest room" and yet still exalt oneself? What might such a situation imply about the questions of economy that can be raised in relation to this verse?
  • Luke 15. Does the overall meaning of the parables in this chapter change if we read the parables one after another, as those to whom Christ spoke heard them, rather than as individual and separate parables?
  • Luke 15. If we read the parables as parts of a whole teaching moment, what does the culmination of those parables in the final, longest parable teach us?
  • Luke 15. Who was Jesus' audience in these parables? How do you think they responded to each?
  • Luke 15:11-32. Jesus begins this parable by telling us that it is about two sons. Why do we refer to it as "the parable of the prodigal son"? Does looking at it as a story about two sons rather than one change our understanding?
  • Luke 17:7-10. What is the purpose of the story in vs. 7-10? How is it related to the example of faith given in v. 6? Are both the example and the story a response to the apostles's request for more faith?
  • Luke 17:7-10. To what degree is it appropriate to think of ourselves as servants of the LORD? What does it mean to be a servant?
  • Luke 18:7. In verse 7 what does the phrase "though he bear long with them" mean?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:27. James E. Faust, "Discipleship," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 20–23. Elder Faust taught: "To carry the cross means to follow His commandments and to build up His Church on the earth. It also means self-mastery."
  • Luke 14:27. Larry W. Gibbons, "Wherefore, Settle This in Your Hearts," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 102–4. Elder Gibbons said: "Brothers and sisters, let's sell that summer cottage in Babylon. Let us be not almost but altogether Latter-day Saints... In Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 14:28 the Lord says: 'Wherefore, settle this in your hearts...' Brothers and sisters, I pray that we are 'settled.' There are precious blessings that come only from the complete yielding of one's heart to God."
  • Luke 15. Jeffrey R. Holland, "Prophets in the Land Again," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 104–7. Elder Holland said: "[T]he needy are still out there—the poor and the weary, the discouraged and downhearted... don't worry about asking, "Where are they?" They are everywhere, on our right hand and on our left, in our neighborhoods and in the workplace, in every community and county and nation of this world. Take your team and wagon; load it with your love, your testimony, and a spiritual sack of flour; then drive in any direction... In doing so we honor the Master's repeated plea on behalf of lost sheep and lost coins and lost souls."
  • Luke 16:19-26. Gordon B. Hinckley, "Blessed Are the Merciful," Ensign, May 1990, 68. "How godlike a quality is mercy. It cannot be legislated. It must come from the heart. It must be stirred up from within. It is part of the endowment each of us receives as a son or daughter of God and partaker of a divine birthright. I plead for an effort among all of us to give greater expression and wider latitude to this instinct which lies within us. I am convinced that there comes a time, possibly many times, within our lives when we might cry out for mercy on the part of others. How can we expect it unless we have been merciful ourselves?"

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.




Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24

Luke 16:11-15

Home > The New Testament > Luke > Chapters 9b-19 > Chapters 14-19
Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 15:20: Fell on his neck. This is a Greek idiom that means "to hug." See the textual note in the NET here.
  • Luke 17:11-19: Ten lepers and atonement. When considering the story of the ten lepers it is interesting to see how this compares to the Atonement. Jesus knew even before he cleansed the lepers that only one of the ten would return to give thanks to Him, yet He healed each one of them still. In a similar manner, Jesus knows how many of our Father's sons and daughters will fully accept His Atonement, yet He suffered for each one of us still. Only One possessing true Charity such as Himself would be willing to do such a thing.
  • Luke 17:21: Within you. The Greek entos can mean either "in" or "among/in the midst of." Although traditionally this has traditionally understood more in the sense of "within," as the KJV renders this, more recent scholarship tends to favor the "among" meaning (see for example these translations). As variations of the "among" reading, this could be referring either to the ministry of Jesus, or this could mean that the kingdom is "within one's grasp, or this could mean that the kingdom of God is coming soon and suddenly/unexpectedly (Bultmann, for example, takes this view).
  • Luke 18:18-30. It is often assumed that the certain ruler who is told to sell all that he has in these verses and follow Jesus failed this test. He may very well have; but the assumption that he does not misses the most important point of these verses.
The scriptures here do clearly tell us that the ruler was sorrowful to be asked to sell all that he had. This sorrow isn't right of course. We should be happy to sacrifice for God versus be sorrowful. See, for example Matt 5:10. To feel such sorrow shows we are unworthy of the kingdom of God (see Luke 9:62).
But though the story of this ruler ends with his sorrow, the real story doesn't end here. Jesus continues, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (v 24), even seemlingly impossible (v25). Nevertheless, Jesus also says that it is possible for such a person to enter the kingdom of God (v 27).
The rich man here does not represent those of us who won't make it to the kingdom of God, he represents all of us. For we all at times have riches which we are sorry to have to be asked to sacrifice. And in such times we all unfit for the kingdom of God. And yet...we are, even so, told it is possible "with God" to enter into His kingdom (again v 27).
How is it possible? Matt 21:28-31 shows us that though this initial sorrow, hesitancy or even outright rejection is certainly wrong, it doesn't disqualify us from the kingdom of heaven. What matters more than whether the ruler was sorrowful is whether he, like the better son in the parable, actually goes on to do what Jesus asks--something we don't find out in this story.
The monetary unit given as "pound" in verse 13 is the Greek mina, worth 100 denarii, or the pay for 100 days of work for a common laborer.
The Greek word translated in verse 23 as "usury," tokos, means "interest." The Greek word doesn't necessarily refer to an illegally high rate of interest.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 19:39-40. Stones crying out? Why stones? This may not be as deep as I'm making it in my head, but can someone comment on the context of this verse? This phrase has always just seemed so odd to me.

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:7-11. To what extent can this parable be said to articulate a kind of economics of public praise? Does the logic of the parable compromise the profound un-logic of the concluding statement (in verse 11)?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Does verse 7 mean that Jesus is speaking specifically (and quite suddenly!) to a number of the ambitious at an actual wedding feast? How can this passage still be called (as it is in the very passage) a parable, if it is explicitly existential? What should be made of this sudden disruption of context? What connection does this have with the passages immediately preceding?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What kind of economy obtains between this parable and the following parable, where Jesus addresses the giver of the feast? Does the fact that He can address the giver of the feast as much as the ambitious attendants change the way one reads this parable? What kind of a wedding is Jesus attending that He can have so much facility with all involved?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is it significant that nothing is said of where Jesus is sitting?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Should any theological weight be given to the word "bidden," especially in light of the Greek (which might more literally be translated "called")? And what theological weight should be given to the fact that it is a wedding that is in question? Is there a structure of the call, or a structure of the wedding, that is being overturned in the actions of the ambitious?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is there an element of risk involved in Jesus' admonition? What connection is there between this risk and the risk of, say, Abraham with Isaac on Mount Moriah? What relation does risk have to economy? How is risk connected with the structure of the call?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What might be read into the fact that the self-humbled is called ("bidden") twice, while the self-exalted is only called ("bidden") once?
  • Luke 14:7-11. How might one "sit down in the lowest room" and yet still exalt oneself? What might such a situation imply about the questions of economy that can be raised in relation to this verse?
  • Luke 15. Does the overall meaning of the parables in this chapter change if we read the parables one after another, as those to whom Christ spoke heard them, rather than as individual and separate parables?
  • Luke 15. If we read the parables as parts of a whole teaching moment, what does the culmination of those parables in the final, longest parable teach us?
  • Luke 15. Who was Jesus' audience in these parables? How do you think they responded to each?
  • Luke 15:11-32. Jesus begins this parable by telling us that it is about two sons. Why do we refer to it as "the parable of the prodigal son"? Does looking at it as a story about two sons rather than one change our understanding?
  • Luke 17:7-10. What is the purpose of the story in vs. 7-10? How is it related to the example of faith given in v. 6? Are both the example and the story a response to the apostles's request for more faith?
  • Luke 17:7-10. To what degree is it appropriate to think of ourselves as servants of the LORD? What does it mean to be a servant?
  • Luke 18:7. In verse 7 what does the phrase "though he bear long with them" mean?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:27. James E. Faust, "Discipleship," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 20–23. Elder Faust taught: "To carry the cross means to follow His commandments and to build up His Church on the earth. It also means self-mastery."
  • Luke 14:27. Larry W. Gibbons, "Wherefore, Settle This in Your Hearts," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 102–4. Elder Gibbons said: "Brothers and sisters, let's sell that summer cottage in Babylon. Let us be not almost but altogether Latter-day Saints... In Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 14:28 the Lord says: 'Wherefore, settle this in your hearts...' Brothers and sisters, I pray that we are 'settled.' There are precious blessings that come only from the complete yielding of one's heart to God."
  • Luke 15. Jeffrey R. Holland, "Prophets in the Land Again," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 104–7. Elder Holland said: "[T]he needy are still out there—the poor and the weary, the discouraged and downhearted... don't worry about asking, "Where are they?" They are everywhere, on our right hand and on our left, in our neighborhoods and in the workplace, in every community and county and nation of this world. Take your team and wagon; load it with your love, your testimony, and a spiritual sack of flour; then drive in any direction... In doing so we honor the Master's repeated plea on behalf of lost sheep and lost coins and lost souls."
  • Luke 16:19-26. Gordon B. Hinckley, "Blessed Are the Merciful," Ensign, May 1990, 68. "How godlike a quality is mercy. It cannot be legislated. It must come from the heart. It must be stirred up from within. It is part of the endowment each of us receives as a son or daughter of God and partaker of a divine birthright. I plead for an effort among all of us to give greater expression and wider latitude to this instinct which lies within us. I am convinced that there comes a time, possibly many times, within our lives when we might cry out for mercy on the part of others. How can we expect it unless we have been merciful ourselves?"

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.




Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24

Luke 16:16-20

Home > The New Testament > Luke > Chapters 9b-19 > Chapters 14-19
Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 15:20: Fell on his neck. This is a Greek idiom that means "to hug." See the textual note in the NET here.
  • Luke 17:11-19: Ten lepers and atonement. When considering the story of the ten lepers it is interesting to see how this compares to the Atonement. Jesus knew even before he cleansed the lepers that only one of the ten would return to give thanks to Him, yet He healed each one of them still. In a similar manner, Jesus knows how many of our Father's sons and daughters will fully accept His Atonement, yet He suffered for each one of us still. Only One possessing true Charity such as Himself would be willing to do such a thing.
  • Luke 17:21: Within you. The Greek entos can mean either "in" or "among/in the midst of." Although traditionally this has traditionally understood more in the sense of "within," as the KJV renders this, more recent scholarship tends to favor the "among" meaning (see for example these translations). As variations of the "among" reading, this could be referring either to the ministry of Jesus, or this could mean that the kingdom is "within one's grasp, or this could mean that the kingdom of God is coming soon and suddenly/unexpectedly (Bultmann, for example, takes this view).
  • Luke 18:18-30. It is often assumed that the certain ruler who is told to sell all that he has in these verses and follow Jesus failed this test. He may very well have; but the assumption that he does not misses the most important point of these verses.
The scriptures here do clearly tell us that the ruler was sorrowful to be asked to sell all that he had. This sorrow isn't right of course. We should be happy to sacrifice for God versus be sorrowful. See, for example Matt 5:10. To feel such sorrow shows we are unworthy of the kingdom of God (see Luke 9:62).
But though the story of this ruler ends with his sorrow, the real story doesn't end here. Jesus continues, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (v 24), even seemlingly impossible (v25). Nevertheless, Jesus also says that it is possible for such a person to enter the kingdom of God (v 27).
The rich man here does not represent those of us who won't make it to the kingdom of God, he represents all of us. For we all at times have riches which we are sorry to have to be asked to sacrifice. And in such times we all unfit for the kingdom of God. And yet...we are, even so, told it is possible "with God" to enter into His kingdom (again v 27).
How is it possible? Matt 21:28-31 shows us that though this initial sorrow, hesitancy or even outright rejection is certainly wrong, it doesn't disqualify us from the kingdom of heaven. What matters more than whether the ruler was sorrowful is whether he, like the better son in the parable, actually goes on to do what Jesus asks--something we don't find out in this story.
The monetary unit given as "pound" in verse 13 is the Greek mina, worth 100 denarii, or the pay for 100 days of work for a common laborer.
The Greek word translated in verse 23 as "usury," tokos, means "interest." The Greek word doesn't necessarily refer to an illegally high rate of interest.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 19:39-40. Stones crying out? Why stones? This may not be as deep as I'm making it in my head, but can someone comment on the context of this verse? This phrase has always just seemed so odd to me.

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:7-11. To what extent can this parable be said to articulate a kind of economics of public praise? Does the logic of the parable compromise the profound un-logic of the concluding statement (in verse 11)?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Does verse 7 mean that Jesus is speaking specifically (and quite suddenly!) to a number of the ambitious at an actual wedding feast? How can this passage still be called (as it is in the very passage) a parable, if it is explicitly existential? What should be made of this sudden disruption of context? What connection does this have with the passages immediately preceding?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What kind of economy obtains between this parable and the following parable, where Jesus addresses the giver of the feast? Does the fact that He can address the giver of the feast as much as the ambitious attendants change the way one reads this parable? What kind of a wedding is Jesus attending that He can have so much facility with all involved?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is it significant that nothing is said of where Jesus is sitting?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Should any theological weight be given to the word "bidden," especially in light of the Greek (which might more literally be translated "called")? And what theological weight should be given to the fact that it is a wedding that is in question? Is there a structure of the call, or a structure of the wedding, that is being overturned in the actions of the ambitious?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is there an element of risk involved in Jesus' admonition? What connection is there between this risk and the risk of, say, Abraham with Isaac on Mount Moriah? What relation does risk have to economy? How is risk connected with the structure of the call?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What might be read into the fact that the self-humbled is called ("bidden") twice, while the self-exalted is only called ("bidden") once?
  • Luke 14:7-11. How might one "sit down in the lowest room" and yet still exalt oneself? What might such a situation imply about the questions of economy that can be raised in relation to this verse?
  • Luke 15. Does the overall meaning of the parables in this chapter change if we read the parables one after another, as those to whom Christ spoke heard them, rather than as individual and separate parables?
  • Luke 15. If we read the parables as parts of a whole teaching moment, what does the culmination of those parables in the final, longest parable teach us?
  • Luke 15. Who was Jesus' audience in these parables? How do you think they responded to each?
  • Luke 15:11-32. Jesus begins this parable by telling us that it is about two sons. Why do we refer to it as "the parable of the prodigal son"? Does looking at it as a story about two sons rather than one change our understanding?
  • Luke 17:7-10. What is the purpose of the story in vs. 7-10? How is it related to the example of faith given in v. 6? Are both the example and the story a response to the apostles's request for more faith?
  • Luke 17:7-10. To what degree is it appropriate to think of ourselves as servants of the LORD? What does it mean to be a servant?
  • Luke 18:7. In verse 7 what does the phrase "though he bear long with them" mean?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:27. James E. Faust, "Discipleship," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 20–23. Elder Faust taught: "To carry the cross means to follow His commandments and to build up His Church on the earth. It also means self-mastery."
  • Luke 14:27. Larry W. Gibbons, "Wherefore, Settle This in Your Hearts," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 102–4. Elder Gibbons said: "Brothers and sisters, let's sell that summer cottage in Babylon. Let us be not almost but altogether Latter-day Saints... In Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 14:28 the Lord says: 'Wherefore, settle this in your hearts...' Brothers and sisters, I pray that we are 'settled.' There are precious blessings that come only from the complete yielding of one's heart to God."
  • Luke 15. Jeffrey R. Holland, "Prophets in the Land Again," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 104–7. Elder Holland said: "[T]he needy are still out there—the poor and the weary, the discouraged and downhearted... don't worry about asking, "Where are they?" They are everywhere, on our right hand and on our left, in our neighborhoods and in the workplace, in every community and county and nation of this world. Take your team and wagon; load it with your love, your testimony, and a spiritual sack of flour; then drive in any direction... In doing so we honor the Master's repeated plea on behalf of lost sheep and lost coins and lost souls."
  • Luke 16:19-26. Gordon B. Hinckley, "Blessed Are the Merciful," Ensign, May 1990, 68. "How godlike a quality is mercy. It cannot be legislated. It must come from the heart. It must be stirred up from within. It is part of the endowment each of us receives as a son or daughter of God and partaker of a divine birthright. I plead for an effort among all of us to give greater expression and wider latitude to this instinct which lies within us. I am convinced that there comes a time, possibly many times, within our lives when we might cry out for mercy on the part of others. How can we expect it unless we have been merciful ourselves?"

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.




Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24

Luke 16:21-25

Home > The New Testament > Luke > Chapters 9b-19 > Chapters 14-19
Previous page: Chapters 9b-13                      Chapters 20-24


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 15:20: Fell on his neck. This is a Greek idiom that means "to hug." See the textual note in the NET here.
  • Luke 17:11-19: Ten lepers and atonement. When considering the story of the ten lepers it is interesting to see how this compares to the Atonement. Jesus knew even before he cleansed the lepers that only one of the ten would return to give thanks to Him, yet He healed each one of them still. In a similar manner, Jesus knows how many of our Father's sons and daughters will fully accept His Atonement, yet He suffered for each one of us still. Only One possessing true Charity such as Himself would be willing to do such a thing.
  • Luke 17:21: Within you. The Greek entos can mean either "in" or "among/in the midst of." Although traditionally this has traditionally understood more in the sense of "within," as the KJV renders this, more recent scholarship tends to favor the "among" meaning (see for example these translations). As variations of the "among" reading, this could be referring either to the ministry of Jesus, or this could mean that the kingdom is "within one's grasp, or this could mean that the kingdom of God is coming soon and suddenly/unexpectedly (Bultmann, for example, takes this view).
  • Luke 18:18-30. It is often assumed that the certain ruler who is told to sell all that he has in these verses and follow Jesus failed this test. He may very well have; but the assumption that he does not misses the most important point of these verses.
The scriptures here do clearly tell us that the ruler was sorrowful to be asked to sell all that he had. This sorrow isn't right of course. We should be happy to sacrifice for God versus be sorrowful. See, for example Matt 5:10. To feel such sorrow shows we are unworthy of the kingdom of God (see Luke 9:62).
But though the story of this ruler ends with his sorrow, the real story doesn't end here. Jesus continues, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (v 24), even seemlingly impossible (v25). Nevertheless, Jesus also says that it is possible for such a person to enter the kingdom of God (v 27).
The rich man here does not represent those of us who won't make it to the kingdom of God, he represents all of us. For we all at times have riches which we are sorry to have to be asked to sacrifice. And in such times we all unfit for the kingdom of God. And yet...we are, even so, told it is possible "with God" to enter into His kingdom (again v 27).
How is it possible? Matt 21:28-31 shows us that though this initial sorrow, hesitancy or even outright rejection is certainly wrong, it doesn't disqualify us from the kingdom of heaven. What matters more than whether the ruler was sorrowful is whether he, like the better son in the parable, actually goes on to do what Jesus asks--something we don't find out in this story.
The monetary unit given as "pound" in verse 13 is the Greek mina, worth 100 denarii, or the pay for 100 days of work for a common laborer.
The Greek word translated in verse 23 as "usury," tokos, means "interest." The Greek word doesn't necessarily refer to an illegally high rate of interest.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 19:39-40. Stones crying out? Why stones? This may not be as deep as I'm making it in my head, but can someone comment on the context of this verse? This phrase has always just seemed so odd to me.

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:7-11. To what extent can this parable be said to articulate a kind of economics of public praise? Does the logic of the parable compromise the profound un-logic of the concluding statement (in verse 11)?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Does verse 7 mean that Jesus is speaking specifically (and quite suddenly!) to a number of the ambitious at an actual wedding feast? How can this passage still be called (as it is in the very passage) a parable, if it is explicitly existential? What should be made of this sudden disruption of context? What connection does this have with the passages immediately preceding?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What kind of economy obtains between this parable and the following parable, where Jesus addresses the giver of the feast? Does the fact that He can address the giver of the feast as much as the ambitious attendants change the way one reads this parable? What kind of a wedding is Jesus attending that He can have so much facility with all involved?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is it significant that nothing is said of where Jesus is sitting?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Should any theological weight be given to the word "bidden," especially in light of the Greek (which might more literally be translated "called")? And what theological weight should be given to the fact that it is a wedding that is in question? Is there a structure of the call, or a structure of the wedding, that is being overturned in the actions of the ambitious?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is there an element of risk involved in Jesus' admonition? What connection is there between this risk and the risk of, say, Abraham with Isaac on Mount Moriah? What relation does risk have to economy? How is risk connected with the structure of the call?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What might be read into the fact that the self-humbled is called ("bidden") twice, while the self-exalted is only called ("bidden") once?
  • Luke 14:7-11. How might one "sit down in the lowest room" and yet still exalt oneself? What might such a situation imply about the questions of economy that can be raised in relation to this verse?
  • Luke 15. Does the overall meaning of the parables in this chapter change if we read the parables one after another, as those to whom Christ spoke heard them, rather than as individual and separate parables?
  • Luke 15. If we read the parables as parts of a whole teaching moment, what does the culmination of those parables in the final, longest parable teach us?
  • Luke 15. Who was Jesus' audience in these parables? How do you think they responded to each?
  • Luke 15:11-32. Jesus begins this parable by telling us that it is about two sons. Why do we refer to it as "the parable of the prodigal son"? Does looking at it as a story about two sons rather than one change our understanding?
  • Luke 17:7-10. What is the purpose of the story in vs. 7-10? How is it related to the example of faith given in v. 6? Are both the example and the story a response to the apostles's request for more faith?
  • Luke 17:7-10. To what degree is it appropriate to think of ourselves as servants of the LORD? What does it mean to be a servant?
  • Luke 18:7. In verse 7 what does the phrase "though he bear long with them" mean?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:27. James E. Faust, "Discipleship," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 20–23. Elder Faust taught: "To carry the cross means to follow His commandments and to build up His Church on the earth. It also means self-mastery."
  • Luke 14:27. Larry W. Gibbons, "Wherefore, Settle This in Your Hearts," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 102–4. Elder Gibbons said: "Brothers and sisters, let's sell that summer cottage in Babylon. Let us be not almost but altogether Latter-day Saints... In Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 14:28 the Lord says: 'Wherefore, settle this in your hearts...' Brothers and sisters, I pray that we are 'settled.' There are precious blessings that come only from the complete yielding of one's heart to God."
  • Luke 15. Jeffrey R. Holland, "Prophets in the Land Again," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 104–7. Elder Holland said: "[T]he needy are still out there—the poor and the weary, the discouraged and downhearted... don't worry about asking, "Where are they?" They are everywhere, on our right hand and on our left, in our neighborhoods and in the workplace, in every community and county and nation of this world. Take your team and wagon; load it with your love, your testimony, and a spiritual sack of flour; then drive in any direction... In doing so we honor the Master's repeated plea on behalf of lost sheep and lost coins and lost souls."
  • Luke 16:19-26. Gordon B. Hinckley, "Blessed Are the Merciful," Ensign, May 1990, 68. "How godlike a quality is mercy. It cannot be legislated. It must come from the heart. It must be stirred up from within. It is part of the endowment each of us receives as a son or daughter of God and partaker of a divine birthright. I plead for an effort among all of us to give greater expression and wider latitude to this instinct which lies within us. I am convinced that there comes a time, possibly many times, within our lives when we might cry out for mercy on the part of others. How can we expect it unless we have been merciful ourselves?"

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.




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Luke 16:26-31

Home > The New Testament > Luke > Chapters 9b-19 > Chapters 14-19
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This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary[edit]

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Discussion[edit]

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 15:20: Fell on his neck. This is a Greek idiom that means "to hug." See the textual note in the NET here.
  • Luke 17:11-19: Ten lepers and atonement. When considering the story of the ten lepers it is interesting to see how this compares to the Atonement. Jesus knew even before he cleansed the lepers that only one of the ten would return to give thanks to Him, yet He healed each one of them still. In a similar manner, Jesus knows how many of our Father's sons and daughters will fully accept His Atonement, yet He suffered for each one of us still. Only One possessing true Charity such as Himself would be willing to do such a thing.
  • Luke 17:21: Within you. The Greek entos can mean either "in" or "among/in the midst of." Although traditionally this has traditionally understood more in the sense of "within," as the KJV renders this, more recent scholarship tends to favor the "among" meaning (see for example these translations). As variations of the "among" reading, this could be referring either to the ministry of Jesus, or this could mean that the kingdom is "within one's grasp, or this could mean that the kingdom of God is coming soon and suddenly/unexpectedly (Bultmann, for example, takes this view).
  • Luke 18:18-30. It is often assumed that the certain ruler who is told to sell all that he has in these verses and follow Jesus failed this test. He may very well have; but the assumption that he does not misses the most important point of these verses.
The scriptures here do clearly tell us that the ruler was sorrowful to be asked to sell all that he had. This sorrow isn't right of course. We should be happy to sacrifice for God versus be sorrowful. See, for example Matt 5:10. To feel such sorrow shows we are unworthy of the kingdom of God (see Luke 9:62).
But though the story of this ruler ends with his sorrow, the real story doesn't end here. Jesus continues, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (v 24), even seemlingly impossible (v25). Nevertheless, Jesus also says that it is possible for such a person to enter the kingdom of God (v 27).
The rich man here does not represent those of us who won't make it to the kingdom of God, he represents all of us. For we all at times have riches which we are sorry to have to be asked to sacrifice. And in such times we all unfit for the kingdom of God. And yet...we are, even so, told it is possible "with God" to enter into His kingdom (again v 27).
How is it possible? Matt 21:28-31 shows us that though this initial sorrow, hesitancy or even outright rejection is certainly wrong, it doesn't disqualify us from the kingdom of heaven. What matters more than whether the ruler was sorrowful is whether he, like the better son in the parable, actually goes on to do what Jesus asks--something we don't find out in this story.
The monetary unit given as "pound" in verse 13 is the Greek mina, worth 100 denarii, or the pay for 100 days of work for a common laborer.
The Greek word translated in verse 23 as "usury," tokos, means "interest." The Greek word doesn't necessarily refer to an illegally high rate of interest.

Unanswered questions[edit]

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 19:39-40. Stones crying out? Why stones? This may not be as deep as I'm making it in my head, but can someone comment on the context of this verse? This phrase has always just seemed so odd to me.

Prompts for life application[edit]

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study[edit]

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:7-11. To what extent can this parable be said to articulate a kind of economics of public praise? Does the logic of the parable compromise the profound un-logic of the concluding statement (in verse 11)?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Does verse 7 mean that Jesus is speaking specifically (and quite suddenly!) to a number of the ambitious at an actual wedding feast? How can this passage still be called (as it is in the very passage) a parable, if it is explicitly existential? What should be made of this sudden disruption of context? What connection does this have with the passages immediately preceding?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What kind of economy obtains between this parable and the following parable, where Jesus addresses the giver of the feast? Does the fact that He can address the giver of the feast as much as the ambitious attendants change the way one reads this parable? What kind of a wedding is Jesus attending that He can have so much facility with all involved?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is it significant that nothing is said of where Jesus is sitting?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Should any theological weight be given to the word "bidden," especially in light of the Greek (which might more literally be translated "called")? And what theological weight should be given to the fact that it is a wedding that is in question? Is there a structure of the call, or a structure of the wedding, that is being overturned in the actions of the ambitious?
  • Luke 14:7-11. Is there an element of risk involved in Jesus' admonition? What connection is there between this risk and the risk of, say, Abraham with Isaac on Mount Moriah? What relation does risk have to economy? How is risk connected with the structure of the call?
  • Luke 14:7-11. What might be read into the fact that the self-humbled is called ("bidden") twice, while the self-exalted is only called ("bidden") once?
  • Luke 14:7-11. How might one "sit down in the lowest room" and yet still exalt oneself? What might such a situation imply about the questions of economy that can be raised in relation to this verse?
  • Luke 15. Does the overall meaning of the parables in this chapter change if we read the parables one after another, as those to whom Christ spoke heard them, rather than as individual and separate parables?
  • Luke 15. If we read the parables as parts of a whole teaching moment, what does the culmination of those parables in the final, longest parable teach us?
  • Luke 15. Who was Jesus' audience in these parables? How do you think they responded to each?
  • Luke 15:11-32. Jesus begins this parable by telling us that it is about two sons. Why do we refer to it as "the parable of the prodigal son"? Does looking at it as a story about two sons rather than one change our understanding?
  • Luke 17:7-10. What is the purpose of the story in vs. 7-10? How is it related to the example of faith given in v. 6? Are both the example and the story a response to the apostles's request for more faith?
  • Luke 17:7-10. To what degree is it appropriate to think of ourselves as servants of the LORD? What does it mean to be a servant?
  • Luke 18:7. In verse 7 what does the phrase "though he bear long with them" mean?

Resources[edit]

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

  • Luke 14:27. James E. Faust, "Discipleship," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 20–23. Elder Faust taught: "To carry the cross means to follow His commandments and to build up His Church on the earth. It also means self-mastery."
  • Luke 14:27. Larry W. Gibbons, "Wherefore, Settle This in Your Hearts," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 102–4. Elder Gibbons said: "Brothers and sisters, let's sell that summer cottage in Babylon. Let us be not almost but altogether Latter-day Saints... In Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 14:28 the Lord says: 'Wherefore, settle this in your hearts...' Brothers and sisters, I pray that we are 'settled.' There are precious blessings that come only from the complete yielding of one's heart to God."
  • Luke 15. Jeffrey R. Holland, "Prophets in the Land Again," Ensign, Nov 2006, pp. 104–7. Elder Holland said: "[T]he needy are still out there—the poor and the weary, the discouraged and downhearted... don't worry about asking, "Where are they?" They are everywhere, on our right hand and on our left, in our neighborhoods and in the workplace, in every community and county and nation of this world. Take your team and wagon; load it with your love, your testimony, and a spiritual sack of flour; then drive in any direction... In doing so we honor the Master's repeated plea on behalf of lost sheep and lost coins and lost souls."
  • Luke 16:19-26. Gordon B. Hinckley, "Blessed Are the Merciful," Ensign, May 1990, 68. "How godlike a quality is mercy. It cannot be legislated. It must come from the heart. It must be stirred up from within. It is part of the endowment each of us receives as a son or daughter of God and partaker of a divine birthright. I plead for an effort among all of us to give greater expression and wider latitude to this instinct which lies within us. I am convinced that there comes a time, possibly many times, within our lives when we might cry out for mercy on the part of others. How can we expect it unless we have been merciful ourselves?"

Notes[edit]

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.




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