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| LUKE |
| Explanatory Footnotes - page 3 |
| 21:1-4). The priest and religious Levite decided not to get involved. Jesus's audience might have been expecting the third character to be a Jewish layperson. But Jesus added a twist by making the one who showed love a Samaritan - a racial minority despised in Israel. In this way, Jesus contrasted mere religious beliefs with true love. 11:29 Sensation-Seekers Jesus had no tolerance for people who begged for miraculous signs. Here and elsewhere he declared that no amount of proof would convince those who stubbornly refused to believe in him. In contrast, certain Old Testament Gentiles believed even though they had far less evidence. 12:15 When Money is Useless Jesus refused to get involved in a family dispute about money. In this statement, he neatly summarized his usual approach to money. He did not condemn the possession of it. But he did warn against putting faith in money to secure the future. The rich man's money did him absolutely no good the night of his death. To emphasize his point, Jesus referred back to King Solomon, the richest man in the Old Testament (verse 27). The lesson: trust in God and his kingdom, and free yourself of worry about money and possessions. 13:32 Who Had Real Power? Jesus was executed by powerful political authorities, among them the Roman official Herod. But this statement, spoken before his arrest, reveals who had the real power. Jesus dismissed Herod as "that fox," a Jewish expression for a worthless or insignificant person. Jesus' death on a cross came as no surprise to him; in fact, here he calls it his "goal." |