10:30 from Jerusalem to Jericho: A 17-mile journey eastward that descends nearly 3,200 feet. Its rough terrain made the roadway a target area for bandits and thieves. Back to text.

10:35 two denarii: About two days' wages. It would have paid for several days of lodging. Back to text.

10:38 a village: Bethany, the home of Lazarus, near Jerusalem (Jn 11:1). Back to text.

10:39 at the Lord's feet: i.e., like a disciple before his master (8:35; Acts 22:3). Back to text.

10:42 one thing is needful: Martha was preoccupied with hospitality, while Mary gave her full attention to the guest himself. Her quiet devotion displayed greater reverence for Jesus than Martha's anxious toil. • Mystically (St. Gregory the Great, Moralia 2, 6): the two women signify two dimensions of the spiritual life. Martha signifies the active life as she busily labors to honor Christ through her work. Mary exemplifies the contemplative life as she sits attentively to listen and learn from Christ. While both activities are essential to Christian living, the latter is greater than the former. For in heaven the active life terminates, while the contemplative life reaches its perfection. Back to text.

11:2-4 A shorter version of the Our Father from Mt 6:9-13. As a model of prayer, it leads us first to adore God as our Father, and only then to petition him with our spiritual and material needs. Because it calls us to converse with the Lord on a daily basis, it is a sure means to deepen our relationship with him and develop confidence in his fatherly care. The repetition of the word us makes it is a family prayer for the Church (CCC 2601, 2765-66). See note on Mt 6:9. Back to text.

11:2 hallowed: The holiness of God's name should be revered by all (1:49; Ezek 36:22-28; Jn 12:28). Back to text.

11:3 daily bread: Literally "bread for tomorrow" or "super-substantial bread". It is food for the whole person: for the body, God gives us daily necessities, and for the soul he gives us the eucharistic "bread of life" (Jn 6:48) (CCC 2837). See note on Mt 6:11. Back to text.

11:8 importunity: i.e., persistence. The parable (11:5-8) advocates perseverance in prayer, so that God's children learn to approach him repeatedly with daily concerns. It is not that God needs to be informed of our needs, but that we must realize our total dependence on him for everything (CCC 2613). Back to text.

11:13 the Holy Spirit: The Father's greatest gift to us is his own divine life (Jn 14:17). Through the Spirit, he sanctifies his children and distributes the graces of salvation won by Christ (Rom 8:14-17; 1 Cor 12:4-11; Gal 5:22). The fullness of the Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) (CCC 728, 2670-71). Back to text.

11:15 He casts out demons: Jesus forces his opponents to decide for themselves whether he is empowered by God or the devil, leaving no neutral ground for them to stand upon. Beelzebul: A derogatory name for Satan. It is linked to a pagan idol worshiped at Ekron (2 Kings 1:2). See note on Mt 10:25. Back to text.

11:20 the finger of God: i.e., the Holy Spirit (Mt 12:28; CCC 700). • Jesus alludes to Ex 8:19, where Pharaoh's magicians finally confess that their own sorcery has been outmatched by the power of Yahweh. Jesus likewise wields divine power that is far superior to that of other exorcists in his day (11:19). See note on Lk 4:36. Back to text.

11:22 one stronger: A reference to Jesus, who overthrows Satan and plunders his house of sinners held captive (13:16; Is 49:24-25; Heb 2:14-15). Back to text.

11:26 the last state: Those delivered of demons must be filled with the goodness of Christ's kingdom. To benefit from his ministry without accepting his message leads to spiritual ruin (2 Pet 2:20). See note on Mt 12:44-46. Back to text.

11:28 Blessed: It is better to belong to Jesus' spiritual family than to his earthly family. His mother Mary is blessed on both counts, since she is Christ's biological mother (1:42, 48) and the sterling example of one who hears and keeps the word of the Lord (1:38, 45). Back to text.

11:29-32 Both Jonah and Solomon ministered to the Gentiles, the former to the Assyrians in Nineveh (Jon 3) and the latter to the queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10). They together prefigure Jesus, who sends the gospel out to all nations (24:47; Mt 28:19). Back to text.

11:33-36 These sayings make use of two traditional beliefs about the eye. (1) Ancient peoples including Israel commonly held that the human eye was a source of light that shone out into the world and made vision possible (Ps 38:10; Prov 15:30). (2) The difference between a good eye and an evil eye was a metaphorical distinction between a generous and compassionate spirit (Prov 22:9) and a selfish and miserly one (Deut 15:9; Sir 14:8-10). In this context, Jesus is calling for an examination of the interior of our lives. Unless one is filled with light, which shines out through healthy eyes in the form of generosity, one cannot be a lamp enabling others to see and enter the kingdom (11:33; Mt 5:15-16). To be filled with darkness and beset with an evil eye of greed and selfishness is to stand outside of the kingdom and to leave others in the darkness as well (11:52). This emphasis on what is inside a person is closely connected with the following episode, where Jesus chides the Pharisees and lawyers for their preoccupation with the exterior practices of religion and their neglect of interior holiness (11:37-52). That they appear outwardly devout to others when in fact they are inwardly filled with corruption and impurity makes them guilty of "hypocrisy" (12:1). Back to text.

11:34 not sound: Literally, "evil". The expression is related to several Greek terms in the surrounding context. In 11:26 Jesus warns of being filled with seven "evil" spirits; in 11:29 he calls his contemporaries an "evil" generation; and in 11:39 he says the Pharisees are full of extortion and wickedness (or evil). Back to text.

11:38 did not first wash: Jesus disregards Pharisaic customs of cleansing. These washing rituals were religious in nature, not hygienic. See note on Mk 7:3. Back to text.

11:39 cleanse the outside: The religious zeal of the Pharisees focused on the exterior of the body and often failed to penetrate to the heart. See topical essay: Who Are the Pharisees? at Mk 2. Back to text.

11:42 woe to you: An oracle of judgment. See note on Mt 23:13. you tithe: The Pharisees give a tenth part of all produce to the Temple, even the smallest of their herbs and spices (Lev 27:30; Deut 14:22-27). Sadly, their concern for the Torah's most minute laws distracts them from its most important principles: justice and the love of God (10:25-28). Back to text.

11:44 like graves: Jews were temporarily defiled by contact with tombs and corpses and thereby disqualified from worshiping at the Temple (Num 19:11-16). Ironically, the Pharisees also became sources of defilement, since the influence of their strict ceremonial piety was keeping people from the kingdom. Back to text.

11:51 Abel . . . Zechariah: Abel's martyrdom is the first recorded in the Bible (Gen 4:8), while Zechariah's death centuries later is not mentioned in the Old Testament. The point here is that the bloodguilt accumulated throughout the OT era will spill over when the Jerusalem leaders conspire to execute the Messiah. See note on Mt 23:35. Back to text.

11:52 the key of knowledge: Legal experts kept the Scriptures locked up, concealing from the multitudes the most important spiritual principles of the Old Covenant. Back to text.

12:1 hypocrisy: The besetting vice of the Pharisees. As leaven permeates dough, their teaching and example influence the crowds in a disastrous way, especially when they fail to practice what they preach (Mt 23:1-8). Their sins will be brought to "light" (12:3) at the Last Judgment (CCC 678). Back to text.

12:4-5 do not fear: Since physical death is only a moderate threat compared to spiritual death, Jesus calls us to have courage in the face of persecution and to be more concerned by temptations to sin. hell: Literally, "Gehenna". See note on Mt 10:28 and word study: Hell at Mk 9:43. Back to text.

12:7 the hairs of your head: Nothing is hidden to God (Ps 139:1-6), and no suffering goes unnoticed by him (21:18; Acts 27:34). Christian martyrs can therefore look beyond the afflictions of this life to God's vindication and eternal reward (Rev 20:4). Back to text.

12:13 the inheritance: Jesus is asked to arbitrate a fraternal dispute over an inheritance. Seeing that family wealth is causing family divisions, he responds with a parable on the danger of riches (12:16-21). Back to text.

12:19 eat, drink, be merry: i.e., indulge in earthly pleasures and comforts (Tob 7:9; Eccles 8:15; Is 22:13). The foolish man hoards his resources, makes them the basis for his security, and then adds laziness to his greed. Death will expose his folly by stripping him of all that he owns (6:24; 16:13; 18:25). Back to text.

12:20 Fool!: A harsh rebuke for someone unconcerned with God or his Law (Ps 14:1; Prov 1:7). Back to text.

12:22-31 God's care for the ravens and the lilies mirrors his greater concern for man. His unfailing providence supplies for our needs when we organize our lives around his will and prioritize the pursuit of his kingdom. See note on Mt 6:28-30. Back to text.

12:33 give alms: Generosity is an expression of spiritual poverty (Mt 5:3) and helps us to sever our attachments to worldly wealth (14:33; 16:9; 18:22). Back to text.

12:38 second watch . . . third: Between 10 P.M. and sunrise. The Romans divided the night into four watches (Mk 13:35), while the Jews divided it into three (Judg 7:19). This parable seems to follow the Jewish calculation, where servants stand ready for their master throughout the night (CCC 2849). Back to text.

12:41-48 A parable about leadership and responsibility. The apostles are compared to domestic servants who are charged with various duties in the household of God's kingdom (12:32; Back to text.

22:29-30). The royal tasks entrusted to them must be fulfilled diligently before Christ's sudden return.

12:49 fire: A symbol of (1) God's presence and love (Deut 4:24; Acts 2:3), (2) God's judgment on sinners (Lev 10:2; Mt 22:7), and (3) divine purification (3:16; 1 Pet 1:7) (CCC 696). Back to text.

12:50 a baptism: A figure of Jesus' Passion, when he will be immersed in suffering and death and will rise again to a new life (Mk 10:38; Rom 6:4; CCC 536, 1225). Back to text.

12:53 they will be divided: Loyalty to Jesus is even more important than family unity (14:26), and peace is possible only if we embrace him in faith (Jn 14:27). See note on Mk 13:12. Back to text.

13:1-5 Jesus uses current events to teach spiritual truths. While neither Pilate's bloodshed (13:1) nor the Siloam tower incident (13:4) is known outside the NT, both examples are used to stress the urgency of repentance. Jesus even denies what many in his day affirmed, i.e., that God permits only grievous sinners to suffer violent deaths (Job 31:3; Prov 10:24). To reject, or even neglect, Christ's call for repentance is to gamble with disaster (Heb 2:3). Back to text.

13:6-9 The fig tree represents Old Covenant Israel (Jer 8:13; Hos 9:10). Although God found no fruits of repentance, he was patient and gave them an ample three years to accept their Messiah (Rom 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9). The impenitence of Jerusalem would later bring divine judgment upon the city (19:41-44; 20:9-19; 21:6). See note on Mk 11:13. Back to text.

13:11 a spirit of infirmity: There is sometimes a close link between demonic oppression and physical ailments, with the former being the unseen cause of the latter (4:40-41; 8:35; 9:38-39). Back to text.

13:16 whom Satan bound: If hypocrites untie even their livestock on the Sabbath to feed them, they should be more willing to see a woman loosed from her bondage to the devil on the same day (CCC 342). After all, the sabbath is for everyone: oxen, donkeys, and the daughters of Israel (Deut 5:14). The Sabbath's deepest significance as a day of rest and refreshment makes it the most appropriate day for Jesus to relieve burdens from the oppressed (Mk 2:27). See note on Lk 6:1. Back to text.

13:18-21 The parables of the mustard seed (13:19) and the leaven (13:21) describe the growth of God's kingdom, which begins small and unnoticed but expands to sanctify the entire world (CCC 2660). See notes on Mt 13:32 and 13:33. Back to text.

13:24 the narrow door: Salvation depends first on God's grace, then on our cooperation and obedience (Eph 2:8-10; Phil 2:12-13). Jesus here stresses the difficulties of the spiritual life, where few will enter God's glory while the door remains open (Mt 22:14). See note on Mt 7:13. Back to text.

13:27 depart from me: Although heirs to the kingdom, the impenitent of Israel will be shut out from God's blessings (Mt 21:43; Rom 2:9). Back to text.

13:28 weep and gnash: The suffering of the damned. See note on Mt 8:12. Back to text.

13:29 east . . . west . . . north . . . south: Christ invites his family from the ends of the earth to celebrate with the patriarchs. • Jesus evokes OT prophecies that depict Yahweh regathering the exiled children of Israel from the four points of the compass (Ps 107:3; Is 11:12; 43:5-6). The celebration banquet will include Israelites and Gentiles in the one family of God (24:47; Rev 5:9). See note on Lk 1:33. Back to text.

13:31 Get away from here: Jesus was probably in Perea, the region governed by Herod Antipas directly east of the Jordan river. Herod's mixture of animosity and curiosity (9:9) was left unsatisfied until Jesus' trial (23:8). See note on Mk 6:14. Back to text.

13:32 that fox: Herod was known for his shrewdness. the third day: The Father's predetermined plan enables Jesus to escape harm before fulfilling his mission (4:29-30; Jn 7:30; 10:39). Back to text.

13:34 O Jerusalem: Jesus laments the hardened impenitence of the Holy City (19:41-44). As a prophet (13:33), he anticipates the same suffering and martyrdom that befell countless others before him (11:49-51; Rev 18:24) (CCC 557-58). See note on Mt 23:37. How often: John's Gospel indicates that Jesus made several visits to Jerusalem before Passion Week (Jn 2:13; 5:1; 7:10; 10:22). Back to text.

13:35 your house is forsaken: God has withdrawn his presence and favor from the earthly Jerusalem. • Jesus alludes to Jer 12:7 and 22:5, where the abandoned house represents both the Temple and city of Jerusalem. As in Jeremiah's day, God's evacuation of the city will soon be followed by its violent destruction (19:41-44; 21:6). Blessed is he: A citation from Ps 118:26, later connected with Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem (19:38). Back to text.

14:1 One sabbath: Luke narrates five episodes when Jesus heals on the Sabbath (4:31-35, 38-39; 6:6-11; 13:10-17). See note on Lk 6:1. watching him: Jesus was the object of his enemies' constant surveillance (6:7; 11:53-54). Back to text.

14:2 dropsy: A condition characterized by swelling in the body caused by fluid retention. Back to text.

14:10 sit in the lowest place: A lesson on humility, where greatness is measured by concern for others and a modest estimation of self (18:14; Jas 4:6; 1 Pet 5:6). It is dishonorable to presume that one's position, social or otherwise, will automatically win the favor of God (Prov 25:6-7). Back to text.

14:14 You will be repaid: God will look favorably on works of mercy at the Judgment (6:32-36; Mt 10:42; 25:34-36). resurrection of the just: i.e., the general resurrection (Jn 5:2829; Acts 24:15). Back to text.

14:16 a great banquet: An image of the joys and blessings of the New Covenant. Israel was long invited to this feast by the prophets, yet many of the people declined when the Messiah announced the meal was ready. The Father therefore revised the guest list, summoning the despised of Israel (14:21) and the Gentiles (14:23, cf. Acts 13:46; 28:28) to enjoy the banquet in their place. • Festal meals had great religious significance in biblical times and often symbolized covenant communion with God or others (Gen 26:28-31; 31:44-54; Ex 24:9-11; 2 Sam 3:20-21). According to Is 25:69, God was preparing a grand, messianic banquet to celebrate the salvation of all his children from Israel and the nations (13:29). • Jesus gives us the bread of the kingdom first in the Eucharist (22:19-20) and ultimately in the communion we will enjoy with him in heaven (Rev 19:9). Back to text.

14:17 had been invited: Invitations were customarily issued in two phases. The first was given far in advance of the meal, and the second when everything was ready (Esther 5:8; 6:14). Back to text.

14:26 hate: An idiomatic term meaning "to love less" (Gen 29:31-33; Mal 1:2-3). Not even the sacredness of family loyalty should outweigh our commitment to Christ, since we must be willing to abandon even close relationships to follow him (Mt 10:37) (CCC 1618, 2544). Back to text.

14:28 count the cost: Discipleship is a serious commitment. It is not about testing the waters or holding ourselves back from God (9:62). A complete surrender to Christ is necessary to complete the tasks of Christian living. See note on Mt 10:38. Back to text.

14:34 Salt: Used to preserve or flavor food. It was often impure in the ancient world and could sometimes lose its potency. In contrast, Jesus demands from us loyalty that remains constant and does not diminish over time (14:26, 33). Back to text.

15:2 eats with them: Since table-fellowship is an expression of friendship and acceptance, the Pharisees were scandalized that Jesus ate with disreputable men (5:30). The following parables indicate that God does not simply welcome penitent sinners, he seeks them out (15:4, 8, 20; 19:10) (CCC 545, 1443). Back to text.

15:3-7 The parable of the Lost Sheep. In a pastoral culture every sheep of one's flock was valuable, and shepherds would naturally rejoice when a stray was recovered (15:6). Jesus is the shepherd who restores us to friendship with God (Jn 10:1-10). • Yahweh is depicted as a shepherd in the OT (Ps 23:1; Is 40:11), as is the Messiah (Mic 5:4; Zech 13:7). Ezekiel brings these two traditions together, promising that God himself will seek the scattered flock of his people (Ezek 34:1116) and send the Davidic Messiah to shepherd them (Ezek 34:22-24). • Allegorically (St. Gregory the Great, Hom. in Evan. 2): Jesus is the shepherd who recovers the lost sheep of mankind. Hoisting it upon his shoulders signifies how he takes upon himself both the nature of man and the heavy burden of man's sins. Back to text.

15:8 ten silver coins: Literally, "ten drachmas". Each one was worth an entire day's wage. Back to text.

15:11-32 The parable of the Prodigal Son reveals the boundless mercy of God. Though our sins offend the Father, he is ever willing to show us compassion and restore us to family life. In many ways the parable narrates the continuing struggles of the spiritual life, where conversion and repentance are part of an ongoing process (CCC 1439, 2839). • At another level, the parable narrates the exile and eventual homecoming of historical Israel. After the reign of King Solomon, Israel split into two kingdoms, becoming like two brothers living side by side in northern (Israel) and southern (Judah) Palestine (1 Kings 12). By the eighth century B.C., the Assyrians had carried off the northern tribes of Israel into a far country, where they forsook God and worshiped idols—a sin the prophets called harlotry (15:30; Jer 3:6; Hos 4:15). In the New Covenant, God welcomes home his exiled son by lavishing him with mercy and restoring him to full sonship (Ezek 37:21-23; Hos 11:1-3, 11). This is especially brought out in Jer 31:18-20, where Ephraim (northern Israel), after a period of exile and disgrace, repents of his sin, is ashamed of his wrongdoing, and turns to God for mercy. It is important to remember that in the Genesis narratives, Ephraim was the nephew of Judah and the youngest brother in the tribal family of Israel (Gen 48:14). See note on 1:33. Back to text.

15:12 share of property: It was unusual and even shameful for a son to demand his inheritance before his father's death (Sir 33:23). Here the prodigal son compounded his father's dishonor by squandering his inheritance in sin (15:13; Prov 28:7). Back to text.

15:15 feed swine: Since Jews considered pigs unclean animals (Lev 11:7), only the most desperate conditions would force the son to take this disgraceful position. Working for a Gentile employer, he would be expected to violate the weekly Sabbath as well (Ex 20:8-11). Back to text.

15:20 embraced him: Literally, "fell upon his neck". • The actions of the father recall the mercy shown to Jacob (Gen 33:4) and the joys of family reunion in the patriarchal narratives (Gen 45:14; 46:29). Back to text.

15:22 robe . . . ring: Symbols of honor and authority (Gen 41:42; Esther 3:10; 1 Mac 6:15). shoes: Household slaves normally went barefoot. The father refuses this for his son, restoring him instead to full family membership. Back to text.

15:24 was dead . . . is alive: A transfer of covenant status from curse to blessing. It is a restoration from spiritual death to eternal life (Jn 5:24; Rom 6:13; Eph 2:1-5). Back to text.

15:25 elder son: The older brother's grumbling signified the bitterness of the Pharisees (15:2), who wrongly saw God's acceptance of sinners as a violation of covenant justice. The father in the parable is innocent of such a charge; he is simply forgiving and loving to his son, who recognized his errors and turned to his father for mercy. Back to text.

16:1-8 The parable of the Unrighteous Steward is about urgency and preparedness. About to lose his position (16:2), the steward makes use of a pressing situation to find favor with his master's debtors and prepare for his future (16:4). Christians should take even greater care to prepare for life in the world to come. • Mystically (St. Gaudentius, Sermo 18): the unrighteous steward signifies the devil, whose dominion over this world is nearing its end. Having wasted the Lord's goods by stripping us of divine grace and friendship, he now works anxiously to make friends by deception and empty promises of forgiveness. While his ardor and foresight are worthy of imitation, his wicked and dishonest tactics are not. Back to text.

16:1 a steward: A head servant who handled the business affairs of his master's estate. Like the prodigal son (15:13), this manager wasted his master's goods. Back to text.

16:6 hundred measures of oil: About 800 gallons. The steward reduces the debt 50 percent. Back to text.

16:7 hundred measures of wheat: About 1,000 bushels. The debt is reduced 20 percent. Back to text.

16:8 his prudence: The master, although cheated by the debt reduction, commends the steward for his shrewdness. He recognizes that the steward's last-minute efforts proved successful in winning the favor of the debtors and making his financial future more secure. The unjust strategy of the steward shows that he was motivated by an entirely selfish concern for his own temporal welfare. Jesus points to the steward as both an example and a warning. (1) As an example, the steward shows how to expend every effort in making use of our means to prepare for the future. Just as his cunning won him a comfortable living in the "houses" of his master's debtors (16:4), so believers are challenged to make friends by almsgiving in order to be received into "eternal habitations" (16:9). (2) As a warning, the steward is intended to characterize the attitude of the Pharisees, who have been listening to Jesus since 15:2 and who are charged with being "lovers of money" in 16:14. It is implied that the Pharisees are despising God by their devotion to mammon, i.e., they seek not eternal riches but the esteem of men and the temporal comforts of this world (16:13). Back to text.

16:9 mammon: An Aramaic word meaning "wealth". Almsgiving makes us friends of the poor by means of money. Investing in God's kingdom means divesting ourselves of riches to help others in need (3:11; 2 Cor 9:6-15; CCC 952). Back to text.

16:16 The law and the prophets: A shorthand reference to the OT (24:44). John the Baptist stands at the pivot of salvation history, being included within the OT era even as he concludes it. Both he and the OT Scriptures announced the coming of Jesus (CCC 523). violently: Refers to the persecution of Christians or to the ascetic disciplines exemplified by John. See note on Mt 11:12. Back to text.

16:17 one dot: One of the short extensions that distinguish similar-looking Hebrew letters (Mt 5:18). Jesus does not invalidate even these minute details of the OT, much less the substance of the law. See note on Mt 5:17. Back to text.

16:18 one who divorces: While Moses permitted divorce and remarriage in the Old Covenant (Deut 24:1-4), Jesus forbids it entirely in the New (Mk 10:11-12; 1 Cor 7:10-11; CCC 2382). See topical essay: Jesus on Marriage and Divorce at Mt 19. Back to text.

16:19-31 The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus depicts the lot of the wealthy and the poor, first in this life and then in the next. For all his worldly comforts, the rich man's callousness toward the poor plunged him into ruin (16:23). Lazarus, despite his earthly hardships, is escorted to Abraham's side (16:22). A similar reversal of fortunes underlies the Beatitudes and Woes in 6:20-26 (Mt 25:31-46) (CCC 2463, 2831). Back to text.

16:19 There was a . . . man: The same opening line is used in the two preceding parables (15:11; 16:1) and may suggest this story is also a parable. On the other hand, the poor man is personally identified in 16:20 ("Lazarus"), a feature that is uncharacteristic of parables. purple and fine linen: Expensive apparel often associated with royalty (Judg 8:26; Esther 8:15). Back to text.

16:22 Abraham's bosom: i.e., in the lap or presence of Abraham, the forefather of Israel (3:8; Is 51:2). It refers to a temporary realm within Hades where the righteous souls of the Old Covenant era waited patiently for Christ to open the gates of heaven (Eph 4:8-10). Back to text.

16:23 Hades: The netherworld or realm of the dead. It refers to a waiting place where the deceased souls of the wicked are detained until the Last Judgment (Rev 20:13). Here it stands opposite Abraham's presence and is a place where sinners languish in the grip of torment (Lk 16:24; Mt 11:23). It is separated from the abode of the righteous by a permanent, unbridgeable gulf that permits no traffic to pass between them (Lk 16:26) (CCC 633, 1021). See note on Mt 16:18. Back to text.

16:28 he may warn them: The first and only hint of the rich man's concern for others. His request for the resurrection of Lazarus is nevertheless denied, since the Scriptures already give sufficient warnings to prevent his brothers from neglecting the poor (Lev 23:22; Deut 15:9; Is 10:1-2; Amos 2:6-7). Others suggest the rich man is still being selfish, for he realizes that the damnation of his entire family would only increase his misery. Back to text.

16:31 Moses and the prophets: The entire OT (24:27). rise from the dead: Not even miracles will benefit those indifferent to the Scriptures. Back to text.

17:2 a millstone: A large stone used in a grinding mill (Rev 18:21). The severity of such a punishment corresponds to the severity of Christian scandal and indicates that God's curse will fall on anyone who sets a stumbling block before the faith of his little ones, i.e., disciples (10:21; 12:32) (CCC 228487). Back to text.

17:4 seven times: A call for limitless mercy (Jas 2:13; CCC 2227). See note on Mt 18:22. Back to text.

17:10 unworthy servants: Disciples should not expect congratulations for their service. Their work is important but not beyond the call of Christian duty, and no one can fully repay God for his gifts. Back to text.

17:12 stood at a distance: Because lepers were unclean, they were excluded from the Temple and ostracized from Israelite society (Lev 13:45-46; Num 5:2-3). Only when they recovered, and passed Levitical inspection, could they be reinstated into Israel's covenant life. See note on Lk 5:12. Back to text.

17:18 this foreigner: Of the ten who were cleansed, only the Samaritan expressed gratitude (17:16) and faith (17:19). See note on Lk 9:52. • Jesus' actions recall how Elisha cleansed a foreign leper while living in Samaria (2 Kings 5:114). At another level, he initiates the adoption of foreigners into God's covenant family as prophesied in Is 56:3-8. Back to text.

17:21 in your midst: The expression probably means "among you" or "within your reach" and is used to stress the nearness of the kingdom (10:9; 21:31). Back to text.

17:22-37 Jesus announces the coming of the kingdom of God in the days of the Son of man. Two considerations suggest he is forewarning the disciples of the downfall of Jerusalem. (1 ) Many of the sayings collected here appear in the Olivet Discourse, where they more explicitly refer to the doom that awaits the city and the Temple (Mt 24-25; Mk 13). (2) Mention of the days of the Son of man (17:22) is echoed later in Luke when reference is made to the "days" when foreign armies will besiege the city (19:43) and the "days" when the Temple will be devastated (21:6). Back to text.

17:22 you will desire to see: The disciples will long to see the vindication of Jesus as he avenges the city that condemned him to a violent death. They will not see it firsthand, however, because Jesus will order them to evacuate Jerusalem and flee from Judea before the onset of judgment (21:20-21; Mk 13:14-16). To stress the importance of fleeing without hesitation, Jesus reminds them of how Lot escaped from Sodom before its demise and yet his own wife perished for turning back (17:28-32; Gen 19:24-26). Back to text.

17:34 taken . . . left: Depicts the fate of the wicked, who will be swept away, and the righteous, who will be mercifully spared. See note on Mt 24:40. Back to text.

17:37 Where the body is: An image of Jerusalem surrounded and besieged (19:43; 21:10). See note on Mt 24:28. Back to text.

18:1-14 Two parables on Christian prayer. The first teaches that we should pray continually (18:2-8), the second that we should pray humbly, asking God for mercy (18:9-14) (CCC 2098, 2613). Back to text.

18:3 a widow: Widows were often powerless and vulnerable in ancient society, and many were supported by fellow Israelites (Deut 26:12). Both Jesus and Luke take a compassionate interest in their plight (2:37; 4:25-26; 7:12; 20:47; 21:3). Back to text.

18:5 her continual coming: The parable encourages persistent prayer (18:1). As the widow pleaded for justice, so we should persevere in faith and tirelessly petition God for our needs (Rom 12:12; 1 Thess 5:17). Back to text.

18:6 the unrighteous judge: His indifference to the widow's distress was a violation of justice (Deut 27:19). The parable's outcome is thus a mere shadow of God's concern for us. If an unjust and callous judge will vindicate a persevering widow, the Father will much more come to the aid of his prayerful children (Sir 35:12-17). Back to text.

18:11 The Pharisee stood: A common prayer posture (Mt 6:5; Mk 11:25). God, I thank you: Because the Pharisee is prideful, he will be "humbled" (18:14) for presuming that his adherence to traditional forms of piety is an automatic guarantee of divine blessing (18:12). He sadly overlooked his need for God's mercy (CCC 588). See topical essay: Who Are the Pharisees? at Mk 2. Back to text.

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