(Tap footnote to read it. Old Testament quotations are underlined. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.1"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. )
The parable of the unrighteous steward
- And He was also saying to the disciples: “There was a rich man who had a steward, and this steward was accused by him of1“of” is literally “as” squandering his possessions.
- “And having summoned him, he said to him: “What’s this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you aren’t able to manage any longer.’
- “And the steward said inside himself: ‘What should I do? Because my lord is taking away the stewardship away from me. I’m not strong enough to dig; I’m ashamed to beg.
- ” ‘I know what I should do so that when I’m removed from the stewardship, they might welcome me into their own homes.’
- “And having summoned each one of his lord’s debtors, he was saying to the first: ‘How much do you owe my lord?’
- “And the debtor said: ‘A hundred baths2“baths” a unit of liquid measure equal to 72 sextarii, which is 8-9 gallons. of oil.’ And he told him: “Take your bill and having sat down quickly, write fifty.
- “Then he said to another debtor: ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ And he said: ‘a hundred kors3“kors” is the plural of “kor”, which was a Hebrew measurement typically used for dried goods. Opinions vary on how much, but some put the number at about 120 gallons. of wheat.” He tells him: ‘Take your bill and write eighty.’
- “And the lord commended the unrighteous steward because he acted shrewdly, because the sons of this age are more shrewd than the sons of light in their own generation.
- “And I myself tell you: Make friends for yourselves from unrighteous wealth so that when it fails, they might welcome you into their dwellings through the ages.
- “The man faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and the man unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much.
- “Therefore, if you didn’t become faithful in unrighteous wealth, who will entrust true wealth to you?
- “And if you didn’t become faithful in another’s belongings, who will give your belongings to you?
- “No servant is able to serve as a slave to two lords; for he will either hate the one and will ^love the other, or he will cling to one and will scorn the other. You aren’t able to serve as a slave to God and the treasure you trust in.4“the treasure you trust in” is a single word in Greek, with that exact meaning.
- And the Pharisees were hearing all these things, and — being lovers of money — they were mocking Him.
- And He told them: “You are the men declaring yourselves righteous in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts, because what’s exalted among men is an abomination in God’s sight.
- “The law and the prophets were proclaimed until John; from then on, the kingdom of God is being proclaimed, and every man forces his way into it.
- “Yet it’s easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one diacritic mark5“diacritic marks” are little lines or dots that change the meaning or sound of a word. For example, in the word “fiancé”, the little line above the “e” indicates a change of pronunciation. English rarely uses them, but Greek does. Hebrew sometimes does, but they weren’t introduced into Hebrew until the mid first millennium. However, this more likely refers to the slight extensions on certain Hebrew letters that distinguish them from other letters. of the law to fail.
- “Every man sending away6“sending away”; see note on Matthew 19:3 his wife and marrying another has sex with another man’s wife.7“has sex with another man’s wife” is one word in the Greek, typically translated “commit adultery”. However, the Greek word (and Hebrew too) is more limited in scope than our English word adultery. In English, “adultery” means illicit sex between a married person – man or woman – and someone who isn’t their spouse. In Greek (and Hebrew also), it meant “a man having sex with another man’s wife”. A married man having sex with an unmarried woman was typically called fornication or sexual immorality. And the man marrying a woman merely *sent away from her husband has sex with another man’s wife.
The parable of Lazarus and the rich man
- “And there was a8“a” This is the Greek indefinite pronoun “τις” (tis), which is used to specify that the topic of discussion is not a particular person, place, or thing. Thus, there isn’t a particular rich man in view, but rather a non-specific and almost certainly fictional rich man in view. rich man, and he was clothing himself in purple and fine linen, rejoicing magnificently each day.
- “And a9“a” This is the Greek indefinite pronoun “τις” (tis), which is used to specify that the topic of discussion is not a particular person, place, or thing. Thus, there isn’t a particular beggar named lazarus in view, but rather a non-specific and almost certainly fictional beggar named lazarus in view. Interestingly, some Bible timelines put this parable soon after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (in John 11), so that is a possible connection to the name. beggar named Lazarus had laid at his gate,
- “*afflicted with sores and longing to be fed from the things falling from the rich man’s table. But coming to him, even the dogs were licking his sores.
- “And the beggar’s time to die came, and he was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom. And the rich man also died and was buried.
- “And having lifted up his eyes while being in torment in Hades, he sees Abraham from afar and Lazarus in his bosom.
- “And having called out, he said: “Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus so that he might dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I’m being tormented in this fire.
- “But Abraham said: “Child, remember that you received your good things in your life, and Lazarus likewise received evil things. But now, he’s comforted here, but you’re being tormented there.
- “And in addition to all these things, a great chasm was *fixed between you and us so that the men wanting to cross over from here to you wouldn’t be able, nor can someone cross over from there to us.
- “And he said: “Then I’m begging you, father, that you might send him to the house of my father.
- “For I have five brothers that he might solemnly testify to them, so that they might not also come to this place of torment.
- “But Abraham says: “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.”
- “But he said: “Certainly not, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead travels to them, they will repent.
- “But he told him: “If they aren’t listening to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.”
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