The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (89 page)

6:17-49
Luke's "Sermon on the Plain" is similar to Matthew's longer "Sermon on the Mount" (Mt 5-7). Both begin with Beatitudes (6:20-22; Mt 5:3-10); both advocate love of enemies (6:27-36; Mt 5:43-48); and both end with the parable of two builders (6:47-49; Mt 7:24-27). The sermon encapsulates the high moral standards of the New Covenant.
See note on Mt 5:1
. 
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6:17 Tyre and Sidon:
Two coastal cities north of Palestine in Phoenicia. People from these areas are predominantly Gentiles— a fact that highlights Jesus' popularity outside Israel (2:31-32). 
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6:20-26
The Beatitudes (6:20-22) stand opposite the covenant curses, or Woes (6:24-26; Deut 30:19-20). Jesus envisions the conditions of this life being overturned in the next, where the blessed can expect their present suffering to give way to future peace, and the prosperous can expect divine curses if wealth and notoriety have smothered their love for God. See notes on Mt 5:3-10. 
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6:20 Blessed:
God's children receive his blessing for their faith and adherence to his Law (11:28; Ps 1:1-2; Gal 3:9). See word study:
Blessed
at Mt 5:3.
poor:
This may denote
material
poverty defined by social or economic conditions as well as
spiritual
poverty defined by inward detachment. Note, however, that even the materially poor can be attached to the little they own, as even the wealthy can live in poverty of spirit (CCC 2444, 2546).
See note on Mt 5:3
.
• Morally
(St. Ambrose,
In Lucam):
the Lucan Beatitudes reflect the four cardinal virtues. The
poor
exhibit temperance as they shun the vain and excessive pleasures of the world. The
hungry
display justice as they share the plight of the lowly and give to those who have little. Those who
weep
exercise prudence as they lament the vanity of temporal things and look to what is eternal. Those
hated
by men exercise fortitude because they persevere when persecuted for their faith (CCC 1805-9). 
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6:24 woe:
A cry of impending distress used by the prophets of Israel (Is 5:8-22; Amos 6:1; Hab 2:6-20). Jesus voices the same cry to warn that disaster awaits the comfortable of the world whose prosperity and notoriety have turned them away from God and the demands of his covenant.
rich:
Society's most prosperous and prestigious members. Their success in this life can tempt them to overlook the need for God and his mercy. Worldly wealth is thus dangerous (14:33; 18:24) because it can lead to selfishness and a false sense of security (1 Tim 6:17-19; Heb 13:5; CCC 2547). 
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6:27 Love your enemies:
A revolutionary commandment. Under the Old Covenant, loving one's neighbor meant loving everyone within the covenant family of Israel (Lev 19:18). Jesus widens the scope of charity in the New, commanding a radical love that reaches out to everyone, even our enemies (Rom 12:9-21; 1 Jn 4:7-11). 
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6:29 him who takes away:
A warning against retaliation. Even when robbed of one's
cloak
(outer garment) and
coat
(inner garment worn next to the skin), Christians must fight the impulse to exact personal revenge on their oppressors (1 Cor 6:1-7) and be willing to part with belongings in the face of persecution (Heb 10:32-34). 
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6:31 do so to them:
The "Golden Rule" summarizes the moral law of the New Covenant and is a sure test to distinguish virtue from vice (Mt 7:12). Similar statements are found in the OT (Tob 4:15; Sir 31:15) (CCC 1970). 
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6:35 sons of the Most High:
From a Hebrew perspective, parents reproduce character traits in the children who bear their image (Gen 5:3). Jesus applies this same logic to the family of God: as the Father is forgiving and loving, even toward the unfaithful and undeserving, so his children must imitate his kindness toward all without discrimination. 
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6:36 Be merciful:
Mercy is the towering rule of Christ's kingdom (10:36-37; Mt 9:13; CCC 1458). • Jesus reformulates the teaching of Lev 19:2, replacing the command to imitate Yahweh's holiness with a command to imitate his mercy. The subtle difference between these divine attributes points to the difference between the Old Covenant and the New. The quest for holiness in ancient Israel meant that God's people had to separate themselves from everything ungodly, unclean, and impure, including Gentiles and sinners (Lev 15:31; 20:26). Jesus gives holiness a new focus, defining it as mercy that reaches out to others and no longer divides people into segregated camps or disqualifies some and not others to enter the family of God (CCC 2842). 
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6:38 into your lap:
By folding one's cloak over the belt, a pouch could be formed to carry grain from the marketplace. When grain was
shaken
and
running over,
the buyer was guaranteed a full and honest amount. The illustration shows how God's generosity overflows on our behalf. 
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6:41 your brother's eye:
It is foolish to correct others for slight faults when we ourselves are beset with greater ones. The size difference between a
speck
and a
log
makes such practice look ridiculous. 
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6:45 abundance of the heart:
The heart is the center of the person and the origin of all moral decisions. The goodness or wickedness of our heart is revealed through our life and deeds, just as a tree is known by the fruit that it bears (Mt 7:15-20; 12:33-37; 15:18-20). 
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6:47-49
The parable of the Builders is about preparation and practical living (Mt 7:24-27; 1 Cor 3:10-15). The wise builder (6:48) hears Jesus' words and acts on them, investing great energy to dig a stable foundation for his life. The foolish builder (6:49) hears Jesus' words but fails to heed his warnings. The wise builder will stand secure at the Last Judgment, while the foolish builder will reap the tragic consequences of his sins and shortcuts. 
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7:2 a centurion:
A Roman officer in command of 100 soldiers. His non-Jewish identity is important background for this episode, and his exemplary faith looks forward to the conversion of the Gentile centurion Cornelius in Acts 10:1-48. 
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7:6 I am not worthy:
The centurion displays humility despite the popular sentiment that he is "worthy" to receive help from Jesus (7:4). He also respects cultural sensibilities, aware that Jews are discouraged from entering Gentile homes (Acts 10:28).
See note on Mt 8:8
. 
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7:9 not even in Israel:
The centurion's
faith
is astonishing and foreshadows the acceptance of Gentiles into the New Covenant Church (24:47; Mt 28:19). 
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7:11 Nain:
A small Galilean village about six miles southeast of Nazareth. It is not otherwise mentioned in the Bible. 
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7:12 being carried out:
A funeral procession that probably involved the young man's relatives and neighbors as well as hired mourners and musicians (Mt 9:23; Mk 5:38).
a widow:
The bereaved mother faces great hardship. With the death of her
only son,
she is left without family or economic security. Her livelihood would depend upon the charity of others in Israel (Deut 26:12). •
Mystically
(St. Ambrose,
In Lucam):
the widow signifies Mother Church, weeping for those who are dead in sin and carried beyond the safety of her gates. The multitudes looking on will praise the Lord when sinners rise again from death and are restored to their mother. 
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7:13 the Lord:
One of many uses of this title for Jesus in Luke (10:1; 11:39; 12:42; 13:15). It is used repeatedly in the Greek OT to translate God's personal name, "Yahweh". 
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7:14 touched the bier:
A shocking gesture. Although the Mosaic Law warns that contact with the dead renders Israelites unclean for an entire week (Num 19:11-19), Jesus reverses this expected outcome with his powerful word,
arise.
By bringing the dead to life again, he eliminates the very cause of legal defilement and therefore its undesired effects. Jesus elsewhere raises Jairus' daughter (Lk 8:40-56) and Lazarus (Jn 11:17-27) as signs of the Messiah's arrival (Lk 7:22; CCC 994). 
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7:16 A great prophet:
A popular view of Jesus by his contemporaries (24:19; Mt 16:14; 21:11, 46; Jn 6:14). • Jesus' miracle parallels the mighty works of the prophets Elijah and Elisha.
(1)
In 1 Kings 17:17-24, Elijah resuscitates the son of the widow of Zarephath. Luke's expression, "he gave him to his mother" (7:15), is taken verbatim from this episode.
(2)
In 2 Kings 4:32-37, Elisha likewise restores life to the son of a Shunammite woman. 
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7:20 look for another?:
John knows the Messiah is coming (3:16) but is uncertain whether Jesus fits the description. He may have been influenced by popular views that the Messiah would reign as king in Jerusalem and conquer the Romans. Jesus makes no moves in this direction, and John naturally wants reassurance. 
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7:22 seen and heard:
Jesus manifests his identity through his works. The restoration of the
blind,
the
lame,
the
lepers,
the
deaf,
and the
dead
together confirms that he is the Messiah (4:18-19; CCC 549). • These miracles recall Isaian prophecy about the wonders of the messianic era (Is 35:4-6; 61:1). 
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