11:9 “So 7 I tell you: Ask, 8 and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door 9 will be opened for you.
12:54 Jesus 10 also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, 11 you say at once, ‘A rainstorm 12 is coming,’ and it does.
1 tn Or “The scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.
2 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
3 sn The term translated watched…closely is emotive, since it carries negative connotations. It means they were watching him out of the corner of their eye or spying on him.
4 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 tn This is a first class condition in the Greek text; Jesus’ opponents anticipated he would do this.
6 sn The background for this is the view that only if life was endangered should one attempt to heal on the Sabbath (see the Mishnah, m. Shabbat 6.3; 12.1; 18.3; 19.2; m. Yoma 8.6).
7 tn Here καί (kai, from καγώ [kagw]) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion drawn from the preceding parable.
8 sn The three present imperatives in this verse (Ask…seek…knock) are probably intended to call for a repeated or continual approach before God.
9 tn Grk “it”; the referent (a door) is implied by the context and has been specified in the translation for clarity.
13 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has been translated as “also” and δέ (de) has not been translated.
14 sn A cloud rising in the west refers to moisture coming from the Mediterranean Sea.
15 tn The term ὄμβρος (ombro") refers to heavy rain, such as in a thunderstorm (L&N 14.12).
19 tn This is a dramatic use of the aorist and the verse is left unconnected to the previous verse by asyndeton, giving the impression of a sudden realization.
20 sn Thinking ahead, the manager develops a plan to make people think kindly of him (welcome me into their homes).
25 tn Grk “unrighteous mammon.” Mammon is the Aramaic term for wealth or possessions. The point is not that money is inherently evil, but that it is often misused so that it is a means of evil; see 1 Tim 6:6-10, 17-19. The call is to be generous and kind in its use. Zacchaeus becomes the example of this in Luke’s Gospel (19:1-10).
26 sn The passive refers to the welcome of heaven.
27 tn Grk “eternal tents” (as dwelling places).
31 tn Grk “But you are not thus.”
32 tn Or “the ruler.”
33 sn And the leader like the one who serves. Leadership was not to be a matter of privilege and special status, but of service. All social status is leveled out by these remarks. Jesus himself is the prime example of the servant-leader.
37 tn Grk “urged him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes, “saying”) has not been translated because it is redundant in contemporary English.
38 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the disciples’ request.